This week I spoke with Jan Hepola at a Hospitality Minnesota conference. We talked about different ways Web 2.0 applications could help promote hotels, resorts and campgrounds. Here are some of the ideas we mentioned:
1. Get a blog. I’m partial to WordPress (www.wordpress.com)
2. Don’t have time for a blog? Go with Twitter. (www.twitter.com) or post a comment on a blog (http://delicious.com/tag/mnvoices – here’s a list of MN blogs)
3. Start a YouTube channel (www.youtube.com)
4. Save, store and share pictures on Flickr. (www.flickr.com)
5. Start using the social networking power in tools such as Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace and others. (www.facebook.com, www.linkedin.com, www.myspace.com, www.wiwih.com)
6. Let others do the talking for you on review sites such as TripAdvisor (www.tripadvisor.com)
Over the next few weeks I’ll try to write more on all of these tools. I’ve already written quite a bit about starting a blog. (https://byteoftheweek.wordpress.com/2007/12/12/starting-a-new-blog/) I’ll write about the others too and try to post examples of each.
Byte of the Week 
Hi Ann, well the Jan and Ann show was the best seminar I attended at the conference. I learned a lot! In fact, I’ve now created a Pla-Mor Campground blog! My very first. Thanks for the tips and helpful remarks. My next stop: Twitter. hahaha. Thanks and please tell Jan too.
Best Regards,
Connie
Connie you made my day! I love the new blog: http://plamor454.wordpress.com/
I’ll be waiting to get your first Twitter Tweet. 🙂
Thanks! Ann
Ann,
The session you and Jan did was terrific. I also sat in on a session by the Department of Natural Resources state parks division. They discussed another new use of technology to benefit resorts and campgrounds – geocaching. There is a geocache in all 72 state parks.
After the conference, one of our attendees from Lykins Pinehurst Resort used the GPS from Grand View and found all three caches at the resort. Tecnhology is so exiciting when it provides a benefit, makes life more fun or makes it easier to communicate.
Dave Siegel
EVP, Minnesota Resort & Campground Association
David,
What an excellent idea! I have thought about geocaching – but my youngest is 4 and so I’ve wondered if as a family maybe we aren’t too young for it. And at this point I can’t start a new hobby that doesn’t involved kids. Using the GPS from a resort would be a fantastic way to give it a try.
I’m going to keep my eye out.
Also – thanks for your kind words! Ann
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