Have you ever wondered if influencer marketing is useful in the hotel industry?
Perhaps you have been contacted by an influencer asking to stay in your establishment for free in exchange for visibility on their social networks. What should you say in such cases? And most importantly, how do you evaluate their offer? Let’s take a look at the points to consider.
What is an influencer?
Influencers have become very popular in recent years. An influencer is usually a person who has a good reputation online, and who manages to reach a large number of active and selected users (their community). In other words, a person who, through their position, can inspire and “influence” the purchasing decisions of people following their activities (followers).
What is influencer marketing?
This is a type of marketing in which a brand or company decides to team up with an online influencer, involving them in its communication strategy to promote a product or service.
The social media we suggest for this type of business is undoubtedly Instagram, which is currently the most commonly used. As a recent SocialPubli survey shows, 96% of marketers consider Instagram to be the best social network for creating this type of partnership. In tourism, however, don’t underestimate those who have a blog, not just travel bloggers. Well-written and well-indexed content is a great resource for reaching your future customers.
Some figures on influencer marketing in the travel sector
In 2020, research by Influencer Marketing Hub shows that for every $1 invested in co-marketing, up to $18 can be earned, with an average of $5.78. A study by Forbes states that “the Instagram factor plays a crucial role in millennials’ travel destination decisions”.
So a great photo could beat many other arguments that were once considered crucial, such as cost, cuisine, and entertainment options in a specific area.
Is influencer marketing only for big hotel groups? And how much does it cost?
A good influencer marketing strategy to identify the right influencers is not just for large hotels. It can also be an excellent investment for smaller establishments. It’s not easy to put a figure on it, but in general, to hire a “micro-influencer” (profiles between 10,000 and 30,000 followers), a few hundred euros spent can be enough to get a good return on investment.
4 questions to ask yourself before engaging in influencer marketing
- What is the influencer’s objective?
- On what basis will they communicate?
- What services do we want them to promote?
- What is the profile of their community?
Working with an influencer can lead to increased conversions and popularity. This depends largely on the product we decide to promote.
Since we are dealing with a tourist property, various elements come into play: seasonality, economic possibilities, geographical distances, and many other points that will lead users to become active in the medium-long term.
A collaboration that will increase the number of new users, but also improve the relationship with the existing community, encouraging them to return.