The Essence

Intrepid Travel recognized that their social media presence needed a transformation to not only engage followers but also to foster a genuine community. They implemented four key strategies focusing on participation rather than mere content output.

How It Worked

  1. Dedicated Social Content Team: They established a team specifically for producing and posting content, allowing other departments to focus on their core objectives. This change ensured that every piece of content was valuable to their audience and aligned with business goals.
  2. Encouraging Customer Content Sharing: By prompting customers to tag Intrepid in their posts, they unlocked a vast pool of user-generated content. This shift connected their travelers with the brand on social media, filling a gap where over 95% of travelers hadn’t been tagging them previously.
  3. Hiring a Community Manager: They created a two-person community team, dividing responsibilities between content created by Intrepid and content shared by customers. This team incentivized sharing through monthly giveaways of free trips, leading to a projected 10,000 customer posts about Intrepid this year.
  4. Facilitating Community Engagement: The new community team engaged actively with customers, responding to comments and fostering genuine connections. They supported customer-run groups, allowing travelers to create their own communities, thereby enhancing the sense of belonging.

Results

These strategies resulted in significant growth in engagement and visibility. Word-of-mouth accounted for at least 20% of direct customer acquisition. With the community team in place, Intrepid Travel's social media presence became a source of valuable insights and connection, leading customers to actively participate rather than passively consume content.

Why This Matters to You

If you're looking to enhance your brand's social media impact, consider shifting your focus from content production to community engagement. Create dedicated roles, encourage user-generated content, and facilitate genuine interactions. This approach not only strengthens customer loyalty but also transforms your social media into a vibrant platform that resonates with your audience.