As another day started, I went about my morning routine of a cup of coffee and loads of newsletters and reading about the mindset of entrepreneurs, digital media, niche publications and the travel industry. I read through these newsletters daily because they help me shape my thoughts about what I need to do as the TravelHost VP Sales and Marketing that will help our current network of publishers as well as continue to separate us from the competition.
This morning the headline that grabbed my attention was in Entrepreneur.com and was titled 4 Industries That Are Currently Undergoing Revolutions by Anna Johansson. The reason(s) why I opened this article was to find out which 4 industries they were, why they were undergoing a revolution and what I could learn so that I could adopt that for TravelHost.
As it turns out Travel was the 4th industry in the list after Home Automation, The Sleep Industry and Retail. It was interesting to see what was happening in those industries but the travel revolution struck me and made me smile. The main point was that the travel industry was headed to a mobile-first mindset. If you are a business traveler then you know that your boarding pass is on your phone, finding and reserving flights is also being done by phone.
This move to a more mobile lifestyle works for the TravelHost publisher and their clients because of two current scenarios as well as future possibilities. TravelHost publishers and advertisers have access to the TravelHost mobile app which is proximity based as well as being able to deliver social news feed ads on both Facebook and Instagram.
The TravelHost mobile app (available on iTunes or Google) provides its users with listings of businesses that cater to the traveler. The listings are proximity based so as the user moves about the area they are in they will see different businesses and how far/close they are to their current location. In addition to the listings the users can select places to eat, shop, play and be able to see a description, reviews, pictures, map and a phone number. All this information in the palm of their hand allows travelers to be able to pick their destination within their destination.
Mobile + Travel = An Easier Day
Staying with the relative ease of use and a mobile-first society, TravelHost publishers are capable of running social news feed campaigns for their clients on both Facebook and Instagram. What does this mean? For a moment, think about your traveling experiences and what you do the moment the planes wheels touch the tarmac. Before the flight attendant can say that it is ok to use small devices you have already taken out your phone powered it up and have checked your email and text messages. At this point you have gone to either Facebook or Instagram and it is in this moment that an ad from a local business can be shown to you.
Imagine that you are hungry and trying to figure out where to eat in this new location and an ad for a breakfast spot or a dinner spot (to take clients to) pops up. You click and are taken to a full description of the business that provides hours of operation, maps, description, pictures, video, etc and you can click to call to make reservations. How easy has your life just become?
The move to mobile-first, mobile-friendly may not have started with the travel industry and may not end there but it will be this industry that helps transform the mentality. From checking for flights to searching for things to do to boarding passes to finding the right businesses…..mobile is here and here to stay.
Jason Bahamundi
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