How to choose the right social media platforms for your marketing campaigns ?
Social media has become an essential tool for businesses, particularly in the travel industry, to connect with their target audience and drive engagement. However, with a diversity of social media platforms available, it's crucial to choose the right ones that align with your travel business objectives and your target. Selecting the most suitable platforms can significantly impact your marketing success and help you effectively reach and inspire travelers.
In this article, we will delve into the world of social media and guide you in selecting the optimal platforms based on your specific goals and target audience, ensuring your travel business thrives in the online landscape.
And yes, Facebook isn't dead. At least, not yet. On this social network, your brand can reach a wide audience, both young and old*. And with different strategies. The most important is the use of Facebook groups. Indeed, these groups bring together large communities of travelers who gather according to their common projects. By communicating around or within these groups, your brand can express itself to an audience already potentially interested in the content or subject in question. On top of this, Facebook is a relevant platform, especially when it comes to spreading sponsored content. Indeed, with Facebook Ads, you can target specific demographics, interests and locations.
18.1% of people between the ages of 18-24 use Facebook.
25.7% of people between the ages of 25-34 use Facebook.
18.1% of people between the ages of 35-44 use Facebook.
13.6% of people between the ages of 45-54 use Facebook.
11% of people between the ages of 55-64 use Facebook.
10.6% of people that are 65+ years old use Facebook.
Regarding Instagram, there's nothing more to learn. The platform's power of influence in the tourism industry has been proven since its creation. On the other hand, it's worth taking a look at the different formats that are particularly useful in your influencer marketing strategies. Among all those Instagram has to offer, let's take a look at stories. This type of content is perfect for sharing the live experiences of influencers involved in campaigns, customers ect. What's more, with all the features they offer, it will be easy to showcase potential partners throughout a campaign (hotels, rail companies, restaurants...). Finally, to counterbalance their "ephemeral" side, we should bear in mind that web users love to keep their travel content in stories highlights. All the content of a campaign can then have a second, more lasting life on the influencers' accounts directly.
Another format, and not the least important, is the Reel. Boosted by Meta, this is the most successful format on Instagram to date. By appropriating current trends, it will always be perfect for inspiring travelers, but also for giving them tips and recommendations on various destinations.
Tiktok
Speaking of recommendations, it's a perfect time to talk about TikTok. In fact, this platform is ideal for inspiring users, but also for guiding them in their future travel plans, which are already in the pipeline. Younger generations in particular have the reflex to seek information directly on the social network. That's why TikTok is often described as "the new Google", the ideal place to find answers to your questions. Indeed, 40% of users use TikTok as a search engine instead of Google (TechCrunch - 2022). But keep in mind that, contrary to popular belief, TikTok doesn't just reach a younger generation. The audience is much more diverse.
This platform will be perfect for collaborating with influencers, whether specialized in travel or not, to put the spotlight on your destination. This will be done through short, entertaining and trendy videos. The idea is to create retrospectives of travel experiences, or to share tips and best addresses.
If there's one other platform that's widely used to plan future trips and discover the best deals, it's Pinterest. It is the perfect social media or ideas’ catalog for sharing visually appealing content that inspires travelers during the planning phase. They will create boards featuring destination highlights, travel tips, packing lists, and curated itineraries. For your brand, your destination, we recommend you to optimize pins with keyword-rich descriptions and link them back to your website or blog for traffic generation. Plus, notice that people come to Pinterest to get inspired by content and to find news ideas instead of following a creator.
Youtube
YouTube is a perfect platform for promoting your destination if your aim is to inspire travelers through longer formats, which will enable a wide variety of formats: informative, entertaining, inspiring... Through YouTube videos, your audiences will have the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the creators' content, to discover a destination in greater depth, but also to follow a trip from A to Z (from preparation to feedback). Additionally, this platform also allows us to think up larger-scale schemes. Let's think big! On YouTube, we can imagine bigger productions. This allows us to develop real traveltertaining concepts.
Reddit is a little different from the other platforms described above. It needs to be handled with care. This forum platform is a place where Internet users exchange ideas on subjects they're passionate about, and where they seek recommendations from others (90% of users trust Reddit to find out more about new products and brands - YPulse 2021). On Reddit, authenticity is paramount. This means that brand communications must be cautious, thought out in the spirit of the platform and, above all, must add value to users' discussions. But we can't ignore the fact that tourist recommendations occupy a huge space. Redditors frequently ask others for help. Every second, an average of two people ask Reddit communities for a recommendation (INTERNAL REDDIT 2021). As tourism is an industry that is very often mentioned on the platform, it will be very relevant for a brand to think about an activation on it.
X (ex-Twitter)
X, previously known as Twitter, is a very interesting platform when it comes to tourism. Specifically in a social media strategy, X can be used to disseminate all kinds of useful information to its audience, based on current events and other news… The ability to interact directly, follow trends, and interact with a global community is an extremely powerful thing for a brand looking to attract tourists, and to keep in touch with actual tourists.
Threads
How could we talk about social media without mentioning the new kid on the block, Threads? Threads can be thought of as an extension of Instagram. You can publish text (up to 500 characters), images (carousels of up to 10 images) and videos (up to 5 minutes long). It's also interesting to note that, for the moment, the vast majority of users are Instagrammers. So, as part of an influencer campaign, Threads can be a perfect complement, bringing more information and more interaction with the audience.
** September 15th : Threads is not available yet in every country
Twitch
Twitch is a perfect platform when you want to promote a destination without sending influencers on site. Streamers have a wealth of tools and features at their disposal, allowing them to highlight destinations and, above all, interact with their community. Indeed, with Twitch, users can become an integral part of the content.
In addition, Twitch allows us to use a number of tools that are highly relevant to tourism promotion. We're talking here about games and video games. GeoGuessr, Animal Crossing, Minecraft... What these games have in common is the map. In other words, the must have for travelers. Characters and gamers must go from one place to another to achieve their goal. The possibility of movements and walking around in a place without leaving your chair is a real opportunity for tourism stakeholders. With lots of creativity and good mods - code modification, Twitch can relate everything you want to show to communities.
We can think about the activation of the Albi Tourist Office, which reproduced the town in Minecraft, allowing users to discover it before embarking on a trip.
Last but certainly not least, LinkedIn stands out as the most trusted social media platform, uniquely tailored for business professionals. While it might not enjoy the same widespread usage as some other platforms, its distinct business-oriented approach makes it incredibly valuable for marketing endeavors (especially for MICE). LinkedIn's strength lies in its credibility; it's a platform where trust and authenticity thrive. Moreover, it's a wellspring of inspiration, connecting individuals with innovative ideas and industry insights. Harnessing LinkedIn for marketing campaigns can tap into this trust, providing a reliable and inspiring space to connect with a discerning audience and foster meaningful engagements.
Choosing the right social media platforms for your travel business is crucial to effectively reach and engage with your target audience. By understanding the unique strengths and characteristics of each platform, you can tailor your content strategy to maximize your online presence and achieve your marketing goals. Whether you focus on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, or TikTok, remember to consistently provide valuable, engaging, and visually captivating content that reflects the essence of your destination/brand.