06 Dec 2021 Business Insights

5 Tips to Find the Right Social Media Influencer for Your Travel Brand

Social media influencers are becoming the holy grail for brands who want to widen their reach. They have plenty of sway with Millennials and Generations Z. But are they suitable for travel brands? The answer is a resounding yes. Travel companies that partner with influencers can gain trust, seem relevant and boost sales. If you’re intrigued by the idea of working with a travel influencer but want to know more, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’re bringing you five handy tips for finding the right social media influencers who can generate more interest in your travel brand.

But first… the different types of influencers 👋

The world of social media influencing is growing so much that it now has subsections appealing to different brands. From celebrities to nano influencers, there are a variety of people who can partner with your brand.

Celebrities 🤩

Celebrities are the most expensive influencer and typically the ones with the best reach. They are at the top of the influencing ecosystem. Using a celebrity to promote your holidays and travel content could do wonders if you have the budget. It’s probably unlikely, however – unless you have a bottomless pit of marketing budget. Celebrities don’t come cheap.

Mega influencers 🤪

Mega influencers aren’t quite on the level of celebrities, but they still have access to millions of followers. They’ve built their reputation by offering expert advice in specific fields. Mega influencers also come with a high cost.

Marco influencers 😎

Using a macro influencer gives you access to someone with a follower count in the high thousands. Like mega influencers, they have a large audience. But these followers can be pretty generic, which minimises your chances of appealing to a specific demographic. For example, if you’re a travel brand only offering safari tours, a macro influencer might not be the right fit.

Micro-influencers 🤓

Micro-influencers are highly specialised and therefore have access to a more niche crowd. Suppose you’re a new brand, have a lower budget or offer a niche product. In that case, it might be worth starting with micro-influencers who can introduce you to audiences that may already be interested in the type of travel you cater for.

Nanos influencers ☺️

A nano influencer will probably have less than 1,000 followers, yet you could see higher engagement rates. That’s because they’re likely to operate in very specific fields, and the target audience will be the demographic that you’re trying to attract with your marketing.

How to find the right influencers 🔎

1) Research 📚

Before embarking on any adventure, you will need to do the research. Draw up a list of influencers with whom you may want to work with. If you’re new to the influencing world, you can use tools online that help you find relevant ones to the travel industry.

The last thing you want to do is end up with an influencer who isn’t the right fit for your company – or, even worse, a fake influencer. Conducting thorough research is the best way to combat any issues and end up with a good working partnership.

2) Engagement 💬

It’s not all about the follower count. Sure, thousands – or even millions – of followers look good, but what is the influencer’s engagement rate like? Out of those followers, who is paying attention and liking, commenting, and interacting with posts?

Influencers with smaller followers count, but high engagement rates are likely to bring more business to you than social media marketing influencers who don’t get many reactions from their posts. Therefore, you should always go through a prospective influencer’s posts and see how their followers respond to them.

3) Frequency 🔢

You want to work with a social media influencer who posts regularly, but there’s a fine line between the right amount of content and too many posts. If an influencer is always posting content, there’s a greater chance that your sponsored posts could get lost in the noise.

If you’re working with an influencer, it’s good to get an idea of their posting frequency. You don’t have the right to tell them when to post, but there may be a discussion to be had about how often they’ll post when partnering with you.

4) Authenticity 💪

The whole point of working with influencers is to increase your reach and add a layer of authenticity to your travel brand. Therefore, you need to work with authentic people who are trusted by their audience and have built up a following with good recommendations.

The best influencers can tell personal and engaging stories that work your brand into the content. These are the most substantial types of posts, even if the content is sponsored. If an influencer can provide a genuine reason for booking travel with you or buying your travel products, their audience will buy into the story and, hopefully, purchase what you’re selling.

5) Previous experience 🤝🏿

As a travel brand, there’s no point working with a gaming influencer or someone with influence in the tech space. Before collaborating, find out what experience the influencer has to travel and how they share travel-related content.

Doing so will give you a better idea of their ability to post similar content to yours and find the sweet spot with their audiences. If the fit is right, it could be the start of a long-lasting, mutually beneficial partnership.

Influence

Social media influencing will only become more important in the months and years to come. For that reason, you want to ensure a robust method for finding the best ones to promote your brand is in place. Do your due diligence, and you can find a social media influencer who gets more eyes on your travel brand, increasing your bottom line in the process.