The Impact of Travel Marketing on Tourism in the Digital Age

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Today’s travelers are as informed and connected as any generation that has come before them. With a few taps on their smartphone, they can read up on almost any destination practically instantly. In this digital age, the chances of catching a traveler unawares about the sights, sounds and smells of your tourist hotspot are slim to none. That being said, there are plenty of marketing activities you can undertake to entice travelers to visit your corner of the world. Read on to discover how digital marketing is changing travel forever and advice for marketing your destination so that it stands out from the crowd.

The Impact of Travel Marketing on Tourism in the Digital Age

What exactly makes digital marketing so effective?

We live in a world where traditional marketing channels are losing their effectiveness at an alarming rate. For example, the number of people watching TV has been steadily declining while the number of people using social media has been steadily increasing. Consequently, companies are finding that the effectiveness of their marketing strategies is decreasing. But companies that integrate digital marketing strategies into their marketing mix are seeing increased customer engagement and significantly increased results. Digital marketing is effective because it’s timely, personalized and inexpensive. Digital marketing channels can be used to engage your target audience at the right time for them. For example, if you are trying to promote your travel brand to millennials, you might use LinkedIn, Pinterest and Instagram. If you’re trying to reach senior citizens, you might use Facebook and YouTube.

Why digital marketing is essential for travel brands

Travel brands have always relied on media and word of mouth to drive customer acquisition. In the traditional marketing paradigm, this model was sufficient to rely on. But with the advent of the digital age and the rise of online booking engines like Expedia, booking travel has become an impersonal process. In fact, a study conducted by Expedia found that 44% of travelers prefer to research and book their travel online. And while this is great news for travel brands as it drives more conversions and revenue, it also highlights how little control travel brands have over the channels their customers use to make decisions. For this reason, we believe that digital marketing is essential for travel brands. Digital marketing allows travel marketers to gain control over the channels used to drive traffic to their booking pages. And if done correctly, it can help travel brands to cut through the noise and create a personalized experience for customers when they’re researching and booking their trip.

Digital Marketing Strategies to Promote Travel Brands

As we’ve discussed, digital marketing is essential for travel brands to drive traffic to their website. Therefore, it’s essential that travel marketers integrate several digital marketing strategies into their marketing mix. Let’s take a look at three digital marketing strategies we believe are essential for travel brands. – Online Advertising – Online advertising is an essential digital marketing strategy for travel brands. It allows travel marketers to focus on specific travel segments such as millennials and seniors. While there are many channels to use for online advertising, Facebook and Google are the two biggest channels. – Social Media Marketing – Social media marketing is another essential digital marketing strategy for travel brands. It allows travel marketers to go beyond just broadcasting ads and instead, create meaningful interactions with their customers. Social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are all excellent channels for travel brands to build their brand. These channels allow you to provide content to your customers, engage with them and solicit their feedback. – SEO – Finally, SEO is another essential digital marketing strategy for travel brands. It allows travel marketers to rank their website higher on Google and Bing search results, driving more traffic to their booking pages.

Video marketing in the digital age

More than 70% of people watch online videos every week. What’s more, 90% of people say they are more likely to buy a product after watching a video about it. What does this mean for travel marketers? It means that the humble video marketing strategy has never been more effective for travel brands. Nowadays, you can create videos about your travel brand that are informative, entertaining and go a long way to helping travelers understand what your travel brand is all about. Videos can be used to drive traffic to your booking pages; they can also be used to help you drive conversions once your customers are on your site. Travel marketers can also use video marketing to create content for social media. For example, you could create a video that highlights the best attractions in your destination. You could then use social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook to promote this video to your audience.

Travel Bloggers and Influencers

Travel bloggers and influencers are excellent ambassadors for travel brands. In fact, a study found that 76% of consumers say they trust recommendations from people like them. As such, travel marketers can use these digital influencers to their advantage. By collaborating with travel bloggers and influencers, you can leverage their authority to promote your travel brand to their large social media following. Travel bloggers and influencers can also be used to promote your travel brand on your website. You could invite them to write an article on your website, or you could ask them to post an image on their Instagram page using your product.

Snapchat Geofilters and Stickers

The Impact of Travel Marketing on Tourism in the Digital Age can not be fully discussed without talking about Snapchat Geofilters and Stickers

Snapchat has grown to be an extremely popular social media channel amongst younger generations. A survey found that 41% of 18- to 24-year-olds use Snapchat. In fact, the same survey found that Snapchat is more popular than Facebook amongst this age group. Travel marketers can use Snapchat to their advantage. You could create Snapchat Geofilters and Snapchat stickers to promote your travel brand. These are virtual filters that you can add to your snaps. They can be used to attract new customers and help you retain existing ones.

Read: 6 Steps To Booking a Hotel in Ghana: A travellers guide

Marketers understand that the digital age offers many advantages when it comes to marketing a product or service. With a few taps on a smartphone, travelers are as informed and connected as any generation that has come before them. The only way to compete in this situation is to be where your target audience is. Digital channels give you the opportunity to reach people where they are with the content they want. By integrating digital marketing strategies into your marketing mix, you can engage your target audience at the right time for them. You can also gain control over the channels used to drive traffic to your booking pages.