Content Marketing in the Travel Industry

This presentation looks at great examples of effective content marketing used by companies in the travel industry. We delve int examples used by Jet2, British Airwards, AirBnB and more.

1. CONTENT MARKETING In the travel industry Abby Gutteridge / 76123996

2. WHY CHOOSE CONTENT MARKETING? Content marketing is important to introduce the business and inform potential customers of the products/services. It is one of the most effective methods of growing audience engagement, developing your brand presence, and driving sales. It is a mission-critical growth method for most businesses (R. Riserbato 2021). During 2020-2022, the Coronavirus Pandemic heavily impacted the travel industry. More important than ever to have a well-structured content marketing plan for the re-introduction of accommodation, flights and other journeys. Examples of good content marketing are to follow on the next slides. Abby Gutteridge / 76123996

3. JET2BLOG Abby Gutteridge / 76123996 Jet2 airline travel provide a website called ‘Jet2Blog – Inspire your next adventure.’ This website allows holidaymakers to plan their desired destination, activities to do and learn all about the best experiences whilst on holiday. This is free for any user to visit. Every article is suited for any audience base, from kids to adults, explorers to relaxers. Blogs are a great example of content marketing as they can distribute insightful and informative articles that will interest their target audience, while also establishing their brand’s authority in the travel industry and driving traffic to their website (B. Nancholas 2023). Figure 1. blog.jet2.com Figure 2. blog.jet2.com

4. Abby Gutteridge / 76123996 JET2 INSTAGRAM Jet2 also have a large social media presence, including Instagram, Facebook, X and TikTok. They have created lots of useful content for those visiting their account, including a series of reels called ‘How2Holiday’ featuring Stacey Solomon. This series provides information on how to plan the best holiday, by delving into ‘Choosing your destination’ and ‘Making your money go further.’ (@Jet2Pics 2024) This is a perfect example of content marketing as a video appears more engaging than just photos or graphics, and allows visitors to connect on a personal level to what is being explained and advised in the reel. Figure 3. instagram.com/jet2pics/ Figure 4. instagram.com/jet2pics/ Figure 5. instagram.com/jet2pics/

5. Abby Gutteridge / 76123996 BRITISH AIRWAYS OFFICIAL PODCAST British Airways is another example of an airline that uses content marketing, unlike Jet2 they used a podcast service called “British Airways The Check In.” from 2022-2023. Each episode saw hosts joined by special guests who also work at British Airways, to delve into some of the exciting activity that went on at the airline ( Acast 2022-2023). Subjects differed from the late Queen’s Jubilee and her connections with BA, to Global Operations team planning and management of weather events. This is a good example of content marketing as it entices frequent and new customers of British Airways to stay up-to-date with any changes or developments occurring, as continuously restores customer faith within the airline. Figure 6. shows.acast.com/ british -airways-official-podcast/ Figure 7. shows.acast.com/ british -airways-official-podcast/

6. Abby Gutteridge / 76123996 BRITISH AIRWAYS FACEBOOK British Airways are present on social media, including Facebook, Instagram and X. They cleverly use their Facebook page to publish content that is relevant to recent news, and use high-quality images and video recordings to display their service in the most pristine way. One example includes ‘serving a taste of summer with strawberry and cream-themed desserts on board flights departing from Heathrow Airport’ throughout July 2024, in association with the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. BA have over 3.3M followers on Facebook, and regularly publish content to their followers. This high number of followers correlates to their content being popular with their audience. Figure 8. facebook.com/britishairways Figure 9. facebook.com/britishairways

7. Abby Gutteridge / 76123996 TRIVAGO MAGAZINE Trivago, a hotel comparison website, is used to find the best-priced hotel that meets specific needs and demands from its customers. Trivago has an online magazine which is free to access and contains several topics and articles that cover subjects from unique hotel experiences to spa breaks, and even UK weekend breaks for those on a lower budget. Their search engine system within the magazine cleverly breaks down into two options, destinations and themes, making it easy for any user to search for their perfect holiday. This is a great example of content marketing as it is able to reach specific audiences based on their ‘ideal holiday’ preferences. The use of high-definition, clear images captures readers' attention, making them more likely to book their hotel through Trivago’s website. Figure 9. https://magazine.trivago.co.uk/ Figure 10. magazine.trivago.co.uk/destination/lake-district/

8. Abby Gutteridge / 76123996 TRIVAGO MAGAZINE INTERNATIONAL CONTENT Trivago has features on their site to localise content into different countries. For example, within their magazine, if I have the language set as United Kingdom, then the recommendations given are for places to visit or stay at within the UK. However, when the language is changed to French, not only does the language on the site change, but the places recommended by Trivago’s online bots are for places within France or French-speaking regions of the world. It is vital to customise content to a global audience and create content that can be accessed by the widest range of audience possible. This will help to increase spread the world of Trivago's adaptability and in return increase customer base. Figure 11. https://magazine.trivago.co.uk/ Figure 12. https://magazine.trivago.fr/

9. Abby Gutteridge / 76123996 TRIVAGO TV COMMERCIAL Trivago also uses television commercials across the UK, United States and more locations, to grab any potential interested viewers and turn them into leads, just by showing a short 30-second advert on our TV’s. This can also stretch as far as online streaming service adverts which reaches an even wider audience. The style of Trivago’s TV adverts is to show how quick it is to search on their website or app, to find the perfect hotel clients want for the best possible price. In their US 2023 advert, Trivago used high quality animations, as well as real-life people, and it includes the catch slogan we all know – “Hotel? Trivago.” These are both examples of content marketing aspects that viewers will remember and revert back to when booking their hotels for their trips. It is the ideal way to turn viewers into leads, and gradually into customers. Figure 13. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz-FxXBwoTY

10. Abby Gutteridge / 76123996 TRIPADVISOR TRAVEL STORIES Tripadvisor is used to rate and review locations, experiences, attractions and more worldwide. Any user of the site can write reviews on where they’ve been, what they experienced and recommendations for future visitors. Within this service, Tripadvisor has published articles categorised into several different topics, including food and drink, places to visit and explorer’s guides. The use of blog articles and reviews in conjunction with each other is beneficial as those planning holidays, day trips and other excursions can know the insights into what to expect from their visits before they’ve even arrived. Tripadvisor are great at the language they used in their posts also, using play-on phrases and onomatopoeic words to capture the attention of their audience from the moment they enter the site. Figure 14. https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Articles

11. Abby Gutteridge / 76123996 TRIPADVISOR INSTAGRAM REELS Tripadvisor use Reels on their Instagram account to show a short snippet of different experiences that can be done across the world. They currently have a series called “Bucket List” which shows a once-in-a-lifetime experiences for explores to try. It tells the viewers the exact location, what review status it has, and what is so unique about the experience. The one I have attached below is for one of the steepest trains in the world, The Gelmerbahn in Guttannen , Switzerland. Although this Reel is approx. 10 seconds long, it shows the perfect insight into what riding this train is like for the viewer, and instantly the viewer can make the decision whether it is something they want to experience or not. Short videos are a brilliant way to capture audience attention, and it rarely causes audience diversion as the video is finished within a matter of seconds. Figure 15. https://www.instagram.com/tripadvisor/reels/ Figure 16. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_bBEZ8vbYC/

12. Abby Gutteridge / 76123996 AIRBNB MAGAZINE AirBnb Magazine is a free or monthy subscription magazine provided by AirBnb . It provides great quality articles with a vast range of insights into plenty of topics that appeal to a wide range of readers. Examples inclide “Seven of the Most Remote AirBnbs in the World” and “How to Get Rid of Motion Sickness Every Time.” The great thing about AirBnb Magazine is that not only does it cover destination trips and ideal places to explore, but the example of “How to Get Rid of Motion Sickness Every Time” connects to a proportion of the audience who can relate to this topic on a personal level, providing tips and advice to make their long-term goal a better experience. This is great content marketing as AirBnb are thinking outside the box on how to cover topics that are out of the norm compared to other companies’ blog sites. Figure 16. https://medium.com/airbnbmag/7-of-the-most-remote... Figure 17. https://medium.com/airbnbmag/how-to-get-rid-of-motion...

13. Abby Gutteridge / 76123996 REFERENCE LIST @BritishAirways (2024) @BritishAirways Facebook Post [WEBSITE]. Available at https://www.facebook.com/britishairways/posts/pfbid02nfdB6fzX4Pz75XR1DDmUzy6xLjA1K4H5Sy2qw5jYTidXJpHiN6Mp4yeZ6MzXJQnJl?locale=en_GB [Accessed 11 July 2024]. @BritishAirways (2024) @BritishAirways on Facebook [WEBSITE]. Available at https://www.facebook.com/britishairways/?locale=en_GB [Accessed 11 July 2024]. @Jet2Pics (2024) @Jet2Pics on Instagram [WEBSITE]. Available at https://www.instagram.com/jet2pics/ [Accessed 11 July 2024]. @Jet2Pics (2024) How2Holiday Episode One Choosing Your Destination [VIDEO]. Available at https://www.instagram.com/p/C2h_56jplnT/ [Accessed 11 July 2024]. @Jet2Pics (2024) How2Holiday Episode Two Making Your Money Go Further [VIDEO]. Available at https://www.instagram.com/p/C3DaI7eBOd2/ [Accessed 11 July 2024]. @Tripadvisor (2024) @Tripadvisor Reels on Instagram [WEBSITE]. Available at https://www.instagram.com/tripadvisor/reels/ [Accessed 3 September 2024]. @Tripadvisor (2024) Bucket List #830 [VIDEO]. Available at https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_bBEZ8vbYC/ [Accessed 3 September 2024]. A.Halpern (2018) Seven of the Most Remote Airbnbs in the World [ARTICLE]. Available at https://medium.com/airbnbmag/7-of-the-most-remote-airbnbs-in-the-world-f90b8f70e1d7 [Accessed 3 September 2024]. Acast (2022-23) British Airways Official Podcast [WEBSITE]. Available at https://shows.acast.com/british-airways-official-podcast [Accessed 11 July 2024]. B. Nancholas (2023) Content Marketing: What is it and why is it important? [WEBSITE]. Available at https://online.lincoln.ac.uk/content-marketing-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-important/#:~:text=Through%20blog%20content%2C%20content%20marketers,driving%20traffic%20to%20their%20website. [Accessed 11 July 2024]. Jet2Blog (2002-24) Jet2Blog – Inspire your next adventure [ARTICLE]. Available at https://blog.jet2.com/ [Accessed 11 July 2024]. Jet2Blog (n.d.) 8 Hidden Gems in Gran Canaria [ARTICLE]. Available at https://blog.jet2.com/8-hidden-gems-in-gran-canaria [Accessed 11 July 2024].

14. Abby Gutteridge / 76123996 REFERENCE LIST Jet2Blog (2002-24) Jet2Blog – Inspire your next adventure [ARTICLE]. Available at https://blog.jet2.com/ [Accessed 11 July 2024]. Jet2Blog (n.d.) 8 Hidden Gems in Gran Canaria [ARTICLE]. Available at https://blog.jet2.com/8-hidden-gems-in-gran-canaria [Accessed 11 July 2024]. Jet2Blog (n.d.) Around Europe in 9 Bakeries [ARTICLE]. Available at https://blog.jet2.com/around-europe-in-9-bakeries [Accessed 11 July 2024]. Medium/ AirBnb (2024) AirBnb Magazine [WEBSITE/BOOK]. Available at https://medium.com/airbnbmag [Accessed 3 September 2024]. N. Quijano (2020) White Clouds and Blue Sky During Daytime [IMAGE]. Available at https://unsplash.com/photos/white-clouds-and-blue-sky-during-daytime-N79MYsd2Ce4 [Accessed on 25 June 2024]. R. Riserbato (2021) 10 Benefits of Consistent, High-Quality Content Marketing [WEBSITE]. Available at https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/benefits-high-quality-content-consistency-brand [Accessed 11 July 2024]. S.Grossbart (2019) How to Get Rid of Motion Sickness Every Time [ARTICLE]. Available at https://medium.com/airbnbmag/how-to-get-rid-of-motion-sickness-every-time-bd257981f310 [Accessed 3 September 2024]. Tripadvisor (2024) Tripadvisor Articles [WEBSITE]. Available at https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Articles (Accessed 3 September 2024). Trivago (2023) Mr. Trivago Ad 2024 | Tabs US [VIDEO]. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz-FxXBwoTY [Accessed 3 September 2024]. Trivago (2024) Lake District [ARTICLE]. Available at https://magazine.trivago.co.uk/destination/lake-district/ [Accessed 3 September 2024]. Trivago (2024) Trivago Magazine [WEBSITE]. Available at https://magazine.trivago.co.uk/ [Accessed 3 September 2024]. Trivago (2024) Trivago Magazine France [WEBSITE]. Available at https://magazine.trivago.fr/ [Accessed 3 September 2024].