eoinkeaneireland

Google Adwords

Posted on April 11, 2016 by eoinkeaneireland

I find Google Adwords to be among the most efficient marketing tools/strategies that we have in the modern workplace. While Google Analytics can cause some confusion for me, as I detailed in my blog post on the subject , I find Google Adwords to be fluid, comprehensible and consumer-friendly.

The premise, I find, is incredibly simple. The company/enterprise chooses words/terms associated with it to “bid” for – with Tourism Ireland Brussels, for example, we would put in “bids” for “Ireland”, “holidays in Ireland”, “how to get to Ireland”, etc. The “bid” represents the maximum amount of money the company is happy to pay for their website to appear atop Google searches of the words/terms, and is dependent on how many other websites are bidding for the same terms.

When consumers- who are already interested in our product and what we have on offer-search for these terms in Google, the websites that first appear and that run along the right hand side of the search are purchased with Google Adwords. Tourism Ireland is therefore able to effectively and efficiently target these consumers- aware that these customers are already interested in the product- and direct them to our site. Once on our site, it is our hope that their dream of visiting Ireland is turned into a reality, and so all information is made available to them, from how to travel to Ireland, sample itineraries to make planning their trip easier to offers that might make their trip more affordable.

I believe that Google Adwords have revolutionised the world of advertising, and works to the benefit of company and consumer alike. No longer must companies blanket advertise via traditional channels- be it television, radio or print advertisements. These methods are costly, and invariably lead to a number of people uninterested in your product seeing your advertisement- wasting valuable money. Google Adwords, however, allows you to target consumers who have already thought about Ireland, or who like what Ireland has to offer. Google Adwords offers a more sensible spending of limited funds- with Tourism Ireland having to innovate with lower budgets like many other Irish businesses, Google Adwords offers the perfect platform to do this.

Of course, spending money to ensure that our website is more visible to Google users is but half the battle. I know my colleagues strive to ensure that the website landing page is inviting, clear and informative. One of our main hopes is that those visiting our website will sign up for our e-zine, and we invite visitors to do so via pop-up within seconds of them landing on our page. I find the “search” option of our website to be extremely poor- it can be difficult to find related content even if using keywords- I firmly believe this has to be improved as customers can be discouraged otherwise.

Curiously, other challenges can present themselves when using Google Adwords. Working in a bilingual society, with French and Dutch speakers representing two vastly diverse and different communities. As Tourism Ireland has to bid for terms in two languages to compete properly in this market, the Belgian budget is effectively halved.

It can also cause problems with co-op campaigns- a recent Brussels-Belfast flight campaign with a local airline had to be rethought as one of the main planks of the proposal involved Adwords- we would, however, be potentially bidding for the same words, and leading to a higher spend by both parties with potentially the same results. This shows that it is therefore imperative that companies/enterprises not become lazy, relying on the same terms/budgets and expecting the same results- rivals can outbid, consumers can experience burnout. It is important to constant review, to continue innovating, and to move with consumer trends.

The guide recommended for Adwords for this course was extremely helpful, and easy to follow with three distinct sections- understanding Adwords, optimising your website to be as consumer friendly as possible, and assessing your performance. I believe Adwords to be the advertising vehicle of the future, and I look forward to continuing to learn about it in my career.

Google Analytics

Posted on April 9, 2016 by eoinkeaneireland

Google Analytics

I approached Google Analytics with extreme caution: I often find myself overwhelmed with jargon and terminology with which I am not accustomed, and can often get discouraged or confused- and leave it behind. Unfortunately, I found this to be the case with this online tutorial- which left me at times exasperated, and watching or re-watching videos in order to fully understand them.

However, I grasp the functionality, usefulness and necessity of Google Analytics very easily. In conversations with colleagues or in reading blogs online, I learnt more about how integral Google Analytics is for any business that plans to move forward, to grow or to increase its profits. I find it fascinating to find out the demographics of those who visit our site: their age, their language, the words they search for on our website, what motivates them to search for Ireland, what they associate with Ireland- understanding all of this is central to Tourism Ireland’s intention of converting those “dreaming” of a holiday in Ireland to making Ireland their destination of choice for their vacations.

I have used Analytics in work before- I use tagging for all the links used in our e-zines and other communications with our databases, and I extensively review analytics on my professional Twitter account. When it comes to the Twitter account, I try and reflect on the information offered, and make changes accordingly to increase my reach, better appeal to my followers, and gain new followers to increase and amplify my message.

However, when we got into the nitty-gritty of Google Analytics, I constantly found myself getting lost in the terms, and having to constantly go back- I was constantly checking to verify what exactly metrics, dimensions and filters were, and found myself mixing them up. I found the videos sometimes hard to follow, and the content was sometimes boring. I had to take notes and rely heavily on them to complete the end assessment. I was happy with my end result but I have to bear in mind that I sometimes had to search for the answer, which was very time-consuming and not conducive to a work environment, when working under pressure.

I find myself now writing this and not really remembering a lot of the course- I feel that Google Analytics is something that I need to try out myself in order to learn better. I tried this out with this blog, which I am currently monitoring with Google Analytics; that said I am still getting a bit lost when it comes to certain things. Onward!

The Professional Profile- Digital Marketing Assignment

Posted on March 20, 2016 by eoinkeaneireland

The Professional Profile

Review the notes provided on web courses ‘building your professional profile online’.
Identify the key channels that will help you (eg. Linkedin, Twitter, YouTube).
Create a presence on at least three social media.
Complete reflective blog post on your experience (as above) and link to your professional profile.

The notes on the web-course on “building your professional profile online” were informative and helpful, offering guidance in what can be a very daunting challenge in creating and cultivating an online profile that will be of help in one’s job search.

As the presentation suggested, I decided to have some profiles that would focus on my personal more than professional life- for example, my personal Twitter. On this account, I like to show an insight into my personal life, posting about my family and friends and sharing experiences outside of my career. I do, however, sometimes share photos from my work that have been approved by my superiors. Overall, I prefer to post about my personal interests, and not mention my employer or anything of controversy.

I have made a concerted effort to therefore focus on LinkedIn, (my professional Twitter) and Facebook to help me in building a professional profile on social media.

I have been on LinkedIn for about two years, and I have found it useful in a number of manners: finding and sharing inspirational or insightful articles, following key influencers, identifying certain business practices that I identify with or appreciate (Richard Branson and his emphasis on the satisfaction of his employees being one) and sharing updates that may be of interest to my connections.

Here’s a link to my LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eoinkeane1?trk=hp-identity-name

I also find that I have a high reach among my colleagues in Tourism Ireland, ranking #65 out of 260 employees:

Another enjoyable aspect of connecting with past and present colleagues is being able to endorse and be endorsed. I find this is a useful tool in building your professional profile, as it shows that those with whom you have worked have confidence in your abilities:

Similarly, my professional Twitter allows me to further amplify Tourism Ireland campaigns, share photos that may be of interest to followers in the Belgian market, connect with journalists/bloggers who extensively work on social media and pique interest in Ireland among my followers. My professional Twitter also allowed me to establish my standing in the Belgian social media market, tweeting in English, French and Dutch, and focussing solely on tourism and related subject. I therefore did not have to forfeit my personal Twitter, which I prefer to use for sharing personal opinions and communicating with friends.

Here’s a link to my professional twitter: https://twitter.com/eoinkeane_TI

I will also provide some of my recent analytics:

I am pleased to see 20K tweet impressions, 752 profile visits and 239 followers, all with positive growth despite having posted fewer tweets. This is a trend which I hope to maintain, and hope to continue to have a positive impact on tourism in Ireland.

I find that Facebook is a very personal social media, but nevertheless it is the one with the highest reach on social media. It also offers me the potential to project a positive image of my work and the work of Tourism Ireland, and to showcase this to a wide audience. Also, people often wonder what exactly Tourism Ireland does, and can be sometimes cynical about how we put taxpayer’s money towards promoting Ireland abroad. By posting some of our promotional videos, campaigns or event some of the events in the Tourism Ireland Brussels office, I can offer an insight and a better understanding of what Tourism Ireland does, while increasing the social shares of some of our campaigns.

Here are some examples of posts relating to Tourism Ireland that I find have worked well on Facebook:

This is a post related to my attendance of Vakanz Holiday Fair in Luxembourg, which received 245 likes, and 12 comments.

This post about St Patrick’s Day and the #GoGreen4StPatricksDay campaign received 110 likes.

This post, dating from when I starting working in Tourism Ireland, received 400 likes and over 30 comments. It also showcased the work that the Tourism Ireland office does in both French and Dutch (see market books).

Overall, I feel that social media is an excellent alternative outlet to connect with the target market and amplify and compliment current marketing activities. Social media offers another channel to reach out to existing and potential customers. It also gives the opportunity to showcase one’s professionalism, possibly opening doors for future co-operation and can even be viewed as another platform on which to network.

Social Media

Posted on March 12, 2016 by eoinkeaneireland

Social Media Challenge

Write blog post on social media literature.
Discuss the use of social media in your placement company.
Set up Twitter.
Get a brand to tweet you (get screengrab of response). Discuss in blog post.
Ask a question on a brand’s facebook (get screengrab of response). Discuss in blog post.

“We don’t have a choice whether we do social media, the question is how well we do it”

The above quote from Erik Qualman, the author of Socialnomics and commentator on the growth of digital/social media in marketing, offers an insight into the role of social media in modern marketing. Social media is an inescapable aspect of any marketeer’s life- personal and professional.

In a professional basis, social media is quickly replacing traditional methods of contacting businesses/enterprises and consumers/customers- such as telephone/email. The instantaneous element of social media makes it more efficient and more accessible to all. This is a change that I too have been a part of, growing up in the generation that awkwardly adapted to projecting ourselves online, building profiles and developing our personae on social media.

In marketing, and in particular in my current company/role, I see the vast benefits of social media. We can instantly communicate with a devoted and interested fan-base, tailor our messaging to their linguistic needs or their particular interests, and do so many times each day if necessary. Social media is another method in which to inform, to inspire and to influence our target consumer bases, and another opportunity to connect with our industry/trade stakeholders.

Tourism Ireland is extremely successful on social media, being one of the top three most followed tourism agencies in the world in Facebook, with many of their organic posts and tweets reaching vast numbers of potential/existing customers. I believe the strength of Tourism Ireland’s social media presence lies in the tone employed across all social media platforms, which reflects the tone and humour of the Irish themselves. Many of Tourism Ireland’s posts are breezy, light and inviting. Humour is omnipresent throughout, and the messages are always warm and welcoming. Corporate stiffness is non-existent, Tourism Ireland social media channels are not averse to using an emoji to express an emotion, or inviting the consumer to comment and contribute also.

As a consumer, I appreciate social media done well by companies. Many companies have shown humour on platforms such as Twitter, and other companies can show their commitment to customer service by responding to questions/comments on Facebook. I have learnt about certain events/cities through Snapchat and Instagram. For me, my first interaction with a company is often through social media. It is therefore imperative that their social media presence be developed and interesting. I have tried to hold myself to the same standard- as I show here with my work Twitter: https://twitter.com/eoinkeane_TI . This includes inviting others to comment or to share their experiences, using emojis or gifs to include humour in my tweets, and keeping a friendly tone throughout. I am please to say that my Twitter analytic show that progress has been made:

I hope to continue maintain and cultivating this trends, and continue to gain impressions on tourism in Ireland in the Belgian database, and continue to amplify posts and campaigns coming from Tourism Ireland’s head offices.

I contacted Trident Holiday Homes to thank them for providing us with calendars for a press event we held in Brussels. They were quick to respond:

I found Twitter an easy manner in which to interact with a company, and also to develop a friendly relationship. I will find it easier to talk to Trident Holiday Homes in the future, and find it easier to introduce possible opportunities for cooperation.

When it comes to Facebook, I found this to be a much poorer way to interact with a company- and I believe my examples shows exactly this- I wrote on Aer Lingus’ wall on Facebook to ask a simple question- if there would be a Brussels-Shannon route in future. However, another Facebook user commented under my post to complain about recent service he had received- Aer Lingus proceeded to go back and forth with this user about his issue, while effectively ignoring my comment. This, I believe, shows the inefficiency of dealing with a company on Facebook.

My Final Two Weeks at Home!

Posted on August 24, 2015 by eoinkeaneireland

In my head, the 6th September always seemed so far away. This is the day I will leave for Brussels, and begin working with Tourism Ireland in the office there. Now, the date is fast approaching, and I await with anticipation and trepidation…

I thought it important to relax and enjoy Ireland’s beauty before even thinking about packing or saying goodbyes. With that in mind, I headed off to the Aran Islands, Inis Oírr specifically, on Saturday with family. I know I may be biased, but I honestly think that a trip to Ireland is not complete without visiting these unique islands. The place offers an insight into a forgotten way-of-life, that astounds and delights even the locals. Everyone has an Aran Island story- mine involves my younger brother cycling for the first time in 10 years, losing control of his bike and crashing into the local pub’s sign- but the place is magical.

Getting there is relatively easy: I got a ferry from Doolin for 10 euro.

Getting around the island is even easier: I rented a bike for 10 euro. The island is so small that you can get everywhere on the bike. What a workout!

The people are friendly, the price of the day trip is reasonable. The weather was beautiful, the first thing we saw upon landing was a dolphin lapping up attention by the pier, and of course I loved the opportunity to speak in Irish to the locals.

Here’s the website for the ferry: Doolin Ferries , and for the island itself : Inis Oírr.

On the way back, we decided to stop by the Cliffs of Moher. Their beauty is simply breath-taking. Every time I go there, I am more astonished that I live 40 minutes from such a wonder. Again, it is so reasonable (6 euro per adult, 4 euro per student) that one has no real excuse not to stop in and enjoy the view.

This was just what I needed to get away from the stress of college/work. Now I’m en route to Dublin and facing into completing my MA thesis. Tough at the top!

Eoin

Hello world!

Posted on August 18, 2015 by eoinkeaneireland

Dia dhaoibh ar fad a chairde!

Thanks very much for joining me on this blog, and following my adventure as I work for Tourism Ireland in Brussels, Belgium.

My name is Eoin Keane, and I’m a proud Clareman, Gaeilgeoir bródúil, qualified teacher and lover of all things Irish. In the past, I’ve worked with the Ireland-Canada University Foundation and the Embassy of Ireland in Ottawa, Canada, and I am delighted to continue working for my country with Tourism Ireland over the next two years.

I’m not sure what I can promise with this blog, but I will endeavor to keep you updated on all the work I will do promoting the island of Ireland in Europe. There might even be a laugh along the way.

So, feel free to follow, and if you’re handy on the Twitter, be sure to follow @eoinkeane_TI

Más fearr leat teagmháil a dhéanamh trí Ghaeilge, bheinnse thar a bheith sásta leis sin!

Et, faque ca fait tellement longtemps que je parle francais chaque jour, j’ai besoin de le pratiquer! Je serais ravi de vous communiquer en francais aussi, si vous le préféreriez.

Cheers!

Eoin