FRONTLINE


DAVID WALKER aka The Travel Snob, a Not Just Travel agent based in Nottingham


I am by no means a social media expert.


I barely know how Instagram works and when it comes to Twitter I am completely lost. But I am becoming increasingly savvy thanks to an unlikely new source. My last article was written on a flight to Cancun for an AMR and If Only fam trip. During the trip, I received a message from someone who had been there two weeks prior and who had left his son’s teddy bear in one of the hotels – not too far from where we were staying – and he asked if I could bring it back for him. I travelled to the hotel, picked up


the little bear from the hotel and took a photo to prove he was safe and sound before travelling back home with my new cuddly companion. For some reason I decided to post the picture to Facebook – and found it generated more likes and comments in one hour than some incredible offers to the Maldives manage in a week. Spurred on by this, I took more pictures and shared more posts of the bear in various amusing situations – most of which involved alcohol.


FLUFFY MASCOT I grew so attached to the bear that when the time came to hand him back to his rightful owner, I felt completely lost – so I have since introduced the world to “Mattie”, my new fluffy mascot named


travelweekly.co.uk AGENT


A chance request to rescue a teddy bear in Mexico has


reignited my interest in social media


after the little boy who lost his bear. Let me tell you, he is getting some following already. In the three weeks I have had him, he has been to Greece and Zanzibar, and tomorrow he will make his debut in Mauritius. Mattie has already been pictured on social media stretched out sleeping on Turkish Airways; on a speedboat with the wind in his hair; surrounded by empty bottles in Club World; and on his own lilo in a hotel pool.


FAM TRIPS COMEBACK Fam trips are most certainly back (and Mattie is ready for them). The AMR/If Only trip to Mexico


10 NOVEMBER 2022 29


was a huge hit, as was the trip to Greece with the Marbella group of hotels. I am writing this before packing for my Beachcomber and Not Just Travel golf trip to Mauritius tomorrow. Fam trips are the best way of experiencing what we sell, and they give us so much more to go on. We post like mad when we can on social media when we’re on these trips, and with Mattie I now have the perfect excuse for posting loads more photos and therefore generating far more engagement (I hope). In the long run this should mean more bookings for me and hopefully also for the hosts. Some people always seem to be on fam trips (you know who you are) – and don’t get me wrong, I get my fair share – but I often turn them down too. If I already know a hotel or destination, I tend to decline and let someone else have a crack at it. I make a judgement call if it’s worth being away from the office to learn new things and increase bookings in the long run due to the newfound knowledge. As far as I am concerned, there must be some return on investment from my side, or at least potential for it, and I will try my darndest to increase bookings for the host.


MUTUAL SUPPORT IS GOOD FOR ALL


A client who runs a


rock-climbing business called me today to thank me for


regularly sharing his posts on Facebook and to say he has gained several new customers due to me doing this. I have since seen him like and share some of my posts on his own page to


reciprocate the favour. I’m yet to have anyone contact me as a result, but there’s time yet and I’m keeping the faith. I think it’s important to support other business owners, no matter what they do, and I try to promote all my clients who have their own businesses. What goes around comes around, after all.


Mattie the mascot


Sharon ColinKimHelen Clare diary diary


Sharon ColinKimHelen Clare


David


David


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