The document discusses moving travel blogging beyond just blog posts about trips by focusing on content creation and tracking metrics for clients. It suggests negotiating agreements that include deliverables, objectives, and payment terms. When issues arise, communication is key. The document also covers relationship building, examples of successful campaigns, and brainstorming ideas for industry improvement.

1. the independent integrated agencythe independent integrated agency
Ruth HaffendenRuth Haffenden
@ruth_elizabeth@ruth_elizabeth
““Thinking beyond the blogThinking beyond the blog
trip”trip”
Pro-blogger think tankPro-blogger think tank
May 2013 – TBU RotterdamMay 2013 – TBU Rotterdam

2. the independent integrated agency
Did you hear about bgb?
Specialists in
travel &
tourism
Specialists in
travel &
tourism
PR, Representation,
Culture, Luxury
and Online
PR, Representation,
Culture, Luxury
and Online
Full range of
in-house
services
Full range of
in-house
services
Team of 20
in travel & tourism
Team of 20
in travel & tourism
Leaders
in digital and social
media
Leaders
in digital and social
media
Founding
member of the Pangaea
Network
Founding
member of the Pangaea
Network
Established in
1991
Established in
1991
Part of Four
Communications
Group:
Culture,
campaigning,
sports,
sponsorship,
marketing, media
planning &
buying
Part of Four
Communications
Group:
Culture,
campaigning,
sports,
sponsorship,
marketing, media
planning &
buying

3. the independent integrated agency
But what do you know about Four?
Corporate PRCorporate PR Public affairsPublic affairs Social mediaSocial media Consumer PRConsumer PR
Crisis and issuesCrisis and issuesMedia planning &
buying
Media planning &
buyingSports & ArtsSports & ArtsCommunity
consultation
Community
consultation
SponsorshipSponsorship CSRCSR DesignDesign Multi platform
content
Multi platform
content
Property
marketing
Property
marketingDigitalDigitalCopywritingCopywritingTravel PR &
Representation
Travel PR &
Representation

4. the independent integrated agency
So you were PR and now you’re...
what then?
Website designWebsite design
Content
management
systems
Content
management
systems
Social mediaSocial media Intranets and
extranets
Intranets and
extranets
Digital documents
& presentations
Digital documents
& presentationsSEOSEOE-newslettersE-newslettersBlogger
relations
Blogger
relations
Audio
(e.g. podcasts,
interviews)
Audio
(e.g. podcasts,
interviews)
Micro-sitesMicro-sites Online media
buying
Online media
buying
Banner
advertising
Banner
advertising
Video filming,
editing and post
production
Video filming,
editing and post
production
AnimationsAnimationsOnline monitoringOnline monitoringMobile
development
Mobile
development

5. the independent integrated agency
Our clients include…
So who do you work for?

6. the independent integrated agency
Four the future: Meet the grads!
Rosie Beaument –Thomas, Graduate Executive ­ @rosiefourbgb
Clients: Stena Line, Exodus, Red Funnel,
Random bar chat fodder: Penchant for pasties and the like, rogue scotch
eggs frequently found rolling around in handbag. Total bike geek,
spends many mornings on the way to work pretending she’s Bradley
Wiggins, commentating her own brilliance as she goes. Once over heard
saying: “Live fast die young?! Nah, live slow, have a sit down and a pasty
love”
Emma Liasides, Graduate Executive ­ @emmaliasides
Clients: County Durham, Atlantis, The Palm, Barbados, Red Funnel,
Destinology
Random bar chat fodder: Stupendous bar banter, Emma could talk for
England. Was a pantomime child star, once locked in a dressing room as
a giant peach rabbit for over an hour whilst her curly red hair once
caused a group of thirty monks to chase her through the streets of
Bangkok for a photo.
Three Fours, to meet in one weekend – see what
I did there?

7. the independent integrated agency
Carolyn Van Vliet, Senior Account Executive ­
@carolynvanvliet Ok she’s not a grad anymore but she was
once and I had a theme going here...
Clients: Visit Wales, Caribbean Tourism Organisation,
South Tyrol, Sun International. Cruise Association
Random bar chat fodder: Grew up in South Africa, spent
her childhood removing various snakes from her shoes
most mornings, can fly fish and is one of the smartest
cookies you’ll *ever* meet
Three Fours, to meet in one weekend – see what
I did there?

8. the independent integrated agency
So what do I do now?
Social media director at Four, covering travel, property, arts,
culture, sports, consumer and corporate, with a bit of digital
tech, SEO and social media buying thrown in to keep me awake
at night
Clients at Four: See super duper print out
Random bar chat fodder:
• I have the a world map tattooed across the soles of my feet, I’m
scared of bananas, I’m told dance like I’m riding a tiny horse,
chilli gives me hiccups and the sun makes me sneeze. I hate
emoticons as much as when people say ‘lol’ aloud. It’s not ironic
it’s idiocy.
Some things you should know:
• I know you’re all hung over!
• I loathe smart art and bloomin’ obvious annotations... So enjoy
the accompanying lol cats/ baby gurns
Me! She was bgb and now she’s
Four? Wtf?

9. the independent integrated agency
Session style
Show me the money!
Open
forum
Think tank
style
approach
Best
practice
and ideas
sharing
Profession
al
discussion
s and idea
sharing
Campaign
profiling

10. the independent integrated agency
• Thinking beyond the “blog trip equals blog
review post” set up
• Moving thoughts from coverage to content
• Positioning you as an expert
• Extended campaigns – what can you offer and
for how much?
• Methods of tracking – Moving thoughts on
tracking from you to them
• Think tank: Sharing best practice,
brainstorming for real upcoming bgb
campaign proposals, ideas for industry reform
• Discussions of professionalism, the power to
handle agreements when things go bad and
the knowledge to ensure they don’t
Desired outcomes

11. the independent integrated agency
Let’s think about you
shall we?

12. the independent integrated agency
Stop thinking in terms of ‘coverage’
Start thinking about content creation
•What can you offer?
•What are your strengths?
•Where is your skill set in terms of
content creation?
•What do your readers engage with?
•Which channels do you really excel
on?
Content creation

13. the independent integrated agency
1. Content you host
• Video
• Images
• Podcasts
• Posts
• Pre, during and post
• Interviews and profiles
• Behind the scenes
1. Reader generated content
• Surveys and polls
• Live coverage across
channels
• Where are your
strengths?
• Reader generated
Content creation

14. the independent integrated agency
2. Content they host
• Video sets
• Image sets/ galleries
• Guest blog posts
• Social media channel take- overs
3. Content that is third party hosted
• Networks and affiliations
• Other campaign partners
• Additional commissions
• Online chats
4. Content that links you to them
• Banners
• Widgets
• Instagram walls
• Live twitter/ Facebook feeds
• Competitions
• Home page/social feed take-overs
• DMs
Content creation

15. the independent integrated agency
• The basics – tracking for you:
o Unique users, social media reach etc
• The next move – tracking for them
o How many views did their content get? How
many re-tweets, likes, comments shares,
clickthroughs, # impressions
o What can you add to track for them?
Tracking links, widgets, reader offers, PR
call numbers
• How much to track? Every campaign element or
just on site?
• Produce a report:
o Content created
o Numbers reached
o Engagement generated
Tracking, reporting and evaluation

16. the independent integrated agency
So what do you charge? Or more likely, how much do you accept for a job?
o Where are you in your career, do you need the case studies?
o Is the trip worth the pay off?
o How many pieces of content are you offering?
o How much reporting are you giving?
o How long will you be in destination?
o What is the length of the campaign?
o What else are you bringing to the party? i.e. other sponsors?
Strategy?
o How many work hours will that take you to create?
o How much site time are you handing over?
Think tank: How much do you charge? Are you willing to share? What
have you heard others charging? Should their be an industry
standard?
Show me the money!

17. the independent integrated agency
Let’s think about them

18. the independent integrated agency
• Negotiating an agreement
o Who are you talking to and what’s the difference?
• Marketing
• Online manager
• SEO
• PR
• Advertising
o Understanding their needs
• Their business objectives
• Their marketing objectives
• Their social media objectives
o The contract: include the collateral you agreed to
produce and when and what they offered in
exchange. Reiterate their objectives and desired
outcomes! *lets take a look at a contract
o Invoicing: Be clear on who to invoice, how and
when you will get paid
Step 2 – lets think about them

19. the independent integrated agency
Consumer partnerships
What else can you bring to the agreement in terms of
collateral?
Brining brand partners together can give your campaign
weight and seem more appealing as well as providing mutual
budget benefits
But who?
•Cameras
•Cars
•Clothing brands
•Sports brands
Think thank: who else? Have you worked with non­travel
partners? How did you negotiate it and how could you turn it
into something bigger?
How?
Social media competition tie-ins?
Partnered campaign to split costs?

20. the independent integrated agency
Campaigns that have moved beyond the blog
trip:
-SVG
-Exodus
-South Africa
-Jordan
Thinktank: Which campaigns have you seen
that were impressive? Why were they different?
Inspire me!

21. the independent integrated agency
Having a contract in place should avoid
issues of misunderstanding/ differing
expectations, but what if things go wrong on
the trip?
•Speak directly to your contact – early
•Can you change the itinerary?
•Can you change the content plan?
•Ensure you are both in full agreement.
•Returning from a trip empty handed with
an excuse is not an option.
Think Tank: What has gone wrong and how
did you deal with it? What concerns you
about more commercial arrangements?
When things go bad

22. the independent integrated agency
• The art of becoming an industry event ho!
o Get on the circuit, get yourself known, one
event will quickly lead to another
• How and when to follow up
o Immediately, get on their radar,
o send your media kit,
o add to your subscription list.
o Suggest a business meeting.
o Nothing? Leave it for a while until you have
some news
• Declines that don't close the door
o Be positive
o Explain your circumstances
o Suggest ways you could get involved or they
type of campaign you would be keen on
Forming relationships

23. the independent integrated agency
Ideas think tank:
• What are you currently working on?
• What has worked and what hasn’t?
• What can we create together? A look at the
bgb client list and upcoming projects
o Case study: Atlantis, The Palm
• Professional associations, are they worth it?
• What do you need from the industry? What
can we put in place?
What next? Brainstorm