5 Ways Social Media Can Boost Your Travels
From hunting down deals on Twitter to sharing photos on Instagram, the modern traveler is quite connected. And social media has emerged as a viable tool to assist travelers. Rather than quantify social media, however, we’ll instead show you exactly how it’s being utilized across the travel industry.
Here are five ways social media can boost your travels.
1) For word-of-mouth.
Since the advent of social media, asking for suggestions and advice has been the go-to for travelers of all stripes. And tips from locals, or friends in the know, have long been the best type of travel advice.
Thanks to pioneering apps and platforms, these days, asking for recommendations has never been easier. For starters, Facebook recently introduced a new integration that compiles recommendations into an easy-to-use digital map. Can’t gather enough intel from your friends? Joyage hooks travelers up with curated travel itineraries created by locals.
2) For inspiration.
When you weren’t looking, Pinterest emerged as the third-largest social network (after Facebook and Twitter, respectively).
So what’s the big deal? The platform’s simple interface allows users to clip pictures of things discovered online—recipes, clothing, and travel destinations are popular—and share them with their friends. Sound simple? It is.
For travelers, however, Pinterest has emerged as a useful planning application. Users can create a virtual bucket list of what they want to do and see. Additionally, they can scan the thousands of travel-themed boards to generate ideas of what to do on their next trips.
3) To see what’s trending.
For all it’s useful applications, social media is constantly derided as nothing more than a virtual soapbox—a public platform for users to voice their complaints. We think this is a simplistic conclusion. While criticism can be annoying when unwarranted, it can also be constructive when planning a trip.
Apps like Foursquare let members “check in” to restaurants, coffee shops, and other places to broadcast their whereabouts to friends and other travelers. Looking for a coffee or cocktail in San Francisco? The app shows listings, reviews, and pictures. The Trending button also shows which spots are the most popular at any given second.
4) To share your trip.
Looking to inspire some heavy #FOMO across your followers? While social media has the undeniable power to serve as the ultimate bragging tool, it’s also a great way to educate, inform, and simply share your travels with family and friends.
Instagram is the obvious heavy-hitter. It’s incredibly intuitive and popular, meaning that you can upload, edit, and share photos with your followers in minutes. Looking to take things one step further? Blurb Mobile is a storytelling app that allows users to make slideshows from digital content. And apps such as VSCO and Snapseed enhance your editing capabilities.
5) To save money.
No matter how you leverage technology, saving money is often a primary concern for businesses and their travelers. Hotel Engine can simplify your life by providing you with reliable, discounted rates at thousands of hotels across the U.S., Europe, and Latin America—for both work and play.
Ultimately, Hotel Engine provides peace of mind—so you can focus on planning the rest of your trip.
Have any tips to share? Leave a comment below!
