How to Implement Successful Social Media Marketing in the Travel Industry in Russia

Let’s examine the issue of effective communication with Russian tourists on social media using the social media accounts of the two largest air ticket search sites in Russia, Aviasales and Skyscanner, as examples.

Aviasales.ru is currently the largest metasearch site for cheap air tickets in the Russian internet, boasting a search of air tickets in 728 air companies, 200 air ticket offices, and 5 booking systems (GDS), utilizing the latest technologies.

Skyscanner, on the other hand, is a leading global travel search site that provides inspiration and direct booking for millions of travel options at the best prices.

Both aggregators are present in four social media platforms, namely VK, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. As of March 1, 2019, below is the comparison of their respective subscriber numbers.

The central topic of discussion across all platforms is related to travel

However, Aviasales and Skyscanner differ not only in the content they present, but also in the way they present it.

Aviasales’ blog stands out with interesting and catchy titles such as “How to Gain Weight in 5 Days: A Yerevan Travel Guide” or “Las Vegas: How Not to Waste Bags of Money and Beat the Casino.” Why is this important? Many posts contain links to the blog, and it is often these links that generate reactions from travelers.

Account managers frequently interact with users and inject humor into their conversations, which further promotes engagement with their accounts.

The primary themes on Aviasales’ accounts include:

• Travel tips, such as obtaining a US visa in 1.5 months
• City and country travel guides
• Travel news relevant to Russian tourists
• Promotions to stimulate demand, such as encouraging subscribers on social media to purchase tickets at old prices when the US dollar rate and airfare prices rose. According to Aviasales, this resulted in a 43% increase in sales for foreign destinations.
• In order to encourage engagement on their accounts, they post simple questions or ask travelers to share their advice, usually once or twice a day. When comparing the numbers between a post with a hot offer and a poll post, the latter has almost three times the reach, as well as a greater number of reactions such as likes, comments, and even shares!

And what about Skyscanner?

Although Skyscanner’s communication style and post headings are more moderate, users in their communities are just as active as those in Aviasales. Despite this, subscribers enjoy and actively engage with Skyscanner’s content.

• Most of Skyscanner’s content consists of posts showcasing hot deals and the best air ticket offers available from Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
• Additionally, Skyscanner publishes various topics such as compilations of affordable vacation destinations such as “30 Cheapest Countries to Visit in 2019” or recommendations of movies for travelers to watch.
• According to the reach and engagement, subscribers of the Skyscanner account enjoy the format of picture posts showcasing fascinating places and landmarks from around the world accompanied by brief 1-2 sentence descriptions.
• Additionally, Skyscanner occasionally shares news relevant to Russian tourists and conducts polls, but such posts are not as frequent as the ones mentioned earlier.

Does social media call for different content strategies?

The content of Aviasales and Skyscanner on Facebook, VK, and Twitter follows a similar approach, which is situational marketing.

However, Aviasales members suggest that Twitter is their primary testing ground for post experiments, before publishing them on Facebook and VK, which have more diverse audiences.

The Instagram accounts of Aviasales and Skyscanner stand out from their other social media accounts.

Firstly, Aviasales posts on Instagram only 1-3 times a week, which is much less frequent than their daily posting rate of 2 to 8 posts on VK. Skyscanner is more active on Instagram than its competitor, posting once a day compared to 2 to 4 posts on VK.

Secondly, the photo content on Instagram is mostly unique, featuring personal pictures from users who tag Aviasales and Skyscanner in their posts, as well as photos from bloggers who collaborate with the aggregators.

Here’s a helpful tip to find travel bloggers in Russia: take a look at the content of popular Russian travel brands and you’ll be able to create a list of reliable bloggers who consistently offer high-quality content.

@aviasales is a great example of this. They encourage their followers to tag them in their travel photos using the hashtag #aviasales_блогеры. It’s also worth noting their unique communication style.

Skyscanner’s Instagram posts are more reserved, but the platform still encourages users to share their travel stories using the hashtag #skyscannerrussia.

What are the Most Effective Platforms and Strategies for Travel Social Media Marketing?

If you plan to enter and establish yourself in the Russian market, do not limit yourself to just one social media platform; try experimenting with different ones.

Keep in mind that interacting with users on social media helps to maintain an emotional connection. Test various types of content, not just in terms of substance, but also in style, analyze your audience’s response, and increase your reach.

For optimal results in promoting your business in the Russian market, seek assistance from professionals like Quarter Billion Agency Travel.