Back for another year, the 2016 Canadian Internet Marketing Conference (CIMC) will feature a powerhouse line-up of more than 30 of the world’s top minds and movers of the digital marketing industry. FreshGigs.ca got the awesome opportunity to have a pre-conference brain-picking sesh with each of the keynote speakers and panelists. Today’s Q & A is with Ayla Collins, Community Manager of Yelp Vancouver.
What lessons have your favourite brands taught you about marketing in the hospitality industry?
No matter how many times I see brands pushing hard at their marketing, it’s the ones with the personal touch that impress me. I love what Modo is doing with their blog – getting fun local businesses like Bao Bei and Bestie on board and not focusing simply on the hard sell. The key to good marketing is connection; make me feel like I’m part of your team and I will instantly want to know more about you!
Many local breweries are also great at this: Brassneck, for example, regularly posts pictures of their brewery dogs! It’s not about pushing your product all the time, it’s about providing a relatable human experience.
What are some of the most rewarding aspects of your job?
Building and interacting with the community is without a doubt the most rewarding part of my job. Being able to introduce excited Elites to fantastic local businesses, and helping business owners maximize their presence on Yelp is incredibly special, and really energises me.
At times technology can seem cold, while hospitality is an industry focused on familiar products. What tactics do you employ to ensure that your community feel welcome?
My job was created to connect people in the community with our company – my whole purpose is about building community! I spend lots of time online at Yelp.ca sending people compliments, welcoming new Yelpers to the site, messaging Elites, and contributing to the Talk threads. Outside of the site I throw community events at local businesses for Yelpers and Elites to further connect them with each other through Yelp.
What would you say to someone who has a new hospitality-based business, but doesn’t want to engage with her customers in the digital marketplace?
I would strongly encourage them to reconsider! The digital world is becoming so important to how businesses function and, at Yelp, we certainly try to make it as easy as possible for business owners to engage their customers online. Yelp provides a free suite of tools for business owners, including the ability to respond to reviews, create check-in offers to encourage return business, and track their metrics.
In light of technology’s expanding influence, how has your approach to customers’ needs changed over the years?
As an internet company, Yelp is right at the centre of that expanding influence. Over the past few years there has been a sharp shift to using mobile over desktop for browsing the internet, and we’ve worked hard to ensure the full Yelp experience moves with that shift.
To that end, we have a great mobile app so our users can Yelp on the go! As of Q3 2015, Yelp had about 89 million unique monthly visitors on mobile, 71 per cent of all global searches on Yelp came from mobile devices, and over 56 per cent of Yelp content was generated on mobile devices – so we definitely see the value in staying on top of these important trends!
As Community Manager of Yelp Vancouver, Ayla is at the helm of a vibrant, buzzing community of locals who eat, drink, shop, and play their way through the city. She works to create relationships between great local businesses and enthusiastic Vancouverites with a passion for all things YVR. Inspired by Vancouver’s hyper-local focus, she’s delighted to bring that excitement to a wider community. Through remarkable events, creative marketing, business owner education, and a multitude of other things Ayla is am helping to break down the misconception that Vancouver isn’t any fun.
The CIMC runs April 14-15, 2016 at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park in Squamish BC, Canada. For more conference and ticket info, click here.