30 May How bloggers promote destination and airlines
It is not a novelty that travel bloggers represent the new wave of travel media. For many years now they can bring travel destinations alive, as they use their own content and their own personal experience. People are searching for others experiential stories as a relevant factor when deciding about their next travel adventure. They will always rather rely on some simple advises and personal stories more than they will rely on media advertisement and PR articles.
Great engagement and storytelling
People want to be engaged and they also gladly share with others their booking process and experiences as well as recommendations. This is also a valuable promotion made from a third party engaged. The influence of travel bloggers is getting even better in the times of rush social media sharing, as they are really skilled and creative when posting their content. Another important reason to cooperate with them is the fact that they really know how to engage people, and they have loyal readers who are willing to share their suggestions.
How bloggers promote destination
When talking about destinations promotion travel bloggers should be a great part of any promotion campaign as they will promote destination through individual experience and style, and that is what makes destination look more real to the travel public. Also their real photos and real recommendations are more persuasive to people deciding about next holiday than all the brochures together. They inspire, they approach destination close to the imagination of readers, and what is the most important for promotion, they gladly combine textual, photo and video content, and share it through many different social channels in the way that it looks great wherever it appears.
Study tours for bloggers
If you plan and suggest bloggers a study trip don’t over plan it. Let bloggers wander around and they will find great moments, instead of create packaged content. Bloggers are authentic and they have their own brand too. That means that they really care how they overview the itinerary and points of interest in any destination.
Always give the bloggers your objectives and before all take time to meet the bloggers and to discuss your brand strategy. In that way they will be clear with the message when writing their blog posts.
Bloggers as a brand ambassador
Most travel bloggers work hard on their sites with little financial return and cover their own travel costs. If you are able to offer them a sponsored travel experience which will reduce their own travel costs and enables them to write interesting material for their blog, they should be interested. Many of them are also looking for long term relationships with travel companies and are keen to become ambassadors and promoters of travel brands that will appeal to their audience. When thinking of having blogger as a brand ambassador it is necessary to make a payment deal with them not only to sponsor services. In that way you will always have a great content master and quality storyteller by your side.
How our bloggers made it or how “real” people are telling “real stories”
Destination without airlines is never a full package, nor is it vice versa. It’s always a good idea to communicate and promote them together as potential travelers want to know as many options for their travels as well as the recommendations what to see. Destination and airline are not a competition; rather say they are a full story that looks complete to the travelers.
In our campaign to promote Belgium and Brussels Airlines we asked two Croatian food bloggers to prepare a food that represents and describes Belgium and take picture with Brussels Airlines visuals – plane model, branded postcards, and other visuals. Through their post they highlighted what is the purpose of doing Belgian food; they gave info about Belgium cuisine and recipes with photos. Also they gave a short view of destinations highlights.
A tasty and imaginative promotion was made by culinary and lifestyle bloggers Tihana Topčić on the blog “Tiha u zemlji slatkiša” and Barbara Črgar on blog “Foodiona“. What delicious Belgian delicacies they prepared in order to take us away to a journey through Belgium gastronomy and give us a sweet little experience of this beautiful kingdom check at their blogs.
And what is the most important, after the trip to Brussels that is sponsored by Brussels Airlines bloggers will continue to promote the destination, and the Brussels Airline in even more picturesque and informative way. They will share real moment stories and share memories a while after the trip is over. That is the true beauty of bloggers promotion arrangements. They don’t just do the campaign, rather say they truly live it.