Category: Social Media

How Facebook can help get your holiday rental business noticed online

ToniLeave a comment

For a small business to thrive online, customers need to be aware that you exist. You may have a company website with the right keywords, fresh content and all the SEO optimization present, but that will only get you so far.

As consumers, we want brands to come to us, we no longer need to visit a company website for company news, brands are on Facebook, and for the 11.7million Facebook users in Australia, the majority use Facebook to get news from their favourite brands.

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Nowadays customers are not only doing all their holiday research and bookings online, but they also use referrals by friends in their social network as a way to determine which accommodation they choose. Include testimonials by past guests on your website and in your Facebook posts. Post updated photos of your holiday rental and surrounding areas, particularly in the summer months when you can show them off!

Holiday rentals are using Facebook Pages to stay in the minds of past and future guests. Post content about that local events such as markets or festivals and give special ‘Facebook only’ discounts during off peak periods.

By setting up a Facebook page for your small business you are also directing more traffic back to your website where customers can complete the transaction or find out more info.

How are you using Facebook to promote your holiday rental?

5 reasons why Flickr is better than Instagram

ToniLeave a comment

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I am a convert. Again. Like a prodigal son I have returned to Flickr after years of wandering the plains of Instagram.

A first I was drawn to Instagram’s amaze filters and the easy to use iPhone app. However after recent news of Instagram’s privacy concerns which began 17 January 2013, and frustration over the inability to organizes my images, I logged back in to Flickr after reading about their new iPhone app, now including filters. Flickr greeted me like an old friend, and even congratulated me on my return with a present: a free upgrade for 3 months to its Premium account.

Here are my 5 reasons why Flick is better than Instagram

1. Ability to organise images
Photos can be organised into albums, known as sets and collections and assign tags to each. For example you can organize your summer photos into a ‘Summer’ collection and ‘sets’ by the year they are taken. In Instagram you simply have all your photos in your

2. Assign privacy settings by individual photo
You can assign different privacy settings for each photo. Instagram prefers are more ‘one size fits all’ approach.

3. Instagram uses the old square format
For more artistic users this makes your Instagram photos a more artistic feel of yesteryear. For the rest of us, the black bars that sometimes appear are frustrating. Flickr can accommodate the standard more rectangular pics that come from digital camera.

4. Organise your photos in batches.
Flickr lets you upload more than one photo at a time. You can update your photos in batches, so you can update privacy settings, tags and describe for multiple photos, rather than just one at a time like in Instagram.

5. Flexibility
You can’t deny the popularity of Instagram, with its millions of users it’s network of followers can not be ignored. But if you like your albums and like having different levels of privacy, consider Flickr.

What do you think about Flickr? Are you a convert or do you prefer Instagram?

If you are worried about having to start all over again on Flickr, never fear. There is a simple website called Free The Photos that moves all your Instagram photos to Flickr at the click of a button. All you need to so is sign in to both your Instagram and Flickr accounts. It couldn’t be simpler.

5 Ways to avoid embarrassing yourself on Facebook

ToniLeave a comment

It was after reading this insightfully funny post by Jeff Bullas that prompted me to add more of my own to the list on how to avoid social media embarrassment.

1. Don’t like your own status. The act of updating your status infers to the world how you feel at that time. If you post a funny status and then ‘Like’ it, it is akin to laughing at your own joke, or patting yourself on the back after a good call at a party.

2. Keep the daily check-ins to a minimum. Your friends don’t need to know each time you leave the house – spare their news feed. Exceptions to this rule include when you are on a pub crawl or wine tasting tour, as in those cases it is good to have evidence the next day of your whereabouts, as you most likely wont remember yourself.

3. Keep your page security tight. Many recruitment companies and organizations perform background checks on a candidates social pages prior to employing them. Your future boss does not need to see photos of you looking blearily eyed at the camera whilst being escorted out of a bar. Click on the ‘Privacy’ link on the top right corner of your Facebook page and under ‘Who can see my stuff?’ make sure it is set so that only ‘Friends’ can view your posts.

4. Don’t publicize a feud. Posting hate comments about your ex best friend or boyfriend may be entertaining for the rest of us but is embarrassing for you. Some conversations are best left to more traditional, offline channels ie over the phone or in person.

5. Don’t drunk Facebook. We not only need to avoid drunk dialing these days. Avoid posting or commenting when under the influence as it will be there for all to see long before you sober up.

Have I left anything out? Do you agree? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.