Content strategy is one of the best ways to find, attract, and build a relationship with your audience (aka future clients) – and it’s one of the first ways that you can make contact with and introduce them to your brand and business! What I love about a travel content marketing strategy is the amount of amazing content that can be produced by travel. The most important part about creating a content strategy is doing it holistically and representing all facets of travelers. Travelers that may not look like us, don’t come from the same country as us, and have different fears, biases, and opinions. When we can create a content strategy from a holistic standpoint – we open up the world of travel to others who feel discouraged and unsure if it’s “worth the investment” or if they could “also do it”. I break down 5 steps to revamp your content strategy for your travel brand in the video below:

Main Takeaways:

• Travel is a sensory experience
• The online experience for clients –> before they have the real deal
• Time for a content audit if… you’ve considered buying content (NO!) or your content isn’t keeping up with new travel trends
• Each piece of your content needs to have intention and purpose!
• Using your business goals to create content – planning 3 months in advance
• Invite your clients to come in and share the experience with you –> ask them for the sell!

Not included in the video but important to highlight: the goal of a travel brand is to envoke a sense of inspiration and wanderlust for an audience, it’s to inspire the next generation of adventurers and explorers who can find the joy in visiting new cultures, broadening their perspective, and opening their mind. If your intention is to start using your content marketing strategy to target different classes and races to tap into a “new market” you’ve silenced someone’s voice and perspective with selfish intentions.

5 Steps to Revamp Your Travel Content Marketing Strategy

During this webinar for Travel Massive, I cover the 5 steps to refresh your content strategy. Our belief is to always put your community at the heart of the content you create. Certain things that content should always do is:

• Entertain
• Inspire
• Motivate
• and Educate

When we think about travel content, there are MANY factors that can be used to touch on the four points above. During the webinar, I pose 5 touch points/questions for travel companies to consider when designing their content strategy. The questions/topics are as follows:

1. Why you need a content marketing strategy
2. Is it time for a content audit?
3. What your audience REALLY wants
4. Using business goals to create content
5. Creating a loyal community through content

Ultimately, a travel business that builds brand loyalty will not only have more fans and clients, but they will also be able to create the social change that is necessary to give access to other travelers who only dream of going abroad! Does your travel brand do this? Is it time for your own content strategy revamp?

READ: Call to Actions That Convert for Tourism Brands

Travel Brands Taking Responsibility

As the tourism industry continues to grow at a rapid rate – travel brands have a unique opportunity to showcase travel from different perspectives and stories. Content strategy should NOT only be viewed from a white traveler’s perspective and shouldn’t only be highlighted in “the token minority voice” in your brand. Build your table with the adventurers who’ve faced adversity because of their appearance, religion, sexual orientation, or heritage. From there, we can start building holistic content that connects a brand to more people and opens opportunities. A few ways to consider including more minority voices in your content strategy:

• Work with people of color (POC) influencers
• Make sure your marketing department is inclusive and diverse (INTENTIONALLY – not filled with “token voices”)
• Hire POC voices who advocate for minority travel

The biggest shift I had to unlearn was my mindset around this subject. As an Asian-American, Vietnamese-American, woman in the travel industry, I had a lot of people telling me to leverage my voice as a marketing tactic. They told me I could leverage “my story” to be the minority voice that could connect travel brands to more Asian-Americans. At the time, the idea seemed easy and a great way to pitch to brands to get work! I later realized that I’m only covering the root of the problem with a “band-aid” if I choose to view content strategy this way. By shifting my mindset from “I can be the token Asian-American leading this movement”, I took it off myself and dug a little deeper. Content strategy from different voices, stories, and backgrounds helps paint a holistic picture of what travel is. It’s breaking down barriers, sharing cultures, building connection, and expanding our community. For us, at The Quirky Pineapple Studio, we want to expand communities through holistic content strategy and heartfelt copy.

*View the original webinar and blog post on Travel Massive Live!

What do you think about representation in content strategies for travel brands? Let’s start the conversation in the comments!

*Are you a travel brand looking to revamp your content strategy? Let’s set up a time to talk! Schedule a CLARITY CALL to see how we can work together! 

---

Enjoyed this post? You might like these, too: 3 Keys to a Successful Content Strategy System for Boutique Hotels Why Creating More Content Isn’t Always Beneficial for Tour Bookings How to Increase Engagement Organically What I’ve Learned Blogging as a Woman of Color by Casi Johnson

Want more content goodness? DOWNLOAD your very own Content Generating Machine to help you go from idea, to content, to community, and clients!