Fam Trips and Social Media for Travel Agents

Introduction

Purpose: Understanding fam trips, generating content, and leveraging social media for travel agents.
Disclaimer: Fam trips are professional responsibilities, not vacations.
- Work during the day, pleasure in the evening.
- Focus on gathering information for clients.

Definition: Fam trips (familiarization trips) help agents get acquainted with brands and destinations.
Purpose: Agents evaluate hotels/resorts, their amenities, and gather multimedia content.
Benefits: Often subsidized or free for agents.
Activities: Site inspections, photo/video collection, information gathering.

Photos and Videos: Focus on recording both to share on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
Strategy: Short videos can attract more views and engagement.
Platforms:
- TikTok and Instagram Reels: Vertical videos, shorter duration.
- YouTube: Horizontal videos, longer duration.
Planning: Choose the platform first to decide video orientation (horizontal vs vertical).

Go in with Intention: Know what to capture (e.g., specific amenities your clients care about).
Recording Orientation: Vertical for TikTok/Reels, Horizontal for YouTube.
Video Length: Keep clips between 4 to 18 seconds for editing flexibility.
Stabilization: Use both hands or a stabilizer to avoid shaky recordings.
Slow Down: Move the camera slowly to ensure clarity.
Editing: Compile short clips to make engaging videos showing different aspects (rooms, lobbies, etc).

TikTok: Growing platform, younger audience, short attention spans.
- For You Page: Content shown to non-followers; engage new users.
- Interaction Metrics: Views, likes, comments, and shares help in gaining traction.
Instagram and Facebook: Established platforms, engage with existing followers.
Cross-Promotion: Use content from one platform on others to maximize reach.

Supplier Contacts: Build relationships with suppliers and BDMs.
Events and Networking: Attend supplier events and travel agent meetings.
Direct Contact: Reach out to hotels via phone, email, or social media for site inspections.
Utilize Social Platforms: DM resorts on platforms like Facebook and Twitter to schedule visits.

Be Organized: Keep business cards and take photos with contacts to remember them better.
Be Persistent: Follow up consistently and maintain communication.
Ongoing Learning: Stay updated with platform changes; TikTok and Instagram frequently update their algorithms.
Membership and Workshops: Engage in continuous learning through memberships and workshops for updated strategies and networking.

Mindset: Approach travels with a business mindset even on personal trips.
Community: Join and contribute to professional communities and workshops to stay ahead in content creation and marketing.
Support: Seek help through one-on-one sessions or memberships for specific content creation guidance.