Why Use Influencer Marketing for Travel and Tourism?

Written by Blueliner Marketing, CHTA Member

The digital landscape is brimming with opportunities to get your brand’s best message into the eyes, ears, and collective hearts of every potential consumer with internet access. Wielding the internet as a tool, you can woo new customers with hi-res images of sun-drenched seashores on Instagram, or share beautifully rendered high-definition video footage of frolicking dolphins against a backdrop of a sunset to millions around the world on YouTube.

You may be thinking this sounds great, but how exactly do I achieve this elusive boost in bookings?  The answer can be found in the growing field of influencer marketing.

What is an Influencer?

An influencer is someone with the power to cause someone to alter their perception, and can effectively persuade them to take action.

An influencer is someone who helps other people buy from you, by possessing a combination of:

1. Reach: the number of audience members their message or content is able to connect with
2. Contextual credibility: This intangible refers to the influencer’s ability to get their audience to believe they are knowledgeable on a particular subject
3. Salesmanship: The ability to sell an idea or concept well enough that the target audience does not feel like they are being pitched or marketed to.

What is Influencer Marketing?

A type of marketing that focuses on leveraging key leaders in the public arena to drive your brand’s message to a larger market. In many ways influencer marketing can be considered the new word-of-mouth. Influencers are currently one of the most common ways people discover new products, destinations, or experiences when online. Influencers cultivate a connection with their audience that earns them a spot similar to a trusted friend in the minds of their followers.

Why Use Influencer Marketing for Travel and Tourism?

You’re in the business of delivering dream experiences in an exotic location where fun and amenities abound. This is great—since you’re in the travel business, you get to have free access to customers’ deep-seated desires to get away from the stresses of everyday living and relax somewhere picturesque. Influencers can help you harness the power of these strong emotions and leverage your brand to evoke a strong draw toward the experience you have to offer.

Is that All.

Oh no! This is just one of the many ways to increase your direct bookings, one of the many strategies that marketeers use worldwide for a wide range of industries. For more information on implementing a direct booking strategy in your hotel, click here