Newsletter : June 2003

NZTO Comment

by Garry Bond, General Manager, New Zealand Tourism Guide

TRENDZ has now finished for another year with 370 buyers (mainly international wholesalers) and 441 sellers (NZ tourism operators) attending throughout the week in Auckland. This event is great for showcasing our major tourism operations and I'm sure there's always an expectation from those attending that their investment in terms of time and money will pay dividends in the long run. Building relationships is also important and this is certainly one way to do it.

Where though does this leave the small to medium sized NZ tourism operator? TRENDZ is certainly something to strive for. If you can make it here then your business must be at a profitable enough level to sustain the expense and at a stage where the business infrastructure can accommodate wholesaler expectations. I doubt many of the smaller operators who run excellent businesses could justify or step up to the plate for this event. This is a shame and perhaps there should be a 2nd tier event or some other way these businesses can showcase their operations to the right people. There's bound to be plenty of smaller operators who offer that "something different" for wholesalers to sell at a level that both parties can operate under. I'm sure it would add even more diversity and strength to our industry.

Don't get me wrong, TRENDZ certainly adds value for tourism in this country. The more eyeballs looking to NZ the better and I'm sure there's a spinoff for the smaller tourism operators with the increased numbers through our door. TRENZ has been going a number of years now and it continues to build but maybe we should also be asking ourselves how we can help the smaller guys reach the mark.

Moet Winner

Congratulations to Carolyn Jackson from StillWater Trout Fishing Charters & Homestay in Rotorua. Enjoy your Moet. Thanks to all those who entered. We will continue to add as much value as possible to your membership with us and we will endeavour to offer you chances to win extras from time to time.

Another Chance To Win

Well we've thought up another great prize draw! How does a free 6 month extension to your existing listing sound? All you have to do is place the applicable official member shield on your Web site and give us the details. Each month (1st Monday) we will draw a winner and providing you are a current paid member and have a valid shield placed on your site - you win! The sooner you inform us that you have placed the shield on your site, the sooner we can place you in the monthly draw. First draw Monday July 7th 2003.

Visit our exclusive member only business centre for more details www.tourism.net.nz/business-centre

Here's what the two shields look like.

They are exclusive for our members and they not only look great on your Web site but help aid your search engine status by connecting with a major NZ tourism portal. For more information about getting your membership shield click here.

The Big Boob Theory of the Internet

by Mark Rocket and Nick Butler, Avatar Web Promotions

Internet marketing guru Debbie Mayo-Smith has a nice way of breaking down the different types of Internet users. Think of the Internet as a big boob. A boob, as some of you may know, is made up of three concentric circles (see our handy diagram). There are three types of Internet users:

The Inner Circle. The smallest group, the Inner Circle are the techno-junkies, the early adopters living on the bleeding edge. They use the Internet as a toy and their motto is "give me novelty or give me death".

The Middle Ground. A larger group than the Inner Circle, the Middle Ground are knowledgeable, confident and practical netizens. They use the Internet as a tool and their motto is "give me utility or give me death".

The Vast Mass. All those users who can drive their Netmobiles but have no idea what goes on under the hood and live in fear of breaking down on the Information Superhighway. They use the Internet if they have to and their motto is "give me a break".

Who should you aim your Internet marketing at?

Obviously you want to expose yourself to the widest audience (unless you are in a state-of-the-art industry specifically targeting the Inner Circle) so you'll aim for the Vast Mass and the Middle Ground.

Unfortunately many people seem to be trying to shut out as many of these Internet users as possible by stuffing their Web sites (and emails) full of the latest gimmicks and technological wizardry. This is probably because most Web designers belong to the Inner Circle and most Web owners feel that the Web is high tech and so their site should be high tech too.

If you do want to target the Vast Mass and the Middle Ground, resist the temptation to bolt on the latest bells and whistles. The Vast Mass probably won't have the right hardware and software, and the Middle Ground probably won't have the patience for sites that take an age to download because of fancy animations or multimedia magic.

Highlighting Your Writing

by Mark Rocket and Nick Butler, Avatar Web Promotions

How do people use the Web? They skim and click. So, if you want to get your message across, your writing has to hit them with the highlights straight away.

How to Write for Skim and Click Readers. Seven quick tips.

1. Be brief
2. Bullet points help cut out the flab
3. Use subheadings. They break up text and highlight the highpoints
4. Wipe the hype. One concrete fact beats a thousand commercial cliches
5. Highlight important phrases
6. Make your main point first, then give background information and backup argument, rather than vice versa. That way if a reader the reader clicks out you've already got the key message across
7. Be yourself. Writing with character catches attention, bland biz-speak and empty buzzwords put readers to sleep