While the travel industry is a booming sector, it experiences a lot of competition. Consumers are also more interested in better products, services, and experiences, as opposed to brands. This has created a great need for marketing in the industry, which, consequently, has seen the rise of several travel industry marketers.
Nowadays, there are several types of marketers in the industry, from travel public relations firms to digital marketing agencies, branding agencies, promotional agencies, media placement agencies, and others. And with the world going digital, most of them rely on online resources to promote their client’s brands. So, what resources do they use for this purpose? Below is a look at some of the top 5 online resources that the marketers can leverage:
- Social media
Social media is a great online resource for business. Brands can use it for a wide range of functions, from increasing online presence to networking, communication, etc. However, the one area where social media benefited businesses greatly is in marketing. With a huge number of consumers “living on social media”, social networking sites offer a great way for marketing a business.
It is thus not surprising that social media is a popular resource for travel industry marketers. Travel PR firms are especially one of the greatest beneficiaries of social media. They can use social networking sites in several ways (to promote their clients’ brands) such as:
- Communication with the public – for example, press releases, statements, brand stories, pitches, product launch announcements, etc.
- Consumer, market, and competitor research
- Reputation management (during a crisis)
- Monitoring brands’ reputation
- Responding to their clients’ negative reviews, criticism, and press
- And many more.
Other travel industry marketers such as digital marketing agencies, SEO agencies, promotional agencies, and others can also use social media to market clients’ brand. The wide reach that the platform offers makes it a great marketing channel for targeting audience.
- Blog sites
Blogging has evolved greatly over the years. When it started, it was just a way for people to keep online diaries. However, it has grown considerably since then, and now blogs are a top online marketing resource.
One of the ways in which blogging is used for marketing in the travel industry is to communicating brand stories. Marketers are able to leverage the great audience engagement ability of blogs to build and maintain relationships with existing customers. This helps to keep the customers loyal, which is vital in the travel industry.
Travel industry marketers also leverage the power of blogs to establish their clients as authorities in the industry. This is achieved by regularly publishing clients’ authoritative content. On top of that, marketers can use respected third-party bloggers (influencers) to increase the credibility and trust for their clients’ brands.
Blogs are also a great communication tool and can be used by marketers such as PR agencies for press releases, and publish statements and announcements for their clients’ businesses. Aside from communication, a travel PR firm can also use blogging for reputation management. For example, they can publish several positive blog posts for their clients, thus countering any negative (clients’) found online. They can also be able to respond to customers’ negative comments, feedback, and criticism through blog posts.
- Online news sites
Media has always played a huge role in marketing. Traditionally, media was the go-to marketing technique, as it helped to spread awareness about brands and their products/services. With the world going digital, traditional advertising has been overtaken by digital marketing. However, the role of media in the new world order has not been watered down. Just like with nearly every other business, media companies have taken their operations online, and now most of them own and operate online sites where they deliver digital news to their customers.
Just like with the traditional media, these news sites are a powerful marketing tool, as they can reach a wide audience. They are also trusted by the consumers, which makes them perfect marketing resources for building brand credibility and trust. As a result, travel industry marketers can be able to achieve a higher level of consumer influence for their clients’ brands when using online news sites.
Online news sites are also a great communication tool, especially when marketers need to reach a wide audience first with important news. For example, when planning to release clients’ press releases, statements, and announcements, online news sites are a perfect option.
- Video sharing websites
Video marketing is the latest trend in the travel industry. With consumers being more interested in the quality of their experiences, videos are a great way to show them what they can receive. Video content is also more wide-reaching, with a huge percentage of global content being from videos. On top of that, it is more compelling, due to its ability to evoke an emotional response in the viewers and the more personalised contact. Video marketing is thus one of the top tools that are used by travel industry marketers to promote their clients’ brands.
When using video marketing, travel industry marketers leverage the power of video sharing sites such as YouTube. These sites are the go-to places for consumers when they are looking for video content. As a result, they can provide a wide audience – millions of consumers all over the world – making them great resources for audience targeting.
Video and video sharing sites also play a huge role in how the travel industry customers make their decisions. According to a study by Google, YouTube is one of the most widely visited online platforms by consumers looking for information on travel options. Therefore, travel industry marketers can, by using YouTube and other similar sites, engage these prospects, who already have an interest in the products and services that their clients are offering.
- Google Ads and analytics
Google advertising and analytics are other great resources used by travel industry marketers. In advertising, the Google Display Network helps marketers to audiences who have (or a likely to have) an interest in what their clients are offering. As such, they can generate quality leads for their clients, which can easily be converted into sales.
Google Analytics, on the other hand, helps the travel industry marketers to measure the digital marketing strategies they run for their clients. As a result, they can be able to show clients how their money is paying out. They are also able to use Google Analytics data to fine-tune these strategies, leading to even better results.
Travel industry marketers play a huge role in the world of travel and tourism. Using the above online resources, they help to promote their clients’ brands to the target audiences, helping to increase brand awareness, credibility, trust, and loyalty. As a result, the brands being advertised are able to compete favourably in an industry that is becoming increasingly competitive. These online resources also help to boost marketing campaigns, leading to more customer, sales, and, revenue.
To read more on topics like this, check out the marketing category.
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