Five Tips for Engaging Guests on Twitter | By Pedro Colaco

eMarketer estimates that Facebook growth will come to a screeching halt at only 13% this year after about 40% growth in 2010 and over 90% in 2009.

More importantly, user behavior, led by the US, is showing that social fatigue is setting in: video uploads show sub-5% growth and categories like application installation and virtual gifts declining more than 10% year-over-year.

These trends clearly point out that Facebook’s growth years are behind us, and that after the hunting years, now it’s the time for harvesters to settle in. While sweepstakes may still be fairly successful on Facebook in the short-term, to make a Facebook page successful it has to be an engaging experience (more on this at 5 tips for a strong Facebook page.

However, the hotel business is still dominated by hunters that look for criteria like ADR, occupation and RevPAR as the be-all-end-all of hospitality success. And this is why many are turning to twitter. Twitter is the perfect hunting ground. An open community, where brands have settled in successfully both for improving customer service, but also for offering deals, much like flash sites do. This article offers 5 tips for having a successful hunting campaign on twitter:

Five tips for engaging guests on twitter

• Gather twitter profiles.The first thing to do when starting a twitter campaign is to listen to the ongoing conversations. Make it easy for guests to share their twitter profiles with you. Ensure you keep track of those on your CRM – they are public information after all!
• Read tweets of next arrivals.A good way to check the mood of your next arrivals is to check their twitter feeds. Based on the last few tweets and whether they were recent or not, you will be able to see if they are “looking forward to the vacation” or “dreading the business trip”. Use that information at check-in to service them better.
• Share local tidbits, funny pictures.Like any social community, twitter is about having fun first-and-foremost. So share interesting news about your community, funny pictures of a “lobster race” in the neighborhood and you will see immediate return with people retweeting your content. It’s not about the hard sale, it’s about getting users interested.
• Offer a twitter concierge.Make yourself available to help. Listen to questions directed at you or about your destination and answer users with relevant information. If someone is asking for a restaurant, don’t offer just the top choice. Treat twitter dialogs like you would a guest at your property, offer them advice about the small bistro that most tourists don’t know about.
• Share twitter-exclusives. Monitor success. Ultimately, twitter is about conversions. And the best way to monitor those is to offer special deals for twitter. Make them good deals and you will develop a following, no doubt.

You may think that the above is a lot of work. There is some work involved, but tools like Tweetdeck help dealing with all the complexities. You can use promo codes to make twitter exclusives.

All resources provided courtesy of GuestCentric. For more information please visit:http://www.guestcentric.com/shortmovie/

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Tips for perfect pet pics

It figures that a dog named Boo could scare us into taking better snapshots of our own prized pooches.

The preternaturally cute Pomeranian rules the Web with nearly 1.5 million Facebook fans at facebook.com/boo. That’s where you’ll find Boo photos aplenty, plus video proof the teddy bearlike dog isn’t really a crane game prize or a cyborg.

Now the little scamp has a book. Boo: The Life of the World’s Cutest Dog (Chronicle Books, $12.95) showcases exclusive new photos of Boo lounging around with his dog pal Buddy, nestling into “blanket burritos” and engaging in other acts of overt adorableness. A Kindle version of the book was released last week.

“He’s really friendly and warm and cuddly,” says Gretchen LeMaistre, the San Francisco freelance photographer who shot the Boo book cover and inside images. “He moves around, but he’s not so hyperkinetic like some dogs. So he is kind of ideal and really sweet.”

We know what you’re thinking: Isn’t my dog the cutest canine in the universe? Of course he/she is. You just need to step up your photos to prove it.

LeMaistre and other photographers offer simple tips to make your dog photos look frighteningly good.

Start with proper lighting: Indoors or out, make sure the light is behind you, not your dog. Otherwise you’ll end up with a shot of a canine shadow.

“If they’re indoors, go by a window. Window light is beautiful, and it’s really easy to find,” says Kim Hartz of Kim Hartz Photography, a Houston studio that specializes in pet photography. For outdoors, Hartz says avoid high noon and instead shoot photos in the afternoon or early morning. Cloudy skies provide favorable light.

Work on your dog’s turf: Stick with props and locations your dog knows and loves. “It’s nice to take photos of dogs with things that they enjoy, like their toys, or find a favorite park where they play,” LeMaistre says.

Shoot for a face-to-snout photo: Pet photography pro Renee Spade of Renee Spade Photography in San Antonio recommends getting down to the dog’s level or bringing her up to yours for a quality straight-on shot.

“You’re going to get a more realistic image of the dog versus a kind of distorted view,” Spade says.

It’s all in the details: When in doubt, get closer, LeMaistre says. Don’t limit photos to a dog’s face.

“I love to photograph paws and dog booties … (and) up-closes of noses,” Hartz says. “The details are really fun, I think. And you can do all that with an iPhone.”

Don’t force it: Unless your dogs have the model patience of William Wegman’s famous Weimaraners, Spade says let the dogs be themselves. Use treats and toys to get their attention, she says, but keep a toned-down environment where only you or one other person directs the action with strong but calm commands.

Add available quirk: Want shots with a bit more interest? Hartz suggests incorporating a fun lamp, a wall with a bright color or a sofa with a cool pattern. Throw pillows work great, too. “Just look at what you have in your house,” she says.

Capture the chaos: Like kids, dogs won’t sit still for long. Snap away anyway. “Even blurred shots will express the personality of the dog,” LeMaistre says.

Hartz recommends a shutter speed of 1/500 of a second or faster.

Give your dog a break: All models need a rest to recharge for the camera. Spade recommends a break if either man or beast gets too pooped. Let your dog’s temperament dictate the pace.

Think little dogs in fun packages: “With little dogs, it’s really fun because you can put them in things,” Hartz says.

For Boo’s book, LeMaistre captured images of the tiny dog in a drawer, a sink and other small receptacles. Cute? Naturally. Just don’t force your pup to strike a pose in a handbag or other pocket space if he’s not interested.

The more photos the better: Take plenty of pictures. “Because one of them is bound to be great,” LeMaistre says. “And the great one is not necessarily going to be the perfectly lit, perfectly technical photo. It’s going to be the photo that makes you feel what you love about your dog.”

rguzman@express-news.net

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