Travel is a

gameOf

InfluenceTasos Veliadis– Partner/Business Unit Director - socialab

I LOVE TELLING STORIES!SO TODAY I WILL TELL YOU A

STORY ABOUT…

DESTINATION MARKETINGAND

SOCIAL INFLUENCERS

DESTINATION MARKETINGHAS CHANGED

THE GAME

HAS CHANGED

TRADITIONAL DISCOVERY IS

TO0 NOISY AND EXPENSIVE

RELEVANCE AND CONTEXT TAKE THEIR PLACE

SO LET’S START WITH SOME USEFUL

STATS

THE TRAVELLERS JOURNEY

INSPIRATION RESEARCH EXPERIENCEBOOKING SHARING

TRAVELLERS AGREE THAT THEY TURN TO THE WEB EARLY ON IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY

LEISURE  65%

BUSINESS69%

Source:  Google  Travel  Study  June  2014

SEARCH ENGINES AND YOUTUBE ARE THE TOP ONLINE SOURCES OF INSPIRATION

SOCIAL  NETWORKING,  VIDEO,  OR  PHOTO  SITES  83%SEARCH  ENGINE  61%TRAVEL  REVIEW  SITES/APPS  42%DESTINATION-­‐SPECIFIC  SITES/APPS  31%DAILY  DEAL  SITES/APPS  27%

Source:  Google  Travel  Study  June  2014

ONLINE TRAVELLERS ARE INFLUENCIAL IN EARLY STAGES

WHEN  THINKING  ABOUT  A  TRIP

WHEN  THINKING  ABOUT  A  TYPE  OF  TRIP  TO  TAKE

WHEN  CHOOSING  A  DESTINATION

Source:  Google  Travel  Study  June  2014

LEASURE TRAVELLERS WHEN TRAVELLING VIDEOS ARE VIEWED

65%

48%

61%

YOUR BRAND IS NOT WHAT YOU CLAIM! IT’S WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS

SAY ABOUT YOU!

Social media can influence users easily, thus becoming an invaluable tool for all kinds of digital travellers.

The main reason for this, is that such media creates variety and enables users to choose, from seeking their

next destination to booking tickets and sharing moments from their trip.

73% of travellers take inspiration and collect information about their trip through Facebook,

Instagram or Twitter.

The majority of users claim that they found Twitter exceptionally useful in researching and finally choosing

a travel brand.

Based on recent trends, Millennials tend to be the most avid of travellers, as they are inclined to spend large

sums on travelling.

What’s remarkable though about that generation is that they rarely ask specialists for information about

their travels.

Only 10% of Millennials claim that they used such a service during 2014.

Consumers tend to trust influencers so much so, that big hotel brands collaborate with them in order to create

and share content on social media.

INSIGHT

We live in one of the most tourism oriented countries in Europe and marketers are always looking for new

ways to get ahead of the competition.

As such, let’s go ahead and have a look on how digital influencers can move the crowd and promote your

business and brand in a unique way by affecting their followers.

1. Influencers create and share exceptionally engaging images on Social

Media

You could always hire professional photographers to take stunning images of your hotel, the tourist spots of

your city etc. However, who would those pictures reach? Can such pictures provoke discussion and shape opinions? Maybe yes, but then again, maybe not. On the other hand though, influencers can create a broad

spectrum of images: from natural sceneries and Instagram – style posts to humorous Snapchat messages with an immense reach each time.

Think about this: the average social media user is bombarded with a barrage of pictures on a daily basis, such as beach pictures during summer. As a result only something truly creative and funny could make the user

like, remember and share.

2. Influencers have a broad and faithful audience

Wasting enormous amounts of budget on advertising does not necessarily mean increased income, as millennials can even be suspicious of advertising.

However, working with influencers usually means if not a higher reach, then at least a more personalised

reach, as fans follow the influencers’ advice on where to shop, what to wear and even on how to manage

certain real life situations…

So, whenever consumers look for travel tips and places to go, they are more likely to trust one of the

influencers they follow rather than some random bit of information they found online.

3. Influencers tend to describe their trips in a unique and creative way

Influencers have created a faithful following by sharing personal stories, feelings and life lessons openly. In contrast to professional travel ads, blogs and vlogs

created by influencers are not trying to hide the not-so-nice part of a trip, their concerns on budget, safety or any other real life problems. In short, they give priority

to satisfying their fans’ interests and write very objective reviews.

4. Influencers create trends

From choosing a new destination to visiting a new restaurant, influencers lead their fans through amazing new experiences without going overboard in expenses.

A few good pictures and generic material from the destinations they visit is enough to transform the usual content into a new trend. This could easily happen by uploading pictures of a hotel lobby or a small shop in the centre of the city, since followers can see where those spots are, through the geo-tagging ability of

social media platforms.

So, if you want to put all that in order you can organise each piece of content easily into sub

categories such as food, nightlife, décor, activities, local culture or other

and work with influencers specialised in each subcategory.

5. Influencers add new twists to the Brand

Travelling mostly has to do with learning about new places and exploring new lifestyles. Some are

interested in having luxury vacations, others want to explore nature and others want to learn about a new culture. Travel marketers usually make the mistake of concentrating on and referring to “travel influencers” generally without paying attention to other relevant

categories.

Influencers from other categories can also help shape public opinion. If for example your location stands out for its historical significance, it would be a nice place to work with a fashion influencer for a photo shoot. This

will help in attracting not only people interested in history but also others who would like to witness the

place from another point of view.

THANK YOU!