Travel Weekly Blog

Last night travel agent and born-again Twitter user Murray Harrold asked me for some advice on getting his Advantage Twitter group off the ground.

Here's an extended version of my reply - mainly generic advice, with a few specific bits thrown in.

1. Search for existing users

Use Twitter search tools to look up potential members who are already on the Blue'Un.

Twitter Search will look through the body of tweets to see what people have talked about; Twellow will search user profiles to see how they describe themselves.

2. Look for existing communities elsewhere

If you can reach an existing community you'll be hitting the ground running. So Murray could search e.g. Facebook for Advantage groups.

Let's save him the trouble, though - I've tried, and there aren't any. D'oh.

3. Try head office

No guarantees here, but if you're part of a big organisation you might be able to get promotion on internal newsletters, member websites, that kind of thing.

I've contacted Advantage to ask what Murray could try. More soon, hopefully.

Update: Sales and marketing director Colin O'Neill from has got back to me with some details...

There are three main ways Murray could promote his group internally: a print newsletter; the company intranet; and a twice-weekly email newsletter. The business development team (headed up by David Moon) would be the first port of call.

In summary: it's always worth asking. If you're part of a ready-made network, make the most of it...

4. Finally! A use for trade media

Like head offices, we can offer a certain amount of reach - and I'm in favour of us using it to support independent community ideas like this, so you can probably count on a post here.

See? We're not toilet roll, as an anonymous blogger suggested last week.

5. Find a shared experience

So you've got your users. Now you need something to galvanise the group. In the trade media WTM 2008 was probably our tipping point.

Identify an issue or an event - Murray could use the Advantage Conference, though that's a way off yet - and make your group part of it. Set up a hashtag, embed a search widget on a public page, run a competition. Whatever works.

So that's what I'd try. Hopefully this isn't all obvious. I'll watch Murray's group with interest...