Social Media Influencers are Transforming Travel Marketing

The digital boom and rise of social media platforms have given prominent users credibility. Influencer marketing has emerged as one of the most effective ways for businesses to reach intended audiences and sway their purchasing decisions. This approach is used across almost all industries, including tourism. Here, AMNY Travel Marketing explains how influencers are altering the ways tourism businesses market to their customers.

What Is Influencer Marketing?

Influencer marketing is the practice of businesses and brands collaborating with users who have a substantial following on social media platforms, such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook. Influencers leverage their followings to showcase or demonstrate the products or services of the brand they are partnering with.

While advocates and sponsors of products aren’t a new phenomenon, it was typically reserved for celebrities, professional athletes, or other high-profile individuals. The power of social media has created a new wave of endorsers.

Because of their authenticity and relatability, influencers are often viewed as trustworthy sources. When an influencer promotes a product or service, their followers are likelier to be enticed to make a purchase. It’s estimated that 63% of consumers rely more on influencers’ opinions about products than on what the companies say about them.

Influencers and Travel Marketing

The tourism industry is one that’s heavily influenced by word of mouth. Without the ability to test before purchasing, consumers weigh their options on every aspect of planning a trip. This process can be tedious and stressful for those wishing to book their next adventure. That’s where influencers come into play.

Influencer marketing has made tourism more accessible. Consumers are provided a firsthand account of the experience they could have. This access helps to fuel consumers’ wanderlust and makes them more likely to book the trip they always talk about.

Influencers aren’t only impacting consumers. The reach and services of an influencer contribute to travel brands of all sizes.

Boutique Travel Brands

Smaller travel brands often struggle to stand out in a crowded space. Influencer marketing can be the solution as people of influence can put a small brand on the map. By spreading awareness across various social media channels, influencers help to bring smaller travel brands into the limelight.

For smaller brands with limited exposure, this method allows more people to get acquainted with their services, prices, and destinations. Additionally, this approach can even lead to discovery by potential profitable business partners.

Many smaller brands might think they don’t have the marketing budget to partner with a well-known social media personality to promote their business. However, choosing to work with a micro-influencer, a person with 1,000-100,000 followers, is more cost-effective and can produce the same results. With a niche audience already established, smaller travel brands can utilize micro-influencers to achieve their marketing goals at a much more affordable rate.

Larger Travel Corporations

Larger travel companies have the luxury of not needing to worry about growing the business. They don’t stress over how they are going to get their services and offerings in front of potential customers. However, these travel brands can still benefit from influencer marketing by keeping on trend and having fresh content based on existing services.

Choosing an Influencer for Your Travel Business

Travel businesses that elect to incorporate influencer marketing in their campaigns should focus on choosing the right person. To select the ideal influencer for your travel brand, consider the following:

Audience Ailment

Before partnering with a person of influence, brands must first make sure the influencer’s audience aligns with their values and target demographics. Travel brands should only seek out influencers with a genuine interest in travel and whose audience they’re trying to market to.

Established Relevance

Be sure to target influencers who’ve demonstrated they are knowledgeable in the travel niche you occupy. Choosing a travel influencer with a proven track record of providing valuable insights and recommendations will resonate better with your audience.

Proven Reach

To ensure a particular influencer can help you reach your goals, asses their engagement rate and reach on their social media platforms. Travel brands should only be working with influencers who have an active and engaged audience.

Learn More About Influencer Marketing From AMNY Travel Marketing

Social media influencers have distributed travel marketing and the ways businesses go about promoting their products and services. Travel brands of all sizes can utilize influencers to achieve their marketing goals. To be effective, this approach must be done the correct way.

AMNY Travel Marketing assists travel brands by creating successful marketing campaigns. Our tactics involve utilizing the most proven trends, including influencer marketing. For more information about influencer marketing and the ways our team can help your business produce engaging marketing content, contact us today.