Jamie Biesiada
When you want to go live on social media and share an experience or a destination with your followers, which is the best platform?
That depends who your followers are and where they spend time online, according to Jason Boeckman, ASTA's marketing manager.
Boeckman led a virtual session on social media strategy during the Society's online showcase, River Cruise Week, held last week.
In a question-and-answer segment, an advisor asked about going live.
Facebook and Instagram are the two biggest platforms, he said.
"But really, I guess it's just knowing who are your followers," Boeckman said. "Maybe you've got a lot of followers on Facebook, and that makes sense to do your live there."
But an advisor with a larger following on Instagram should gravitate to that platform.
Another advisor asked Boeckman which apps he recommended for editing video for social media.
Boeckman himself uses Canva most often. He also encouraged advisors to try in-app editing features on social platforms like Instagram, Facebook or TikTok (and sometimes, he uses one, saves the clip and uploads it to another platform).
Above all, he said the best way for advisors to become better at editing and posting video is to practice, even if it's on a video they never intend to post.
"That's just a great way to learn how to use a lot of these features," Boeckman said.
During his presentation, Boeckman talked about the importance of using original content on social media. But advisors asked how they should utilize assets from suppliers when they haven't actually been on a particular river cruise themselves.
It's OK to introduce content from brands for advisors who are just starting out, he said. He did caution away from using stock images found online because it could have licensing requirements.
However, he encouraged advisors to think about experiencing the product themselves as an investment in their business.
"If you're serious about selling river cruises and using social media to do it, the content that you capture on your own is probably going to be the most meaningful content that you can share," he said. "The goal, too, would be to get on those sailings."