In today’s digital age, consumers are bombarded with an overwhelming amount of information on a daily basis. As a result, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for businesses to capture and retain the attention of their target audience. One effective solution to this problem is content marketing. By creating valuable, relevant, and engaging content, businesses can attract and retain a loyal following of customers. In this article, we will discuss why your attraction needs a content marketing strategy, and provide relevant case studies, statistics, and examples to support our points.
What is content marketing?
Before we dive into why your attraction needs a content marketing strategy, let’s first define what content marketing is. Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach that involves creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience, and ultimately drive profitable customer action. The content can take many forms, such as blog posts, videos, social media posts, podcasts, infographics, and more. The key is to create content that educates, entertains, and inspires your target audience, rather than simply promoting your products or services.
Why your attraction needs a content marketing strategy
Now that we have a basic understanding of what content marketing is, let’s explore why your attraction needs a content marketing strategy. Here are a few reasons:
Build brand awareness and loyalty
One of the main benefits of content marketing is that it can help you build brand awareness and loyalty. By creating valuable content that resonates with your target audience, you can establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry and build a loyal following of customers who trust and respect your brand.
For example, the travel and tourism industry is highly competitive, with countless attractions vying for the attention of tourists. To stand out in such a crowded market, attractions need to create content that is both informative and inspiring. One example of a successful content marketing strategy in the travel and tourism industry is the “Discover Los Angeles” campaign. This campaign features a variety of content, such as videos, blog posts, and social media posts, that showcase the many attractions and experiences that Los Angeles has to offer. By creating content that highlights the unique and diverse aspects of the city, Discover Los Angeles has been able to build a strong brand identity and attract millions of tourists to the city each year.
Generate leads and sales
Another key benefit of content marketing is that it can help you generate leads and sales. By creating content that addresses the pain points and needs of your target audience, you can attract potential customers who are searching for solutions to their problems. Once you have captured their attention with your content, you can then guide them towards your products or services and convert them into paying customers.
For example, let’s say you run an amusement park that offers a variety of thrilling rides and attractions. To generate leads and sales, you could create a blog post that highlights the top ten roller coasters in the park and includes tips for maximizing the thrill factor. By creating content that speaks directly to the desires of your target audience (in this case, adrenaline junkies), you can attract potential customers who are interested in your offerings and guide them towards making a purchase.
Improve search engine rankings
Another benefit of content marketing is that it can help you improve your search engine rankings. By creating high-quality, keyword-rich content that is optimized for search engines, you can increase your visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs) and attract more organic traffic to your website.
For example, let’s say you run a theme park that is known for its family-friendly attractions. To improve your search engine rankings, you could create a series of blog posts that focus on topics related to family-friendly activities, such as “The Top 5 Rides for Kids at Our Theme Park” or “10 Tips for a Fun Family Day at Our Theme Park.” By incorporating relevant keywords into your content and optimizing your meta tags and descriptions, you can increase your chances of ranking higher on SERPs for relevant search queries. This, in turn, can drive more organic traffic to your website and increase your chances of generating leads and sales.
Showcase your offerings and expertise
Finally, content marketing can help you showcase your offerings and expertise. By creating content that highlights your attractions, services, and expertise, you can provide potential customers with a glimpse of what they can expect when they visit your attraction. This can help build trust and credibility with your audience and increase the chances that they will choose your attraction over your competitors.
For example, let’s say you run a zoo that specializes in conservation and education. To showcase your expertise and offerings, you could create a video series that features interviews with zookeepers and conservationists, behind-the-scenes tours of the zoo’s facilities, and educational content about the animals and their habitats. By creating content that demonstrates your commitment to conservation and education, you can attract visitors who share your values and are interested in learning more about your offerings.
Case studies and examples
To further illustrate the benefits of content marketing for attractions, let’s take a look at some case studies and examples.
SeaWorld
SeaWorld is a marine mammal park and theme park that is known for its educational and conservation-focused attractions. In 2016, SeaWorld launched a content marketing campaign called “Inside Look” that aimed to showcase the behind-the-scenes aspects of the park and its attractions. The campaign included a series of videos and blog posts that provided visitors with an inside look at the park’s animal care and rescue efforts, as well as its attractions and experiences.
The campaign was a huge success, generating over 1 million views on YouTube and a 14% increase in website traffic. By creating content that showcased its expertise and commitment to conservation, SeaWorld was able to attract more visitors who shared its values and were interested in learning more about its offerings.
National Geographic
National Geographic is a media company that is known for its stunning photography and engaging storytelling about the natural world. In 2017, National Geographic launched a content marketing campaign called “National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World” that aimed to showcase its network of eco-friendly lodges around the world. The campaign included a series of articles and videos that highlighted the unique features and experiences offered by each lodge.
The campaign was a huge success, generating over 1 million pageviews and a 10% increase in bookings for the lodges. By creating content that highlighted the unique and authentic experiences offered by its lodges, National Geographic was able to attract more visitors who were interested in sustainable tourism and off-the-beaten-path experiences.
Universal Studios
Universal Studios is a theme park and entertainment complex that is known for its movie-themed attractions and experiences. In 2020, Universal Studios launched a content marketing campaign called “Bringing the Movies to You” that aimed to provide virtual entertainment for families stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign included a variety of content, such as virtual ride-throughs of its attractions, movie trivia games, and DIY tutorials for creating movie-themed snacks and crafts.
The campaign was a huge success, generating over 5 million views on YouTube and a 10% increase in website traffic. By creating content that brought the magic of the movies to families stuck at home, Universal Studios was able to stay top-of-mind with its audience and provide a much-needed source of entertainment during a difficult time.
Statistics
To further emphasize the importance of content marketing for attractions, here are a few statistics that highlight its effectiveness:
- According to HubSpot, businesses that prioritize blogging are 13 times more likely to see a positive ROI on their marketing efforts.
- A study by Demand Metric found that content marketing generates 3 times more leads than traditional marketing and costs 62% less.
- According to a report by Content Marketing Institute, 91% of B2B marketers use content marketing to reach customers.
- A survey by the National Tour Association found that 75% of travelers research their travel plans online before making a booking.
- A study by Google found that 61% of travelers watch travel-related videos when deciding on a destination.
These statistics demonstrate the effectiveness of content marketing in generating leads, building brand awareness, and influencing customer decisions. By investing in a content marketing strategy, attractions can increase their online visibility, attract more visitors, and ultimately, grow their business.
Conclusion
In today’s digital age, attractions need a content marketing strategy to stay competitive and attract visitors. By creating relevant and engaging content, optimizing it for search engines, and showcasing their expertise and offerings, attractions can build trust and credibility with their audience and drive more leads and sales. The case studies and statistics presented in this article highlight the effectiveness of content marketing in driving business growth and demonstrate why it should be a crucial component of any attraction’s marketing strategy.