Content is King!

Making the most of your supplier relationships to enhance marketing

strategies.

First, what is content marketing?First, what is content marketing?

Content Marketing ; a marketing technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience - with the objective of driving profitable customer action.

Content Marketing 101 for the Adventure Travel IndustryContent Marketing 101 for the Adventure Travel Industry

Use online marketing outlets to develop your brand and emerge as a thought leader in your particular niche.

ie: Ecotourism best practices in a particular destination, best guide training practices, cuisine and development of outstanding culinary elements, curate art and enhancing décor in the property, etc.

This applies to both inbound and outbound suppliers, operators and agents. Partnering and collaborating to share this information will enhance both of your brands.

5 important steps to creating a content marketing strategy5 important steps to creating a content marketing strategy

1. Know your brand.2. Take a stand.3. How are you going to help your

audience?4. Identify objectives.5. Develop the editorial calendar.

TIP: Content marketing strategy resources…TIP: Content marketing strategy resources…

www.socialmediaexaminer.com, tips from content marketing expertwww.junta42.com, great source of content marketing info and access to outsource services for generating contentwww.copyblogger.com, tips on writing good content“Content Rules” by Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman

The blog is the center of the content marketing strategy. Here you will tell your story, bringing your company and your brand to life and attracting ideal business partners and consumers.

The blog is the center of the content marketing strategy. Here you will tell your story, bringing your company and your brand to life and attracting ideal business partners and consumers.

TIP: Marketing is about publishing great content. Great content always has an objective. These objectives can be tweaked for your organization.

Web site: Online “face” of

the company, establish professional voice and team personality, house case studies, white papers to show how your brand lives in the world.

eNewsletters: Establish regular lines of communication with key audience, offer quick bits of information

to help audience.

LinkedIn: Connect with

professionals, build individual professional credentials via recommendations, meet professional contacts via intros, start group conversation

Twitter: Opportunity to interact with broader audience, more “high profile” contacts.

The HUB: Interact with Adventure Travel Community, industry

thought leaders.

Facebook (company page):Connectivity and sharing information, high Focus on interaction

Batchbook: Track all communications and house master database.

Flikr: Online storage of images.

Slideshare: Sharing presentations, help establish as

industry thought leader.

Blog: Center of all online content marketing strategy. Identify one main objective and audience.

Also identify your “voice” for all online communications.

Goal; 1-3 posts per week (see detailed editorial calendar)

You Tube/Vimeo: Enhance online “voice” and spice up content with video

Facebook (personal page): Continue to develop individual online voice.

Engagement: Establish strategy to follow and engage with other industry leaders, trade partners and consumers online, ignite conversation, including blog comments, social media comments.Scribd: Sharing white papers

and more.

Why Blogs are more important than everWhy Blogs are more important than ever

• Blogs are yours…..they are where you share news, insight, photos and stories with clients and with the world.

• They are not static• Blogs offer RSS (real simple syndication) that larger sites and APPS can

pick up• Postings on Facebook and twitter should direct people back to your blog

Your Trip Feed RSS=

Your Trip Feed RSS=

Why Tablets are Changing ThingsWhy Tablets are Changing Things

• Live Magazine • Content pulled in from

sources • Create your own

magazine (Readers)

Your article with a video/photo library attached.

Your article with a video/photo library attached.

Your Feeds: Google Reader to Magazine Format onlineex: Feedly

See what your trips look like via a feed

TIP: Tap into supplier relationships to create a robust editorial calendar for your blog.

TIP: Tap into supplier relationships to create a robust editorial calendar for your blog.

#1: Select suppliers that share your brand’s philosophy. Incorporate your supplier’s news and updates into your editorial calendar. Have them guest blog.

#2: Use suppliers video and images liberally. Content marketing is not limited to written words.

#3: Use content created on tour. Have your suppliers (and guides) as well as clients provide that for you.

#1: Select suppliers that share your brand’s philosophy. Incorporate your supplier’s news and updates into your editorial calendar. Share last minute specials. Have them guest blog.

#1: Select suppliers that share your brand’s philosophy. Incorporate your supplier’s news and updates into your editorial calendar. Share last minute specials. Have them guest blog.

Develop a Content Strategy for Shared Content

Avoid duplicate contentWhen “duplicate content” might be OK?

Email newsletters, webinars etc. Places where you are less focused on google ranking and more focused on education and sharing.

Add value to re-purposed content: comment, offer insight, aggregate from various sources to offer a theme.

Approval and copyright issues (Creative Commons Licensing, Linkbacks, references)

If you are repurposing content, know where the “original” content lives and how you are linking, posting, sharing with collaborators.

#2: Use supplier’s video and images liberally. Content marketing is not limited to written words.

#2: Use supplier’s video and images liberally. Content marketing is not limited to written words.

Ask for Videos to be unbranded: Create and share relevant videos in one playlist

#3: Use content created on tour. Have your suppliers (and guides) as well as clients provide that for you.

#3: Use content created on tour. Have your suppliers (and guides) as well as clients provide that for you.

Timely, gets people engagedWork with guide to send photos/videos/text daily“edit/curate” the text to ensure brand qualityPost daily to blog/tweet/facebookMake it easy (and fun) for guide Offer guests a place to share photos during their trip (copy an email to your facebook page etc

Generate Content On TourGenerate Content On Tour

• Timely, gets people engaged• Work with guide to send photos/videos/text daily• “edit/curate” the text to ensure brand quality• Post daily to blog/tweet/facebook• Make it easy (and fun) for guide • Offer guests a place to share photos during their trip (copy an

email to your facebook page etc

Press Trip/Live TourTips for On the Trail Posting•Set up a platform•Assign Tasks•Offer Tools•Make it Easy•Don’t sacrifice the guest experience!

Kathy Dragon’s Photos from the Trail

Assign a Blogger OR post from the office with on the trail updates.

Tweet and share you posts!

Apps to Share Instagram, iloader

Apps to Share Instagram, iloader

Widgets help share content Widgets help share content

Destination News Tweets from other sources

Share social content and (trip/blog)feeds in one place

Tip: Ways to post contentTip: Ways to post content• Blog: Write short, interesting posts• Read and comment on other’s post and photos (be generous)• Take photos and videos (using a mobile phone, flip video or digital camera)• Share photos and videos (on Facebook, Flickr/Picassa)• Tweet short updates and photos on location• Checkin and add tips• Embed Video Playlist relevant to tours (with hotels and activities)• Embed slideshows from photo sites• Embed Widgets onto your site or blog• Distribution sites: using trips and reviews as content

Summary: Tap into supplier relationships to create engaging content.

Summary: Tap into supplier relationships to create engaging content.

#1: Select suppliers that share your brand’s philosophy. Incorporate your supplier’s news and updates into your editorial calendar. Have them guest blog.

#2: Use suppliers video and images liberally. Content marketing is not limited to written words.

#3: Use content created on tour. Have your suppliers (and guides) as well as clients provide that for you.

2011 trending: new media and technology

how it might effect your company??

2011 trending: new media and technology

how it might effect your company??

New Mobile: smart phones and tablets use in travel-bookings, purchases,

updates, positing, connectingNew Social: changes in facebook, commenting, questions, group

messaging, twitter's use in global crisis, facebook email addressesNew Search: google +1, twitter rankings in google etc.Location CheckIn: safety as well as relevant product upsales and tipsDeals: Group Buying/Flash SalesRSS to Email Newsletter

Interested in a Webinar?Interested in a Webinar?

Thank You! Thank You!

Kathy Dragon kathy@travelmarketingworldwide.comSarah Fazendin Sarah@travelmarketingworldwide.com

www.travelmarketingworldwide.com/blog