Episode #10: Instagram content, influencers and metrics for tourism and travel

Tourism Tweetup the Podcast

Chatting with Gabriel  Hubert CEO of Totems an Instagram analytics and influencer tool. We chat to Totems about why Instagram is so popular, content creation for Instagram, Instagram metrics and working with Instagram influencers.

Episode #10 of Tourism Tweetup the Podcast we talk to Gabriel Hubert, CEO of Totems, an tool for brands and businesses working with Instagram.

Highlights

Instagram ticks all the boxes of what a good mobile app should be says Gabriel Hubert. What sets is apart is that it's 1) mobile first 2) public by default 3) focused on content creation.

Instagram puts taking, editing and sharing the photo at the centre of the experience (above and beyond sharing other peoples content or curating other peoples content).

Gabriel says he is definitely an advocate for tailoring content to suit the specific platform rather than same content across all channels.

Need to understand the difference between a social platform (such as Facebook) and one based on Interestgraph (Twitter and in most cases Instagram). People will follow people/brands on Twitter and Instagram not because they know them personally but because the content being produced sits with their interests. People are fundamentally on Facebook to share a social experience with their friends - this impacts content development (or it should).

Interestgraph platform = you are not necessarily building ties and links with your friends but by people/things you are interested in or interested by.

There is a huge premium on being authentic. The brands that have been most successful on Instagram are those who recognise it is a mobile app, its designed to be in somebodies hand, its designed to go behind the scenes maybe share slightly more edgy slightly less photoshopped versions of what the brand has to offer via its products and services - tapping into the emotional.

User generated content is important and becoming increasingly important across a range of channels. Adds an authentic voice.  Users are increasing educated about how they can tag and structure their own content to make it visible by others.

When creating brand content there is not a one size fits all solution. It does depend on the audience that brands are trying to attract. You need to ask yourself what your goals are and be measuring on this. A healthy mix of showcasing your product and more 'inspirational' type posts seems to be the best strategy however keeping an authentic story whatever you do.

Successfully working with influencers should again come back to your goals, what are you trying to do are you trying to gain the attention of the influencers audience, or trying to get great fresh Instagram content for your audience or is it around a time specific activation you are trying to raise awareness of etc etc....

Try to work with the best creators and get them to teach you what the platform is all about. Give these creators freedom. Agree on a story and then give freedom. Don't be afraid to be inspirational.

Finding influencers via your own use of the platform and then platforms such as Totems. The raw number of followers is a poor metric to how successful a campaign is going to be, how many of these followers are actually relevant to your product or based in geographies that you actually serve. (NB: check out my list of some of the top Australian Instagramers here)

When asked what metrics should you track from your own Instagram or hashtag activities Gabriel says audience size, where is the audience coming from, what is the gender, what are their interests, what can we learn from their interests and what they are sharing, are their opportunities, what your competitors are doing, what are people saying about your brand/product.

You need to put the numbers to work and see how they fit and how they respond to different initiatives you put in place.

Tourism Tweetup the Podcast

Chatting with Gabriel  Hubert CEO of Totems an Instagram analytics and influencer tool. We chat to Totems about why Instagram is so popular, content creation for Instagram, Instagram metrics and working with Instagram influencers.

Episode #10 of Tourism Tweetup the Podcast we talk to Gabriel Hubert, CEO of Totems, an tool for brands and businesses working with Instagram.

Highlights

Instagram ticks all the boxes of what a good mobile app should be says Gabriel Hubert. What sets is apart is that it’s 1) mobile first 2) public by default 3) focused on content creation.

Instagram puts taking, editing and sharing the photo at the centre of the experience (above and beyond sharing other peoples content or curating other peoples content).

Gabriel says he is definitely an advocate for tailoring content to suit the specific platform rather than same content across all channels.

Need to understand the difference between a social platform (such as Facebook) and one based on Interestgraph (Twitter and in most cases Instagram). People will follow people/brands on Twitter and Instagram not because they know them personally but because the content being produced sits with their interests. People are fundamentally on Facebook to share a social experience with their friends – this impacts content development (or it should).

Interestgraph platform = you are not necessarily building ties and links with your friends but by people/things you are interested in or interested by.

There is a huge premium on being authentic. The brands that have been most successful on Instagram are those who recognise it is a mobile app, its designed to be in somebodies hand, its designed to go behind the scenes maybe share slightly more edgy slightly less photoshopped versions of what the brand has to offer via its products and services – tapping into the emotional.

User generated content is important and becoming increasingly important across a range of channels. Adds an authentic voice.  Users are increasing educated about how they can tag and structure their own content to make it visible by others.

When creating brand content there is not a one size fits all solution. It does depend on the audience that brands are trying to attract. You need to ask yourself what your goals are and be measuring on this. A healthy mix of showcasing your product and more ‘inspirational’ type posts seems to be the best strategy however keeping an authentic story whatever you do.

Successfully working with influencers should again come back to your goals, what are you trying to do are you trying to gain the attention of the influencers audience, or trying to get great fresh Instagram content for your audience or is it around a time specific activation you are trying to raise awareness of etc etc….

Try to work with the best creators and get them to teach you what the platform is all about. Give these creators freedom. Agree on a story and then give freedom. Don’t be afraid to be inspirational.

Finding influencers via your own use of the platform and then platforms such as Totems. The raw number of followers is a poor metric to how successful a campaign is going to be, how many of these followers are actually relevant to your product or based in geographies that you actually serve. (NB: check out my list of some of the top Australian Instagramers here)

When asked what metrics should you track from your own Instagram or hashtag activities Gabriel says audience size, where is the audience coming from, what is the gender, what are their interests, what can we learn from their interests and what they are sharing, are their opportunities, what your competitors are doing, what are people saying about your brand/product.

You need to put the numbers to work and see how they fit and how they respond to different initiatives you put in place. It is how those numbers inform you on what your actions had as far as impact and how that number is evolving depending on the actions you take.

Special offer

Totems has offered Tourism Tweetup listeners a 10% discount off any annual analytics plan see here for pricing and details. Just use the code TOURISMTWEETUP when signing up to get your discount.

Links we mention in this podcast

Totems

Totems blog

Totems Instagram account

Tourism Australia Instagram account

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