With 65% of their customer base on Facebook and 25% of travellers stating that reviews influence their plans, this leisure park business engaged Kathryn to turn their failing social media initiatives around. They wanted a social media strategy that is integrated with business processes, which required staff to be upskilled in using SM channels to benefit the organisation. Kathryn initially mapped out customer pain points to understand how social media could play a part in eliminating them, and then worked with the marketing and customer service teams to put together a detailed project plan containing key deliverables. New channels were rolled out, supported by a dashboard that monitored the business benefits and reported performance back to the senior management team.
Winning over staff and upskilling them was an uphill struggle as staff had not been allowed to use social media, so the project entailed some cultural change shifts and training the senior management team. Furthermore, the workforce had little experience with online tools, so Kathryn identified ambassadors who could champion this new direction in a rather unique way. She focused on identifying people who had overcome the company ban on Facebook - these employees were clearly passionate about social media! Through a series of staff workshops she instilled confidence in all employees to use online tools, educating them as to how this would actually alleviate pressure in their day to day work.
The results were incredible. The group now has one of the highest customer interaction levels on Facebook, with nearly 100% of users clicking on ‘Like’ following emarketing. This kickstarted a viral campaign, with users sharing news with their friends and requesting regular updates. They also have one of the highest engagement levels on Facebook, peaking at 9% - most other travel organisations are lucky to get 1%. Importantly, there has also been a marked improvement in the quality of reviews on sites like TripAdvisor. This is thanks to the fully trained team monitoring and responding to comments and customer needs; this customer feedback is also now shaping the company’s wider marketing activities. Furthermore, Kathryn has left them with a dashboard to measure success and a clear and detailed road map to take advantage of future social media opportunities.
