Travel writing can provide ample opportunities for those pursuing their passion. Whether looking to document your trip to a new city, share your experiences with friends and family, or earn some extra cash.
In addition to being able to promote your business, travel writing can also help you gain exposure for yourself as a writer. Many publications are now seeking out freelance writers to produce original content. These publications range from blogs to magazines to newspapers. Some of them may even offer incentives for submitting articles. As a freelancer, you’ll need to submit your work to these publications, but once accepted, you could potentially get paid for each article published.
How Important is Content Marketing in the Travel Industry?
According to the World Economic Forum, the global travel industry is expected to grow to US$8 trillion by 2030. That means there’s plenty of room for growth in the travel industry. But if you want to take advantage of this potential growth, you need to do something to stand out from the crowd. One way to do that is by using content marketing.
Content marketing is one of the fastest-growing industries today. According to Hubspot, 80% of B2B companies use content marketing strategies to generate leads and increase sales. With such a high demand for on-site optimization, it is no wonder why travel writing is becoming increasingly popular among travelers and tourism professionals.
How to Go About Content
When it comes to content marketing, there are two main types: informational and promotional.
Informational content includes blog posts, infographics, ebooks, white papers, case studies, and more. They tend to focus on providing valuable information to readers.
Promotional content includes press releases, video tutorials, podcasts, social media updates, and more. They usually focus on getting attention for your brand or company.
To succeed with content marketing, know what works best for your specific niche. For instance, if you’re trying to attract tourists to your destination, you should create informative content. Try giving visitors helpful tips and advice or answer a question they may have, based on audience research.
However, if you’re trying to build awareness for a local hotel or inn, consider creating promotional content that features reviews and recommendations. In such cases, a bit of Local SEO would go a long way.
Tips for Tourism Marketing 101
The tourism industry has grown rapidly since the early 1990s, but it still faces challenges including high competition from domestic and international rivals, increasing costs, and a lack of understanding among consumers about what makes a destination special.
To succeed, marketers must understand the needs of travelers and adapt their messages accordingly. Here are some ways to make sure that your message resonates with travelers:
1. Understand What Makes People Travel
It’s easy to assume that people who choose to visit another country are just looking for an escape from reality. But according to research conducted by the U.S. Department of State, most travelers actually seek adventure, cultural experiences, and new opportunities. If you want to appeal to these kinds of travelers, you’ll need to offer them unique experiences.
2. Create Unique Experiences
The key to attracting travelers is offering them unique experiences. This can be as simple as offering free tours of historic sites or as complex as hosting a music festival where attendees can interact with artists. Whatever you decide to offer, make sure that it will provide value to both you and your customers.
3. Offer Value-Added Services
Travelers often don’t realize how much they benefit from travel until they’ve experienced it firsthand. That’s why it’s so important to offer services like airport transfers, hotel rooms, and car rentals. These services help travelers save time and money, which in turn helps increase their satisfaction with your business.
4. Make Your Business Visible
To stand out from other businesses, you need to make your brand visible. One way to do this is through social media advertising. You can also use traditional methods such as billboards and television commercials. The more places that your business appears, the better chance you have at reaching potential customers.
Keep the following tips in mind when creating content for your tourism business:
- Focus on destinations unaffected by climate change
- Try not to come across as too promotional with your written content
- Include photos and videos that show the natural beauty of your location
- Create content that helps visitors plan trips
- Consider partnering with organizations that support
Learn How to Assess your Tourism Content Strategy
When it comes to content research processes, tourism is no different than any other business. Whether blogging or writing content for a landing page, the same steps apply:
- Define Your Audience
- Choose a Topic
- Research Your Location
- Generate Topical Ideas
- Write Engaging Articles
- Publish & Share Posts
Destination guides are a great place to start when you want to use travel writing to promote your tourism business. But learn about what a traveler wants to know when choosing a destination and what you can convey that will help them decide.
Photos and videos are great ways to attract tourists because they allow you to showcase the natural beauty of your locations. Take advantage of the many apps available to create high-quality images and video clips and include an attention-grabbing caption or short blurb with each post. It doesn’t hurt to use some creative hashtags along the way, either.
When thinking of blog topics, chances are others have already written about them at some point. We’ve all seen many blogs dig into what “places you must go when visiting Los Angeles” or some variation of that. The trick is finding something innovative that no one has touched on yet that can also generate visibility for you and your business.
Let’s say you have stiff competition for a particular destination. One way to take advantage of this is to see what they’re doing right content-wise. Take time to research some of their published articles or landing pages. You’ll see firsthand how other companies use their content marketing strategies to generate website traffic and increase sales. The best part? You don’t need to spend a fortune to get started.
