Influencer Marketing in Tourism Industry and Destinations

Influencer Marketing in Tourism

Understand how the use of digital influencers can help leverage your business. Influencer Marketing is one of the best ways to sell through social networks today

The travel dream of most tourists begins on the internet, especially on social networks. Therefore, it is important for every tourism company to position itself on these platforms to reach potential customers and increase its sales.

But how to sell on social networks? There are many strategies, but one in particular has gained a lot of space: Influence Marketing. 

In short, it consists of a digital marketing strategy that promotes brands and products through independent content producers with influence over specific niches: the digital influencers. 

The application of Influence Marketing brings great results, since influencers play an important role in the buying decision of their followers. For this reason, it has been used in many companies, especially in tourism.

Learn how to use Influence Marketing to leverage your tourism business. Check out our tips and understand how to make social networks your best salesman.

Influencer Marketing in Tourism Industry

Who Are The Digital Influencers?

Digital influencers, or influencers, are people with a large volume of followers on social networks and who have high power of influence over them – measured by the engagement on their posts.

They are great communicators because they are closer to people’s real lives. In addition, they have more trust from their followers because they do not only divulge, but also deliver content. 

Currently, 52% of Brazilian internet users follow a digital influencer, according to a study by Kantar Ibope. Of these, 50% buy products or services recommended by influencers, 9% of which are related to travel.

Some Data on Influencer Marketing

A recent report from FleishmanHillard projected that in 2021 the Influence Marketing budgets will increase, precisely because the public is more cautious in whom to trust. 

In this scenario, digital influencers gain more relevance because they are trusted by the niche in which they operate. This is what a study done by Agência Brunch in partnership with YOUPIX confirms. According to it, 77.5% of brands trust that Influence Marketing is a great ally for business during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

In addition, 51% of marketers who already use Influence Marketing say that this method can bring more qualified customers to become consumers, according to a survey conducted by influencers marketplace Tomoson. 

The study also found that 22% consider influencer marketing the fastest way to increase customer acquisition, compared to 17% who cited organic search.

How to Use Influence Marketing in Tourism

But then, how to use Influence Marketing in tourism? Just as digital influencers exert great power over the purchasing decisions of their followers in various sectors – such as beauty, health, clothing – they also do so with tourism-related services.

The difference may lie, however, in the way the influencer makes this disclosure. For example, when referring to a makeup brand, a common tactic of a digital influencer is to use the products and show the results. 

On the other hand, when referring to a hotel or hostel, the digital influencer needs to have used the service to, through experience, convince the follower that that accommodation is worth it. 

This is why it is very common in tourism marketing to use travel blogs as dissemination partners. Generally, they are maintained by professional travelers who report their experiences in destinations and tours. They end up being the main digital influencers of travelers. 

Tips On Hiring a Digital Influencer

Before hiring a digital influencer, it is necessary to plan very well what you want with this partnership. Be clear about the goals of the partnership you want to establish with the digital influencer. 

Ask yourself how the partnership with the influencer will bring you closer to your goals. Also, know how much you can invest in influencer marketing. 

The next step is to define the target audience you want to reach in order to know which influencer to hire. Data such as age range, location, gender, and average ticket are fundamental in this step. It is also important to choose an influencer who works with an audience similar or equal to yours.

Then, study the digital influencer. See what he talks to and who he talks to. He must have a discourse aligned with your company’s purpose for the partnership to work. This way, you will also feel comfortable with promoting your business. 

Pay attention to the engagement rate and demographics of the digital influencer’s followers. There’s no point in having a lot of followers if you don’t interact with them. Sometimes working with a regional influencer yields more results than choosing a famous one.

As the name implies, the partnership with the digital influencer should be one of mutual collaboration. Show what you expect from the work, but also consider their opinions when setting the direction of the campaign.

Listen to what the influencer has to say, he knows your audience very well and may have suggestions that will help promote your brand or product.

You can guide him about what you want from the campaign, however, the content must be developed by him. The more natural is the indication, the better will be the result with the followers. 

Beyond hiring for a specific campaign, maintain the relationship with the content creators. This can help you to have, even, spontaneous disclosure, since they are always looking for experiences to share.  

And, as in any marketing strategy, constantly monitor the results. Ask the influencer to provide you with data on reach, interaction, and conversion.   

How to Hire and Maintain a Partnership With a Digital Influencer?

But how to put into practice the hiring of the digital influencer? How to find him? How to contact him/her? Do you need a contract? How is the payment made? 

In addition to the strategies of Influencer Marketing, the administrative issues of hiring an influencer need to be taken into account. 

Therefore, the best way to establish a partnership with a digital influencer and get the expected results is through a specialized digital marketing agency. 

If you don’t work with an agency yet, it is well worth investing in the professionalization of your business’ tourism marketing. Besides helping you with Influence Marketing, we plan and execute actions to promote your tourism company with the aim of increasing its sales and area of action.

This is what Travel Media PR does. The international strategic intelligence agency for the travel and tourism industry works with media, marketing and public relations solutions.
Travel Media PR leads a series of projects aimed at leveraging tourism enterprises and making them stand out in the market. With a team specialized in tourism marketing, it offers communication projects that can help you not only in the choice of digital influencers, but in all the tourism marketing of your business. 

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