Following the trend of hotels and the lodging industry in the USA, some Surfers Paradise accommodation is also using social media to market and develop their business in the region. Although the proportion is still very low, those who do, are finding greater benefits and business development compared to their peers. There is plenty of room to grow.

Current uses and developments. Those using social media are still mainly limiting their activities to Facebook and Twitter. While effective, there are many more options to enhance this online marketing activity. Queensland tourism has been leading activity with an example in the broader use of social media marketing, with its ‘FourSquare’ promotion.

FourSquare. FourSquare is a mobile application that allows users to let others know when they arrive at a particular destination and communicate with others on the topic. It has lent itself to a range of promotions and information sharing between business and customers. Word of mouth spreads very quickly. There is no need to wait until you get back to your laptop to let others know what they are doing. Incentives to ‘check-in’ at a destination such as discount deals and other offers have increased usage by those involved. A contest further drove involvement, with those users who ‘checked-in’ to more than 5 destinations becoming eligible for even more prizes.

Perfect for the business. Social media marketing greatly suits the region and the type of business that many short term and longer-stay Surfers Paradise apartments operate. It is perfect for event management and marketing, bookings, retention of previous customers, and proactive interaction with satisfied and unsatisfied guests. The costs of online marketing activities continue to be minimal in comparison with other media, in an industry that needs far and wide domestic and international reach.

International options. If you are targeting Asian tourists, Facebook and Twitter are somewhat limited. The growing Chinese market cannot access these two sites, and there is a need to get involved in similar sites in China, such as RenRen and KaiXin. In the Japanese market, Mixi, the Japanese market has over 17 million users with only 1.5 users on Facebook. Sometimes due to social and political reasons, Facebook and Twitter do not translate across international borders – we see this as a particularly prominent in some Asian countries, particularly those which are our larger international tourist markets.

More than a website. Building content to assist would-be holiday makers continues to be a strength of those accommodation houses that wish to get more attention online. By providing informative articles and other information on the region, not only do they provide customers with an excellent resource on what and how to plan their holiday, they increase their internet visibility – all important when marketing online.

If you are considering your next holiday in the Gold Coast, or planning a trip with your family, you will find much of your needs covered online and inside Facebook. Those progressive activities can actually increase the enjoy of your stay and allow for a more complete customer experience. The line between marketing and a good customer experience is very blurred. Those who provide this kind of marketing are more in tune with your needs, and are ready to listen to what you want.