We are living in the information age with so much information available to us that we have had to build internal mechanism to deal with and filter information and as a result it is constantly getting harder to capture someone’s attention and keep their interest.

To market effectively market over the internet it is important to understand how the average user navigates and interacts with content. The following are traits of the average internet user:-

• Visually Scan – scan internet pages until something ‘catches’ their eye
• Short Attention Span – need to be entertained or they leave
• Unlimited Options – with all the options they will leave if you cannot engage them
• Lazy – do not want to read – adopting a ‘Show us don’t Tell us’ attitude
• Expect Interactivity – users are starting to expect an interactive experience

Rich Media in Tourism

With tourism being the largest commodity being sold over the Internet and the 1^st place over 70% of travelers go to research their travels you cannot afford to neglect this channel. Competition for these travelers attention is high so it is important that you are able to compete with other destinations and products for their attention.

To Attract and Engage potential clients you need to supply them content in the format they find most engaging. Often that means adding multi-media elements to the messages. The following are some of the media that can be supplied:-

• Descriptive Text
• Images – a picture says 1000 words
• Audio or Podcasts
• Video – with short attention spans video is able to deliver information and emotive imagery quickly. This is the most effective marketing media on the internet provided the videos are internet friendly (the video produced for exhibitions are largely ineffective on the Internet)
• 360 degree Imagery (Virtual Tours) – an effective and relatively cheap way of creating the interest and providing credibility (you can actually see what the product looks like)
• Mapping – is an important tool for providing the potential client with spatial understanding

Note: Good content provides credibility, prevents potential clients shopping around and shortens the decision making time.

So if you are in tourism and have not thought about invested in rich media to help promote and sell your product, then it should be a priority. That said; please ensure that your content is internet friendly or it is unlikely to have the desired effect.