20 Years of Likes: Facebook's Enduring Impact on Tourism
In its two decades of existence, Facebook has redefined the social media landscape and shaped how marketers have adapted to the seismic shifts this has brought about.
In its two decades of existence, Facebook has redefined the social media landscape and shaped how marketers have adapted to the seismic shifts this has brought about.
February 4th, 2024, marked two decades since the launch of Facebook, a platform that has fundamentally changed the way we connect, share and consume information. While Facebook's impact on society is vast and complex, one undeniable area of transformation is how it has shifted how consumers interact with brands.
From humble beginnings as a college social network, Facebook has redefined the model of social media platforms, with its emphasis on tagging users and the constantly changing activity feed. Social media is now an indispensable tool for destinations and travel brands, reshaping the marketing landscape in profound ways. A recent survey of Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) showed that 91% of DMOs prioritise in-house social media marketing skills, with 75% rating social media as having a high importance, the highest of all forms of digital media.
This is unsurprising given the high reach of these channels, opening up the potential visibility of content by being placed on a platform used by millions of users worldwide, lowering the Cost Per Mille (CPM), an important marketing metric regarding the cost per 1,000 views. With stunning imagery at the heart of all communications and consumers, particularly Millennials and Generation Z, sharing their lives online, travel brands and destinations see great potential in having their content viewed by the next generation of travellers and building favourable brand recognition that can be activated at later stages.
In the age of big data, social media platforms offer a wealth of insights for tourism marketers. By analysing user behaviour and preferences, destinations and brands can personalise their offerings, tailoring experiences to individual needs and desires. This allows for targeted advertising, relevant recommendations and even dynamic pricing strategies. With first-party cookies being phased out by Google, currently planned for the middle of this year, social media data will become even more important. In fact, 60% of global DMOs believe focusing on social content to be key to overcoming this challenge.
Traditional digital marketing metrics, such as website traffic and click-through rates have taken a backseat to the dynamic world of social media. Impressions, once a vanity metric, are now crucial indicators of brand awareness and reach. But it's not just about how many people see your content; engagement is king. Likes, shares, comments and reactions paint a picture of how audiences interact with brands, revealing their sentiment and level of interest. This shift in focus necessitates a more nuanced approach, where brands create content that sparks conversations, fosters community and encourages user-generated content. In this way, impressions become gateways to deeper engagement, ultimately driving brand loyalty and advocacy. These metrics give a real-time pulse on brand perception, allowing marketers to refine their strategies and connect with their customers in a more meaningful way.
Social media, with the abundance of content at users' fingertips, has increased the competitiveness of the marketing landscape, with viewers' attention span shortening as a result. Audiences are now accustomed to scrolling through their social feeds, switching between videos at will. With social platforms influencing the way content is consumed, marketers have shifted focus, intending for their content to go viral, maximising the enormous potential of the sharing culture that social media has empowered.
With short-form videos now a priority, destinations and businesses are repurposing clips of their long-form content to be optimised for social media. However, storytelling is now even more essential to creating content that resonates with visitors, requiring the following four aspects to be addressed:
Travellers today are active storytellers, sharing their experiences through photos, videos and reviews on social media. This user-generated content (UGC) has become the cornerstone of tourism marketing, offering a level of authenticity and trust that traditional advertising often lacks. A breathtaking sunset picture shared by a friend holds more sway than a perfectly staged marketing image, increasing purchasing intent.
Leveraging the power of UGC, brands can acquire the rights to use this imagery, providing access to vast quantities of visuals on a limited budget. Beyond the financial benefits, showing UGC in campaigns and across all marketing touchpoints adds an extra level of authenticity, complementing brand messaging. Despite this potential, branded social filters and sponsored hashtag campaigns are considered to be of low importance by the majority of DMOs, with the power of low-key recognition of outstanding UGC seen as more valuable than mass activations of social media followers, minimising some of the risks of possible brand damage by giving complete control of content to social media users.
While UGC is extremely valuable for tourism, the rise of social media has been a double-edged sword. It has democratised travel inspiration and made lesser-known destinations visible, but it also fuels overtourism. As a case in point, social media conversations about the city of Harbin in China played a prominent role in attracting over three million visitors in three days, demonstrating the enduring allure of social media buzz in influencing travel decisions around the entire world, despite differences in the preferred channels for different markets.
Stunning, geotagged photos of hidden beaches or secluded waterfalls go viral, generating an influx of visitors. This can overwhelm local infrastructure, strain resources and even damage fragile ecosystems. The "Insta-worthy" pressure can also lead to irresponsible behaviour, such as trampling delicate flora or posing dangerously for the perfect shot.
In turn, some destinations have turned this issue on its head by changing strategies to promote hidden gems, with destinations such as Tourism New Zealand creating satirical campaigns to encourage travellers to explore the country's stunning landscapes. Such approaches to marketing are perfect examples of how creativity can help to shine a new light on destinations and provide avenues to subtly incorporate sustainable messaging within campaigns.
The prominent role of UGC has also led to the emergence of social media micro-influencers, which has further transformed the marketing landscape. Micro-influencers, boasting engaged communities in the thousands, typically between 1,000 to 100,000, have become potent forces in destination promotion. Unlike mega-influencers with millions of followers, they offer a distinct advantage: authenticity and niche expertise, acting as modern-day travel guides in their respective niches. Personality is now an extra consideration in promotional videos, requiring a carefully curated approach to matching potential influencers with the right content to share. Travellers trust their recommendations more readily, perceiving them as relatable individuals who share their passions and values. This translates to higher engagement and conversion rates, with studies showing micro-influencers driving stronger purchase intent compared to their larger counterparts.
Leveraging micro-influencers strategically has required destinations and travel brands to make the shift from mass-market campaigns to authentic storytelling. Collaborations go beyond simply sending free trips in exchange for generic posts. Instead, brands provide micro-influencers with creative freedom, allowing them to capture the destination's essence through their unique lens, where followers perceive the content as a genuine recommendation from a relatable peer, not a sponsored advertisement. By fostering partnerships with micro-influencers, destinations can navigate the ever-evolving tourism landscape, reaching the right people with the right message at the right time.
Recognising the potential of micro-influencers from an early stage, Switzerland Tourism was the first National Tourism Organisation to host an influencer summit, attracting micro-influencers from key markets to follow a curated programme and produce content around specific themes.
It is clear how social media has revolutionised digital marketing over the past two decades, from changes in the types of content produced, the power of UGC, the rise of micro-influencers as a new distribution channel and the evolution of key performance indicators. Nevertheless, brands must also remain alert to emerging challenges, such as the risks posed by deepfake videos on social channels and how they may influence the perceived authenticity and reliability of social content.
Today’s social media landscape extends beyond mere platforms—it intersects with other major developments, notably Artificial Intelligence (AI) and hyper-personalised marketing. Social media thrives on personalisation, fuelled by AI-driven insights. Brands must adapt to this dynamic landscape, recognising that the era of “one size fits all” is long gone. As technology continues to evolve, the intersection of social media, AI and hyper-personalisation promises exciting possibilities for customer experiences and brand engagement.
The advancements in generative AI will therefore shape the future of marketing, where prospective visitors use AI-generated searches to personalise their holiday choices. In fact, this shift has already begun with 22% of visitors having already used AI chatbots to plan their next trip according to research on traveller trends.
Facebook's journey from a nascent college network to a global behemoth has fundamentally reshaped the way brands connect with consumers:
February 4th, 2024, marked two decades since the launch of Facebook, a platform that has fundamentally changed the way we connect, share and consume information. While Facebook's impact on society is vast and complex, one undeniable area of transformation is how it has shifted how consumers interact with brands.
From humble beginnings as a college social network, Facebook has redefined the model of social media platforms, with its emphasis on tagging users and the constantly changing activity feed. Social media is now an indispensable tool for destinations and travel brands, reshaping the marketing landscape in profound ways. A recent survey of Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) showed that 91% of DMOs prioritise in-house social media marketing skills, with 75% rating social media as having a high importance, the highest of all forms of digital media.
This is unsurprising given the high reach of these channels, opening up the potential visibility of content by being placed on a platform used by millions of users worldwide, lowering the Cost Per Mille (CPM), an important marketing metric regarding the cost per 1,000 views. With stunning imagery at the heart of all communications and consumers, particularly Millennials and Generation Z, sharing their lives online, travel brands and destinations see great potential in having their content viewed by the next generation of travellers and building favourable brand recognition that can be activated at later stages.
In the age of big data, social media platforms offer a wealth of insights for tourism marketers. By analysing user behaviour and preferences, destinations and brands can personalise their offerings, tailoring experiences to individual needs and desires. This allows for targeted advertising, relevant recommendations and even dynamic pricing strategies. With first-party cookies being phased out by Google, currently planned for the middle of this year, social media data will become even more important. In fact, 60% of global DMOs believe focusing on social content to be key to overcoming this challenge.
Traditional digital marketing metrics, such as website traffic and click-through rates have taken a backseat to the dynamic world of social media. Impressions, once a vanity metric, are now crucial indicators of brand awareness and reach. But it's not just about how many people see your content; engagement is king. Likes, shares, comments and reactions paint a picture of how audiences interact with brands, revealing their sentiment and level of interest. This shift in focus necessitates a more nuanced approach, where brands create content that sparks conversations, fosters community and encourages user-generated content. In this way, impressions become gateways to deeper engagement, ultimately driving brand loyalty and advocacy. These metrics give a real-time pulse on brand perception, allowing marketers to refine their strategies and connect with their customers in a more meaningful way.
Social media, with the abundance of content at users' fingertips, has increased the competitiveness of the marketing landscape, with viewers' attention span shortening as a result. Audiences are now accustomed to scrolling through their social feeds, switching between videos at will. With social platforms influencing the way content is consumed, marketers have shifted focus, intending for their content to go viral, maximising the enormous potential of the sharing culture that social media has empowered.
With short-form videos now a priority, destinations and businesses are repurposing clips of their long-form content to be optimised for social media. However, storytelling is now even more essential to creating content that resonates with visitors, requiring the following four aspects to be addressed:
Travellers today are active storytellers, sharing their experiences through photos, videos and reviews on social media. This user-generated content (UGC) has become the cornerstone of tourism marketing, offering a level of authenticity and trust that traditional advertising often lacks. A breathtaking sunset picture shared by a friend holds more sway than a perfectly staged marketing image, increasing purchasing intent.
Leveraging the power of UGC, brands can acquire the rights to use this imagery, providing access to vast quantities of visuals on a limited budget. Beyond the financial benefits, showing UGC in campaigns and across all marketing touchpoints adds an extra level of authenticity, complementing brand messaging. Despite this potential, branded social filters and sponsored hashtag campaigns are considered to be of low importance by the majority of DMOs, with the power of low-key recognition of outstanding UGC seen as more valuable than mass activations of social media followers, minimising some of the risks of possible brand damage by giving complete control of content to social media users.
While UGC is extremely valuable for tourism, the rise of social media has been a double-edged sword. It has democratised travel inspiration and made lesser-known destinations visible, but it also fuels overtourism. As a case in point, social media conversations about the city of Harbin in China played a prominent role in attracting over three million visitors in three days, demonstrating the enduring allure of social media buzz in influencing travel decisions around the entire world, despite differences in the preferred channels for different markets.
Stunning, geotagged photos of hidden beaches or secluded waterfalls go viral, generating an influx of visitors. This can overwhelm local infrastructure, strain resources and even damage fragile ecosystems. The "Insta-worthy" pressure can also lead to irresponsible behaviour, such as trampling delicate flora or posing dangerously for the perfect shot.
In turn, some destinations have turned this issue on its head by changing strategies to promote hidden gems, with destinations such as Tourism New Zealand creating satirical campaigns to encourage travellers to explore the country's stunning landscapes. Such approaches to marketing are perfect examples of how creativity can help to shine a new light on destinations and provide avenues to subtly incorporate sustainable messaging within campaigns.
The prominent role of UGC has also led to the emergence of social media micro-influencers, which has further transformed the marketing landscape. Micro-influencers, boasting engaged communities in the thousands, typically between 1,000 to 100,000, have become potent forces in destination promotion. Unlike mega-influencers with millions of followers, they offer a distinct advantage: authenticity and niche expertise, acting as modern-day travel guides in their respective niches. Personality is now an extra consideration in promotional videos, requiring a carefully curated approach to matching potential influencers with the right content to share. Travellers trust their recommendations more readily, perceiving them as relatable individuals who share their passions and values. This translates to higher engagement and conversion rates, with studies showing micro-influencers driving stronger purchase intent compared to their larger counterparts.
Leveraging micro-influencers strategically has required destinations and travel brands to make the shift from mass-market campaigns to authentic storytelling. Collaborations go beyond simply sending free trips in exchange for generic posts. Instead, brands provide micro-influencers with creative freedom, allowing them to capture the destination's essence through their unique lens, where followers perceive the content as a genuine recommendation from a relatable peer, not a sponsored advertisement. By fostering partnerships with micro-influencers, destinations can navigate the ever-evolving tourism landscape, reaching the right people with the right message at the right time.
Recognising the potential of micro-influencers from an early stage, Switzerland Tourism was the first National Tourism Organisation to host an influencer summit, attracting micro-influencers from key markets to follow a curated programme and produce content around specific themes.
It is clear how social media has revolutionised digital marketing over the past two decades, from changes in the types of content produced, the power of UGC, the rise of micro-influencers as a new distribution channel and the evolution of key performance indicators. Nevertheless, brands must also remain alert to emerging challenges, such as the risks posed by deepfake videos on social channels and how they may influence the perceived authenticity and reliability of social content.
Today’s social media landscape extends beyond mere platforms—it intersects with other major developments, notably Artificial Intelligence (AI) and hyper-personalised marketing. Social media thrives on personalisation, fuelled by AI-driven insights. Brands must adapt to this dynamic landscape, recognising that the era of “one size fits all” is long gone. As technology continues to evolve, the intersection of social media, AI and hyper-personalisation promises exciting possibilities for customer experiences and brand engagement.
The advancements in generative AI will therefore shape the future of marketing, where prospective visitors use AI-generated searches to personalise their holiday choices. In fact, this shift has already begun with 22% of visitors having already used AI chatbots to plan their next trip according to research on traveller trends.
Facebook's journey from a nascent college network to a global behemoth has fundamentally reshaped the way brands connect with consumers:
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