In today’s digital age, influencer marketing has become a powerful tool for businesses to reach their target audience, increase brand awareness and drive sales. For hotels and attractions, partnering with influencers can help promote their offerings to a wider audience and attract more visitors. However, creating successful influencer partnerships requires careful planning and execution. In this article, we will discuss some key steps that hotels and attractions can take to create successful influencer partnerships and provide relevant case studies to support our points.

 

Step 1: Define your goals and target audience

The first step in creating successful influencer partnerships is to define your goals and target audience. What do you want to achieve with your influencer campaign? Do you want to increase bookings, drive traffic to your website or promote a specific offering? Once you have a clear understanding of your goals, you can identify the right influencers to partner with.

To identify the right influencers, you need to consider your target audience. Who are your ideal customers? What are their interests and behaviors? By understanding your target audience, you can identify influencers who have a similar following and can help you reach your target customers.

Case Study: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts partnered with lifestyle influencer Jessica Stein to promote their Maldives property. Stein, who has over 2 million Instagram followers, shared a series of posts showcasing the property’s luxurious amenities and stunning views. As a result, Four Seasons was able to reach a wider audience and attract more bookings from millennials, who are a key target audience for the brand.

 

Step 2: Identify the right influencers

Once you have defined your goals and target audience, it’s time to identify the right influencers to partner with. When choosing influencers, you need to consider their audience, engagement rates, and authenticity. Look for influencers who have a genuine connection with their audience and whose values align with your brand.

You can use social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube to identify influencers who are already talking about your brand or similar offerings. You can also use influencer marketing platforms like AspireIQ, Upfluence, or CreatorIQ to find relevant influencers based on your specific criteria.

Case Study: Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Paris partnered with several parenting influencers to promote their offerings to families with young children. The influencers shared posts on Instagram and YouTube showcasing the park’s attractions and activities for kids. By partnering with influencers who have a strong connection with parents and families, Disneyland Paris was able to reach a wider audience and attract more visitors with young children.

 

Step 3: Establish clear expectations and guidelines

Once you have identified the right influencers to partner with, it’s important to establish clear expectations and guidelines. You need to clearly communicate what you expect from the influencers, what content they should create, and what guidelines they need to follow.

Be transparent about the compensation you are offering and any other benefits the influencers will receive. You should also provide them with all the information they need to create authentic and engaging content that aligns with your brand’s values.

Case Study: Visit Norway

Visit Norway partnered with several travel influencers to promote the country’s natural beauty and cultural offerings. The influencers were provided with a detailed itinerary and guidelines on what content to create. They were also given access to local experts who could provide them with additional information and insights. By providing clear expectations and guidelines, Visit Norway was able to ensure that the content created by the influencers was authentic and aligned with their brand values.

 

Step 4: Measure the success of your influencer partnerships

Once your influencer campaign is live, it’s important to measure its success. You need to track the engagement rates, website traffic, and bookings generated by the campaign. This will help you determine whether the campaign has been successful in achieving your goals and identify areas for improvement.

You can use tools like Google Analytics or social media analytics platforms to track the performance of your influencer campaigns. You can also ask the influencers to share their own analytics and insights to get a better understanding of the impact of their content.

Case Study: Airbnb

Airbnb partnered with several travel and lifestyle influencers to promote their offerings to a wider audience. The influencers created content showcasing their Airbnb stays and shared their experiences on social media. Airbnb tracked the engagement rates and bookings generated by the campaign and found that the influencer-generated content resulted in a significant increase in bookings.

 

Step 5: Build long-term relationships with influencers

Creating successful influencer partnerships is not just about one-off campaigns. Building long-term relationships with influencers can help you establish a consistent brand voice and attract a loyal following. By working with the same influencers on multiple campaigns, you can build a deeper connection with their audience and establish trust and credibility for your brand.

To build long-term relationships with influencers, you need to provide them with ongoing support and collaboration opportunities. You can also offer them exclusive access to your offerings and events to incentivize them to continue working with you.

Case Study: Fairmont Hotels and Resorts

Fairmont Hotels and Resorts has established long-term relationships with several travel influencers, including The Blonde Abroad and Tuula Vintage. These influencers have become brand ambassadors for Fairmont and regularly create content showcasing their stays at Fairmont properties. By building long-term relationships with influencers, Fairmont has been able to establish a consistent brand voice and attract a loyal following of travel enthusiasts.

 

Conclusion

Influencer marketing can be a powerful tool for hotels and attractions to reach their target audience and attract more visitors. By following these key steps – defining your goals and target audience, identifying the right influencers, establishing clear expectations and guidelines, measuring the success of your campaigns, and building long-term relationships with influencers – you can create successful influencer partnerships that drive results.

The case studies highlighted in this article demonstrate how some of the world’s leading hotels and attractions have used influencer marketing to promote their offerings to a wider audience and attract more visitors. By taking inspiration from these examples and applying the key steps outlined in this article, you can create influencer partnerships that help you achieve your marketing goals and establish a loyal following for your brand.