We know our annual social media statistics report is hotly anticipated and here it is! These are intended as a quick snapshot of what’s happening in the world of social media for travel.
Each year, we try and draw out some conclusions on what these statistics show. This year is no exception.
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Volatility and decline.
We’ve seen some swings in monthly usage data coming through. Over time we need to be prepared for odd periods of instability. The best example of this is X/Twitter where we have seen [Noe to insert statistics] but also note for [Noe there were some other declines please list here]
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Inertia.
Despite this, we are seeing many of the traditional players e.g., Facebook retain their leading positions. Despite issues, once you are there you continue to have a strong role. Again, perhaps the best example of this is X/Twitter. Despite steep declines in usage and ongoing issues for its reputation it remains a place where news breaks and many people who disagree with the policies of its owner do continue to put commentary through there. (We are not currently doing so, as we wait to see what happens).
Two lessons we can draw from this, there is tremendous inertia that slows the decline of the big social media behemoths. This tends to be the case until they either reinvent or topple over. But never underestimate the power of inertia.
In the case of X/Twitter it also points to the important role that this channel filled, and how hard that is proving to replace.
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Visual is king – especially if it moves
The strength of Instagram and the continued growth of TikTok demonstrate how storytelling via a strong visual medium lies at the heart of success in social media.
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Constraint is not (always) an issue
The success of platforms like Snapchat and TikTok often resides in the constraints of how to use them (how long, how long they are active etc.,).
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There is still space for Niche
Although platforms like Pinterest are not mass market tools, they can play a very important role for specific groups of people or at specific stages of the customer journey. Pinterest is particularly important at the planning stage of the customer journey. As a result, a presence here has a strong impact on conversion for products or destinations with unique, high end or highly visual offerings. It is also a great tool for PCOs and event planners.
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Don’t forget the basics
The most important thing about any social platform to remember is focus. Use the platforms where your customers play, at the stage in their journey that is relevant to them. Don’t try to be everything to everyone – it’s better to do a small number of social platforms well. For example, at MyTravelResearch.com, we primarily focus on LinkedIn these days, with a little bit of Facebook. We’d love to be back on Twitter/X but don’t feel it is a safe space for us these days. The feedback we get on our LinkedIn work is tremendous. Remember there is an opportunity cost to every marketing activity you do and ask yourself: what am I NOT doing in order to do this?
2024 Social Media Statistics Infographic by Noe Cano