How To Use SoLoMo To Improve Your Business

There’s a new phrase in town that encompasses all the popular platforms used by individuals to make buying decisions—SoLoMo. SoLoMo refers to the combination of social media, local commerce and mobile devices, all of which are highly used by consumers today when it comes to making purchases. So how can you use SoLoMo to improve your business?

Get on social media:

If you have yet to join a social media platform, it’s about time that you do. According to a 2012 Statistic Brain study, 56% of people in the world use at least one social network, which means that you’re missing out on a large audience if you don’t have a social presence yourself.
Consumers use social media for a variety of different reasons. They use it to learn more about companies and their products and services, and they also use it for customer service inquiries and to gain access to special promotions. Consumers also use social media to ask their virtual friends for advice or to leave their own experiences with certain companies for all to see.
If you really want to improve your business with SoLoMo, the first thing you need to do is get on social media and use it to engage your followers.

Worry about your local presence:

Customers are regularly using the Internet, social media and smartphone apps to locate local information. For example, consumers are likely to turn to Foursquare or Yelp to locate restaurants in their area when they’re hungry or turn to Google to find information on other local businesses. Because of this, you need to make sure that you are implementing a strong local commerce strategy.
Make sure that your company claims your business page on popular online review sites like Yelp, Foursquare and Google+ Local. Yelp and Foursquare have apps that make it easy for consumers to use on their smartphones, which can be beneficial to your SoLoMo efforts. You’ll also want to make sure that these pages, along with your website page, contains information on your location, such as your physical address or the areas you serve. This way, if a search is performed in your area, your business will be more likely to appear.

Invest in mobile opportunities:

The use of mobile as a marketing strategy is extremely popular. In order to get the most out of SoLoMo, you want to make sure that your mobile marketing efforts are strong. First and foremost, you want to make sure that your website is optimized for mobile. This way, customers using smartphones or tablets will be able to access your website while on the go. This way, if your site appears while they’re using these devices, they’ll be able to access information on your company. You’ll also want to make sure that you invest in a mobile marketing strategy, such as SMS marketing. Customers can opt-in to receive special texts from you that provide them with exclusive information or discounts for your company. You can also use geo-location tools to track nearby customers and send them promotions to get them to visit your business while in the area.
SoLoMo is a popular strategy for today’s businesses, and if you truly want to succeed and improve your business, this is how.


Jessica Brown is a reviews tracker and avid blogger.  She has recently been teaching others how to incorporate SoLoMo into a business' strategy.

The Best Skiing Destinations You Hadn't Considered

Fewer things are better than a skiing holiday for those who love the combination of fresh, outdoor air and a great adrenaline rush.
Of course, everyone knows the best places to head for a skiing holiday. The Alps of Switzerland and France, the Dolomites of Northern Italy, and sections of the Rocky Mountains in the United States are all excellent places to hit the piste and hurtle downhill at 70 miles per hour on skis or a snowboard.
What about the less-heralded destinations, that are just as good for skiing but don’t enjoy the publicity and press of the well-known resorts? We explored the best destinations for skiing that you didn’t already know about.

Australia:

Is this a joke? Are we suggesting that you take to the outback on skis? Does it snow over Ayers Rock?

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The answer to all of those questions is no. However, in the south east of the country you will find the Australian Alps, the only place on the Aussie mainland where it snows at all. To get an idea of just how much snowfall it enjoys, it is equivalent to that of Switzerland.

It figures then, that Australia is a great destination for a skiing break, despite its legendary status as a beach and city destination. The great thing about the Australian Alps is that they are easily accessible from most of the big cities, and particularly Sydney and Melbourne.Hire a relocation campervan and head into the Alps for a few days before checking out the things we traditionally associate with Australia.

Greece:

Another country that it is associated with sunshine and culture before skiing, but Greece is actually one of the better places to ski in Europe, especially if you want to avoid the busy centres in the middle of the continent.

We’d suggest heading to Mount Parnassos, which is not only a great ski resort but also home to a number of inspirational Greek ruins and monuments. In addition, there are many more resorts throughout Greece, some even close to the coast for those looking for an eclectic mix of snow and access to the beach.

Scotland:

Scotland doesn’t get anything like the love it should do from skiing enthusiasts, which is odd considering the natural beauty found throughout Scotland.

Whether it is a gentle cross-country ski across easy terrain or a trip down a steep peak, you can find them all in the Scottish Highlands.

Chile:

This South American nation is lacking attention as a holiday destination altogether, let along just for skiing. The best thing about skiing in Chile is that the major resorts are all within a short distance of the capital, Santiago. By day, hit the slopes and enjoy some of the best skiing ranges on the continent, while at night you have a vibrant, exciting city on your doorstep, a refreshing change from remote ski villages and towns, as nice as they can be sometimes.

Look further than the traditional popular ski sites should you be booking such a trip this year, and open your eyes to a more exciting and diverse holiday.

Rob is an online content writer with a specific interest in tourism. Rob writes about all aspects of tourism, including the growing use of relocation campervans for travel and unusual destinations for both summer and winter holidays.

Why Are Five Holiday Destinations Better Than One?

What does a traditional holiday look like?

For millions around the world, it means you get onto an aeroplane, head off to a destination, and stay in the same hotel for a week or two while occasionally having a walk around your location, trying out the local food, and enjoying a relaxing lounge around the beach and poolside.
Tourism trends are changing however, and people are looking for more from the trips that they take, especially as the challenging economy means that most of us are taking less holidays than we were a decade ago, for example.
One way in which people are getting more from their holidays is to take touring trips around various locations, rather than stay in a fixed destination at all times. We explored the reasons why five, six, seven, or even more holiday destinations is better than one.

Sense of Adventure:

If you head off on a ‘traditional’ holiday, the journey there is something of an exciting adventure, but afterwards, your holiday rep tells you about the resort, and the excitement tends to come to a swift end.
By embarking on a driving holiday, you are never really at your final destination, and when you reach one location you are driven by the urgency to see everything you want to before heading off on the next stage of your journey.
You also aren’t likely to get bored due to staying in one place for an extended period of time, but you must remember to bring along activities for passengers if you do choose to drive, particularly little ones who will be itching to ask “are we there yet?”

Different Cultures:

Even if you travel around one country, such as Australia, a ‘road trip’ style of holiday enables you to experience many different ways of life, different customs and traditions that will open your eyes to how different people live their lives.
A diverse trip where you meet a lot of new people and make friends is surely more exciting than one where you stay in the same place every day for two weeks.

Avoiding ‘Tourists’:

Although going on holiday makes you a tourist, let’s be honest, every holiday has a group of people that you simply cannot wait to get away from. You hope to that they will soon be leaving, until it is pointed out to you that they were on the same flight as you and have booked the exact same package as your family.
When you’re travelling around, you are never in one place long enough to get irritated by anyone, as you are taken in by the excitement of where you are and the places you may be headed to next.

Is It Worth It?:

If you are looking for a break that has much more depth than a traditional holiday, then a driving trip is definitely a great option. Whether you are driving across a vast country such as Australia or the United States, or across continental Europe, you are guaranteed an experience to remember.

Rob is a travel writer with a keen interest in tourism around Australia and new tourist trends that are being led by the need for campervan relocations across the whole country.