Last week, we finally served up the bun we’ve been baking in the oven and have been dying to share with all of you.
Hamanasi Resort in Belize is the top-rated resort in that country according to Trip Advisor. Now, thanks to their newly unveiled social media presence, everyone will have a chance to see just what Hamanasi is all about from the convenience of their computer screens. Be warned: you might start wishing you were vacationing in Belize. The good news is that now you’ll know you have a home there waiting for you – and it has a beach, a pool, cocktails, ocean docks…
Inspired by the pirate gods of social media, the greatness that is Andi Narvaez helped Hamanasi combine the forces of their existing Flickr and YouTube channels into a new Facebook page and Twitter stream — two new places we hope will be your home away from your Belize home.
This was not something that was simply thrown together and published on the Intertubes. Anyone can do that. Here are five things we think are crucial in order to live and thrive in the social media sphere:
- Know what/who you are. Hamanasi is a resort with beaches for diving, rainforests for nature walks and gorgeous accommodations for romance and relaxing. How can anyone know that if they can’t see any of it? Social media makes sharing images easy and enjoyable and Hamanasi is on board with that concept.
- Know your communities. There are divers, eco tourists, wedding planners and travel nuts who want to keep up with Hamanasi. So they are reaching out to those audiences and making connections.
- Keep it conversational. Being spontaneous and two-way is key. Before the launch we talked about this and said it was OK to come up with some practice, one-way Tweets but make sure they are not so focused on you. People will learn about you as they read what you have to share and then (ideally) they will engage with you. This is where you kind of have to wing it. Don’t get anxious, rise up to the challenge.
- Let readers behind the curtain. We almost postponed the launch because Hamanasi is closed through Sept. 25 for regularly scheduled updates. But this is a great way to let people see what they can’t see right now. Sneak peeks — social media is the place to do that.
- Keep it up. We’re early with Hamanasi. But the goal is to keep talking each day. Social media means the most when you can count on seeing those familiar faces in your Twitter stream.
While it’s still too early to see how it’s working, we’d love for you to take a look around and tell us what you think. Please share your thoughts about these sites and what we’ve shared with you today. We’re just as eager to learn as others. And while we’ve got some answers, we know we don’t have them all.
- Sean M. Wood and Andi Narvaez -
