Tourism marketing. Strategies to promote a destination
Today, more than ever, each sector has its own marketing strategies, adapted to its objectives, its needs, its target and its particular characteristics. Especially if we talk about digital marketing and all the possibilities it offers. Omnichannel is no longer an option, but a must in every marketing plan. Of course also in the tourism sector. Tourism marketing provides effective tools in a highly competitive sector in which, in addition, the customer has significantly changed its pattern of habits.
For today’s tourists, the Internet is a must before any trip, big or small. They are not only looking for a destination to discover, but also for a unique experience to live and share.
Thus, tourism marketing is your best ally to promote your tourist destinations, to reach your target audience directly, to differentiate yourself from the competition, to improve the traveler’s experience and to reach further and more effectively as a brand.
Tourism marketing objectives
Before planning a marketing strategy, it is essential to define the objectives you want to achieve through the different digital tools and channels.
Identify your target audience
Once you have defined the market segment you want to target, you will be able to develop products and services, offers and destinations that meet their expectations. Equally important is to identify changes in trends and behavior of the tourist in order to adjust to each change.
Attract new customers and retain existing ones
As you know, competition in the travel industry is fierce. So it’s just as important to attract new customers as it is to keep your existing customers. Build loyalty. And that means a good traveler experience but also effective customer tracking and developing the right acquisition and retention strategies.
Know the purchasing process well
Buying a cell phone is not the same as booking a photo safari or a honeymoon trip. Travel is a unique experience and the process a consumer follows to book it is more complex and deeper. Today’s traveler is not looking for all-inclusive packages, but for new and surprising experiences.
Reinforce your brand image
To stand out from the competition you must have a solid brand image, in addition to developing campaigns that generate visibility and notoriety. Remember that your customers have a lot to say here, and in fact, they do. Their opinion -good or bad- will determine the choice of other potential customers.
Tourism marketing strategies
Today, marketing focused on the tourism sector cannot be understood without the Internet. The digital world offers countless advantages and an immense potential to win new customers and promote new destinations.
Before each trip, the user looks for all kinds of information in portals, blogs and specialized magazines, and pays special attention to theopinions and ratings of other users. That’s why you have to be there, but not just any old way. It is essential to create and develop a good digital marketing plan, including social networks, content, online advertising and other ways to get closer to your customers. Each with its own strategy.
Audiovisual content
A good video is an effective and powerful tool to connect with the audience. Messages, destinations, offers, campaigns… a dynamic and attractive way to transmit sensations and engage with the traveler’s desires. Also editorial content (reports, blogs, branded content) has a great engagement power if done in the right way and in the right place.
Social networks
It is undoubtedly the medium most used by users to get information and to tell their own experience. In the networks the traveler becomes an ambassador of your business, a destination or an experience. They seek opinions and transmit their own evaluations. And they also become a communication bridge between your business and your customers, which must be maintained and kept active.
Advertising campaigns
Online ads boost your visibility and allow you to reach new targets through specialized portals or magazines. They can be adapted to different channels and to any message you want to launch (specific offers, destinations, discounts…).
Travel influencers
Travel influencers have great potential to promote your products and services. They are recognized by travelers and have earned their trust. Gastronomy, destinations, events, different and fresh proposals. They have hundreds of thousands of loyal followers and share with them very valuable information that does not appear in travel guides: anecdotes of the destinations, hidden corners, useful tips, etc.
Brand reputation
The reputation, the image of your business on the Internet is a key aspect for the traveler: it is what determines whether he chooses you or prefers the competition. And that difference between one destination or another, or between your agency or another, depends not only on your product, but also on your image (physical and digital), your proximity to the customer, your customer service, your content, your ability to provide solutions, your promotional campaigns, the opinions of users…
All of this builds your brand image. The perception that a potential client has of your business. What will incline them to first visit your website or your agency and then ask you for a quote.
In short, tourism marketing helps you build and promote your tourist destinations, reach new users and improve the traveler’s experience so that they not only want to repeat the experience with you, but also recommend you to other travelers with the same interests through social networks.
Do you need an agency specialized in tourism marketing to help you promote your destinations?
Elaborating and developing a good tourism marketing plan requires time and dedication. And it requires more and more specialization, because the digital world advances at full speed and we can’t always keep up with it.
So, if you need an expert hand, at Sheridan Omnichannel we are here to help you with everything you need to define, plan and develop your customized digital marketing strategy, specific to the tourism sector.
We are a digital and offline marketing and communication agency with a team of 40 professionals and 30 years of experience in all sectors. Ask us for specialized advice without obligation.
