TikTok's Tips on Effective Travel Marketing Strategies

Travel content is exploding on social media. Whether it's stunning photos, real-time updates or travel tips, there's no shortage of ways for travel professionals to connect with their customers, partners and suppliers to improve their awareness and profits.

But where will you start? What travel topics are trending and getting attention right now? How can you leverage these trends to boost your digital, marketing and revenue game? Consider some of these ideas:

Sustainable and eco-friendly travel is here to stay, led by eco-friendly accommodations, sustainable practices and supportive experiences. It's essential to balance content between reducing your carbon footprint and promoting sustainable activities. This includes cultural immersion experiences like agritourism and voluntourism, which are growing in popularity and engagement. Ethical travel continues to evolve, attracting growing interest from travelers.

A few miles from sustainable travel, food tourism inspires the use of ingredients and support for producers in different ways. Users share their experiences at unique restaurants and local markets, making food a central part of their travel adventures, while ensuring they keep it local as much as possible, to once again support local communities and qualify a more sustainable approach to travel. In fact, eating and drinking locally is one of the most searched activities on social media platforms.

Travelers are now actively seeking affordable alternatives to popular destinations, known as “destination dupes.” Many influencers choose to highlight less visited, but equally beautiful, places that offer a similar experience to their more famous counterparts, such as visiting Paros instead of Santorini, to give just one example.

More recently, dubbed the “White Lotus” effect, HBO, Netflix and other networks are proving themselves not only as entertainment agents but also as travel agents, enticing viewers to travel to destinations of its most popular television programs as popular culture once again exerts its influence. . Travel operators would be well advised to keep an eye on the commissioning and transmission schedules of major networks in order to plan the next must-visit they could capitalize on.

For thrill-seekers, social media provides a popular and dynamic platform to find exciting activities such as skydiving, scuba diving and other extreme sports – a trend that is expected to continue to grow in terms of content and of engagement as more experiences and destinations are launched. walk.

Types of Social Media Content

Knowing which trends are appealing, however, is only half the puzzle. For a social media strategy to be commercially effective, you also need to know which social media tools and content types are currently proving most effective for travel operators and which ones are looking to set the standard for the year to come. come.

Make sure the following are all part of your social media strategy:

User Generated Content (UGC) – As the saying goes, “People buy from people they know, like, and trust.” This is certainly true for social media. Guests sharing their experiences on social media platforms create authentic and relevant content. This can be encouraged by running competitions or offering incentives for content that best drives participation. Likewise, reposting and highlighting user-generated content on your own social channels can build trust, showcase real-world experiences, and create a loyal community around your brand which, in turn, can drive higher engagement and , above all, loyal customers.

Short-form video content – ​​Short, engaging videos have seen a marked increase in popularity, and it shows no signs of slowing down. Customers browsing feeds have an unprecedented volume of content to navigate and choose whether it's a destination showcase, a how-to, or a behind-the-scenes look. Keep it impactful, inspiring and memorable if you want to succeed. There has recently been a marked shift towards the desire to consume shorter-form vertical content, which looks set to continue into the future.

Live Streaming – When it comes to videos, live streams offer real-time interaction and an authentic, believable insight into a travel experience. This can be executed via live tours of popular destinations, hotels or experiences to engage viewers and answer their questions in real time or via live Q&A sessions with travel or industry experts. part of a collaboration of influencers to discuss itineraries, advice and present current promotions.

Personalization – In an age where customers increasingly manage their travel plans at their fingertips and expect a more personalized service and experience, customer data is essential. Data from social media interactions can provide insight into customer preferences and allow operators to tailor content and offers accordingly. Likewise, interactive content such as polls, quizzes and surveys can also collect information to develop better qualified and more personalized recommendations.