Here is a copy of a presentation i did recently at the ABIC conference in Sydney, on how web 2.0 and social networks are changing consumer purchasing decisions.

The key point for the travel/adventure/backpacker industry is that their entire customer base are search & social media savvy and that they are creating reviews and telling stories about their experiences online.

This is a massive change in influence for this industry, in which even as little as 5 years ago travel agents and lonely planet were the sources of all wisdom for a large number of travellers. Now bottom up consumer generated content is fueling much of the decision processes for travel, accomodation, hostels and destinations.

It was a great presentation (for me anyhow) and i hope this added alot of value for some of the audience who were unaware people were talking about them.

The call to action is – your customers are actively seeking recommendation for your products and services on social websites – are you going to join the conversation?

Hopefully we will have some video of the presentation for you soon.