After all, many of us are drawn to travelling because it affords us a range of exciting sights and experiences that we simply can't enjoy on our own doorstep. However, could your marketing messages be too polished?
Yes, it is possible - but promoting dream getaways in a relatable way can be a tricky balance to strike. That's where the "influencer", an especially modern component of marketing, can help.
What exactly are "influencers"?
The word itself probably immediately brings to mind images of glamorous celebrities sharing, on social media, photographs of themselves in swimsuits at beaches and swimming pools. That "#ad" hashtag won't be too far away, either - but these images don't tell the whole story.
The genius of using influencers is that they aren't quite marketers in the traditional sense; instead, they fall somewhere between marketers and journalists. Like journalists, they are trusted by their audiences to express their honest views in the "public interest".
Like marketers, however, influencers are advertising products, services or experiences - even if the advertising part of that equation is only subliminal. To their audiences, travel influencers can, therefore, come across as practically indistinguishable from travel journalists.
Find the right influencer for your brand
It's easy to confuse influencer marketing with celebrity endorsements - and, indeed, the Hawaiian package holidays you offer might indeed get a boost if someone like Taylor Swift or Pixie Lott were to mention them in an Instagram story of themselves in the Aloha State.
However, while some influencers can certainly be deemed celebrities, those stars might be either beyond your financial reach or unlikely to bring the results you need anyway. Consider the examples of "microinfluencers" and "nanoinfluencers", with their smaller but more connected audiences.
Forbes acknowledges the research finding that "nanoinfluencers best mimic the word-of-mouth effect of trusted recommendations from family or friends" - while, compared to celebrities, microinfluencers offer "a more affordable partnership with travel brands".
What to look out for in an influencer's content
Given the significant number and variety of travel influencers, choosing between them can be difficult. However, you should look for someone already reaching out to, and connecting with, your target audience. That way, mentions of your company will look seamless rather than inauthentic.
Some influencers might focus on particular travel specialisms, of which examples cited by Smart Insights include solo female travel, family travel, luxury travel and budget travel. Your own travel business might slot easily into any of these categories.
You should also consider how authentic the influencer's content looks. These days, a shot of parents with two smiling kids, all of whom look like they belong in a clothes catalogue, might not resonate as strongly with viewers as you expect, as it's not the most relatable image.
The rough edges of influencer content help to make it relatable - and such an influencer marketing agency as Socially Powerful can help you to trace the right influencer for your brand.
