Effective content marketing = relevant and meaningful interactions with travelers that BEGIN when you offer valuable and engaging information and END when they book their trip with you.
It’s all about providing fresh, compelling content – shared across all online channels – that travelers deem useful. If someone finds your article, tweet or blog post helpful or interesting, they’re likely to share it with friends, giving you instant and organic exposure. In their eyes, you’re an authority on travel, and you become a go-to resource that travelers trust.
Here are a few ways you can use content marketing to stay on top:
1. Connect with travelers through custom content. Add value, not clutter. Listen to what travelers are talking about and contribute meaningfully to the conversation. Understand their needs and wants. Give them valuable information that builds a sense of community and will keep them coming back for more.
2. Educate travelers about who you are and what you offer, but don’t make it all about selling your product. This may seem counterintuitive, but if you focus on building relationships by offering relevant and engaging content, you’ll end up with some powerful word-of-mouth advertising.
3. Use lush, decadent images, videos, and interactive virtual tours – anything that will engage your travelers and offer a multi-sensory experience. The better the experience, the longer they’ll hang around. And the longer they hang around, the more likely they are to book!
4. Be genuine. People can see through a fake and will quickly move on if they sense you aren’t being real. Be yourself, and share your unique perspective and insights.
5. Don’t ignore people. It’s easy to post the information and then go on your way. You are running a business after all. But the point of content marketing is to engage your customers. Be sure to respond to people’s comments and continue the conversation. (P.S. The comment section is a great place to find topics for future blog posts and content ideas!)
6. Create content that hits all along the multiple touch points in the traveler’s decision making process, from just looking to booking.
7. Curate content. There is already a ton of information out there. You don’t necessarily have to make up stuff from scratch. You can even reach out to former guests and ask if you can share their images and stories.
8. Update on a regular basis. Travelers need to see fresh, informative and accurately up-to-date content. Set a schedule for your blog and social media posts. A neglected or abandoned blog is a quick way to appear like you aren’t involved and don’t care about your customers.
9. Creating and implementing a highly impactful content marketing strategy can be overwhelming and time consuming. Hiring a professional with knowledge of the travel industry can provide you with better value and save you hours of time spent doing research.
Need help with your content marketing. Contact me today for a free consultation.