Decisions guided by trust: Social media conversion in travel

Being a content creator is a lot of work. There’s demand for reoccurring content, constant feedback, the joys of virality, the crush of a single negative comment. 

But for content creators that push to bring value to their audience and transform anonymity to actual community, they feel a sense of duty to provide trustworthy, entertaining content to their audience (that they can then monetize). And, hey, if it converts, then their passion turns into a livelihood. 

In travel, social media plays a pivotal role in influencing trip decisions. But converting social media engagement into actual bookings can be a challenge. Who are the converters that look to creators and brands to make travel decisions?

First, a definition: Converters - We define converters broadly as social media users who made a visitation or travel purchase decision as a direct result of travel content viewed on social media.

There is a strong sense that many users leverage social media to craft an exaggerated, highlighted or at times downright fake rendition of their persona. However, the data suggests that living an insincere life online doesn't lend itself well to trusting content from others. According to Phocuswright’s latest research report F is for Funnel: Social Media and the Path to Travel Purchase, two in three converters say that their social media accounts are a good representation of what they are like in real life, compared with 46% of non-converters. What's more, they view social media as a tool to access community. 

Converters are more likely to say that their family and friends who post travel content have similar tastes in travel styles as they do (60% converters versus 46% non-converters), and that social media has allowed them to build stronger connections with other like-minded travelers (61% converters versus 42% non-converters).

Their generalized platform literacy also guides them when they are ready to make travel decisions. Converters are more likely to say that they have a good idea of which accounts or channels they can go to for an accurate depiction of what a destination will really be like. Their decisions are guided by an established sense of who they can trust.

Senior analyst and author of the report series Madeline List found content creators who have influential accounts. She reacted and gave some insights into a few:

Phocuswright’s F is for Funnel: Social Media and the Path to Travel Purchase is part of a comprehensive consumer research study delving into the specifics of how social media platforms are used for travel. Key questions addressed include:

• What types of travel decisions is social media informing?
• Which demographics are completing travel conversions through social media?
• Why do some users feel more comfortable making travel conversions than others? How can this be leveraged to improve the effectiveness of social strategies?
• What account types, content formats and tones are most associated with travel conversions through social media?
• At what points in the trip-planning journey can social content be most impactful?