Social Media Guide

It’s a digital world. Luxury buyers are digital savvy. Which is why at Luxury Travel Advisor’s Ultra Summit in March, Kate Lorenz, director of content strategy for Leo Burnett Chicago, was invited to speak about the ever-evolving topic of social media.

According to Lorenz, 100 percent of luxury buyers are using smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktops; that’s twice as much as the general population. Social media started as a millennial thing, but now the older generations have caught on and are embracing it and often mastering it, using it greatly to their advantage in terms of personal branding and growing their business.

Lorenz offered the audience tips on how to maximize your social media experience.

Facebook is still king in the social media kingdom, she said. Last year, Pinterest and Instagram saw significant growth in popularity, and Facebook and Instagram users visit more often than any other site users. Forty-seven percent of Internet users share photos or video they found online. So how does this translate to selling luxury travel? Millennials are redefining luxury travel by turning it into a series of “Instagram-able experiences.” There are 180 million active users, who have shared 16 billion photos thus far. How many of those on Instagram are luxury purchasers? Quite a bit. Let them see the types of experiences you can curate, and tell them that you can do it for them, too.

How?

It’s time to talk about hashtags. Choose a hashtag that is unique, simple and relevant to your business. Ask clients to use your own personal hashtag when sharing their photos. This is a great way to get referrals. Don’t flood your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts with a slew of hashtags. Pick a few that are short, sweet and to the point.

Add captions that lend humor, wit and context to your photos. Tag partners, colleagues and clients so that your photos become igniters of digital discussions that link back to your personal brand and business.

Ask for reviews. “People trust real people,” says Lorenz. “It’s that earned media. Share the kudos you are earning and repurpose it on Facebook as a way to promote your business.”

It’s also important to not overwhelm yourself, because the world of social media can be dizzying. Lorenz’s tip is to pick the one or two channels that make the most sense for you and go from there. “If you’re going to go with two, go with Facebook and Instagram and then branch out to Pinterest and Twitter.”

What’s So Great About Instagram?

Its 180 million users spend 257 minutes checking their Instagram per month, which leads to 16 billion photos shared, and counting.

55 million photos are uploaded each day.

1.2 billion “likes” every day.

70 percent of Instagram users check their pages each day.

It’s owned by Facebook.

Source: Pew Research Center