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Thursday, March 27, 2014

83% Say Social Media Not Essential to their Business!

The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) released their 2013 Technology & Web Usage Report on Tuesday.

The report is 43 pages of information ranging from booking trends to websites utilized by their travel agent members.

My interest is in the Social Media results of the survey.  According to the survey, about 80% of respondents maintain a social media presence of some sort.  However, 39% of users view social media as "not useful or proven."

However, there is a growing percentage (not stated) that see social media as a useful tool.
“Agencies are finding that new technology can be used to their advantage with many using social media to connect with their clients, demonstrate personal expertise, and reach new consumers,” said ASTA CEO Zane Kerby. “Technology changes have always allowed agencies to adapt and grow and better serve the traveling public.”
The ASTA study found that a large percentage of agencies (75%) have passed the "learning" phase and feel that they have a good handle on the technical aspects of social media.

What is lagging behind, and telling, is how many respondents find social media to be useful. Only seventeen percent of those surveyed viewed social media as "essential" to their business, while twenty-two percent felt it was "nice to be there."

Why are these percentages so much different from other business models?

The social media section concludes with the statement that "Primary goals with social media are shifting from general awareness to expanding customer base and communicating with current clients."

If only 17% see a business benefit from social media, somebody has dropped the ball.

The survey was conducted with a research panel of ASTA agencies, the ASTA Research Family. The panel is comprised of a representative sample of ASTA member travel agency owners and managers. The report indicates a 95-percent confidence with an error rate +/- 5 percent.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

The article 83% Say Social Media Not Essential to their Business! first appeared on Confusingly Simple.

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