For those of us who accept direct bookings rather than bookings via an OTA (such as Booking.com) or a traditional agency, the joys and perils of managing your own marketing is a massive part of your business.
Social Media is our #1 source of both bookings and enquiries.
Currently Instagram leads the way, followed by Facebook in terms of effectiveness and ROI (return on investment).
But what is the biggest growing social media app in the UK today?
In 2021 there were 13 million TikTok users in the UK.
“But aren’t all these users 14 year olds and highly unlikely to be booking holiday accommodation?” I hear you shout…
The short answer is “Nope”.
More than half of all TikTok users are over 25, and 30% are actually over 35 years old.
If these statistics don’t make you sit up a little bit, then just consider that every year TikTok is growing and in the not too distant future, it will be the most used social media app in the UK.
And every year its audience gets older – in other words, it becomes more like your ideal customer.
With all this in mind, we started our TikTok journey. We even went to a half-day workshop to learn about the app and how to maximise it for our business.
Perhaps what you’re hoping to read next are my top tips on how you can easily get ahead on TikTok and see the bookings flow in.
But unfortunately, I’m going to have to disappoint you. Sorry!
Tiktok is not easy, it works on your videos being popular and then (hopefully) going viral.
It’s not about gaining followers etc. and pushing content to them.
On the plus side if you did create a video which is well received then it doesn’t matter how many followers you had to start with, Tiktok will push that video hard to new people.
We are persevering, desperately trying to convince our four children to be our creative editors in putting together the videos, which is where we tend to struggle, and crossing our fingers that one of them will “Go Viral”.
TikTok will soon be as big, if not bigger than Facebook and Instagram.
I’ve used it and I can see why it’s so popular and horribly addictive.
Its audience will age with it, and every year millions more of our potential customers will be newly engaged on the platform, so we have no choice but to be there too.
Just wish us luck as we continue to navigate the somewhat murky pathway to success and I urge you to get on board too.
TikTok is not just for 14 year olds.
URLS
Web: bethnalandbec.com
TikTok: @bethnalandbec
