A new Phocuswright study suggests that social media might have evolved beyond a source of travel inspiration into a powerful force in driving bookings and converting inspired scrollers to committed customers
The new 'F Is For Funnel: Social Media and the Path to Travel Purchase' report has found that 65% of travellers have made a purchasing decision based on social media content they discovered when planning their trip.
Younger, frequent and international travellers appear to be most vulnerable to the enticing power of social media-inspired purchasing, with nearly two-thirds of travellers under 55 converting inspiration to purchase. That figure decreases only slightly to 53% for over-55s.
39% of respondents to the study said they used social media to compare specific options and prices, essentially suggesting that TikTok and Instagram could be the new price comparison sites of choice for travellers.
Images and short-form videos were the most effective at swaying scrollers to book, with 55% and 53% of respondents indicating so, respectively.
Naturally, with social media users now exercising serious buying power, Madeline List, Phocuswright analyst and the report's author, believes the findings "highlight a massive opportunity to use social media as a marketing channel.
"To remain competitive, travel companies should create a strategic social presence of interest-based content, candid collaborations, authentic UGC, smart targeting and an emphasis on priorities over avoidance."
While TikTok is gaining popularity with 47% of travellers seeking inspo on the platform, more established apps like Facebook (69%), Instagram (68%) and YouTube (65%) maintain their market share in this department.
It might be worth playing the long game with social content; 82% of social-inspired travellers waited up to two months before departure to start searching, with 54% suggesting they waited until just a month before departure.
No idea where to start making the most of social media's high potential in travel? Earlier this year, we spoke to the Advantage Travel Partnership's Kelly Cookes and David Forder about how agents can begin to make the most of TikTok and other social media platforms.
