eTravel12 - Keith Jenkins - Velvet Escape

Virtual footprintsHow travel bloggers are changing the media landscape

By Keith Jenkins

Emerce - EtravelBussumJune 2012

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Travel blogging has evolved from a hobby to a full-time

profession

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Travel blogging: from hobby to profession

Travel journal,Travel tips & hotel reviews

Social media

Audience

BrandedOnline

Publishers

The defining elements of professional travel bloggers

• Online personality

• Multiple skills

• Internet-savvy

• Social networks

• Niche experts

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Key benefits of working with travel bloggers

• Immediacy

• Multimedia exposure

• Long shelf-life

• Interaction Trust

• Destination ambassadors

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Travel bloggers deliver both immediate and

long-term value

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‘Glocal’ exposure

Immediate and longer-term exposure on both global and local levels.

Blog trip Tuscany 2011

Experiences from a personal perspective

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54% of British holidaymakers used social media platforms in the run up to their trip abroad to gain personal recommendations and reviews beforehand. (source: poll by sunshine.co.uk June 2011)

"It had so much more detail than the vendor site. And the broad travel sites don't get into all that," Ozaki said of the postings he read on Velvet Escape. "In this day and age, I find some of those sources more reliable.” Source: Frommer’s

High search result rankings

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About two-thirds of travelers reported having used the Internet to research a trip during the past six months. Source: Google survey (Sept. 2010)

Influence decision-making

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More than a third of travelers said the Internet had prompted them to book their travel plans, up from about 25% last year.Source: Google survey (Sept. 2010)

Kilimanjaro climb

Real-time marketing

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Direct conversion opportunities

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2,250 views4 bookings

Extended circles of influence - Jordan

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The 2011 social media outreach campaign, including #GoJordan, was immensely successful, leading to Jordan being on travelers’ minds and on many top travel lists, including Condé Nast Traveler, New York Times Travel, Virtuoso, and National Geographic, among many others.

- Jordan Tourism Board

Bloggers’ circles of influence include other influencers.

#GoJordan 2011Generated 42m tweet impressions

Reached 1.9m people

iambassador

Extended circles of influence - Costa Brava

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Bloggers’ online reach includes the major brands.

#InCostaBrava 201118m tweet impressions, 70 posts, ‘000’s of photos

70m page views

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Harness this value by engaging withtravel bloggers

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Collaborating with travel bloggers

• Sponsoring

• Advertising

• Product reviews

• Online campaigns

• Blog trips

Bloggers are ideal digital ambassadors for travel brands.

Blog trips: Buzz x 4

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Social media campaignSocial media campaign

Post-tripPost-trip

During the tripDuring the trip

Pre-tripPre-trip

iambassador

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Brainstorm with travel bloggers

326k tweet impressions62k people reached

18m tweet impressions2m people reached

81 blog posts

#Blogville

#VEinValencia

Innovative campaigns designed by travel bloggers in partnership with DMOs:

• #GoJordan iambassador campaign

• #Blogville Emilia-Romagna

• #VEinValencia

• #VisitLanai

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Reaching out to travel bloggers

• Follow their blogs & social media channels

• Ask for recommendations

• Meet travel bloggers at:

• travel tweet-ups (e.g. Travel Massive)

• travel blogger conferences (e.g. TBU, TBEX)

• blogger events at travel trade shows (e.g. WTM, ITB)

TBU Manchester 2011

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“I think of travel blogging

as a 3D film”- Evelyn Hannon

(@Journeywoman)

Velvet Escape at a glanceVelvet Escape is a travel blog with a focus on luxurious experiences. The blog was launched in January 2009 by Keith Jenkins, a former investment banker. With more than 180,000 page views a month and readers in 160+ countries, Velvet Escape is widely recognised as one of the top independent luxury travel blogs in the world.

Email Keith Jenkins at:[email protected]

www.twitter.com/velvetescape

www.facebook.com/velvetescape

Visit Velvet Escape

http://velvetescape.com/

Contact Velvet Escape

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