CRT LEARNING MODULE

Course Code THM07

Course Title Tourism and Hospitality Marketing
Units 3
Module Title Digital Marketing

College for Research & Technology of Cabanatuan

Date Developed:
Document No. 001-2020
Tourism And Hospitality February 7, 2021
Marketing Module 9 : Date Revised: Issued by:
Digital Marketing Developed by: Page 1
Jennifer J. Miranda CRT
HOW TO USE THIS DIGITIZED LEARNING MODULE
Welcome to the module in Digital Marketing. This module contains training
materials and activities for you to complete this module. This module covers what a
tourism product is and its component, the stages of the product life cycle and the
destination life cycle and also the product development process.

You are required to go through a series of learning activities in order to complete

each learning outcome of the module. Each of the learning outcomes is provided with
Modules. Follow these activities on your own and answer the self-check at the end of
each learning outcome. You may remove a blank answer sheet at the end of each
module (or get the answer sheets from the online facilitator) to write the answers for
each self-check. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask your facilitator for
assistance.

This module was prepared to help you gain fundamentals and basic knowledge
about Tourism and Hospitality Marketing. This will be the source of Information for you
to acquire knowledge and skill in this particular trade independently and at your own
pace, with minimum supervision of help from your instructor.

 Talk to your online facilitator and agree on how you will both organize the
Training of this unit. Read each through the module carefully. It is divided into
sections, which cover all the skills and knowledge you need to successfully
complete this module.
 Work through all the information and complete the activities in each section.
Read Modules and complete self-check. Suggested references are included to
supplement the materials provided in this module.
 Most probably your facilitator will be your supervisor or manager. Your online
facilitator will support and correct you.
 Your online facilitator will tell you about the important things you need consider
when you are completing activities and it is important that you listen and take
notes.
 You will be given plenty of opportunity to ask questions and practice on the job.
Make sure you practice new skills during regular work shifts. This way you will
improve both your speed and memory and also your confidence.
 Talk to more experienced workmates and ask for their guidance.
 Kindly the self-check questions at the LMS (EDMODO) to test your own progress.
 When you are ready, ask your online facilitator to watch you online via Zoom or
Google Meet to perform the activities outlined in this module.
 Ask your online facilitator work through the activities: ask for written feedback
on your progress. Your online facilitator keeps feedback/pre-assessment reports
for this reason. When you have successfully completed each element, ask the
facilitator to mark on the reports that you are ready for assessment.
Date Developed:
Document No. 001-2020
Tourism And Hospitality February 7, 2021
Marketing Module 9 : Date Revised: Issued by:
Digital Marketing Developed by: Page 2
Jennifer J. Miranda CRT
 When you have completed this module, and feel confident that you have
sufficient practice, your online facilitator will arrange an appointment with
registered assessor’s to assess you. The results of your assessment will be
recorded in your competency Achievement Record.

MODULE CONTENT
Date Developed:
Document No. 001-2020
Tourism And Hospitality February 7, 2021
Marketing Module 9 : Date Revised: Issued by:
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Jennifer J. Miranda CRT
MODULE TITLE: Digital Marketing

NUMBER OF HOURS: 3 hours (1 week)

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of the module, you MUST be able to:

1. Describe what digital marketing is and how it can be applied to

tourism products
2. Discuss the limitations and the advantages of using internet.
3. Differentiate traditional and digital marketing.

Contents:

1. Social Media
2. The internet and the world wide web
3. Characteristics of a good hospitality website design
4. Group buying sites

Conditions:

The students must be provided with the following:

1. Hard copy or soft copy of the course syllabus
2. MS Word
3. Pen
4. Paper

Assessment Method:

1. Submission of Research paper.

2. Written examination.
3. Quizzes using Google forms.

MODULE 9
Date Developed:
Document No. 001-2020
Tourism And Hospitality February 7, 2021
Marketing Module 9 : Date Revised: Issued by:
Digital Marketing Developed by: Page 4
Jennifer J. Miranda CRT
 DIGITAL MARKETING
Learning Objective: After reading this MODULE, you should be able to:

1. Describe what digital marketing is and how it can be applied to

tourism products
2. Discuss the limitations and the advantages of using internet.
3. Differentiate traditional and digital marketing.

INTRODUCTION
The digital world is moving at a very fast pace. Materials written a
few years ago may become obsolete today. And what are written today
may be irrelevant in a few years time. Global online population is fast
shifting Statistics (www.internetstars.com) show that as of June 2012,
more than 2.4 billion people or 34.3% of the global population have access
to the Internet. This indicates a growth rate of 566% from the year 2000
and shows how the Internet is re shaping the way people communicate.
Communication scholar Marshall McLuhan predicted that the world will
become smaller because of the Internet.

Regionally, North America leads internet penetration with more than

78% of the population being online. Other regions exhibiting more than
50% internet penetration are Oceania and Australia at 67.6% and Europe
at 63.2%. These regions are the long haul markets of the Philippines;
using digital means to tap them would be highly effective.

The way the Internet is accessed is also changing with the

prevalence of affordable mobile data plans and unlimited Wi-Fi access
provided by the top three mobile providers in the Philippines, wireless
enabled laptops, net books, tablets, and smart phones allow easy access to
the World Wide Web. A lot of restaurants and hotels in key cities offer Wi-
Fi access to its guests

The widespread Internet adoption and use of electronic media help

facilitate e-commerce worldwide (Ryan & Jones 2011). It is one channel
that even local businesses cannot and should not ignore. For most
businesses, it is not a matter of whether they should be on the Internet or
not, but when and how. (O'Connor 2004)
SOCIAL MEDIA

Date Developed:
Document No. 001-2020
Tourism And Hospitality February 7, 2021
Marketing Module 9 : Date Revised: Issued by:
Digital Marketing Developed by: Page 5
Jennifer J. Miranda CRT
 Wikipedia defines social media as participatory online media where
news, photos, videos, and podcasts are made public via social media
websites through submissions. Wikipedia's process of arriving at a
definition of social media is an excellent example of social media social
media is used in this context to tap the collective expertise and arrive at an
acceptable conclusion (Evans 2008).

Social media is a great way to influence a crowd by listening to what

they say online, then adjusting and improving what one offers (Evans
2008) When one engages his market in conversation, he is able to measure
their pulse, open them up to listen to them, and in time, able to influence
them. By one's absence in the social media, the ability to influence one's
market is decreased. In marketing tourism products and services, social
media is an important tool. It helps make products more tangible through
the experiences shared by others Conversations that happen in social
media employ electronic word of mouth which is very useful in tourism
promotions.

Popular Social Media Channels

Facebook (FB) is currently the king of social media. Based on current FB
user statistice:

 As of October 2013, there are 1.26 billion users of Facebook.

 Monthly active users are at 1 19 billion people.

 There are 728 million daily active users with an average of 20

minutes per day

 There are 250 billion photos uploaded since FB began

 350 million photos are uploaded daily

 Average time spent on Facebook per month is at 8.3 hours per

person

 There are 50 million Facebook pages

 Available in 70 languages and more than 300,000 users help

translate content

 Every 20 minutes, there are 1 million links shared, 2 million friend

requests, and 3 million messages sent (as of March 2013).
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  There are 83,000,000 fake FB accounts.

Other popular social media applications include YouTube, Twitter,

Blogspot, Linkedin, Wordpress, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Flickr. Of
the top ten most visited websites in the Philippines, five are social network
sites-proof that Filipinos love social networks.

Social Media Content

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Tourism And Hospitality February 7, 2021
Marketing Module 9 : Date Revised: Issued by:
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 Social media content includes blogs (personal and corporate blogs),
tweets, photos, and videos

1. Blogging

Blogging is one of the easiest ways to enter social media. Everyone

has the right to create and maintain a blog regardless of your motivation
(Evans 2008). Blogs create a free exchange of ideas so you learn from
what others think and share your own thoughts through the comment box.

Personal blogs are those maintained by individuals who want to express

themselves online. These are not funded nor sponsored by anyone.
Corporate blogs are those sponsored by specific companies with the
objective of promoting its products and services. There is a proliferation of
travel blogs in the Internet, many of them with thousands of followers.

2. Microblogs

Microblogs bring social networking to its most essential elements

(Evans 2008) post, a comment, and an indication of relationships On
Twitter, you post quick, short bursts of texts and wait for others to do the
same or comment on what you sent.

3. Photo Sharing

Photos convey more than what words can. Photos are very useful in
sharing places visited, food eaten, and people one has been with. It has
been said that Filipinos nowadays take pictures of the food they eat first
than the traditional custom of saying grace before meals. Also, travel and
food photos can easily be uploaded to one's FB account and shared with
friends instantaneously.

4. Video Sharing

Videos are even more effective than photos. With movement and
audio, the experience becomes richer. There comes a greater appreciation
of what is being shared. When people travel, a camera that can take good
photos and videos is a must-have.

5.Location-based Social Network

Date Developed:
Document No. 001-2020
Tourism And Hospitality February 7, 2021
Marketing Module 9 : Date Revised: Issued by:
Digital Marketing Developed by: Page 8
Jennifer J. Miranda CRT
 Also known as mobile social network, this is where people can share
their location with friends. This application allows you to "check-in" to
inform friends of your current location and also check on a list of venues
that are nearby. The more popular location-based networks are
Foursquare, Gowalla, and Facebook pages.

When using these social media channels, be prepared to deal with

direct customer feedback which may either be positive or negative. The
downside of social media is that consumers will talk Censorship may be
seen as an intrusion and a violation of the very nature of social media

Social Networking Sites (SNS) Ethics

In doing social media marketing, please consider the following ethical
considerations.

1. Do not randomly contact people to build up a list of followers/friends,

then suddenly bombard them with posts about yourself or your
products (Evans 2008).

2. Make sure the content is original, if not, please acknowledge sources.

Better to post original pictures than get photos from the Internet and
make them look as if it were your own.

3. Tone down on the use of expletives and negative words.

Mobile Phone and SNS Growth

The use of the mobile phone helped SNS grow exponentially.
Television used to be the most viewed screen until n was recently
overtaken by the computer screen (from desktop computers to the more
handy laptops). However, with mobile penetration higher in most countries,
mobile phone has become the most valuable channel of information. With
Internet access becoming more ubiquitous with unlimited surfing through
mobile data plans and widespread Wi-Fi hotspots, the mobile phone has
become the most common web access device worldwide (Ryan & Jones
2011).

Instant access to the internet whenever and wherever means that

people are tweeting, updating, uploading, reviewing, and commenting on
their daily experiences as they happen (Rvan & Jones 2011). Because of its
immediacy, tourism marketers must be on their toes Uploads become viral
in a matter of minutes. Negative word of mouth can spread online as

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unpleasant experiences happen. Hence, marketers need to be online too,
in order to engage its customers where they are.

Location contributes largely to the success of any business GPS-

enabled smartphones have apps which can help you track the nearest
restaurant or which of your friends are nearby for an impromptu face-to-
face get-together. Social applications such as FourSquare (www.
foursquare.com) allow such features. For marketers, location-aware
services can help the establishment connect with the market by offering
discounts and rewards to regular customers in nearby locations,

Online videos through YouTube have helped tourism products

become tangible in the eyes of their customers. Viewing experiences of
others who have visited destinations help give the prospective customers
more motivation to visit the destination featured in the video Viral videos
have become a powerful tool for contemporary online marketing
campaigns (Ryan & Jones 2011).

THE INTERNET AND THE WORLD WIDE WEB

Date Developed:
Document No. 001-2020
Tourism And Hospitality February 7, 2021
Marketing Module 9 : Date Revised: Issued by:
Digital Marketing Developed by: Page 10
Jennifer J. Miranda CRT
 The Internet is a catch-all word used to describe a massive network
of computer systems, linking users in practically every country in the world
(O'Connor 2004)

As discussed in previous chapters, Internet penetration has grown by

leaps and bounds that it has become useful and instrumental in spreading
communication and marketing. The fact that it thrives on user-generated
content (UGC) makes its growth phenomenal and its operations highly
active.

The World Wide Web is essentially a graphic overlay on top of the

other Internet services providing a multimedia interface that enables users
to access a vast pool of interlinked documents (O'Connor 2004).

The Internet began simply as a way to distribute information. The

second generation of Internet marketing has ushered in new ways of
marketing, direct selling, and database marketing. As technology improved,
almost all major brands have an Internet strategy in the emerging
environment of electronic distribution (Shoemaker et al. 2007). Online
travel agencies (also known as third party sites) such as Expedia and
Travelocity saw it as an opportunity to take part in the distribution process
using technology. These sites allow customers to check on the cheapest
hotel rates by comparing hotels within the same vicinity while also allowing
them to see comments made by past customers.

Limitations of the Internet

The web has been developed to a great tent in recent years.
However, marketer’s still need to be aware that it has its limitations. Some
of its limitations include:

1. Digital divide. Information is available only to those who have access

to it through mobile phones and laptops.

2. Information overload. There is difficulty of finding information since

it offers a rich universe of information that is unstructured, making sorting
of information difficult.

3. Speed. Information is available almost instantaneously. Since more and

more people are getting online, not being there gives one's business undue
disadvantage.
4. Security. Perception that the web is unsecured and providing personal
information might be used to wrongly hinder the growth of e-commerce.
Date Developed:
Document No. 001-2020
Tourism And Hospitality February 7, 2021
Marketing Module 9 : Date Revised: Issued by:
Digital Marketing Developed by: Page 11
Jennifer J. Miranda CRT
But as users become more familiar with the internet and spend more time
using it, this concern has eased up

5. Credibility of information. Since everyone can upload information,

distinguishing fact from fiction becomes extremely hard.

6. Intellectual property and copyright issues. Copying and pasting

information uploaded by others and claiming them as one's own is a major
issue that needs to be resolved. Plagiarism and copyright infringements are
rampant.

7. Trustworthiness. Consumers are quite hesitant to make online

payments due to trust issues

Advantages of Using the Internet

Though the Internet as a medium still has its limitations, it also has
distinct advantages that help businesses increase their sales Here are some
of its advantages:

1. Global market reach. The Internet makes one's business available to

potential customers worldwide as long as these customers have internet
access

2. 24/7 nature. Customers access your company at their convenient time

instead of the regular office hours.

3. Multimedia nature. The use of full-color photos and videos at minimal

costs instead of printing costly full color brochures in specialty paper helps
maximize one's resources.

4. Lower costs. The cost of putting up and maintaining websites are

cheap. A digital campaign can have a life of its own when it becomes viral.

5. Interactivity. The Internet enables high interaction. It enables

business-to-business, business to consumer, consumer to business, and
consumer-to-consumer communication.

Marketing on the Internet

Date Developed:
Document No. 001-2020
Tourism And Hospitality February 7, 2021
Marketing Module 9 : Date Revised: Issued by:
Digital Marketing Developed by: Page 12
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 With so much information uploaded in the Internet every day,
searching for the right information becomes more and more difficult.
Attracting potential customers becomes a challenging task with most of
your competitors also having online presence. Using the web for
distribution and promotion of hospitality products can be done using any or
all of these strategies.

1. Through their chain or consortium. Most major hotel and restaurant

chains maintain a website for both promotional and booking purposes.

2. By setting up their own site. Independent tourism operators can set

up their own websites that feature their products, services, and rates that
potential customers can access at their convenience.

3. By listing themselves on one of the mega-travel websites. These

are virtual malls that combine travel products from different sources and
competing suppliers. Potential customers are able to compare and search
for alternatives using one site

Company Websites
It is not enough to have a good website. The website needs to be
marketed to lead potential customers to visit the site. Google, Yahoo, and
MSN are the most popular search engines used. Establishments can be
listed originally or through paid placement. Organic search refers to free
listing based on keywords found in the website. To boost rankings in
search engines, establishments can use the pay per click or sponsored
listings Technology can now trace activity within the website and actual
bookings generated from online marketing efforts making internet
marketing's return on investment measurable (Shoemaker et al. 2007).

For example, the online bookstore Amazon.com monitors actions of

users and assesses their preferences and behaviors based on their search
and purchase habits. Then, it maintains contact by sending customized
messages that match the individual's interests and buying habits then
provides suggested products on a personal homepage within the site.

Characteristics of a Good Hospitality Website

Design
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1. Useful and relevant content. The website should always have useful
and relevant content. It should contain the latest promotions and activities
of the establishment Suffice it to say that the website should be properly
maintained and regularly updated.

2. Ease of navigation. The site should be easy to navigate and user-

friendly Clear tabs and links should be noticeable even for a user who is
non internet savvy

3. Artistic design that complements content. Design should be very

creative and dynamic. Use colors, photos, and layout that are appealing to
the eye.

4. Functional characteristics. The website should be simple and useful

Reservation details, contact numbers, and feedback should be readily
available.

Travel Websites
A travel website is a consolidator of different travel products. It
brings together a varied range of travel products so that potential
customers can go to just one site.

The customers can compare rates, features, and facilities of different

establishments. It also contains comments made by customers who have
availed of the product.

These sites are growing fast mainly because of customers' preference

in using a travel website is also growing It assists and guides customers in
the evaluation of alternatives and facilitates purchases online.

Group Buying Sites (Groupons)

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Marketing Module 9 : Date Revised: Issued by:
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 Online selling or e-commerce has become a cost-effective
intermediary for different s of products, including tourism products. Recent
studies revealed how consumers adopt types to new technologies in the
delivery of goods and services such as enterprise resource planning
(Pasaoglu 2011) and online shopping (Klopping & McKinney 2004). Surfing
the net for cheap airfares and/or hotels have become tedious due to the
proliferation of a huge amount of information in specific company websites.
Group buying sites have grown in recent years primarily to help put
together great deals in one website.

Deal aggregators or group buying sites, collectively known as

groupons, facilitate discounts seeking, bargain hunting, and new product
discoveries. Many of these sites offer huge discounts ranging from 30% to
90% for consumers of a variety of products. There is a wide range of
products and services available in these sites which include restaurant
meals, spa/massage/ facial treatments, hotel rooms, tour packages
inclusive of airfare, hotel accommodations, meals, etc. These sites have
grown in number. The most popular and credible among these include
Living Ensogo, Groupon, Metro Deal, Deal Grocer, and CashCash Pinoy.

Online Auctions

Another form of e-commerce is the online auction. Online auctions

have the ability to flexibly set prices based on the dynamic concurrence of
supply and demand subject to specific market and competitive conditions;
eBay has become one of the most successful electronic marketplaces both
in terms of sales volume and usage rates (Fuchs et al. 2010). Group buying
auctions have proliferated because of its reported successes. In Taiwan, a
certain bakery was able to sell 4,000 tiramisu cakes via group buying
auctions, though in the traditional market, it is only able to sell 100 cakes a
day (Kauffman et al. 2010). Successful online auctions such as that of eBay
Austria have enabled accommodation providers with an accessible way of
disposing highly perishable unsold room inventory (Fuchs et al. 2010).

Other forms of travel-related online processes include the use of

web-based geospatial information systems known as WebGIS. Information
searches in the Internet are facilitated through the WebGIS. There is also
an increasing presence of firm-hosted online travel communities that has
been shaping and motivating significant changes in the travel industry
Date Developed:
Document No. 001-2020
Tourism And Hospitality February 7, 2021
Marketing Module 9 : Date Revised: Issued by:
Digital Marketing Developed by: Page 15
Jennifer J. Miranda CRT
 EFFECTIVE DIGITAL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS
The basics of online marketing through creating a solid strategy,
search engine optimization and search engine marketing, website analytics,
email marketing, social media marketing, online PR, affiliate marketing and
online display advertising are still effective tools Coming up with a blending
of which channels may work best in tapping the target market for your
particular product is the goal of an effective digital marketing campaign.
Social media, as well as all other digital media campaigns, are a
complementary extension of all your other marketing tools (Evans 2008). If
digital marketing is used correctly, it can enhance your business presence
both online and offline.

The creation of e-mail changed the direct mail campaigns. The birth
of search disrupted classified ads. The birth of social media changed public
relations (Ryan & Jones 2011). Social media help develop relationships with
your customers. It is essential to stay involved long after your campaign
has ended because in social media, one can simply sustain the relationship
of the brand with one's customers the same way we sustain relationships
with friends who may have gone abroad.

REFERENCE:
TOURISM MARKETING BOOK
(2015 EDITION)
(MARICEL GATHALIAN-BADILLA)

Date Developed:
Document No. 001-2020
Tourism And Hospitality February 7, 2021
Marketing Module 9 : Date Revised: Issued by:
Digital Marketing Developed by: Page 16
Jennifer J. Miranda CRT