In their own words;

a day to celebrate the revolution of media becoming a social dialogue.

A great initiative which we happily support and to support this we’ve organised a social media meetup at Horizon Scotland on Wednesday 30 June from 09:30 to 12:30. Coincidently on that day a new series of master classes kicks off and speaker on that day is Raymond O’Hare, ex Head of Microsoft Scotland.

His presentation “Profit through Technology”  provides Raymond with the opportunity to discuss two of his favourite topics; Technology and making money! His experience, particularly with Microsoft, gives him a unique insight into the importance of making technology work for your business.

You’ll find out what the future holds for technology and business and get some ideas on how to ensure your business maximises its use of technology. Don’t miss your opportunity to hear Raymond speak on these fascinating topics. Book your place early!

To register call Horizon Scotland on 01309 678100 or register here: http://www.meetup.com/Mashable/9855/

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The workshop is very interactive and all delegates have access to a laptop to practice their new acquired knowledge.

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This week a few of our team members will be heading down to Glasgow to visit the VisitScotland Expo held at the SECC in Glasgow on the 14th and 15th of April to meet and greet new and existing clients.

We will be keeping you up to date on our experiences at the Expo through our Twitter accounts @tuminds, @davidrsim and @4tmsocialmedia. For this event we’ve created the hashtag #vsexpo

Why a hashtag? A hashtag is usually an abbreviated name of an event preceded by a hash sign (#). This effectively tags the tweets, allowing others to easily find tweets related to the event. It makes it easier for delegates to connect with each other and share opinions on speakers and on the event itself.

Very valuable information for event organisers and a great opportunity to interact and communicate with delegates. Also for exhibitors a great opportunity to connect with potential clients and raise awareness of their products services.

We’ve already started to use the #vsexpo hashtag which has quickly been picked up by several other tweeters and already has resulted in a Tweetup for Wednesday evening. Keep an eye on Twitter for our live tweets from Glasgow SECC!

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Expedia and Travelocity began accepting online bookings in 1996, but the phenomenon of using the Internet to routinely book and plan travel has exploded in the 21st century.

In 2009, for the first time, more than half of travel bookings were made online, according to Douglas Quinby of PhoCusWright, a travel industry research company. (If you’re surprised that online bookings make up only 50 percent of travel, consider this: Most group travel, most cruises, many complicated itineraries and even the majority of lodging reservations are still booked through a travel agent, by phone or in person, Quinby says.)
But the Internet’s impact on travel is not just in booking; it’s also in planning trips. Instead of buying a guidebook, today’s traveler might consult a destination Web site. To find a restaurant, you might go online to Yelp or Chowhound, or ask friends for a recommendation through Facebook or Twitter. For hotels, you might visit TripAdvisor.com, which started allowing customers to post reviews in 2001 and today has over 30 million of them.
Technology has even changed the way we drive to our destinations. MapQuest started offering directions online in 1996, the same year GM introduced Onstar. Google Maps dates to 2005. An early handheld Garmin GPS device sold for $589 in 2003; today’s Garmins start as low as $89. But you might not need one if your phone has a mapping app.

Travel and Technology, a combination that is embraced here at 4TM! :)

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The presentation strats at 7pm at the Glenurquhart House Hotel, near Drumnadrochit, Loch Ness.

Looking forward to it and will keep an eye out for the monster! ;)

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Travelers young and old are increasingly using mobile devices for flight notification, check in, and seat selection, and are also willing to accept advertising with free travel applications.

These findings and more were revealed in a global mobile survey of travelers, conducted by Sabre Travel Network, the world’s leading provider of high-performance solutions for the travel industry. More…

My own experience on this: a few weeks ago I was on a break in Blackpool (don’t ask…) and after visiting a religious site at Ladywell (again, don’t ask…) it was time for a coffee. Not knowing the area I wasn’t aware of any cafe’s or coffee shops close by but with my much enjoyed iPhone in hand, I was able to find nearby coffee shops/restaurants using the Qype application.

My iPhone showed the Haighton Manor which was only 1 mile away from my location and not only gave it the location of the hotel, a description and a picture it also gave me reviews from people who had used the hotel before! We had a lovely coffee and as it happened we liked the hotel so much we decided to dine and stay there too!

As you will read in the article of HotelMarketing I’m not the only mobile “nutter” looking for things to do, see and visit via a mobile device. In the article it states that

Travelers show a strong adoption for using their mobile phone to gain timely and relevant information, like destination information.

That’s why our team is working so hard on the development of a new iPhone app aimed at providing visitors up to date destination information. To be released soon……

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I like the way the Marriott hotel group is engaging with their customers using social media  and are always looking for new ways to market their brand. The “Driven” campaign is yet another great example where we can see how social media is changing advertising. Senior vice president of Marketing Strategy and Integration, Deborah Fell said;

No one can speak to the experience and benefits at Marriott better than the customers themselves. That’s what this campaign is all about,”

While the use of real customers is a growing trend in marketing campaigns, it is still a rarity in the hotel industry, as Forbes noted in a story recently. You start to wonder why companies produce expensive advertising campaigns with models/actors playing customers when you can use your own loyal customers to spread the word. Much more powerful!

See the full article here and the “Driven” campaign here.

Marriott Int. on Twitter.

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I got followed on Twitter the other day by @Socks4HappyPPL and as I always do, I check their profile, bio and latest tweets before I decide to follow back. Loved the name, quirky Twitter page, started to follow them and noticed that this company is new, launching it’s products Autumn 2009 online and in selected stores.

I tweeted about them and I got a reply back within 15 minutes! Pretty impressive especially considering this was a Saturday evening…

What a great example of a business using social media to connect, engage and send out their message even before they open store! Their Twitter page enables them to get the message out and connect with future customers with the potential to create a community around their products that will support the brand and create a “buzz” around it.

With a name like “Socks for Happy people” you can be assured they will be able to do just that. You can also find them on Facebook (I’ve just added myself as fan no. 8) which I’m sure will grow pretty quick with people posting pictures of themselves with their Happy Socks, I know I will!

A business to watch!

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