Influencer Marketing in the Hotel Industry: Tips for a Successful Campaign

In today’s digital age, consumer behavior has shifted dramatically, with social media at the forefront. Authentic experiences and personal recommendations have become especially valuable in the hotel industry. To expand their reach and attract new guests, more hotels are turning to influencer marketing. Discover how influencer marketing can benefit your hotel and learn the steps to launch your own successful influencer campaign.

The most important facts in a nutshell:

• Influencer marketing is a powerful tool to showcase your hotel's unique offerings in a more personalised and authentic way than traditional advertising.
• Influencers are particularly effective at reaching younger generations, who often turn to social media for travel inspiration.
• When selecting a suitable influencer, consider factors such as demographics, interests, travel preferences, and location.
• Evaluate the campaign's results by tracking key metrics such as booking rates, website traffic, and engagement rates.
• Build a positive relationship with your influencers to enable future collaborations.

Reasons why hoteliers should try influencer marketing

Below, we explain why influencer marketing is particularly effective for hotels:

1. Engaging Content:  Influencers have a keen sense of aesthetics and create visually appealing content that showcases a hotel’s best features, from luxurious rooms to breathtaking views and unique amenities.

2. Targeted Reach: Most influencers have specific audiences, allowing hotels to reach potential guests based on interests, demographics, and travel preferences. For example, a luxury hotel can collaborate with influencers focused on high-end travel.

3. Higher Booking Numbers: Influencer marketing increases a hotel’s visibility on social media platforms, which are often essential sources of travel inspiration. Influencers can include calls-to-action in their posts, such as booking links or discount codes that drive traffic directly to the hotel’s booking page.

4. Build Brand Loyalty: By sharing personal stories and experiences, influencers help create an emotional connection between the hotel brand and potential guests. This bond can lead to greater guest loyalty and repeat visits.

5. Social Proof: Images of influencers enjoying their stay at a hotel serve as social proof, encouraging guests to choose the same hotel for their travels. They also enhance online reputation and reinforce the hotel’s credibility as a reputable accommodation choice.

6. Reach Millennial and Gen Z Travellers: Influencers are especially effective at reaching younger travelers. These generations not only seek unique and trendy experiences but are also heavily influenced by social media, trusting influencer recommendations more than traditional advertising.

Tips for Implementing an Influencer Campaign for Hotels

Implementing an influencer campaign requires several strategic steps to achieve effective results. Below is a step-by-step guide to planning and executing an influencer marketing campaign for hotels:

1. Define Your Campaign Objectives

The first step in implementing an influencer campaign is to define your goals. What do you want to achieve with your influencer campaign? Common goals include:

• Increase brand awareness
• Encourage bookings
• Promote a new facility or service
• Improving your hotel´s online presence

Depending on your objectives, identify the key metrics you should track, such as engagement rates, social media reach, click-through rates, or direct bookings.

2. Identify the Right Influencers

The next step is to identify influencers whose target audience aligns with your hotel's market. Consider factors such as demographics, interests, travel preferences, and location. Also, review the influencers' previous collaborations and content to ensure they align with your hotel's brand values.

3. Plan the Collaboration

Once you have found a suitable influencer, develop a campaign concept that outlines the specific goals. For example, influencers could promote specific experiences such as luxury stays and spa treatments, showcase unique areas of the hotel, or highlight seasonal offers.

Additionally, your campaign concept should include content guidelines for the influencers, such as the type of posts (Instagram photos, reels, stories, or YouTube videos), core messages, and mandatory elements like hashtags or tagging the hotel's social media accounts.

4 Negotiate and Formalise the Collaboration

Negotiate payment terms with the influencers—whether it’s a flat fee, commission, or an exchange of benefits like a complimentary stay in exchange for content.

Ensure you draft a contract that specifies the scope of work, deadlines, compensation, rights to the content, and any confidentiality agreements to avoid conflicts and misunderstandings.

5. Create an Unforgettable Experience for the Influencer

Ensure the influencer has a memorable stay at your hotel. Consider offering personalized services or exclusive access to amenities that they can share with their followers.

First impressions count: leave the influencer a personalized welcome note in their room along with a thoughtful gift or treat that reflects their interests.

6. Track the Campaign

Use social media monitoring tools to track the performance of influencer posts. Depending on your goals, focus on metrics such as likes, comments, shares, and mentions. To further increase your hotel’s visibility and engagement, interact with the influencers' posts by liking, commenting, and sharing their content.

7 Measure and Analyse the Results

To evaluate the effectiveness of the influencer campaign, compare its performance against your original goals. Did you increase your number of followers? Are there more booking inquiries? Has traffic to your website increased? Did the hotel’s revenue rise during the campaign period? Additionally, gather feedback from influencers about their experiences to gain valuable insights for future campaigns.

8. Repurpose Content

Depending on your agreement with the influencers, you can use their content across various channels. For instance, you can publish the content on your hotel’s social media channels, website, newsletters, and other marketing materials.

If the campaign was particularly successful, consider creating a case study to showcase the results and attract future partnerships with influencers.

9. Build Long-Term Relationships

After the campaign, send thank-you letters or small gifts to your influencers to express appreciation for their partnership. This will help maintain positive relationships for potential future collaborations.