TripAdvisor Maps New Territory in Social Sharing

One of the early adopters to integrate with Facebook, TripAdvisor has consistently updated its use of Open Graph to increase social sharing capabilities on its site and in its portfolio of travel-related apps. TripAdvisor has mapped out multiple ways to maximize Facebook integration, a strategy that has yielded strong results: Facebook users, for instance, have 27% higher engagement on TripAdvisor.

Its set of apps, including its popular TripAdvisor canvas app, continue to make travel a richer and more social experience for tens of millions of users every month. And users signing in with Facebook Login contribute more than 1 in 3 new reviews on TripAdvisor, which includes traveler input on more than 2.5 million hotels, vacation rentals, restaurants, and things to do across the globe.

Multiple platforms, one unified Login.

TripAdvisor’s site, mobile apps, and Facebook canvas experience all work together, linked by Facebook Login. From wishing and planning to booking, experiencing and reviewing destinations, TripAdvisor helps users to plan and have the perfect trip.

Facebook Login gives TripAdvisor users a seamless experience as they plan their trip on the TripAdvisor website, take their itinerary on the go with their mobile device, and then share their experiences with friends on Facebook when they return home.

Pushing, pulling, and personalizing data.

Once a person logs into TripAdvisor using Facebook, they experience a unique, personalized view of a destination with friends’ ratings, check-ins, likes, reviews, and more—what the company calls the wisdom of friends. In fact, Facebook users contribute 2 times the amount of content than those not connected to Facebook.

With the TripAdvisor app on Facebook, travelers create a travel map, rate attractions, earn badges and can compare—even compete—with individual friends on Facebook to see who has visited more cities and countries. All of these actions produce stories in peoples’ News Feed, which can be promoted to increase reach and exposure.

Travelers’ tales as rich timeline stories.

TripAdvisor tapped into multiple and diverse Open Graph options beyond just the ability to like and share. The apps give TripAdvisor travelers the ability to create and share stories, reviews and opinions on Facebook that are highly relevant and engaging, encouraging people to interact more with the TripAdvisor brand.

In the TripAdvisor Facebook app, travelers pin cities where they have been and can list destinations where they want to go, as well as rate the places they visited on their trips. The traveler can immediately see which of their Facebook friends have been to a particular city in order to compare notes on their travels. The app uses Open Graph custom properties, such as location, to allow travelers to share the cities they’ve visited and their favorite places on timeline. TripAdvisor also uses Open Graph to allow travelers to review and rate. To date, TripAdvisor users have published more than 1 billion Open Graph stories about their travels, helping to inspire countless friends.

Advertise and get there faster.

The organic sharing tools available with Open Graph helped TripAdvisor attract new visitors. When TripAdvisor acquires a new user from Facebook, Open Graph becomes a channel by which it can then reach an exponentially larger audience – that user’s friends.

Initially, TripAdvisor focused its marketing campaign to drive people directly to the app, which equated to a new install and email address. They broadened their awareness campaign with Facebook to include not just Open Graph sharing, but also advertising placements such as sponsored stories, actions targeting, right-hand side ads, and Page post ads. TripAdvisor’s objective was to get more people visiting the site and using its app as well as staying longer and interacting more. Additionally, TripAdvisor profited directly from the referral traffic driven offsite (related to booking) by the new user growth.

TripAdvisor now has the opportunity to communicate with a large, new audience, as well as use Facebook connections to more deeply engage friends to talk about their travels together – a powerful combination.

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Results

• 1 billion Open Graph actions posted
• 39 million monthly active Facebook visitors to its Facebook app
• More than doubled new users acquired through Facebook in 2012, helping to grow marketable members nearly 100% year-over-year to 44 million.
• More than 1/3 of new TripAdvisor reviews are written by people who sign on using Facebook Login
• Since relaunching the TripAdvisor canvas app with Open Graph, monthly active users increased 10X through the combination of activities including News Feed, timeline, and an advertising campaign
• Facebook connected users are:
        -27% more engaged
        -Contribute 2x more content
        -Generate more revenue

Related documentation

• Facebook Login
• Configure Custom Object Types