Businesses in the tourism sector compete heavily for share of wallet when it comes to their customers disposable income. Not only does a tourism business compete with other destinations and holiday options, but also with the purchase of electrical goods, furniture and house renovations.
With international travel back on the table, competition is fierce. Therefore, it is more important than ever to showcase customer experience over anything else, including price!
Check out our top 5 marketing tips on how to showcase customer experience and drive new bookings to your tourism business in 2023.
#1 Video content is the best way to engage customers.
With the rise of short form video content, including Instagram Reels and TikTok, video content has become more entertaining and addictive than ever! Video content captures users’ attention for longer than text or imagery, and it allows you to create immersive, experiential moments with your tourism product.
And the best thing about video content is that anyone with a smartphone can create it. To get started, focus on a simple idea that showcases one inspiring feature of your experience. Take up to 10 minutes of footage and use social media in-app editing features to cut it down to the recommended size by channel. For more sophisticated editing, try free applications like iMovie or Filmora video editor.
#2 Post videos to trending channels.
There are two key channels you don’t want to ignore as a Tourism business in 2023 – TikTok and Instagram Reels.
For users under the age of 30, TikTok is now the go-to search platform for news, shopping, entertainment, and educational content. When it comes to researching holiday destinations and experiences, TikTok offers tourism businesses the opportunity to engage with consumers organically and through paid advertising.
What’s the difference between TikTok and Instagram Reels, you ask? Jump over to our recent blog, TikTok vs Instagram Reels. The important difference for Tourism businesses is the age demographic; Instagram has a slightly older demographic, with 33.1% of users aged between 25 and 34 years. Instagram also has a higher average user engagement of 53 minutes per day, compared to TikTok’s 45 minutes.
#3 Build brand credibility through user generated content.
Tourism businesses know better than anyone else how important customer review sites are to drive bookings. But have you stopped to think about the other types of user generated content?
User generated content not only comes from customers, but can also be sourced from employees, industry partners, tourism bodies and agents – so you can make the most of those famil costs! Social media content such as photos, videos and livestreams can be easily tagged with your business handle and reshared to your networks. Most contributors will be happy to have their content shared on your brand’s website or social media page, as it makes them feel like they are involved in your brand’s story and deepens their engagement.
Consumers see user generated content as 2.4 times more authentic than brand-created content, which means they are more likely to trust your brand and make a booking.
#4 Influencer marketing is the new celebrity endorsement.
Influencer Marketing is basically a hybrid of old and new marketing tools. It takes the idea of celebrity endorsement and places it into a modern-day content-driven marketing campaign.
Investing in collaborations with influencers and content creators can amplify your brand awareness, help you reach a highly relevant audience and build credibility for your brand. Influencer campaigns can also help deliver high quality short-form video, which is one of our other top trends for 2023.
In the Tourism sector there has been an incredible rise in travel influencers, however, despite this growth it is important to not dismiss micro influencers with a dedicated niche. For example, you may collaborate with a pet influencer to promote your pet-friendly holiday accommodation. Also, be sure to look for an influencer that fits with your brand in terms of values and tone of voice to build trust and credibility.
#5 Get the basics right.
And by basics, we mean Google basics – Google Business, Google Analytics and Google Ads.
Tourism brands who ignore Google as part of their marketing efforts in 2023 will be left behind, now that we move into a post-covid-travel era with inflation, higher costs, and economic uncertainty.
Make sure you have a Google Business profile set up with the correct location, contact details and product descriptions. It is also important to update your business hours, when necessary, like on public holidays as most people like to take unplanned day trips.
Google Analytics will help you understand where your website traffic and leads are coming from to help you improve your marketing ROI.
And finally, consider Google Ads as part of your marketing efforts to remain competitive. The good thing about Google Paid Ads is that you only pay for results, like clicks to your website or calls to your business.
If you would like further tips on marketing your Tourism business, get in contact with us today!
