on the record ❖ Moving forward….I’ve had a website ever since the first ones were launched. We had no idea what we were doing, how it would drive business or what to really expect from it. It was not cheap, but it was what I felt we had to do to stay ahead of the market. It worked! We booked business and the traffic picked up, phones rang and business increased. Amazing! Now I have moved into the social media arena along with e-mailing a monthly newsletter to 1,500 tour operators. I Tweet, post to Facebook, blog and am continually updating my website. I have nearly 2,000 followers on Facebook and nearly 200 on Twitter. I write about what is going on in the areas that I offer tours and anything that would help my customers be more successful. I have discovered that these 2,200 people that follow me really are reading what I am writing. I had a tour operator tell me just yesterday that she
can’t wait to see what I am writing from day to day and what I am doing. Many times I’m out searching out new and different things to add to my tours to enhance or change my itineraries. I’m known throughout the industry for doing different things from everyone else. Is all the social media worth the time and effort? Who knows, but all it costs me is some time. Will it help grow my business? It already has! I just sent my e-mail newsletter out this morning, Tweeted it, posted on Facebook and have had calls from people who have seen it on all the different media. Worth it? Yes! Time is money and I’m looking for an even better year next year than this one has been. I have had no tours cancel this year! Ginny Howell Ginny Howell Tours Jekyll Island, GA