The ultimate guide to travel UGC for DMOs
It’s no secret that travel-oriented user-generated content (UGC) can captivate our imaginations. Consider the last time a friend or family member came back from a trip with stunning photos or exciting videos. Chances are, you began mentally planning your own vacation.
If you represent a destination marketing organization (DMO) or travel brand, travel UGC can draw that same attention to your destination’s best features, making it irresistible to your target audiences. Below, we’ll look at how to harness UGC to build better marketing campaigns.
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Authentic travel content: UGC vs. influencers
Influencers and user-generated content creators both create travel content for their audiences. The difference is that influencers are more likely to be paid for their content, which can instantly make it less trustworthy to their followers. This doesn’t mean that influencers can’t be a part of a successful marketing strategy, but you may want to proceed with caution.
In contrast, user-generated content is often organic, motivated by the person’s genuine experience. They might be given a small incentive for their work, but they’re more likely posting to help their followers understand what to expect when they arrive at a destination.
But one key thing to remember is that user-generated content doesn’t have to be positive. It simply refers to any digital mention of your travel brand or destination. In fact, a McDonald’s UGC campaign was pulled when the wrong users picked up the communal hashtag and created posts calling out negative experiences with the brand.
Types of travel UGC
UGC content exists across platforms, websites, and apps, and there’s no one-size-fits-all marketing strategy. The right travel UGC campaign depends on who your audience is and where they’re most likely to invest time and energy.
Common types of content include:
Review sites: From Yelp to Expedia, travelers review any and all travel experiences. These sites often tie travel brands and neighborhoods together. For example, a hotel review quickly turns into a commentary on the family-friendliness of the city.
Community forums: Sites like Reddit and Quora often start with specific topics or questions, like getting a deal on a luxury hotel. As people respond, they share their own experiences with different brands and destinations.
Bloggers: Travel blogs are still popular today, especially in travel niche categories, such as extreme adventure sports or scuba diving destinations. These influencers often have immense experience and expertise in their fields and tend to be trusted by their readers.
Social media platforms: Arguably the best place for people to find spontaneous inspiration, UGC can be anything from glossy videos to amateur photos to simple captions. UGC often has more impact on people who are closest to the destination (because there are fewer barriers to planning a trip).
If you want to motivate younger target audiences to take a trip, social media is likely your best option. Millennials and Gen Z already spend hours on these platforms per week, and they’re used to getting recommendations from the people they follow — whether it’s a colleague or a celebrity. The difference is that their colleague’s trip is far more accessible.
DMOs in Madison and Des Moines saw success with local content creators called hummingbirds, who took short road trips to explore their cities. Their captivating content took followers through vibrant neighborhoods and stunning scenery — and had them picturing their own escapes.
Why focus on UGC for travel marketing?
UGC in travel marketing is powerful social proof on any platform. People see their friends, family, and coworkers visiting a destination, whether it’s Disneyland or Grand Rapids, and the content quickly creates the impression that everyone else is going.
Unfiltered content is also generally more trustworthy than traditional paid partnerships. Instead of reiterating a brand’s marketing messaging, the user shares their own opinions and tips with potential travelers.
Finally, UGC is also undoubtedly cost-effective. Your partners won’t spend hours touching up photos or demand five figures for every post. Instead, they’ll consider what their followers want to see, whether that’s Instagram Reels or TikTok videos, and create travel content that demands their attention.
If you do focus on UGC for your travel campaign, it helps to partner with different types of content creators. For example, you might ask one to visit hidden gem restaurants and another to take their young child to your city’s interactive museums.
How to encourage UGC
You can try cold-pitching UGC creators, explaining each campaign and asking for support. This is a great way to build organic, long-term relationships, but unfortunately, it’s also incredibly time-consuming.
Not only can DMs get lost in the shuffle, but UGC creators may not even want to partner with brands or DMOs. Plus, it’s hard to track their individual responses and requests once they do start rolling in. Below, we’ll look at a few alternatives that can save you the headache.
Social media contests
Social media contests introduce both prizes and a competitive edge to UGC. Each user wants to make the most “clickable” content, which usually inspires them to go the extra mile. If you decide to run a social media contest, it helps to first single out what makes your destination or brand special.
For example, the luxury hotel brand Shangri-La introduced a contest called “Find Your Shangri-La.” To win a free stay, users had to post a creative photo or video of their personal happy places, whether it was a plate of pasta or a scenic vista, and hashtag their creation. The campaign was so successful, it even inspired a limited-time cocktail/mocktail menu.
Spotlight UGC
For a more hands-off approach, you can reward organic UGC creators by featuring their posts on your own branded social accounts.
Not only does this show how much you value visitors — especially those who take the initiative to promote your destination to their followers — but it also encourages more social media users to create UGC in hopes of being featured as well.
But there are a few things to keep in mind with this strategy:
Vet creators before sharing: The last thing you want is to accidentally promote content made by someone who might be controversial to your audience. So take a look at their other social media content and verify that they align with your brand’s values first.
Be selective: Regardless of who produced it, audiences will still associate any UGC you promote with your brand. So, while free promotions on social media are great, be choosy about what you feature. Look for quality photos and videos, engaging captions, and content that showcases your destination in the right light.
Promote a hashtag: Make it easier to find organically created UGC by sharing a dedicated hashtag across socials and other marketing channels.
Freebies and other incentives
Brands and DMOs can give content creators freebies and incentives in exchange for honest reviews of their brand — the key word here being honest. Offering perks in exchange for only positive reviews is a good way to get your brand in legal hot water.
It’s different from a contest because you’re partnering with individuals instead of using their content as an entry form. This strategy is a great middle ground between UGC and influencers, since you’re selecting content creators who already have a strong follower base.
Hummingbirds is a local influencer platform where brands post campaigns for local content creators (called hummingbirds) to review. If the bird thinks they’re a good fit for the campaign, they’ll pitch themselves for consideration.
Because local content creators have largely local followers, their content is more impactful than a traditional influencer with a widespread audience. DMOs and travel brands only need to provide small incentives, typically swag bags or small gift cards, to get content that effectively connects with their target demographics.
How to repurpose UGC
To repurpose UGC, you’ll first need the content creator’s permission to either reuse or alter content in your next marketing campaign. So, if you want to chop a two-minute Instagram Reel into a two-second GIF, you’ll need express authorization to do so.
Once you’ve ticked off your legal boxes, you’re free to create your next great strategy. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Branded pages: Feature UGC on your website, partner sites, social media pages, and more. Consider your destination’s unique selling points and match content to each platform.
Case studies: UGC can help you spot tourism patterns, like which cities people are visiting from. Whether you’re advocating for more funding or seeking investment partners, you can use UGC to support your statements.
Paid ads: UGC can help your paid ads look more eye-catching and exciting. From sponsored email posts to retargeted ads, the right UGC can entice people to click and further explore your destination.
Offline campaigns: Stunning photos and funny testimonials can be just as effective on a flyer as they can on a screen.
Not every UGC creator wants their work altered, so it’s something you’ll need to discuss before you even start the campaign. Or, for an easier solution, you can partner with Hummingbirds — your brand will own all the content our birds create, so you can repurpose it however you see fit!
Connect with local creators to launch a UGC campaign
UGC travel content is an incredible opportunity to connect with your ideal tourists, but it may take some finesse to craft the right campaigns.
When you work with Hummingbirds, you get more than just an influencer platform. You get to build relationships with local content creators, collect a stunning UGC content library, and keep your destination relevant even as travel trends change.
The Hummingbirds platform provides white-glove service from start to finish. With creative campaign suggestions, real-time campaign performance metrics, and a central content hub, our influencer tools and expert team can streamline it all.
Interested in using local creators for your next campaign? Book a call today!