The document provides examples of how major travel companies like Bookings.com, Airbnb, and Marriott use content marketing in their strategies. It discusses how they create blogs, videos, guides, and encourage user generated content to engage customers. This builds trust and positions the brands as thought leaders. Bookings.com focuses on travel topics while Airbnb promotes local experiences. Marriott rewards loyalty through influencer campaigns. Together, these content approaches help drive traffic and sales across all stages of customer decision making.

1. Examples of the use of
Content Marketing in
the Travel Industry.
Con Nagle
Student No: 66197772

2. “Content marketing is the process of creating valuable, relevant content to
attract, acquire, and engage your audience.”
“A well-crafted content marketing strategy places your business in the
position of a thought leader, building brand preference as you inform and
educate buyers.”
“Providing helpful and entertaining content can form a strong bond
between your brand and customers that continues to grow and strengthen
over time.”
Source: Marketo engage
What is Content Marketing?

3. About Content Marketing
 Builds a relationship between the brand and the
consumer
 Establishes trust
 Builds creditability
 Cost effective
 Positions the brand
 Use the content to enhance the travellers experience
 Educates consumers
 Increases web traffic/ Improves SEO
 Content is shareable
 Testimonials are strong marketing
 Blog (Company & user generated)
 E-book/ digital magazine
 Video (company & user generated)
 Infographics
 Guides
 3d room tours
 User generated content
 Reviews
 Podcasts
 Webinars
 Types of content  Why use content Marketing?

4. Content marketing and travel.
If any industry is ripe for content marketing, it is the leisure travel industry.
By definition, leisure related travel is about new places and new experiences,
and who does not want some hint of what lies in store at a destination(whether
booked yet or not).
When there we share photos and experiences, and when the trip /holiday is
over, who does not like talking about it and sharing one’s own tips, and
experiences.
Lets look at how Bookings.com, Airbnb and Marriott Hotels use content
marketing in their marketing mix.

5. Examples of content marketing
The Business
 Bookings.com relies on an agency
booking model.
 It collects commission on rooms booked
through its service.
 Mission Statement: "to help leisure and
business travellers, whatever their
budgets, easily discover, book, and
enjoy the world’s best places to stay.”
Blogs: Bookings.com have a
multitude of different travel topics
to write about.
Graphics from Bookings.com

6. Examples of content marketing
Webinars
Strong and appealing use of
imagery
Graphics from Bookings.com

7. Examples of content marketing
Videos shot by Booking.com
employees and customers
Connect with others (user
generated content)
Graphics from Bookings.com

8. Examples of content marketing
Airbnb offers Experiences to prospective
travellers looking to taste authenticity in their
destination
Explore the most amazing inspiring stories
from the Airbnb community, invites hosts and
users to share (ie user generated)
Graphics from Airbnb

9. Examples of content marketing
Neighbourhood guides. Heavy on photography/
essential for marketing the city. Has maps, transport
guides etc.
“Live there” campaign. When you Airbnb
Paris, Rome or Tokyo, live there as a local.
Graphics from Airbnb

10. Examples of content marketing
Video: for “Live there”
campaign
Digital guide on a
neighbourhood
Graphics from Airbnb

11. Examples of content marketing
Use of enticing images More great use of images

12. Examples of content marketing
Marriott Rewards, an online
loyalty scheme
Marriott “Snapisodes” uses influencers to
highlight the brand among millennials

13. Examples of content marketing
User blogs Video

14. Examples of content marketing
Blogs Room videos

15. Conclusion
 Content creation is key in any marketing strategy
 There is a large variety of content strategies available for those in the
travel industry
 Choice depends on the company/website, its style and goals
 User generated content is invaluable in content creation and
distribution in travel marketing
 Cross promotion between blogs, video, customer reviews/experiences,
boost traffic to the website/booking page.
 Bookings.com, Airbnb and Marriott are good examples of successful
content marketing.
 Their content seems to hit all stages of the buyer journey.

16. Bibliography
 Al-Saad, T, (2019), Airbnb’s Growth Strategy: How they attract and retain 150 million users Available at:
https://www.growthmanifesto.com/airbnb-growth-strategy#main_menu, [Accessed 1st April 2020]
 Gaudette, E. (2019), 5 Incredible Content Marketing Examples From Travel Brands. Available at:
https://contently.com/2019/08/28/5-incredible-content-marketing-examples-from-travel-brands/ [Accessed 14th April 2020]
 Hubspot, (2020), The Ultimate Guide to Content Marketing in 2020. Available at: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/content-
marketing [Accessed 14th April 2020]
 I-scoup (2020). The Content marketing: on owned, earned, paid, shared and converged media Available at: https://www.i-
scoop.eu/content-marketing/content-marketing-owned-earned-paid-shared-converged-media/ [Accessed 1st April 2020]
 Lightback (2018), The Business Model Of Booking.Com Available at:
 https://lightblack.eu/the-business-model-of-booking-com/ [Accessed 13th April 2020]
 Marketo Engage, (2020), Content Marketing. Available at: https://www.marketo.com/content-marketing/, [Accessed 14th April
2020]
 Morris, C. (2019). Stop Wasting Money: 8 Tips to Maximize Your Content Marketing Budget. Available at:
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/maximize-content-marketing-budget/325677/ [Accessed 13th April 2020]
 Patel, N, (2020), The Beginner's Guide to Content Marketing in 2020 Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pVQm18SQok, [Accessed 14th April 2020]
 Socialtables.com (2019) A Peek Inside Marriott’s Marketing Strategy & Why It Works So Well. Available at:
https://www.socialtables.com/blog/hotel-sales/marriotts-marketing/ [Accessed 13th April 2020]
Whitney, M. (2020), 10 Smart Hotel Marketing Strategies to Increase Bookings. Available at:
https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2018/09/07/hotel-marketing [Accessed 13th April 2020]