@Kevin I think your theory of brand engagment on Twitter because of simplicity could be expanded to include it being a perceived path of least resistance where brands, trying to make sense of Social Media, can get more followers faster on Twitter. Are those followers less engaged than they are on Facebook where people are in ‘their own’ social space and the interaction is more than just a status update.

We agree with TravelMuse, as such Facebook has been a much higher priority of the new Tourabout platform than Twitter. Although it distributes an operators interactions to both their Twitter and Facebook accounts we spent far longer evaluating and developing the key social features (including Answers – ask friends, the wider travel community and the expertise of Tour Operators, activity providers and DMO’s to understand destinations) of the new platform inside Facebook.

We look forward to the demo at PhoCusWright and meeting at #tcamp1

Definitely, realism not disillusion with Twitter!

Actually we’ve just started a purely online B2B client campaign for Tourism Ireland, promoting business tourism, and although I’ve found research suggesting meeting planners & business travel execs use FB more than Twitter, from a networking perspective Twitter’s been easier to engage on so far. Only in our first week though so time will tell on that one!

You’re right though, can be difficult to see specific brand mentions on FB, but then there are also some great tools for overall monitoring on there, like Facebook Lexicon. And if you bring the conversation to you, on your page, then you can really engage and the insight tools are great. Users are going to be self conscious to a degree but it depends what your primary aim is – to monitor or to engage. I think I’d argue engaging has more value, especially for ‘ambient awareness’.

In fact its value is quick, easy access to a fairly small number of like-minded people and contacts (for casual and journo users, as Sam says) and, for certain kinds of business, ‘ambient awareness’ (Adam @adders Tinworth’s phrase) of and from their most engaged customers. Ian’s comparison of B2B/B2C is really interesting.

Wondering about monitoring though. How good is FB for tracking what ppl are saying about the brand? Hard to monitor there unless they’re in the brand’s space, which makes comments more self-conscious. IMO…

Great post Kev.

I would never advise a company to focus on any one tool, especially in it’s über-cool phase but try it out as an add-on to other communications options. But, as always, once the hype machine starts its engine, the attention focuses on whatever that latest hype is.

Example:
Our New Mexico FB page: http://www.facebook.com/NewMexicoTourism
Our New Mexico Twitter: http://twitter.com/NMtourism

Not only is there a gaping difference in numbers, I can also tell you that in terms of interaction (which is the great benefit of using social media for marketing) FB is massively more effective.

Aside from the fact that (despite what the media hype may lead us to believe) more general consumers are using FB, travel marketing needs to be visual, and therefore lends itself better to the more media rich Facebook.

Do you think therefore that perhaps Twitter simplicity is what has made it so attraction, rather than Facebook which arguably needs slightly more airtime?

I love Twitter, but only for communicating with other people in the industry that I don’t have a chance to connect with otherwise. It’s also a good way to let steam off in an otherwise hectic day. But that’s me, as a person. Sure, it extends somewhat to the brand, but it definitely won’t (ever?!) pay the bills. I doubt it will ever be able to pay its own bills….

This post was mentioned on Twitter by kevinlukemay: Why the fuss over Twitter when Facebook is the place for travel? | Tnooz http://bit.ly/4iFluo...