Travel 2.0 - More on Social media & corporate websites morphing

I want to add more suggestions to the post about Social media & corporate websites morphing. Ronald from Mindz has added this powerful input following my recent post about Social Media and tourism offices.

The key to success is accepting that there is a new way people communicate. They do that themselves, amongst themselves, talking about productes and services, without the producer(s) being aware of this fact. Yes indeed: start monitoring the blogs about/around your destination, do your damage control.

Note: That is the first principle of the Cluetrain Manifesto: Markets are conversations.  These markets are conversations. Their members communicate in language that is natural, open, honest, direct, funny and often shocking. Whether explaining or complaining, joking or serious, the human voice is unmistakably genuine. It can't be faked.

Ronald continues:

Start facilitating these communication processes. Offer blog-facilities (with perks) to enthusiastic locals, hook up with local social networks, make sure that the long tail products of your destination are getting the attention they deserve and thus adding the so needed extra value to your destination.

What would that be:

1. Select bloggers who are already writing about your destination & feature them.
2. Search Flickr & YouTube for pictures and videos about your destination & feature them.
3. Allow site visitors to blog on your site (like Canada & British Columbia are already offering).
4. Search for groups that match your destination in social networks like Facebook. Join, connect & feature them.
5. Add your content to sites, that enable your visitors to do what they want to do (like biking-sites, etc.

Finally, when you are comfortable, start integrating that content into the corporate site, add your own "corporate" content, then your "new human tone" content, and morph all of these. Does that sound feasible to you? Looking forward to your comments.

Please make sure to check out all of the comments by Joe Buhler, William Bakker and Ronald.

Also read:

• Web 2.0 & Destination marketing - Holland.com leads the Way
• The Social Web in Destination Marketing - Canada & New Zealand relaunch
• Travel 2.0 & User Generated Content in Destination Marketing - Interview with William Bakker from Tourism British Columbia