Two effective ways to boost tourism marketing

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Two effective ways to boost tourism marketing

This is the age of information, and the most trustworthy source of information on the web currently is considered to be user generated content, and 2 primary types of user generated content are blogs and vlogs(video blogs). Gone are the days when people used to do offline and online research before visiting a destination by browsing through various sites, travelogues, maps, literature and reviews. Now, people want someone to give them a ready reckoner which suits their budget, convenience and time. Blogs and Vlogs are those encapsulated source of information which saves your time, energy and efforts substantially. Now, if you want to make a solo trip to an unknown destination, all you have to do is watch a few videos made by vloggers or read a few blogs online(though people now a days prefer watching videos more than reading). Vlogs are now getting shortened in the form of mini vlogs, shorts or reels to engage and captivate the viewers’ attention in a short span of time.

Consumers attention span is now limited and they are spoilt for choice. They no longer want to plan their next holiday destination by looking at room tariffs and reviews. They look for creative engagement before they arrive at the decision stage. So, what should tourism players do to lure customers and keep their cash registers ringing? The answer lies in effective content marketing and though there are many tried tips and advice available, however, there are many fun and creative ways to boost it. 

According to Google findings, most consumers are not committed to brands while planning their holiday. Most leisure travellers do not decide their airline and accommodation till the time they plan the trip. So how to create a loyal customer base much before they plan a destination, here are a few marketing strategies to go about it:

MARKET THE DESTINATION: Wonder why most exotic locations are unknown? It is due to a lack of marketing. Advertising is a traditional and the most promising tool to market a product. But advertising never projects a real picture. It only focuses on the good part. Customers are evolved over a while. They are looking to invest their time and energy which is unique and evokes interest- something out of personal experiences. And that is where blogs and vlogs by travel enthusiasts and influencers come in, created for evolved travellers. 

USE VLOGGING AND BLOGGING TO ATTRACT TOURISTS: People around the world who are looking to travel start researching on their phones and laptops. The first instinct of the majority of these travellers is to look for travel vlogs followed by blogs by influencers. At times, travellers finalize the destination by just watching the videos. YouTube data shows that travellers are spending more time watching online videos than ever before and India has the most YouTube users in 2022, estimated at 467 million.

Blogs on the other hand is a reliable way to get valuable data on a specific destination and inspire tourist to get excited about the place. Blogs have a selected audience, often people read blogs if it is written by their friends or by a popular influencer they have a particular liking for. At times Blogs are viewed by people who are looking for a personalized view, pictures, advantages, and disadvantages, and most importantly exploring ‘not-so-touristy’ destinations.  

IMPACT OF TRAVEL BLOGS AND VLOGS:  As opposed to the traditional form of marketing, travel blogs and vlogs communicates non intrusively. Blogs and vlogs are great marketing booster as it helps market a particular destination in many creative ways. An online platform has given room to a variety of sources that travellers can pick and choose from. Through vlogs and blogs, travellers are exposed to the more practical and authentic side of a destination. While most travelling sites showcase the only good side of a destination to gain traction, vlogs and blogs depict the real side of a destination through authentic footages, pictures, anecdotes and write-ups. Due to the authenticity and credibility of the influencer or the user, they are a more popular and reliable source of the material. From the marketing perspective lot of premium and local brands are looking to collaborate with popular travel bloggers and vloggers as it has a cost effective and reliable reach.

In conclusion, there are many effective marketing tools available to boost tourism marketing, however, two of the most effective ones are travel blogging and vlogging. Over time tourists have shifted from images to blogs and now to videos and podcasts as its handy, convenient, and authentic means of research. Over time, the emergence of travel vloggers and bloggers has also increased and through their content, they have managed to broaden their network. According to Youtube, a travel vlog gets 2.6K views on average, and going by the numbers the trend is only going to gain traction.



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Disclaimer

Views expressed above are the author’s own.



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