Yacht Charter and Consumer Reviews,
Ratings and Research

Is your Yacht Charter Business missing the boat on marketing to new customers? Try this highly targeted, niche social media strategy.

When done correctly, consumer reviews provide 2 huge opportunities to Yacht Charter Companies and Professionals. First they provide very targeted marketing aimed at a specific group of users during an identifiable point in the purchase process. Second they provide an unparallel opportunity to measure, monitor and manage the service quality of your business while providing a consistent stream of social media’s Holy Grail - User Generated Content!  

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Every day I see another  post discussing the use of Social Media in the Yacht Charter Industry.  Overall, the consensus is… social media is here to stay. In a 2009 study, eMarketer estimates that in 2013, nearly 155 million - US - Internet users will consume some form of user generated content, up from almost 116 million in 2008.  A 25% increase in 4 years!

THE CHALLENGES

However, when it comes to the subject of what social media tools to use and the best way to implement them opinions vary as widely as the different options and it’s easy to become overwhelmed without a clear focus on your objectives.  For those of you looking to leverage the right social media tool that will reach the right audience while not spending all day doing it is by far the biggest challenge.

Some of the common questions I hear over and over again are:

How do I manage the huge world of social media/networking with so many options?

Is there a way to participate and keep the time requirements to a minimum?

What is the best way to stay focused and targeted on my market?

NICHE COMMUNITIES

Fortunately there is an evolution occurring.  Niche communities appear to be the next logical outcome of social media as individuals filter through the onslaught of information to find the things that interest them the most.   One powerful niche social media tool that is often lost in the vast ocean of Facebook, Twitter and the like is the consumer review.  In a 2009 study, Etailing surveyed 117 companies and found that customer reviews are the most effective social tactic for driving sales, followed by question-and-answer features and a Facebook fan page where companies post information. 

Depending on your business, reviews may not be applicable but many can use them.  One group that seems ideal, for many reasons, is the Yacht Charter Industry.

A REAL EXAMPLE

Instead of listing the reasons, allow me to use personal experience as a mini “case study” and an example of using consumer reviews as a niche social media strategy.

   As an avid Charter Sailor and consumer (not a Charter Professional or Broker) I use and search the Social Media world for help when looking for new and interesting places to sail.  I find Facebook and Twitter a bit like searching for a needle in a haystack.  Drilling down a bit further into blogs, websites and groups like LinkedIn can be more productive, but it’s a big net and often catches more than I want; Then Brokers who have experiences with select Professionals and Charter Companies promoting their business add deeper level of investigation.   At some point my search narrows further as I start focusing on specific sailing locations, providers and services.  Now I’ve entered the world of highly focused, niche social media groups.  Specifically, the niche group I’m interested in is the opinions of “Sailors like me” who have been there before me and have been kind enough to pass along their experiences with yacht conditions and the service quality of Charter Companies and Professionals.   And I’m not alone in this… I see requests all the time for information about locations, suggestions about companies to use and the like.  It shouldn’t be a surprise….according to the Edelman Trust Barometer - "Person like me" still most trusted source for information about a company and, therefore, products. (November 2007).

At this level of the social media food chain I’m focused on very specific information.  If you’re active in this space, you’re now operating in a rarefied social media niche… you’re providing very targeted information aimed at a specific group of users during an identifiable point in the purchase process.  You’re also starting to find answers to your questions about which tools to use and how to get the most out of the resources and time available for social media.

I have taken a specific interest in the lack of consumer reviews in the Yacht Charter Industry because I too have had the good and bad experiences this kind of information would have exposed prior to booking.   So, my good friend and fellow sailor, Steve Austin, and I created Yacht Charter Advisor (www.yachtcharteradvisor.com/pages/about) as way to collect feedback from Charter Sailors so others would know what yachts and which Charter Professionals were recommended by their peers.

Unfortunately, the “real” experiences of my peers in the form of ratings and reviews (so common in many industries and available on the web) are almost nonexistent in the Yacht Charter Industry.

BACK TO THE SUBJECT OF CLEAR FOCUS

Let’s jump back to the subject of having a clear focus when evaluating a social media strategy and let me use Yacht Charter Advisor as an example.  YCA’s business model not only collects feedback from Charter Sailors, it also provides very targeted marketing aimed at a specific group of users during an identifiable point in the purchase process.Ok, maybe my enthusiasm is a little over the top…maybe not!   But any way you cut it, at the end of the day, I’m a happy customer and an active participant in your social media strategy.  Isn’t’ that the whole point?
 
Consider the significance of the following studies:

- Customer reviews are the most effective social tactic for driving sales, followed by question-and-answer features and a Face book fan page where companies post information. (Etailing survey of 117 companies, September 2009)

- 90% of consumers online trust recommendations from people they know; 70% trust opinions of unknown users. (Econsultancy, July 2009)

- 84% of consumers said they were more likely to check online for reviews prior to making a purchase compared to twelve months ago, according to a recent survey by Brand Reputation (Retail Bulletin, October 2009)

There is a clear message here, consumers are most attracted to the information that helps them solve a problem or helps them achieve a goal.  In this example, YCA’s consumer review / social media model can help solve the key questions I mentioned above. 

 
Q: How do I manage the huge world of social media/networking with so many options?
A: Narrow your focus to meet the specific objectives you want to achieve.
 
Q: Is there a way to participate and keep the time requirements to a minimum?
A: Enlist the help of your customers.  Asking them to “Rate Their Experience™” generates content for you… and it’s the content other customers are looking for.
 
Q: What is the best way to stay focused and targeted on my market?
A:  Identify the specific group you want to communicate with, then find a social media tool that provides the information they want at the specific time it helps them solve a problem, achieve a goal or make a purchase.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!   ;-)

Another huge advantage (and byproduct) of using consumer reviews as part of a social media strategy is the “business intelligence” (not to mention the goodwill that’s created) you gain by asking customers for their opinion of your products and service quality.  You’ve all heard the old saying… you can’t manage what you can’t measure.  Consumer Reviews done correctly provide an unparallel opportunity to measure, monitor and manage the service quality of your business while providing a consistent stream of social media’s Holy Grail - User Generated Content! 

So, back to the mini case study from above and how it helped me as a Charter Sailor, and more importantly, what’s in it for you! 

   As an avid charter sailor I congratulate you! Your new social media strategy has helped me learn more about your company at the time I was actively searching for information.  Your past customers have corroborated the great service and clean yachts you advertise…Hooray!  Your transparency has boosted my comfort level because you aren’t afraid to let me see ratings and reviews from your customers… and you’ve even used a 3rd party site which greatly increases my confidence that the reviews are real and not cherry picked!  I’m ready to book!
  
And then, when my charter was finished, another remarkable thing happened; you invited me to Rate My Experience!  And of course I’m happy to oblige because the experiences of others lead me to your business and I want to pay it forward too.  In fact, I’m flattered because I know you sincerely want my opinion.  By the way, the next time someone asks if I have any recommendations, I’ll just point them to your branded space on Yacht Charter Advisor!!!

Ok, maybe my enthusiasm is a little over the top…maybe not!   But any way you cut it, at the end of the day, I’m a happy customer and an active participant in your social media strategy.  Isn’t’ that the whole point?

By the way... how often do you use reviews?  Weigh in below!

-   Jon Tulien, VP Business Development, Yacht Charter Advisor