Social media has quickly emerged as the preferred alternative to traditional travel agencies for Gen Z and Millennials.
Almost 11% of adults worldwide say they follow travel influencers when planning a trip, and 71% of European TikTok users intentionally search for travel content on TikTok according to Stuart Flint, Head of Global Business Solutions for Europe at TikTok. Additionally, 77% of users are inspired to visit a destination, or even purchase a travel-related product, after discovering it on the platform.
Travel is inherently aspirational, yet influencers have transformed the way we approach travel planning based on their authentic experiences. Considering that 74% of Gen Z internet users use TikTok as a search with 51% favoring it over Google, brands need to prioritize their social media presence to engage key audiences.
Influencers have a unique talent for creating captivating content that showcases their travels, whether it's a spontaneous excursion to a nearby town or an epic adventure across the world. They also uncover places you may not have heard of before, travel tips and tricks, and money-saving hacks.
Unlike traditional travel media such as magazines or television ads, influencers offer a genuine and unfiltered glimpse into their experiences, sharing both the highs and lows in real time, along with personal insights that align with their audience's interests.
Additionally, influencers frequently engage with their audience, allowing for direct interaction and the opportunity to ask questions or seek further clarification about destinations or activities. This level of engagement builds a sense of community and trust, making influencer recommendations akin to recommendations from friends or family.
For travel brands venturing into Influencer Marketing, it's crucial to recognize that the best outcomes are achieved when influencers are given creative freedom.
Influencers have dedicated followings with unique interests spanning luxury travel, budget adventures, and more. Partnering with influencers whose audience mirrors your brand's target market enables precise targeting and audience resonance.
Allowing influencers to take the creative lead in crafting branded content for your travel brand is preferable to providing them with a rigid brief, as their audience is more inclined to trust content that aligns with the influencer's usual style rather than appearing as a scripted advertisement. Travel is a big investment for many people, so it’s important to get the messaging right to increase positive brand sentiment.
With Europe beginning to come alive again post-winter, we partnered with global airline, Lufthansa, throughout March to generate hype for US audiences to say ‘Yes’ to traveling to Europe in 2024, choosing Lufthansa as their preferred method of travel.
We invited US-based influencers to take a trip to locations across France, Germany, Spain, and Italy to promote awareness of Lufthansa’s premium flight experience from the US to Europe and beyond, creating excitement about unique travel opportunities.
As we’re showcasing a premium travel experience, it was important to identify creator personas that aligned with the ‘affluent traveler’ persona, with a high audience percentage that fits into this category too.
To target this demographic, we partnered with influencers aligned with one of more of the following categories:
Identifying with multiple personas meant that content was varied and unique:
Inga Tylam stocked up on Lavender bags during her trip to Nice.
Caelynn Miller-Keyes flew away from the cold in Colorado to enjoy exploring Rome and Florence.
Ariel Viera seamlessly integrated the ‘say yes to travel’ message as he fell in love with Barcelona.
Influencers were trusted to produce short-form content that is creative and engaging, integrating Lufthansa in the most seamless way possible. The focus was on letting influencers have fun on their European trips, allowing the fun to shine through in the content to entice their viewers.
Want to learn more about how you can partner with influencers to engage travel lovers? Send us an email at hello@digitalvoices.com.
