Examples of best practised content marketing in the travel industry by; Tripadvisor booking.com Smarter Travel Tripadvisor Tripadvisor apply user-generated content to their website such as; Reviews Ratings Photos These are posted by real travellers. User-generated content is a win-win strategy as it can benefit both the consumer and the brand. Potential customers are exposed to candid insights and authentic opinions. Potential customers can make responsible decisions based on others’ experiences. Businesses on the other hand receive valuable feedback through ratings and reviews posted by previous customers. This information extends the browsing time on their website which increases chances of conversion. booking.com Video consumption is continuing to rise and there is no better time to be incorporating video content into social media platforms. Video content is easy for producers to make and for viewers to digest. It is highly engaging and entertaining. booking.com has taken advantage of IGTV to project authentic insights from real-life travellers. The travel company has also created episodes highlighting benefits of listing accommodations on their website and also educating viewers on how to effectively use resources to do so. Smartertravel Every OCD traveller loves a good checklist. Sometimes simple freebies can earn brand loyalty and trust. Smartertravel offers free downloadable and printable pdfs of checklists needed for travel. Although free pdf’s may not convert customers ASAP, it does provide value to the customer.

1. TRAVEL INDUSTRY
CONTENT
MARKETING

2. USER GENERATED CONTENT
BLOG
COMPARISONS
APP
TRIPADVISOR
SPECIFIC NICHE
PURPOSE AND STORY
USEFUL TIPS AND INFORMATION
INTREPID
SMARTERTRAVEL
CHECKLISTS
NEWSLETTER
BLOG
BOOKING.COM SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEO CONTENT
NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC
AESTHETIC IMAGES
STORY TELLING CAPTIONS

3. TRIPADVISOR
USER GENERATED CONTENT
REVIEWS AND PHOTOS FROM REAL TRAVELLERS
User generated content is a win-win tool to use in content marketing strategy. It
reveals to the brand the wants and needs of their target audience, and builds
trust for potential customers as they feel a sense of authentic INSIGHT. It also
increases engagement and attaches viewers for extended time.

4. INSPIRING BLOG
With helpful and inspiring articles, aesthetic
and inspiring images - blogs for travel sites
build a sense of curiosity while also
delivering helpful information.
Each headline in Tripadvisor’s blog shows a
strong moral to the story which sparks
interest.
TURN DREAMERS INTO BUYERS

5. DYNAMIC APP
The best travel companion
COMPARISONS
Who doesn’t compare?
Comparing prices solves problems in the consumers
decision-making process such as saving time in doing
their own research.
The dynamic app offers useful information required for on-the-go
travellers, from booking hotels and finding restaurants based on
candid reviews and downloading maps for offline use.

6. INTREPID
SPECIFIC NICHE
Focus on target audience
Focusing on a niche which is not typical can
allow a business to focus on a specific target
audience and identify specific problems to
solve within the target market
Intrepid offer three travel bundles tailored to
three particular buyer persona’s

7. HAVE A PURPOSE AND A STORY
A website/brand must follow an authentic and unique
story to get potential customers hooked. A purpose will
provide another level of value to the brand.
Intrepid claim they have a unique style of travelling
responsibly as they help communities and the planet
while travelling.

8. USEFUL TIPS AND INFORMATION
Preparing your target market for use of your product by
providing useful tips and information boosts confidence
for travellers-to-be
Intrepid lists answers to FAQs and important information
regarding each travel destination

9. SMARTERTRAVEL
CHECKLISTS
Checklists are a common need for consumers,
especially in the travel industry
Smarter Travel provides checklists in a downloadable
pdf file and in video format also.

10. NEWSLETTER
Newsletters keep viewers and potential
customers up-to-date and portray the brand
as an on-trend brand
Smarter Travel’s blog contains a newsletter
with updates on latest travel news

11. BLOG
Blogs are the most common form of content. A blog
may portray interesting posts relevant to the brands’
niche industry with an aim to improve SEO keyword
search results and entertain visitors with enticing topics
Smart Travel includes lifestyle posts which have mild
relation to the travel industry.

12. BOOKING.COM
SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEO CONTENT
Video consumption is increasing rapidly. Video content
engages viewers and can influence customer’s
decision-making process. It reveals the raw reality of a
brand to target audiences.
booking.com post user generated video content on
IGTV showcasing guest experiences of travel and
benefits of listing your home accommodations on their
website.

13. PHOTOGRAPH BY PAUL NICKLEN PHOTOGRAPH BY AMI VITALEPHOTOGRAPH BY THOMAS HINSCHE
NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC
AESTHETIC GRAPHICS
Strong aesthetic images bring livelihood to a brand. Visual content creates brand recognition.
Strong, high-quality graphics depict the brand’s tone and vibe.
National geographic is well known for its strong visual content. The brand have their own crew
of photographers who capture valuable moments while travelling on camera.

14. STORY TELLING
Telling a story on social media inspires
and motivates target audiences
National Geographic tell a story in each
caption to enhance engagement and to
further intrigue viewers on the visual
platform instagram

15. JOINTVIEWS.COM , 2018, “11 Examples of Successful Content Marketing by Travel
Companies” Joint Views [ONLINE]. Retrieved: https://www.jointviews.com/blog/
content-marketing-travel-companies/ [Accessed 15 May]
Beaulac, H 2019, “7 Best Travel Brands on Social Media (and What We Can Learn
From Them)” Falcon [ONLINE]. Retrieved: https://www.falcon.io/insights-hub/
uncategorised/best-travel-companies-on-social-media/ [Retrieved 15 May]
RESOURCES