Facebook’s global head of travel, Lee McCabe, described the three pillars to drive consumer inspiration during a special address shared by delegates at the Strategy Summit and Tourism Summit at this year’s World Routes, which is taking place at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

McCabe explained how the biggest challenge in the past five years is that people have become “superhuman” with smart phones, making marketing decisions harder. With 1.15 billion Facebook users, it’s not difficult to reach them as a marketer, but you need to find the people that matter to your business. He believes there are three pillars to drive inspiration.

Creativity: Users love to share dreams, plans and memories, and 52 per cent of Facebook users say that seeing vacation pictures make them want to book themselves. “Sharing used to be the end; now sharing is the heart of the process,” said McCabe.

Sophisticated targeting: Marketing is now more specific and you can define the people that matter to you. Companies can take their databases and find those customers on Facebook. Furthermore, McCabe claimed that the average online reach for narrowly targeted campaigns is 37 per cent accurate. “The shopping process is getting longer and people can visit around 20 sites before they book,” he said. “The key is to finding the right people and cutting through the noise.”

Sharing: A reported 42 per cent of stories shared on Facebook in 2012 were travel experiences, and it has been found that 80 per cent of users are more likely to book a trip if a friend likes a page, rather than through traditional advertising. An incredible 70 per cent of users update their status and/or share photos while they are actually on holiday, revealed McCabe.