Most social media users are guilty of taking time out of the holiday to pose for photos with friends and family, highlight their experiences and share authentic feedback about their vacation experiences.
Why do we do it? Is it just for affirmation? Or is at genuine interest in informing future travellers of the pleasures (and potential pitfalls that await them).
Whatever the reason is, we are constantly acting as critics and influencers as we bring our experiences to our followers and audiences. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if destination marketing organisations (DMOs) could harness that social proof?
If this is the trend, then how can a DMO effectively source and benefit from this user-generated content (UGC)?
In marketing, user-generated content refers to content that is created by someone who is not an official representative of a brand. This could be a social media post, a review, a video, a podcast, or any type of content.
It's easy to understand why UGC is so effective: it doesn't originate from the brand and therefore isn't direct advertising.
Instagram photos, videos, and reviews are influential ways of garnering users’ trust and influencing their decision-making process, due to social proof and their trustworthy nature.
That’s why, marketers, especially in the travel industry, should incorporate user-generated content at every stage of the customer journey, from social media to websites.
UGC is a gold mine for brand awareness, reaching new audiences, keeping previous travellers engaged and getting feedback. And to boot, it is often more cost and time effective than hiring photographers.
Through UGC, DMOs can collect and benefit from content that followers and visitors trust, as it is generated by real travellers who have experienced the destination themselves.
Let's start with the basics.
Is the organisation looking to grow their audience, increase overseas awareness, increase visitor revenue or all of the above?
SnapSea helps you browse through the relevant hashtags to find and acquire content that fits the message you want to convey through travel campaigns.
SnapSea’s platform allows your organisation to create engaging photo contests and to help you collect new content and much more.
SnapSea’s unique SmartCurate feature filters content using artificial intelligence to facilitate the process of selecting truly relevant (and aesthetically pleasing) content that converts.
Our platform not only helps you to quickly and easily request the rights to a piece of content but also allows you to store, organise and share - all in one place.
Your destination marketing organisation will benefit from a never-ending stream of fresh and original content to use in your travel marketing campaigns.
SnapSea’s platform helps you avoid unpleasant situations by generating a digital handshake between you and the content creator so you sleep easy knowing that your content has been safely approved for commercial use.
With UGC a DMO can give a voice to visitors, create a community and highlight its events and attractions from multiple points of view.
UGC is the key to increasing engagement. Taking advantage of its potential is easier than you think, you just need to create a strategy based on your goals and use a powerful UGC marketing platform, like SnapSea.
Want to get started with an automated visual marketing platform today? Head back to SnapSea or give us a follow on LinkedIn.
Watch a 3-minute introduction to SnapSea - the user-generated content platform for destinations.
Empowering destination marketers all around the world.
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