Since we are on a roll this week in the travel space, a relatively unnoticed release from TripAdvisor the other day may prove something of a “game changer.” Investors refer to things that alter market strength so, but in the case of TripAdvisor’s recent release of “TripWOW, ” refined user tools can be a significant dynamic, especially if they go viral.
TripAdvisor is a powerful online travel guide, owned by Expedia, which basically takes user generated content (sort of like Wikipedia) and transforms it into a valuable content magnet. The long and short? TripAdvisor gets lots of free content, and subsequent search engine benefit, at a minimal cost. We already talked about their limited value propostion for users, but the release of TripWow adds significantly for users – even more significantly to TripAdvisor’s reach. Let’s take a look at this free tool that somehow Expedia failed to market properly.
Just as CNET’s Josh Lowensohn suggests, the TripAdvisor TripWow slide show presentation tool is slick. A more refined video/image tool you would have a hard time finding anywhere. But, besides the refined (and obviously costly) design, there is a lot more than meets the eye here. The slideshow I created at the bottom of this article took about 3 minutes to learn-create-customize-share-etc. As you can see, for some people this will be not only a fun tool to use, but a social one as well.
The ability to post these TripWOW shows to Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and the like, does two things actually. First, users can not only archive their travels, but share them publicly or privately with their network. Secondly, this “social element” allows TripAdvisor to virally, and very effectively, expand their reach into every social sphere out there. Look at the snapshots (PDF), the object of any online company is to get the best content as cheaply as possible – then filtering it is a good idea.
Just in, one click, use Facebook or other, bing-bada-boom
Another aspect that is not so apparent however, is TripAdvisor’s probable main intended use for this “free tool.” Images loaded from the various social media or networking sites by users, can theoretically and even legally, be used by TripAdvisor to complete their own travel guides – something the system is sorely lacking too. Brilliant, is what this is. Why they did not publicize it more? We can only guess. The point is, there is nothing really free in the universe, companies trade cheap innovation for gold laden corporate value all the time.
A lot of user flexibility and simplicity, delete this, do that, easy
The CNET article loosely compares TripWOW with Animoto, Slide, and RockYou, but in reality these others are chicken feed by comparison. Why? TripAdvisor gets 9 million visits a month in the US alone. The others? In the hundred thousand range basically. Not many people know this either, TripAdvisor provides public demographics of its users – some pretty in depth ones I might add. Powerful stuff, all of this.
This is not to say TripAdvisor is doing anything wrong, in fact they do a lot that is right. Every business on the Internet takes advantage of users as best they can. The balance is struck in user value always. The TripWOW tool is a very nice addition to TA’s user tools. The point here is, users should not be taken unaware of what happens when the slick interface allows you to connect to your other services – presto! like. Here is an excerpt from TripAdvisor’s TOS.
“…you grant TripAdvisor and its affiliates a nonexclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, transferable, irrevocable and fully sub-licensable right to (a) use, reproduce, modify, adapt, translate, distribute, publish, create derivative works from and publicly display and perform such Submissions throughout the world in any media, now known or hereafter devised..”
All things considered, for anyone who knows what they are doing, this tool combined with all its aspects (like SEO, links, Twitter and Facebook traffic returns, and etc.) over time makes not only TripAdvisor’s user value more attractive, but its potential for traffic as well. Look at this Tweet of my little creation down there.
TripWOWTweets - SEO big time
This is a link to the sub-domain of TripAdvisor, which is weighty if you multiply it, and an instant announcement via social media to go to TripAdvisor. See? Brilliant stuff huh? Especially if you assume TripAdvisor may not not have “over publicize” this in an effort to avoid the big names in tech scrutiny? I can see some of my contemporaries jumping all over this for privacy and sharing issues. Phil, off the travel beat for a bit – out.
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