ENGAGING CONTENT By Daniel Scott SOCIAL MEDIA roll call This team needs YOU
Florida Training & FAM for our Cruise Specialists
Cruise Comparison by
Team 3D
TEAM Content
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Hello!!
Good morning!
I don’t know about you, but I need a vacation!
I’m only home for a few days this week, so if you think I’m ignoring you, I am! But I promise it’s just temporary. I’m going to add anything that’s not on fire to my running task list. I’ll be back for 5 nights, then I’m back out again to represent 3D at a Sandals Advisory council meeting in Grenada and Amy has agreed to be my guest.
This is a good time to remind you I’ve signed NDA’s for a lot of things and I’m bringing you into the inner circle when I share them with you. This weekend is an Agency Owner’s Mastermind meeting & we are working very hard to make sure no one feels bad about not being included, as only 30 of us made the cut. We are absolutely not sharing anything online to make sure of that. Then……next weekend I’m acting as a member of the Chairman's Advisory Board and they are hardcore about no one knowing that’s why I’m there - to the point that employees of the resort will try to figure it out the whole time we’re on the property. Super fun and super weird at the same time! I’m grateful I have a team I can share these things with. Truly! And I absolutely, 100% give all of you credit for the doors that are open to me - to US!
Did you know there are 73,249 travel agencies in the US this year? And well over 100,000 full-time agents, alone? That doesn’t include part-time agents, like most of our team. What does that mean to you? A couple of things - 1. There is plenty of business to go around! There was $817 billion in travel bookings in 2020 - 2020, the year of awfulness so imagine what it is now - and the industry is worth at least $1.2 Trillion. We’re not competing against other agencies. The world is wide and full of opportunities, and your only limits are those you impose on yourself. And 2. Our agency is a force to be reckoned with. Of the top brands, Disney is top in Entertainment/Theme Parks, Sandals is top in Resorts/All-Inclusives and we have been blessed to hold space on their boards of less than 20 members for 5 years of the last 15. How incredible is that? And I am the only person I know who has sat on the board of both - I’m sure it will change and someone will cross over like I have, but it hasn’t yet. So, be proud! You’re part of something AMAZING! And you’re immersed in a community with the people who built it. I could not feel more blessed.
This week has a lot in it, so I’ll shut up and let you read. See you in Workplace!
CB
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THE 6-STEP PROCESS TO CREATING ENGAGING CONTENT -By Daniel Scott
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This was - by far - my favorite article this week - and I think no matter where you are when you let people know you’re a travel advisor - online, in person, on the phone, wherever - this will help you to be more authentic. Ready it and I’ll chime in again at the end - CB
Influencer marketing is everywhere. If you have been following influencer marketing since its inception about 15 years ago (yes, before Instagram even existed), which started with paid blog posts and sponsored tweets, one word has been at the center of the industry: authenticity.
The success of an influencer marketing campaign rises and falls on the authenticity of the creative, their relationship with the sponsored brand and the message being delivered. The problem facing influencer marketing today is that influencers are largely not seen as genuine or authentic at all. A recent international study shows that only 4% of people believe what influencers say is true, and the rate of successful “influencing” has dropped too. In fact, the influencer market has become so saturated and criticized for essentially hawking products to make a quick buck, that a new term has recently been coined — genuinfluencers.
“Genuinfluencers,” a term created by combining the words “genuine” and “influencers,” is meant to distinguish the generic (and presumably not trustworthy) “influencer” from those that are seriously genuine and authentic. According to one source, the term describes “social media stars who use their platforms beyond product placement.” Whatever name it is given — influencer marketing or now genuinfluencer marketing — at the end of the day is all a form of marketing, the end goal of which is always to sell some product or service to consumers.
The problem is that the entire process is driven by commerce and, therefore, will never truly feel “authentic.” So long as the process begins and ends with the desire to sell something, influencers will continue to struggle with building trust with their audience.
If you really want to create authentic content, follow these steps.
1. Take money out of the equation.
If your sole purpose for being on social media is to make money, audiences will see right through any message you are delivering. To truly be authentic, you have to first develop your presence on social media without focusing at all on monetization. Also, money is a means to an end — it is not an end itself. Money is a resource, in which the value and benefit are derived from its application.
Related: Influencer Marketing 101: A Blueprint for Running a Successful Campaign
2. Start with your purpose.
Social media is best viewed as a distribution platform for thoughts, ideas and messaging. It is a means of instantly connecting with other people across the globe through technology that easily fits in the palm of your hand. So, before you go using social media, you must first know why you are using social media — what thoughts, ideas and messages are you trying to convey? The most authentic, unique and valuable thing you can share with your audience is you and your life purpose. Instead of answering the question of why you are on social media, start by answering the question of why you are at all — what is your life purpose?
3. Use your life experience.
There is nothing more authentic than the story of you. Once you understand your life purpose, you will be able to see how it has played out throughout your lifetime and begin establishing creative life “themes” (i.e., reoccurring ideas and subjects). Because you have consistently experienced these themes, you are a natural authority on these subjects with a unique and valuable perspective to offer. Within each theme, you can then establish your “truths” within each topic. These truths will become the foundation for your authentic messaging.
4. Understand your personal modes of expression.
Often overlooked is the distinction between content creation and creative expression. Content creation is the process of creating images and photos for the purpose of posting on social media. Creative expression is how you communicate your original ideas of value, including who you are. If you are an artist, you may express yourself truths through painting, sculpting, making music, writing, dancing, acting, photography, video or some other form of artistic expression. If you are an entrepreneur, your life truths are embodied in the businesses and brands you create. In addition to what you do professionally and artistically, you also express your life truths through how you live your life and your life priorities. Some examples of life priorities and activities include fitness, beauty, fashion, cooking, interior design, organization, essentialism or minimalism, gardening and parenting. All of these are an expression of who you are.
5. Turn your creative expression into content.
Creating content is about capturing moments of creative expression in the form of images and videos. Generally, the form of content you produce will depend on which digital platforms you decide to use. For example, if you are using Instagram, then you will be creating photos and videos and adding some relevant copy or caption. The copy that accompanies your photo or video is where you will typically explain the specific truth. The goal is to create content that captures your creative expression of a particular truth within a particular theme. By starting with your purpose and capturing yourself expressing personal truths, the end result is guaranteed to be authentic.
6. Trust the process.
Your goal in creating content should be to fulfill your life purpose by distributing your truths to the broadest possible audience. That’s what social media is — a distribution platform for your message. If you effectively communicate your message, then those who receive it and need it will listen and follow you. Over time, you will build an audience that is genuinely interested in what you have to say and stand for. This is an audience that will be engaged in the conversation, and this is the audience that will most likely buy whatever it is you ultimately have to sell when it comes to transforming your message and purpose into some commercial form. It’s a funny thing about money: When you take your eye off of it as a goal and instead focus on conveying your true authentic value, you actually end up in a position to make the most money possible. Authenticity is key, but it cannot be manufactured. It must simply be revealed.
So, what the heck does this have to do with - or how can it relate - to selling travel? That’s the wrong question, because you don’t sell travel. You sell YOU. Amateurs book travel successfully. You are providing a service and YOU have to give people a reason to want to book with you. And it’s not a magic formula. And no, you are NOT the boring person on the team who has nothing to say, isn’t creative and you’re certainly not the only person who is getting defensive as they read this to either believe they’re less-than or the whole thing is just stupid.
Because the truth is you can’t escape communicating. You will do that to earn business. You will do that to keep business. You will do that to earn loyalty - which is much more important than business. And you will do that to keep it. If you are not intentional about how you communicate, then you are just one more piece of white noise in a very noisy landscape. Get it? If it’s starting to resonate, I challenge you to read the article again. Then go for it! - CB
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We constantly miss an obvious opportunity to grow our sales without spending a dime, by simply supporting one another's social media accounts. For a few minutes a day, you can support a team member AND benefit yourself, too!
First, you must grasp the key component of social media - it's supposed to be social! You can't rely on a scheduler to throw things out there and be done. You'll never - and I mean NEVER get traction on your accounts that way.
So, here is what I suggest you do & I'm providing the pathway to make it happen.
- Focus on one social media account at a time. Build traction there. Do so by posting regularly, yes, but also by sharing other accounts, commenting, liking, watching stories, and sending replies. Do brags and shout-outs in your own stories. SOCIAL. Get it?
- Start by going to the weekly post on Workplace and putting your social media account in the proper place. We will choose one platform a week and if you're active on that platform and are committing to posting + like, comment, and share the posts of others who also put their accounts on the list, then go ahead and post your account.
- At least 3 times a week you will post. At least once a day you will interact with your fellow team members. And don't stop there! Make it a goal to interact with 5 other accounts, as well. It takes just a few minutes, but if you can be consistent and be your lovable self, it will make a HUGE difference.
- You're committing for 10 weeks. Just 10 weeks until the next roll call, then you can decide if it was worth it.
- Will anyone do it? I sure hope so! We'll do a rotating 10 weeks. And 3D WILL participate. So you'll at least have ME!
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Look what I ran across this week. This can apply to any social media platform! |
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We will have an opt-in for each social media platform only once every 10 weeks, so we have long enough to gauge our success. This week is Pinterest. I've scheduled a post in Sales & Marketing Tips and Tools and you will have all week to opt-in and begin taking part. See you there!
Rotating Schedule:
Week #1 - Instagram
Week #2 - Facebook
Week #3 - Pinterest
Week #4 - Linked In
Week #5 - TikTok
Week #6 - Twitter
Week #8 - YouTube
Week #9 - Audio Platforms
Week #10 - open
Then we will begin AGAIN!
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In order to keep our commission at 10% with Marriott, we need at least 5 of you to finish training soon. Please log on and complete it, then let Joni know. Thanks!
Speaking of Joni, we’ll send out a “What in the World is Joni Doing” email soon. Look for that in your inbox!
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Florida Training & FAM for our Cruise Specialists
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Florida Training & FAM for our Cruise Specialists
Article Text
In the last few years, some of my favorite trips have been to Fort Lauderdale and Port Canaveral and I’ve been dying to share all these wonderful cruise ports with all of you. We lost our pre-cruise FAM due to a hurricane in 2019 and I’m finally ready to start putting it together again! I need your help to make it happen.
First - are you using the tools on Visit Lauderdale, Port Canaveral or Miami’s tourism websites? Your first step is to use the websites, enroll in their (very short) courses and make yourself aware of both what they offer and what promotional items they have available for your use.
Second - when you’ve finished all the courses and educated yourself on the websites, email me and let me know. I’ll add you to the list of those interested in taking a FAM down the coast of Florida in 2023. Yes, this is a long-term plan. I need to make sure you are interested, as most of you didn’t make cruising your #1 promotion BUT nearly all of you made it your #2! This is how I can vet you. We would do it in the spring of 2023 - so about a year from now, we’ll be finalizing our list. This won’t stop us from visiting California in June, too. Our theme park specialists with a Disney focus - don’t worry!
YES! We will try to take a short cruise, too. YES! If this works out well, we’ll make it a regular thing. YES! I think you should join me because I’m super fun if for no other reason than I love you. NO! Family will not be included, because we’ll be doing long days, lots of walking on many types of ground (sand, sea, stairs and the like - BUT I will do my best to make an accommodation plan for agents who need it) and we’ll pop into rental and personal vehicles to go down the coast. NO! I will not tell you who to be in a rental car or hotel room with - promise! - introverts are people, too.
Hope to hear from you soon!
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Cruise Comparison by
Team 3D
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This was such an educational meeting for all of us! It’s long, but it’s well worth the time to watch/listen to it.
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Email Blasts
This is a call to book summer travel & it’s meant to tug the heartstrings. I cried when I wrote it! If you aren’t sending newsletters right now, the text is still good for social media posts. Use at will!
This content can be used immediately! No need to wait!
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Canva Content
- This week, there are 8 Pins that are the same size as a Facebook / IG story - so you can use all 8 for all three.
- There are 8 Twitter sized posts like above - they work well in emails at that size, too.
- And there are 8 squares that are optimized for Facebook, IG or Linked In.
Remember team, you don’t have to belong to 3D’s email list or my Canva team to use any of the content here.
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REMINDER: Beginning this month, you have the opportunity to attend a monthly one-hour mini-course by me, CB, as I seek to answer the questions I'm consistently receiving via email, messaging, and appointment, while also empowering our team members to maximize tools and make plans for success.
3/28 - Fees - Announcements
4/25 - Social Media Basics
5/23 - Benchmarks, Milestones & Metrics
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3D Family Travel Calendar
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Reference back to this section of the weekly email periodically, as new opportunities are added. |
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2022
June 19 - 25 (not all dates, but plan inside these dates) #3DSummerMagic
Our Southern California FAM will include Disneyland and other area attractions we are able to sell as a Theme Park Specialist. Families may be present on property, but will not be eligible to attend all events.
November 29 - December 4 #3DHolidayMagic WDW
3D Holiday Magic is a recurring event meant to reward all agents with the benefits given to us by Walt Disney Travel Company. If enough of our eligible top sellers attend, our options expand. Hope to see you there! Past team members are also invited.
December 3-6 #3DHolidayMagic UOR
3D Holiday Magic is a recurring event meant to reward all agents with the benefits given to us by Universal Orlando Resort. If enough of our eligible top sellers attend, our options expand. Hope to see you there! Past team members are also invited.
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2022 WEEKLY EMAIL ARCHIVE |
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Week 12 - ENGAGING CONTENT Daniel Scott, SOCIAL MEDIA roll call, This team needs YOU, Florida Training & FAM for our Cruise Specialists, Cruise Comparison by Team 3D, TEAM Content
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CB's Tentative Travel Calendar |
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2022
March 24 - 27 Owner's Mastermind in Nashville
April 1 - 4 Sandals Advisory Meeting in Grenada
April 13 - 19 (not travel, but out of pocket) hosting family for Easter
June 19 - 25 Southern California FAM
July 9 - 13 Disney Wish
July 31 - August 6 RCI Harmony of the Seas
September 22-25 Wedding at Beaches Turks & Caicos (our rep, James)
November 29 - December 4 #3DHolidayMagic WDW
December 2-4 #3DHolidayMagic UOR
December 5-8 Owner's Earmarked Conference - Disneyland
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