The #twitterview with Steven Keenan on Social Travel Britain
Once a month at Trips 100 we plan to bring you an interview with an industry leader. But as we’re a network of social media influencers, we will be engaging Twitter to help us do it. And as we’re all really busy, we plan to do it in a coffee break. Look out on Twitter for announcements about our next guest each month. Grab a coffee and watch it live, join in or continue the conversation afterwards. And in case your coffee break doesn’t coincide with ours, we’ll be pulling it all together in a monthly blog post.
Our first #twitterview guest was digital social media expert Steven Keenan. Former online travel editor for The Sunday Times and deputy travel editor for The Times, he currently co-runs Travel Perspective, a company that helps others in the industry understand the value of social media in travel. And he recently organised Social Travel Britain 2015– a new conference that debated how to best promote destinations through digital and social media. In an interview with Trips 100 Commissioning Editor Kirstie Pelling he talked about the conference, about what delegates took away and some ‘blue sky’ thinking for the future…
Q1: Tell us a little about Social Travel Britain 2015
@Trips100 Social Travel Britain, where those promoting travel and tourism in Britain met people who are smart at social and digital stories — Steve Keenan (@StevenKeenan) May 20, 2015
@Trips100 Exit tourist boards, enter Destination Management Organisations, who work with private rather than public money (mf) #twitterview — Steve Keenan (@StevenKeenan) May 20, 2015
@Trips100 (2).. Enter smart people who can tell stories digitally and socially with smart ideas and who don’t cost a fortune #twitterview — Steve Keenan (@StevenKeenan) May 20, 2015
Could you give some examples? #twitterview — Trips100 (@Trips100) May 20, 2015
The Salisbury Cathedral clerk who took a Go-Pro to top of the spire… the #poetinmotion in Cumbria… #twitterview https://t.co/rnaycU4ji3 — Steve Keenan (@StevenKeenan) May 20, 2015
@Trips100 Non-branded video from Cornwall… @VisitWales work with vloggers.. Lots of good ideas emerging in Britain #twitterview — Steve Keenan (@StevenKeenan) May 20, 2015
@Trips100 Long-term use of a hashtag. Video, always. Co-operation/continuity. Locally inspired projects. We’ve only just begun. #twitterview
— Steve Keenan (@StevenKeenan) May 20, 2015
Locally inspired projects.Something maybe travel bloggers haven’t considered much in the past or been proactive about pitching? #twitterview — Trips100 (@Trips100) May 20, 2015
@Trips100 True. They’re too busy chasing NYC or Sydney. Big fan of backyard blogging, as you may know – start local #twitterview — Steve Keenan (@StevenKeenan) May 20, 2015
Q2: Are us Brits keeping up? Or even out in front with our digital efforts?
@Trips100 Had speaker from Italy and delegates from Denmark. Broadly, Britain far behind Scandinavia, Spain, Greece and Turkey #twitterview — Steve Keenan (@StevenKeenan) May 20, 2015
Q3: Picking up from something you said in Q1..video always?
@Trips100 Q3: slow-mo and hyper lapse on iPhone/Instagram compelling. Periscope latest hype. Main video message: keep it simple #twitterview — Steve Keenan (@StevenKeenan) May 20, 2015
Yes Periscope is the latest ‘must do’. I’ve also been hearing about drones that you can chuck and they will follow you. #twitterview — Trips100 (@Trips100) May 20, 2015
@Trips100 Oh yes, wearable drones – excellent prospects. Look up http://t.co/r0ey6RJInN. These really could make a difference #twitterview
— Steve Keenan (@StevenKeenan) May 20, 2015
@Trips100 Here you go: drones that will follow you – http://t.co/r0ey6RJInN #twitterview pic.twitter.com/zJewaGzJzP — Steve Keenan (@StevenKeenan) May 20, 2015
Q4: Boiled down to 140 characters, what was the conference message?
@Trips100 Build a project, get results then take it to your target DMO/publication/tour operator with your next smart idea #twitterview — Steve Keenan (@StevenKeenan) May 20, 2015
@Trips100 I’m sure FlyNixie (that last pic I posted) or others could add a watch. How quaint #twitterview — Steve Keenan (@StevenKeenan) May 20, 2015
Q5: Can’t wait to hear about plans for next year. Care to share?
@Trips100 Next year we shall be livestreaming from a tethered balloon all 150 DMOs/smart people via their personal drones #twitterview — Steve Keenan (@StevenKeenan) May 20, 2015
Live streaming blogger/DMO wisdom from tethered balloon with 150 drones? Er where can we sign up for that? Trips100 is IN! #twitterview — Trips100 (@Trips100) May 20, 2015
@Trips100 Drop me a line at [email protected] – I’ll start a boarding pass list! #twitterview — Steve Keenan (@StevenKeenan) May 20, 2015
Thank you for sharing your coffee break with us this pm @stevekeenan from #STB2015 and thanks for being the subject of today’s #twitterview — Trips100 (@Trips100) May 20, 2015
@stevekeenan Thanks @Trips100 – very good fun #twitterview — Steve Keenan (@StevenKeenan) May 20, 2015
