07 Feb 2022 Business Insights

Why Travel Brands Need Influencer Marketing

Many travel brands ask themselves if they need influencer marketing. When social media first started picking up steam, plenty of companies shied away from using it. Even today, some are still reluctant, as they fear it’s too complicated to master. In an environment where the landscape changes by the second, keeping up with trends can be difficult. Some come and go, others hang about but don’t have the impact that was initially expected. However, influencer marketing sits in the same category as social media when it comes to importance. With that in mind, this guide is all about how travel brands can benefit by using influencer marketing.

Some influencer marketing facts 📊

 

  • Influencer marketing campaigns earn $6.50 for every dollar spent
  • It’s the fastest-growing online customer acquisition method
  • Influencer marketing is considered more important than print marketing
  • Marketers spend an average of $25,000 to $50,000 on influencer campaigns
  • Almost 40% of Twitter users say they’ve made a purchase based off a Tweet from an influencer
  • 63% of marketers plan to increase influencer marketing budgets in the next 12 months
  • Offline stores partner with influential bloggers to increase their reach
  • 67% of marketing professionals engage with influencers for content promotion
  • Instagram is the most popular channel for influencer marketing

An influencer is a gateway to increased exposure. Some brands work with them to increase their profiles; others want tangible results in the form of ROI. Whatever the reason for working with an influencer, the results can be beneficial to both parties.

Influencers can be…

Influencers can be…

Content creators ✏️

Influencers are content creators, which means working with them will provide your travel brand with more content. They’ve mastered the art of creating content that connects and can translate that skill set to your business. At the very least, they will create user-generated content for your brand by interacting with their audience and getting them to engage, which you can then use on your own platform. Creating content that resonates is one of the hardest aspects for any brand to master. Having a travel influencer adding to your content can help give your brand a new lease of life while offering authenticity and reliability.

Relationship builders 🤝

Influencers already excel at building relationships. After all, they’ve managed to build followings on their social media accounts, some with numbers that brands can only dream about. They are an intermediary between you and new audiences.

Brand awareness builders 👀

The name of the game is exposure, and influencers act as a bridge between brands and market awareness. Modern-day customers want to buy into a brand, from their products to their ethos. Influencers provide an authenticity that is more engaging than a traditional press release, upping the ante when it comes to making audiences aware.

Brimming with creativity 🎨

You don’t build a following of thousands with content that doesn’t pop. And with the influencer market increasing, they need to be even more creative for getting an audiences’ attention. The result sees high levels of creativity amongst influencers, in all aspects of their content development.

Understand how audiences work 🤔

You get the finished product when you work with influencers, which means they already know how to engage with audiences. They can tap into your niche travel market or help with the bigger picture, creating compelling content that strikes a chord. When you partner with an influencer, it’s not unreasonable to expect a fairly swift turnaround for attention directed towards your brand.

Communication artists 📣

An influencer is in their natural habitat online and navigating the social media landscape. They know the best ways to communicate with their audiences, whether it’s YouTube for one post or Instagram for another. They will be able to utilise this skill and help your brand connect with followers.

Drive traffic 🚦

Engagement is the key, with brands hoping audiences interact enough to go through the established sales funnel and become paying customers. Driving traffic is a key requirement for every business, and influencers play a major role in achieving targets.

Grow social followings 🪴

It goes without saying that an influencer will grow your social following, yet it’s worth remembering the importance of increasing the quality of follower counts on social media channels. Your followers will also be specific to your brand, as the relationship you have with influencers will attract more people with an interest in your industry.

Good value for money 💰

Influencers tend to create a much better ROI than PR or advertising agencies. This is because they already have the attention of your target market and don’t need to take time to build up an outreach campaign. The majority of influencers generate returns on the original investment.

The art of influencing

Working with the right influencer has the power to open new avenues for your brand. Finding a good fit can offer the perfect blend of insight and creativity that will increase brand awareness and bring new customers to the table to help drive your travel brand forward.