Digital DNA - Content Marketing in Travel Industry

Content Marketing in Travel Industry

Today’s Workshop

1. What is Content Marketing2. Steps to Creating Your Strategy3. Generating Content Ideas4. Working With Influencers5. Why it Works6. A Day in Newcastle7. Recap

@nialtoner @TheTomorrowLab

What You Will Learn

• How to create a content marketing strategy

• How to create 100 content ideas in 30 minutes

• Identifying and working with influencers

• Getting a return from your investment in content


About Me

• By day The Tomorrow Lab• By night Pikalily• Write about food and travel• Enjoy all sports• Married


What is Content Marketing?

Content Marketing


Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.

Google Trends – Content Marketing


Why The Growth?


Google Trends – Content Marketing


Creating A Content Strategy

Creating Content Marketing Strategy


Objectives

Research

Ideation

CreationPlan

Promotion

Review

Objectives

Setting Your Objectives

• What are your objectives?– Sales / Lead Generation– Brand Awareness– Traffic to Website– Traffic to Location

• What do you want from your content?– SMART objectives

• What channel(s) do you want to focus on?


Research

Doing Your Research

• Who are your customers?– Create personas

• How do they digest content?– What channels do they use?– What devices do they use?

• What is the customer journey?

• What is your competition doing?


Focus on Your Customers


Problem Need Help

Understand

SolutionConsider Options

Choose Solution

Map Out Their Journey


Seeking

Activity

Compare

Options

Research

Activity

Things To Do

Make Bookin

g

How can you help them along their journey?

How will you answer the questions they have?




Seeking

Activity

Compare

Options

Research

Activity

Things To Do

Make Bookin

g

Outdoor Holidays Northern Ireland

Newcastle Bike Trails

Hotels in Newcastle

Reasons to visit

Newcastle

Places to eat in Newcastle

Take time to do the research to create the content your customers want.


Idea Generation

“I want a blog”

“I want an infographic”

“I want a cool video”

“I want something viral”



Get your idea first!


Focus on Your Customers


Problem Need Help

Understand

SolutionConsider Options

Choose Solution



Seeking

Activity

Compare

Options

Research

Activity

Things To Do

Make Bookin

g

Outdoor Holidays Northern Ireland

Newcastle Bike Trails

Hotels in Newcastle

Reasons to visit

Newcastle

Places to eat in Newcastle

Idea Generation


100+ ideas in 30 minutes!

100 Ideas 30 Minutes

• 6 People• 3 Ideas• 5 Minute intervals• 100+ ideas

• http://635.tecmark.co.uk/


http://635.tecmark.co.uk/

http://635.tecmark.co.uk/


No idea is a bad idea

100 Ideas 30 Minutes

• Collate your ideas• Start to identify strongest ideas• Plan what research needs done and

find your hook

• Now decide the form of content to best suit your best ideas


Help With Ideas


Answer The Public


Content Creation

Types of Content• Blog Article• Video• Images• Infographic• Downloadable Guide• Podcast• Press Release• eBook• email• Social Content


Popular Content in Travel


Article Length - Travel


Repurpose Content

• Ensure your content is unique• Tell a story to your audience• Good content can take many forms– Article– Video– Press release– Infographic– Social content


Involve Customers / Influencers


Reach Your Audience

Seekers

Joiners

Influencers

Buyers


Looking for information

Return to see new content

Help to promote andshare your content

The group we spendmost time targeting

Create Your Plan

Create Content Plan

• Identify your content channels• Set timescale for content campaigns• Create content calendar• Assign ownership of content• Set project deadlines• Create promotional plan• Monitor and review


Promotion


Treat your content like a product.

Channels To Promote Content


Find Influencers

Finding Influencers


Finding Travel Bloggers


Twitter Bios


Twitter is Your Friend


Twitter Lists


Travel Lists on Twitter






Google


Lists


1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Search Smarter


Find Journalists on LinkedIn


Working With Influencers

Getting Contact Info


Getting Contact Info


Who To Work With

Social Shares


Blog Comments


Newsletter Signup


Contacting Influencers

Making Contact

• Read their blog!!• Interact on Twitter• Find a name – make it personal• Have an idea that will interest

them• Take time to make the contact• Be memorable• It’s all about the RELATIONSHIP


Good Example


And Another


Bad Example


Software?? WTF!

And Another


Please give me this great piece with a link for you. You’ve worked so hard drafting this email!

Review

Monitor Performance

• Review content performance–What types work best with your audience

• Did you achieve objective• How can you improve next time• Use your analytics tools– Google– Facebook– Twitter


Why Content Works

Good Content Delivers Traffic


Irish Open Food Guide

Irish Open Food Guide


Results


Social Share

sWebVisits

250+ 1200

#ExpediaExplores

Why Content Works

• #ExpediaExplores• 16 Weeks travelling around NI and

ROI• 30+ towns and cities• Social media interaction• UK and Irish travel bloggers


Best use of social in search campaign.

Social Engagement


Influencers


Shareable Content


Local Websites


And This Year

Sporting Experiences


Video link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyi-fulDxEA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyi-fulDxEA



Sporting Experiences


A Day in Newcastle

1 Phone

3 Hours

Content that connects with audience!


The Video


Video link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOHjWXc8EHI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOHjWXc8EHI



The Results

Over 60,000 Reached


Results


69,000 32,000

Reach Views Shares

500+

Follow Up Blog


Repurpose


First Hour Live


Recap

Recap

• Define your objectives• Develop content ideas• Identify best form of content• Create, repurpose and promote

content• Work with bloggers and influencers• Monitor and review• Remember your objectives!


www.thetomorrowlab.com

Thank you!

Email: [email protected] Twitter: @nialtoner | @thetomorrowlab

mailto:[email protected]

