This post is part of Marc-Oliver’s Digital Marketing Toolbox series – useful documents, interesting presentations and helpful strategy papers for marketers. Subscribe or see all Post Series

This document was part of a work shop I gave for a large tour operator just recently. You can divide the document in two parts: 1st is more an educational part which you can use to introduce Twitter to your employees (people who later will use it on a daily basis to increase sales etc.). 2nd part is the Twitter Task Flow Table. Which is the first one of it’s kind. It’s more of a collaborative digital marketing tool to stay on track with your Twitter strategy. Get inspired and feel free to leave some comments and share improvements.

The presentation “Twitter Task Flow Table”Marc-Oliver Gern is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License. Based on a work at flip-digital. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at flip-digital.

This post is part of Marc-Oliver’s Digital Traveler post series – Digital Brand Experiences and Ideas for the Tourism Industry. Subscribe or see all Post Series

Travel destinations, holiday resorts and destination marketing organization (DMO) should provide free wifi access and partner up with telcos. An open plea for the digital, mobile age – from a traveler perspective.

“People travel along data streams and highways, built by a social and mobile web. Help them keep traveling by providing a wireless infrastructure. Offer intersections when useful and necessary.”

We all know that the profile of a traveler, also described as ‘tourist’, is changing. Today, an increasing number of travelers use mobile devices to plan and book their trip online – in real time. Intelligent and useful social media apps give rise to new ways of discovering adventures and travel opportunities on the go – something that can be very beneficial to travel destinations.  But while there is much to gain from this, destinations can really benefit only if they provide actual and potential travelers with a free (affordable) way to connect to the Internet. Free Internet access for travelers and tourists is no longer an option – it’s a MUST for staying relevant in a digitally connected world.

In what follows you will find a collection of random thoughts, ideas and opinions on why this is the case (please share your thoughts and comment below).

Start sharing action, not just words
Social media for tourism is not only about sharing links, comments, thoughts and status updates, its also about sharing and creating opportunities (besides listening, engaging, measuring). Resorts and DMOs should partner up with telcos to develop ‘pay-as-you-travel’ mobile phone plans that travelers can purchase at the airport, border or with their travel agents, so that they can connect themselves with the web from the start to the end of their trip.

The ‘open&free web travel destination’
The open web travel destination lets people connect to the Internet wherever they are. This is not an option; it is a necessity and it should be free. It was not that important two, three years ago, but now with the digital, mobile age – things changed dramatically. Free, always available web access will be regarded by digital travelers as an integral part of an overall positive travel experience. In return, digital travelers will reward you with an increasing use of local online services.

Get personal and connect
With a free wifi network local businesses can finally start attracting the “always-on” traveler in a smart, fun and inspiring way. It allows them to customize services/products (due to holidays, seasonal offers, local events, etc.), talk to customers individually and learn more about their needs and habits, gather user data as much as you they want.

Free web access is an invitation for engagement and becoming relevant
When they have access to the web, people instantly create content. That will help your destination to stay relevant in the digital world. The more content people produce – and this includes pictures, movies, comments, blog posts – and the more opportunities they have to share it with others, the more they spread YOUR brand as well.

Keep your online content ‘fresh’
As soon as you can see new user-generated content emerging, its up to you as a resort or DMO to make that content valuable. Tag everything useful with your brand. Learn more about the LIKES and DISLIKES from your travelers within short time frames.

Book Now works best online, not offline
If your booking platform is in the travelers’ pockets pretty much 24 hours a day, 7 days a week while they explore your country, it is more likely that they will play around with it and use it. And this technology is not an add-on; it will soon become part of the ’system’. Recently, for instance, Apple claimed a new patent for the ultimate travel assistant called iTravel.

Don’t call me a ‘tourist’ anymore – it’s a relict of a disconnected world
Some tourism marketers might ask; wouldn’t it be easier to sell our products and services to people that are disconnected, without access to user reviews and online product ratings, so that travelers and ‘tourists’ arrive with an unprejudiced mind and be open to new adventures? That may be a good point, but people who think this way have already missed other opportunities in their businesses.

Need more inspiration? Ok, I am going to give you some examples to market your ‘open/free web travel destination’:

1. How about safety and destination updates – they become more useful while traveling. Example for a promo: “Receive now automatically safety updates for South Africa with our new iPhone Travel Alert App. Make your trip to the FIFA World Soccer Cup in Africa a save trip. Brought to you by XYZ Tourism.”
2. Think of people with disabilities. You can offer lots of new services and make their vacation more enjoyable. Help them to get around easier, locate and ‘activate’ services on the go.
3. Think of the next Olympic games in London – how much can you improve a visitors life when you provide free web access and new mobile services? For London that would be the biggest marketing coup ever. Example promo: “Pick up your ‘pay-as-you-travel’ phone plan at London Airport and install the ultimate London 2012 Games App. The smartest guide on earth: Find your way to any event. Helps you book your Hotel. Avoid any traffic jam. Participate in fun contest and win backstage passes.” Etc. etc. etc.

Ok, just wanted to give you a good BOX of true inspiration. Now: Connect with your travelers. Become the first ‘real-time travel destination’ – accessible via your mobile phone at any time, any place.

“Why I LIKE NEW YORK is better than I LOVE NEW YORK.” by Marc-Oliver Gern is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License. Based on a work at flip-digital. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at flip-digital.

This post is part of Marc-Oliver’s Digital Marketing Toolbox series – useful presentations and helpful strategy papers for marketers. Subscribe or see all Post Series

Click to look inside!

If you’re wondering why my posts to Flip Digital Blog (aka Curious Digitalus) have been a little infrequent of late here’s the reason why. I’m writing/illustrating an ebook/trendreport tentatively titled, “The ‘ME Tourism’ – Redefing Travelling” It will be available June 2010. This report represents an ambitious rethinking of how we use smart phones and the web while travelling. It outlines the process of ‘connected travelling’ and illustrates digital ideas in a new, fun and inspiring way. I’m in the last throes of writing it with barely two or three chapters left go now. As I get closer to the launch of the ebook, I’ll publish more about it. For now you can check out some randomly taken screenshots, sketches and a draft of the content page. Feel free to leave a comment with your name and a contact/link. I will notify you once its ready. Enjoy (… feedback and some inspiring words are welcome

“The ME Tourism and the Future of Travelling.”Marc-Oliver Gern is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License. Based on a work at flip-digital. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at flip-digital.

This post is part of Marc-Oliver’s Web Fiction series, which highlights a creative business idea for the digital world. Names are fictitious. Subscribe or see all Post Series

“As a creative designer I was looking for additional (marketing) opportunities to offer interactive experiences to peoples mountain routine. Ideas to connect them with the brand (in this case the ski resorts) in a new inspiring way. Its about: Life – Fun – Play.”

Well, you know me: I just love skiing and I love my iPhone. The question that came up yesterday while I was riding on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountain again: Can the iPhone change the way we ski? Simple question and some might say stupid too. But, think about it twice and take a look at some of those great ideas I outlined and scetched for you.

1. Chairlift Surfers – Discover People, Events and Services nearby.
Chairlift Surfers helps you to easy catch up with your ski buddies, find new friends on the slopes, plan backcountry trips, organize your aprés ski party and even more in a fun and playful way. I can set up a comprehensive personal profile with my skiing abilities and my days off from work. It matches community members automatically with the same abilities/interests and shows them on an interactive map, so you can connect with them on the mtn. way easier. If I live in a city the app will send me push notifications when any of my “followers” hit the road up the mountain, just in case I need a ride. Chairlift Surfers brings the social life back on the mountains.

The motivation for the app: Chairlift Surfers deals with the fact that ski resorts bring together lots of people who share the same interests and passion for skiing and snowboarding. This iPhone app extends that experience, easily connects them and takes the customer service of the resort operators to another level. It is also a great motivation for Singles to hit the slopes more often.

2.  Ski Bums Mountain Ralley – transform your mountain into a living adventure park each day.
Ski Bums Mtn. Ralley is a checkin gameplay or call it reality game for multiplayers: Its the first real-time outdoor game for skiers and snowboarders (all ages!!!) and the iPhone app is your compass and access to it. Its a new way to explore the mountain and to switch things up a little bit each day. You can collect points by competing with your friends and get rewarded for your days on the mountain. You can also put your own places and happenings on the interactive map and share them with the community. The app just make things useful where you are – geotility is the key.

The motivation for the app:Ski Bums Mtn Ralley connects the season pass with the mobile phone and location based services – it adds a intelligent memory to the lift pass. It gives the mountain operators the opportunity to reward season pass holders with special incentives as well. The idea: Just get closer to your mountain and make the “hidden” visible. Create revenue with cross-selling products like the Kokanee Saskatch – let people search for him on the mountain by using their iPhone and augmented reality.

3. My Ski Instructor
My Ski instructor helps beginners and kids to become familiar with the world of skiing and snowboarding. They can set up a virtual ski instructor as their personal “company”, watch ski lessons and explore the mountains with the interactive trail map before they even arrive at the resort.

The motivation for the app: My Ski instructor is a great way for resort hosts to get in contact with first time skiers and snowboarders. Its a tool to break down barriers and help encourage beginners, especially kids to explore new opportunities on the mountain in a fun, playful and interactive way. With an update it could also bring customer reviews (rate instructors and such) closer to your fingertips.

4. Ski Patroller
Ski Patroller lets you experience all levels of a real mountain patroller by playing several games and full filling tasks. You can progress from a volunteer to a chief patroller.This game integrates latest augmented reality technology: The app tracks your location and at some point, it even asks you to do avalanche tests and bombings before you hit the slope in real-time.

The motivation for the app: The goal of this game is to educate people about mountain safety and avalanche risks in a playful, responsible way. It’s again connected to your EdgeCard or Season Pass. It’s a great way to reward skiers and snowboarders for riding and playing safe on the mountain.

Thats it: 4 great marketing ideas to connect with the digital, outdoorsy consumer. But, hold on! As a marketing department you would probably think; well it’s quite expensive and risky to develop such an application cause you don’t know if people are going to accept and use it. But let me put it this way: Two years later from now, how many users will you have on your clumsy, old fashioned and overloaded website? You probably already have more visitors on your facebook page than on your website. How much effort does it cost daily to drive a couple of guests to your sites? Where is your website when people are on the mountain? How do you connect with them? The other fact is; people gather around and spend hours on other major social media hubs like facebook, foursquare, twitter and what not. They wanna be where their friends are. And most of them already access those sites via smartphones. You really think you should invest in your website? I don’t think so. But that’s just future-talk.

Never underestimate the power of gaming activities.

“4 Stunning iPhone Ideas for the Perfect Skiing Day on the Mountain.”Marc-Oliver Gern is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License. Based on a work at flip-digital. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at flip-digital.

This post is part of Marc-Oliver’s Digital Marketing Toolbox series – useful documents, interesting presentations and helpful strategy papers for marketers. Subscribe or see all Post Series

In holiday resorts all over the world, social media is introducing powerful new potential for outdoor tour companies. For those able to engage it best, social media will bring a bright future! Following research, monitoring of process and analysis of the adventure tourism industry – its digital potential and best practices, this strategy paper outlines a sample of top opportunities now available.

I will soon share more of my strategy papers and documents I’m currently using to develop creative social media ideas for small businesses and large organization. Feel free to visit my blog from time to time. You can also connect with me on Linked In or Twitter. See details on the ABOUT page. Thanks for sharing

The presentation “The Adventurer 2.0″Marc-Oliver Gern is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License. Based on a work at flip-digital. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at flip-digital.