Read this guide to discover how influencer collaborations can supercharge your hotel’s marketing strategy.
Travelling in the Age of Social Media
These days, social media can have a major influence on how people make travel decisions. Data from Stackla shows that 52% of consumers have planned to visit a destination based on an image or video they saw on social media. Travellers in 2020 also base their travel decisions on the content potential of a destination. For example, one survey has shown that 40% of consumers under 30 prioritize how “Instagrammable” a potential destination is before making a booking.
The Importance of Social Proof in Travel Marketing
One of the offshoots of social media’s rise to dominance is that today’s consumers now have less trust in advertising than ever before. They now prefer to get information from third-party sources that they perceive to be trustworthy, credible and objective. Consumers also seek information from people who are just like them. As such, some of the most popular sources of travel information are family, friends, user reviews and influencers. To remain relevant in 2020, hotel brands need to complement more conventional marketing tactics with strategies that leverage social proof (such as influencer marketing or user-generated content campaigns).
The Role of Travel Influencers
Did you know that around 82% of travellers follow travel blogs or influencers?
Travel influencers are popular figures on social media who make and share content (e.g. photos, videos, blogs) about their travel adventures. Due to their strong relationships with their followers, influencers can persuade their fans to take specific actions (e.g. visit a website, like and follow a brand, make a booking). Many influencers specialise on specific niches such as hiking, luxury vacations or sustainable travel. Travel influencers are considered to be experts and many people turn to them for advice, recommendations and inspiration. In fact, 82% of consumers say they would be very likely to follow the endorsement of an influencer that they like.
How Can Hotels Benefit from Influencer Marketing?
Influencers have the potential to add enormous value for hotel brands. By conducting a well-executed influencer marketing campaign, a hotel can generate online PR, improve brand awareness and reputation, drive engagement and increase sales.
Want to Find More?
If you are keen to discover more about influencer marketing for hotels, then we recommend reading the below infographic from The Dunloe Hotel. This useful guide features an insightful overview of the topic, including key statistics, an outline of benefits, advice on strategy, and tips on how to measure ROI.
Scroll down to the infographic to learn more.
