The Travel Content Your Audience Wants To See

With endless scrolling and around 2 billion websites, it’s safe to say there is an abundance of content online. Travel is one of the most popular and wide ranging content categories. So, what should brands and marketers be creating to captivate audiences? Here’s a guide to creating content that your audience wants to see.

Developing a Deep Understanding of Your Audience

Step one is determining who your audiences are. Many brands have general ideas, or categories that haven’t been fully developed or updated. It is imperative that marketers have a deep understanding of their target personas to create content that appeals to them. Finding out where your audience are, why they’re travelling, and what their travel styles are, are just some of the key elements you need to know. 

Target audiences are no longer a handful of personas that could be described on one page. Instead, there are many more niches that depict complex individuals with varying needs, values, and interests. 
Audiences value authenticity. Marketers therefore need to fully develop a brand and its core values. This will establish trust among audiences, and with this foundation, success can follow. These values should be reflected in all content and communication. Another way to garner trust is by being consistent in your tone of voice and consistency. When it comes to travel, authentic representations that people can trust are imperative as this enables them to set their expectations accordingly. 

While we’ve touched on aspects that a brand has control over – targeting and values, it is also important to consider external factors that are at play. There are a number of external factors that affect travel marketing in particular, from seasonality to socio-economic factors. As travel is often regarded as a luxury and something which is planned in advance, it’s important to work this into the sales funnel marketing and KPIs. 

Redefining the Marketing Mix

Today’s audiences want to see a mix of content. Strictly posting promotional content with hard-selling isn’t likely to get you far. That is why it is important to expand your marketing mix and the content produced for each avenue that is relevant to your brand. There should be a mix of branded content, along with user-generated content, and creator content. This shows a diverse range of reputed view points. It’s important to have a well-established presence via email newsletters, social media platforms, search engines, and links to tourism boards to name a few.

Changes to Content Delivery and Formats

When it comes to travel marketing, it’s also worth noting the changes to content delivery and formats. The steps involved for customers have changed. Where they would once consult an agent, or scour the internet for blog posts and cheap deals on booking sites, things have certainly changed! You’ve likely heard that TikTok is becoming the go-to search engine for the younger generation, so be sure to factor that into your marketing plans.

Hotels are promoting direct bookings and offering loyalty points to do so as an incentive. And, rather than reading blog posts, people are searching hashtags to find video inspiration. This extended to all stages of their consumer journey, from inspiring to bookings, creating itineraries, and post-travel behaviour.

5 Travel Content Tips

Now that we’ve discussed the factors informing social media strategies, let’s take a look at the types of content that audiences are loving: 

• Immersive content: One of the key trends in the travel content space is immersive content. This helps transport your audience so that they can vicariously experience what you’re showing them. 
• Experiences: It’s all about finding and sharing moments with your audience. Bite-size posts that champion memories in the making are highly effective, while ensuring that your content has a longstanding lifespan. 
• Original: Originality inspired by creative thinking is essential to standing out from the crowd. Even when there are trends, it’s important to approach them with a unique angle. 
• Realism: There has been a shift from overly polished content to raw footage. People want to see everything for what it is. This is why content featuring people is effective, as it helps the viewer imagine themselves in the scenario. Travel also reaches beyond your brand, so be sure to venture beyond and show the many exciting experiences that await people. 
• FAQs: Use your FAQs, comment sections, and poll answers as a springboard. There is a lot you can learn about your audience here, and it’s a great way to make your content work for you. 
• There you have it: the travel content audiences need to see. With these guidelines, you’ll be on your way to creating successful content that truly resonates. There are ample opportunities for brands in the hospitality industry that are yours for the taking.