Consumers begin dreaming about and planning trips as a result of content that captures an experience they would also like to have.
NB: This is an analysis by Caryn Pratt, vice president of marketing at Rivet.
Travelers have always responded to the potential within a well-chosen marketing image, but user-generated content (UGC) goes beyond presenting what’s possible.
And the research tells us that consumers are influenced by UGC more than any other type of promotion.
If earned content inspires travelers like no other tool in our marketing arsenal, then it’s time to recognize UGC as a must-have program.
However, without the ability to calculate its impact, many organizations have been hesitant to rely on UGC.
Earning measurable engagement
Marketers are in the business of calculating and demonstrating the value of our efforts to engage with customers.
Carefully planned and executed UGC campaigns should allow us to maintain and take the pulse of conversations with travelers, as well as ensure that we are spending money and time wisely.
Brand-referencing content allows marketers to appeal to travelers as if they are guests already undergoing a brand experience.
Truly persuasive content programs earn their influence as a result of routine, repeatable operations that allow performance analysis and evaluation.
Unfortunately, the rush to harness brand-referencing content often leaves organizations adopting organic, manual approaches to curating or earning content across social networks.
Such an approach leaves marketers ill-equipped to scale or measure their UGC efforts, which limits the program’s shelf-life and value.
Acknowledging Business Needs
Travelers rely on UGC to make their booking decisions. While 47% of American consumers trust paid advertising, 92% trust earned promotion and find it more relevant to their purchasing journey.
The conceptual data is irrefutable, but programs demand quantifiable results.
We know travelers look for UGC in determining their plans, so it is imperative to promote its growth and implementation.
UGC can do more than pique interest in a destination; it can be part of a process that inspires bookings and creates qualified leads that companies can firmly assess.
By integrating UGC into our marketing mix in the most affordable, repeatable, scalable, and measureable ways, we can show the positive correlation between displaying experiential content and increasing the conversion of dreamers to bookers.
Click here to download the full report.
NB: This is an analysis by Caryn Pratt, vice president of marketing at Rivet. It appears here as part of Tnooz's sponsored content initiative.