Why building a community and relationships is the only way to promote MICE products on social

I was always involved in marketing, PR, promotion and selling for as long as I can remember. As young as 7 years old, I was making Christmas and Easter decorations with other children in my school and selling it for charity. Later I sold my “tutorial” services to other students in my school( I was good giving grinds especially from history, polish language, and literature, economics, English writing, and chemistry— in exchange for money or items). Later on, I worked as a promotional host and model for bars, restaurants and finally joined a modeling agency and actually promoted brands or products in Ireland and Spain. In every case before anybody ever hired me to do anything I had to build a relationship with them. I LOVED IT. I LOVED THE PROCESS.

So when I discovered there is an industry dedicated to promotion and selling of travel products, facilities and destinations that rely on relationships and promotion- I WAS FULLY TAKEN BY IT! MICE imprinted itself on my soul and on my heart in ways I cannot explain …..Once I graduated from college I got fully involved in the professional MICE and hospitality industry.

For the first two years, all I wanted to do was to make connections. Now, some people spend money on adverting and give this responsibility to other people or agencies. I knew I will never do this. I wanted to connect with people for real and get to know them via twitter, facebook, Linkedin. Talk to them. Listen to them, learn from each other. I wanted to attend events and see these people for real. I observed I gave advice for free, I shared any connections I could to assist, I connected others and I helped others in many ways.

So I decided having acquired this knowledge first hand, I should share some of my lessons and tips with you. No matter if you are just starting in MICE or if you are a veteran; times have changed.

The power of social networks cannot be taken for granted. The rise of various online platforms (such as Turnedsee.com for example representing the Eastern European venues) is a force to be reckoned with. Hotels or destinations do not have to relay just on expansive magazine adds, attending expensive hosted buyer events or cold call your potential clients. ALTHOUGH YOU SHOULD STILL DO THESE MARKETING ACTIVITIES.

Via online platforms, social media channels, social media groups. membership platforms and communities (liked TurnedSee.com), Google adds and more. But no matter what you do and in which activity you engage please remember that clients of the XXI century want more. They want more authentic, real human connection. They are still building relationships and still relay or the word of mouth. However, that word of mouth can come from online and social. That is what many sales and marketing managers omit today.

PLEASE: Allow your sales staff to be themselves. Allow them the freedom to use social media for sales a promotion AS REAL PEOPLE not just as hotel representative. We as human do business with humans, not with things or buildings. The new order of things is not B2B (business to business) but H2H human to human) ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT ON SOCIAL!

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