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As a brand in the travel and hospitality sector, you understand the importance of reaching out to your target audience and engaging them in a meaningful way. One of the most effective ways to do so is by partnering with UGC travel creators. If you're a brand in travel and hospitality and you're looking for UGC travel content creators you've come to the right place. In this blog, we'll go over best practices to help you find creators and use UGC in your marketing campaigns.
Why UGC
For travel and hospitality brands, UGC is particularly important for marketing because it offers several unique benefits.
Authenticity & social proof
UGC is seen as more authentic and trustworthy than branded content because it comes directly from customers. Potential customers are more likely to trust the opinions and experiences of other travelers than they are to trust marketing messages from a brand. When potential customers see other people enjoying a brand's services or products, they are more likely to feel confident in their decision to choose that brand.
>> 52% of social media users say their friends’ photos inspire their travel plans.
Engagement
UGC is inherently more engaging than branded content because it reflects real-life experiences and emotions. This can help to create a deeper connection between customers and the brand.
>> 55% of people rely on social media posts to plan their travels.
Check out our article "What is User-Generated-Content (UGC)?" to learn all the benefits of using UGC in your marketing campaigns.
Identify your goals and target audience
The first step in any UGC travel marketing campaign is to identify your goals and target audience. This is no difference when it comes to partnering with travel creators. What are you hoping to achieve with this campaign? Do you want to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or drive sales? Once you have identified your goals, you can then focus on finding the right travel creators who can help you achieve them.
In addition to your goals, you also need to identify your target audience. Who are you trying to reach? What are their interests and preferences? By identifying your target audience, you can ensure that the travel creators you partner with have a similar audience, and that your campaign resonates with the right people.
Find the right UGC travel creators
Once you have identified your goals and target audience, it's time to start searching for travel creators to partner with. Since collaborating with creators can be costly, it is crucial to conduct extensive research beforehand in order to minimize the chance of making mistakes. Ultimately, the key to success lies in identifying and selecting the most suitable creators. There are several ways to find travel creators.
Social media platforms
Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok are all great places to find travel creators. You can use hashtags and keywords to search for creators who align with your brand.
Influencer marketing platforms
There are several influencer marketing platforms, such as Collabstr and Grin, that allow you to search for travel creators based on a variety of criteria, such as location, niche, and engagement rate. These platforms are more focused on influencers and cannot be the best choice if you're looking for UGC creators.
Agencies
Agencies can probably be the best choice to recruit creators. They know the market and can provide a tailored service to find creators with the right creative skills, experience, and knowledge to produce content that resonates with your audience. Agencies typically charge a pretty high fee for their services (15%-30%), which can be a significant investment for a brand.
>> If you want to get the benefits of an agency with no strings attached, movig is the right partner. Movig automates all the manual tasks of managing a marketing campaign, from finding the right creators to tracking ROI.
When searching for travel creators, it's important to take the time to research each creator's content and audience. Look at their engagement rates, follower demographics, and previous brand partnerships to ensure they align with your goals and target audience.
Negotiate the partnership
Once you have identified travel creators you would like to partner with, it's time to negotiate the partnership. There are several types of partnership and compensation arrangements that can be established between a brand in travel and hospitality and a content creator.
Sponsored Content
Brands pay content creators to create and publish content about their stay and overall experience at the hotel or vacation property. This could be in the form of blog posts, social media posts, videos, or other types of content. Compensation can be in the form of flat fee, per-click (ie. based on the number of clicks or views their content receives) or free stay in exchange of content.
Affiliate Marketing
Content creators can list the brand's property or travel service in their link in bio on TikTok, Instagram or other platforms and earns a commission on any sales or bookings that result from their promotion.
Ambassador Programs
This may involve posting content on a regular basis and attending events at the brand's properties, and constantly being the advocate of the brand on social media.
It's important for both the brand and the content creator to agree on the type of partnership and compensation arrangement that works best for both parties. Clear communication and transparency are key to building a successful partnership.
Manage the campaign
Once you have negotiated the partnership, it's time to manage the campaign. Here are a few tips for effectively managing a travel creator campaign:
Establish clear communication
Make sure you establish clear lines of communication with the travel creator. This includes setting up regular check-ins to discuss progress and provide feedback.
Provide a creative brief
Give the travel creator a clear understanding of your brand's values, voice, and goals for the campaign. This will help ensure they create content that aligns with your brand.
Monitor your campaign
There are many ways a brand in travel and hospitality can monitor the results of a UGC marketing campaign: 1) social listening tools like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and Brandwatch can help the brand track mentions, hashtags, and conversations related to the UGC campaign; 2) analyze engagement metrics like likes, comments, shares, and clicks on social media platforms where the UGC campaign is being promoted; 3) monitor customer reviews on sites like TripAdvisor, Yelp, and Google Reviews to maintain a positive brand image; 4) track website analytics using tools like Google Analytics to see how the UGC campaign is impacting website traffic, bounce rates, and conversions to understand how the campaign is driving bookings and revenue; 5) Conduct surveys to gather feedback from customers who engaged with the UGC campaign to get insights into how customers perceive the brand.
Conclusion
In conclusion, managing creator campaigns for your brand in the travel and hospitality industry can be an exciting and rewarding experience. By identifying the right creators and providing them with clear guidelines and expectations, you can produce high-quality content that resonates with your target audience and drives engagement. Additionally, staying organized and maintaining open communication with your creators can help ensure a smooth and successful campaign. So don't be afraid to get creative and experiment with different strategies. With the right approach, your brand can stand out in the competitive travel market and connect with customers in meaningful ways. Good luck, and happy travels!
Learn how to start and scale your creator business here and check out our ultimate creator success bundle. Schedule a demo so we can answer any questions and to show you how our tool works.
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