Working with influencers is a powerful way to build trust with potential guests, boost brand awareness among wider markets and increase revenue.
Modern travellers get much of their travel inspiration from platforms such as Facebook – 87% to be exact! As social media plays an increasingly large role in how people consume information and make decisions, there is little wonder that online influencers have become such valuable allies for travel brands across the globe.
But with so many bloggers, vloggers and social media personalities out there, knowing WHO to work with and HOW to work with them can be a little overwhelming. That’s why we wanted to provide some guidelines to help you make the right decisions for your brand.
Here are five things you must do before deciding to work with an influencer…
1. DEFINE YOUR IDEA OF SUCCESS
Before you consider whether you want to work with an influencer, you need to outline what you want to get from the collaboration. The most successful influencer collaborations have a clear strategy behind them – a plan that will help you decide which influencers to contact, what type of content you want them to create and the results you want to see.
It doesn’t need to be long winded or complicated. Sit down and think about what your idea of success would be – do you want to boost your international brand awareness? Are you trying to reach a niche group of travellers? Have you got a new facility, activity or menu you want to promote? Whatever you want to achieve, set clear goals about your desired outcome and stick to the plan.
2. BE SELECTIVE
You know your brand and the type of guest you want to attract better than anyone else. Agreeing to work with any influencer who contacts you without considering their audience, interests or values will not benefit your brand and is a waste of your time (and we all know no one can afford that!).
You need to look for influencers with followers who have similar interests to your guests and who’s online content aligns well with your own. For example, if your brand is a design hostel who’s target audience are people who are seeking luxury on a budget, then you don’t want to be reaching out to high-end fashion bloggers.
Do your research and invest your time in working with someone who will actually enjoy the experiences you offer.
3. DECIDE ON THE EXCHANGE
Be clear about what you will offer and what you would like in exchange – and be realistic.
From the start, set out what you expect and from which platforms including the number of social media posts, blog posts and the type of content (e.g image or video) you are looking for.
Hint: Steer clear from telling influencers exactly what to write about or take photos of – let them use their creative judgement of what will work for their audience.
In terms of what you bring to the table, if you do not have a budget that is okay but try to jazz your offer up as much as possible in other areas (and be aware it may not be the right fit for some who blog/vlog for a career!).Think about whether you could offer them a private room instead of a dorm, throw in a few free drinks at the bar or include a couple of your most popular activities – you want your guest to have the best experience possible so try to create the ultimate stay.
Remember, influencers are not staying with you for ‘free’ – it is a valuable collaboration and a lot of time goes into what they share online so be mindful of this with what you offer.
4. LOOK PAST THE VANITY NUMBERS
You could be mistaken for thinking that the size of an influencers audience – and therefore how many people their posts can reach – is the most important factor to consider when thinking about a collaboration.
However, a huge following does not necessarily translate to more influence (especially when there are so many sites out there that sell fake followers!). Engagement is the key factor you should be looking at to determine how influential the person really is. Micro-influencers – those with smaller numbers of total followers but higher engagement levels – are extremely valuable to work with as their audiences trust them and are more likely to act on their recommendations.
If you’re already in talks with an influencer about a future collaboration, ask them to provide a breakdown of their audience demographics so you can check that their followers align with who you are targeting.
Tip: To find out whether an influencer has an engaged audience, head to their profile and take a look at the level of engagement they receive – you are looking out for the comment/like ratio compared to the number of followers they have.
Remember, forget the big numbers – a smaller, more engaged audience could much more valuable to your brand.
5. GET TO KNOW THE INFLUENCERS YOU CONTACT
When contacting influencers, you need to remember one thing – personalise, personalise, personalise.
Sending an obviously copied and pasted email tells the recipient you haven’t taken the time to learn anything about them, so why would they take the time to reply? Show your enthusiasm at the possibility of working with them by including small personal touches like addressing them by their name and mentioning something you like about one of their recent posts – it takes a few minutes but goes a long way in showing you care.
Tip: Be sure to follow influencers you are considering working with through your brand’s social media accounts and engage with the content they post there. That way, when they receive your email, it won’t be completely out of the blue and they’ll see that you really value what they do.
With 88% of millennials saying they trust reviews from influencers as much as personal recommendations from their friends, your brand is missing out on a valuable marketing tool if you’re not working with relevant, relatable online personalities.
Looking for more advice on working with influencers or any other area of your digital marketing? Drop us a message – we’re always happy to chat!
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