Influencer Marketing has been in vogue for a few years now and we’ve learned the impact can be huge. The travel industry is trying hard to catch up and most DMOs, hotels, etc., have started adapting this form of marketing.
If I ask my travel marketing colleagues about “influencer marketing goals,” the answer is mostly “inspiration.” The KPIs are visits, likes given by their followers.
In most cases, influencer marketing in travel is all about finding and hiring a person who is able to (create and) distribute content and guarantee a positive response.
That is a nice concept but be aware:
This is not influencer marketing. This is spokesmodel marketing* (and this is not a bad thing).
Why? Let me discuss the difference between an influencer and a spokesmodel. This should allow you to optimize your next campaign.
Back in the day before the term “influencer” started to rise, we as marketers mostly used the term “innovator” (source).
From a marketing prospective an innovator is a person who is using an existing/new product in a new way, or they are someone who is creating a new combination of products.
Fashion, food but also sports are some of their playing fields.
These innovators are the people who create new patterns and love to change things.
Before social media the innovators reach was limited more or less to his physical community.
Today’s influencers are innovators without these physical limitation. They are the new generation of innovators. Every day we see influencers aka innovators creating new fashion styles and posting them on Instagram or developing new make-up styles and streaming them on YouTube.
Spokespersons on the other hand are (mostly paid) people “using/standing for” a product or a brand (source). Most spokesmodels are not famous because they create new application. They are famous because they are actors, models, athletes, etc. And yes, some spokesmodels are famous because they are social media stars :).
Now back to travel marketing: As described above, most so-called travel influencers are getting invited to a destination and there they enjoy existing services and products.
It is all about “existing products and services.”
Not new combinations, not new ideas. And more and more they get paid to do so.
The idea of paying someone to promote an existing product and service is proven „spokesmodel marketing“.
So this discussion is just about the wrong wording – but is that it?
Yes and no. For sure it does not matter if we use the wrong word, but it matters if we mix the concepts behind those two terms.
Here is the beef:
If your marketing concept desires someone to stand for/use your product hire someone who can be a good spokesmodel. They should represent your (desired) brand values with his personality. He/she can be a super popular internet celebrity or a serious actor. It is all about the match and the (viral) power of the person offering a spokesmodel’s personal branding.
If you need someone who is able to test, review, and distribute your travel products on social media, then do not just focus on likes given by their followers. Analyze these followers (target group) first by checking if they are able and willing to visit your destination – or if they just like the photo because of the photo (“Just because I like a cat video does not mean I will get a cat.”)
Additionally check if this person is able to influence people outside his own follower base.
(We took some random samples of followers and the results were very disappointing in terms of income, travel distance to destination, and travel profile of those followers).
And what about the real influencer?
They are discovering new and hidden places, trying out new ways to travel, working on new ideas to interact with the local community…
These guys may help you to find the next trend. But be careful: Do not name them “influencers” – but innovators :)
*In german: „testimonial marketing“