Keeping a high profile online can pay off

Have a travel problem?

Just tweet about your troubles, and the airline, car rental company or hotel will fix it. At least that’s the conventional wisdom. And while it’s true that travel companies are spending a lot of time online listening to their customers, they’re not necessarily paying attention to all of us.

“Travel companies pick and choose who to respond to in social media,” says social media expert Ryan Goff. “You better believe that a Web celebrity with 100,000 Twitter followers is going to catch a company’s attention over the casual tweeter with only 10 friends.”

So, how to become a somebody?

Be interesting

Boring people don’t get a lot of followers.

“Be engaging,” says Lyn Mettler, the founder of Step Ahead, which manages social media campaigns. “Don’t just talk, talk, talk about yourself all day long. Read what other people are posting, and respond to them. Ask questions, answer questions. Truly interacting with people will help build your followers.”

Get a blog

One of the fastest ways to raise your online profile is to blog.

“If you blog, that helps tremendously,” says Tim Massie, an adjunct professor of communication at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

It helps if the subject matter is travel-related, but anyone with access to a credible blog is likely to come to the attention of a travel company faster than someone who doesn’t. Massie says being an active participant in online forums can help, too.

Join the conversation

“Post and tweet frequently about your experiences,” says Rick Gardinier, the chief digital officer for the advertising agency Brunner. “This will increase your relevancy and authoritativeness, which in turn will boost your following.”

How often? I try to tweet and post a few times a day, but you should be able to keep a respectable profile by publishing something a few times a week.

Offer good information

Building trust — and followers — takes time and work, according to experts.

“Travelers can increase their social media influence by creating good content, consistently, for an extended amount of time,” says Chris Harrington, the technology director for the communications firm Luquire George Andrews.

He says he is likely to follow users who have positive things to say about the subject matter.

“Negative comments can hurt the traveler’s social capital as much or more than the company in question,” he says.

That way, when you do go negative, your followers will pay attention.

Make a personal connection

Travelers tend to follow people they can relate to.

“People trust contents from somebody they can identify with personally,” says Iis Tussyadiah, an assistant professor at Temple University’s school of tourism and hospitality management.

Often, it’s as simple as posting a picture and a brief biography on your blog or Facebook profile. People are more likely to read your tweets and posts when they feel they know you than when you’re a faceless, anonymous voice on the Internet.

Even if you only have a small number of followers, you can still make a difference.

“The squeaky Twitterer still gets the grease,” says Dallas Lawrence, chairman of the digital and social media practice group at Levick Strategic Communications. “Like most travel-related stories in the online space, companies have focused their efforts toward addressing critical commentary posted by dissatisfied customers …”

You’re probably wondering if these strategies can really work for you. They can. I’ve used them myself. (You can follow me on Twitter at elliottdotorg, Facebook, Google Buzz or on my blog.)

Next time you have a travel problem, you’ll be glad you did.

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/03/20/1819283/keeping-a-high-profile-online.html