The holiday season is almost here and the soft autumn winds are already craving us all to pack our bags and tap out to explore a new place. With busy schedules, hustle culture and all the hard work we put in, if there is one thing that really satisfies the soul – it has to be travel, isn’t it? However, this may not hold true if you are a travel influencer because if you are one – you know how much work goes behind presenting a place to people in a way that encourages them to go ahead and book those tickets.
Sure, you get to travel and enjoy too, but as a full-time travel influencer or content creator, sustaining and growing your audience’s attention is an added responsibility. With a million things that you need to do single-handedly, we agree it could get tough to keep up.
Thanks to the digital-first world, today everyone gets to see tons of inspiration on our favourite locations, go-to restaurants and budget stays constantly showing up on our daily social media scrolls which is why Pushppal Singh Bhatia and Ravneet Kaur who are founders of That Couple Though and are an Indian Youtuber and Digital Content Creator, have compiled our top 10 tips that will help you keep your A game on – always!
Travel means different things to different people. For some, it’s an escape into luxury, while for others it is a form to nurture the soul. For some, it’s a break and for others, it’s a way to explore people and their worlds. Each travel influencer would relate to a certain mindset and can strategise in a way that woos that particular audience. Moreover, you need to be clear on whether you are planning to provide budget-friendly holiday inspiration or are more suitable for a luxe audience. Narrowing down your target audience will enable you to focus on sharing the best value and thus gaining the attention and trust of your audience.
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Next up, recommend the best of the best options for your niche! Yes, aesthetics are important but recommendations are great clickbait and people love to be honestly guided for amazing options available in a particular segment – be it restaurants, hotel stays, must-visit tourism spots etc. Providing value is one of the great ways to hold your audience’s attention and keep them coming back for more.
Know that with the rise in the number of travel influencers, popular places and tourism hotspots are already covered. There could also be a possibility that some of your audiences have already been to these spots. Exploring the hidden gems, and spaces that habitat the local cultural elements is a great way to share something new and never seen before. Yes, that involves a lot of work and research but trust that this will definitely have the attention of avid travellers who will appreciate the diversity shared.
When you are sourcing information about local culture, you may come across some local craftsmen in different industries and ones that have been the underdogs for a long time. Give them a chance to shine and collaborate with them to create authentic stories. This will help you both get more attention and build credibility to acquire commercial deals while also promoting local artisans.
Sticking to only one social media platform is a huge no, especially with the current digital diversity. Although Instagram stands as the largest social media platform in India, spreading across unique content formats like youtube videos, blogs, and publication features, will enable you to pull audiences from different walks of life and increase your engagement further.
This one goes unsaid. One cannot operate without communicating with the audience and understanding what they like and what they don’t. Develop your content in a way that involves a lot of interaction and ensure you take the time out to follow this communication regularly and consistently. It is through these interactions that your audience will develop trust and always have your attention.
Genuine stories create a genuine community. You do not have to do this just for the sake of it but truly build a sense of family with your followers, the people you meet through your travel journey and the experiences everyone has during this. A good example of this is maybe integrating podcast series or short video formats that talk about learnings through travel and how it has taught you new things while inspiring everyone around.
As a travel influencer – your job is to grab attention and convert it into an intentional result. When creating your campaigns, keep in mind to balance the collaborations between all industries like hospitality, F&B, lifestyle, art and culture, weddings, etc and ensure you are providing a wholesome cohesion that peeks into all aspects of travel.
Don’t shy away from this – Affiliate Marketing is one of the best ways to gain attention while also earning through your collaborations. This could include some simple things like – ‘Must have travel essentials’ or ‘7 things you cannot forget to carry when visiting a cold region’. Whether it is a product plug-in or a service-based affiliate, people love to know hacks and must-haves which make it a great way for you to increase your engagement.
Finally, ensure everything is exceptionally beautiful but real. Your content, both pictures and videos need to be of the best quality as the visuals are the first point of attention on the internet. Rope in a good graphic designer that helps you set a visual guide for you and a videographer who understands the pace of your content delivery. The moment you achieve a balance in your production quality, you will automatically be seen as a unique creator and have the attention of old and new audiences.
