RezNews Feature Article
Wikis and Blogs: What are they and should I even care?
Once upon a time, promoting a lodging property via the web was a simple task. It involved building a website, optimizing that website for search engines, and increasing the website link popularity so it would rank high in the search engines.
Now, current marketing and Internet trends follow Web 2.0 technology. New terminology involves words like wikis, blogs, and social networking. In this article, we’ll explain what you need to know about this new technology and give you some insider information. While these explanations may make you more informed, the real question is “Does all of this new technology really help me promote my property more effectively?”
Let’s first turn our attention to explaining a wiki. While the term sounds more like some sort of creature from a Harry Potter movie, a wiki is a website where the web pages can be added to, changed, and edited by visitors and then instantly published using only a web browser. Pages are automatically linked to each other. The ease of interaction between users of the website makes a wiki an effective collaborative tool. A well-known example of a wiki is www.wikipedia.com. This is an online encyclopedia that is user edited.
So what is a blog? Blog is simply a shortened version of the word Weblog. A blog is similar to a wiki as it allows web content to be instantly changed and published immediately. However, there are two main differences between blogs and wikis. Blogs usually don’t allow user generated content. Most often, the blog owner will post their thoughts on a subject and a viewer of the blog does not add additional content. A wiki, on the other hand, consists of fact-based information that many people contribute to in a collaborative effort.
Lastly, let’s discuss social networking. A prime example of social networking is www.myspace.com. These are sites where people who share a common interest can come together to discuss, network, and learn more about their mutual interests. A social networking site that is popular in the travel industry is www.tripadvisor.com.
Now that we have covered some topics associated with Web 2.0, let’s talk about its influence on the travel and hospitality industry.
For the most part, Web 2.0 was started by a technically savvy group of young individuals with their own agenda. Perhaps you don’t have myspace.com accounts or haven’t even tried blogging. Chances are, most of your guests haven’t either. These statistics may change over time, but for the foreseeable future, Web 2.0, blogs and wikis won’t have much of an impact on your business. These tools are better suited for companies that fall into the tech sector. Software companies and electronics companies were the first to profit from Web 2.0 technology, but keep in mind that these companies had already mastered the art of implementing pleasing website designs and aggressive website marketing campaigns. It was only after executing the basics of Internet marketing that these companies began applying the new tools of Web 2.0 technology.
Here’s RezStream’s advice. Focus on what works best for your particular market and don’t waste time thinking you have to master each new web technology that comes out. Focus on building a great website, hire a professional website promotion company who can promote your website with proven methods, and offer potential guests the ability to make online reservations. Follow these proven techniques and you will make more money! In the coming months, we will write a series of articles that focus on what Internet marketing techniques bring the greatest return on investment for lodging properties.
In the Myth Busters section of this month’s newsletter, we’ll talk more about the myth being perpetuated to hoteliers and innkeepers that wikis and blogs are the next trend to make you money.
About the author
Dennis Miller is the Internet promotion manager for RezStream. Dennis has over four years Internet marketing experience in the hospitality industry. He is a leading expert in search engine optimization, pay-per-click services, and using the Internet to increase revenue for hospitality clients.
Click here to contact the author with comments or questions.
