The Travel Copywriter

Tourism, Hospitality and Hotel Copywriting

7 Things Buzzfeed Can Teach You About Better Travel Blogging

At first glance, Buzzfeed looks a bit like a pop culture wasteland forever enslaved to the viral web. But take a deeper look, and you can uncover veritable gems – keys to commanding strangers’ attention, speaking to your demographic, and growing your brand. You may not love their style – it may be a little too edgy or too silly or unprofessional or _____ for your liking – but Buzzfeed undeniably has important lessons to teach about the viral web and clickable, shareable content.

Here are seven of my favorite takeaways – and their real-life application for your company’s travel blog:

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Travel Copywriting & Tourism Marketing Roundup: May 2, 2014

travel copywriting & tourism marketing blog roundup
Vacation rental copywriting & content marketing, this way!

Can you believe it’s already May? Here in Costa Rica, for more than 100 years the country has celebrated the coming of May – my favorite month! – with an official holiday: Labor Day (el Día del Trabajador). For most, it’s simply a day off of work – a thank you for a year’s worth of jobs well done.

So in the spirit of Labor Day, no matter where you live or when you celebrate the day officially, I congratulate you on your hard work and perseverance. Building a better website, writing enticing blog posts, and creating a stronger, more effective travel marketing strategy isn’t easy. My hat is off to those who dedicate their days to these pursuits!

Happy Labor Day!

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The Zen of Travel Content Marketing, Part 6: 11 Essential Elements of Travel Content Marketing

Editor’s Note: This is part six of The Zen of Travel Content Marketing series on building an inspired (and inspirational) content strategy for your hospitality or tourism business. (Still not convinced you need content or a blog? You do.) As I publish each new installment, I’ll link it at the bottom of this post.

You have all the tools you need to make the leap into successful travel content marketing
You have all the tools you need to make the leap into successful travel content marketing

No more teasing, no more waiting: you’ve made it! Over the past few months, you’ve fleshed out your travel personas; developed your hotel or travel content strategy; chosen the best travel content delivery channels; run an audit on your current content; and had a look at some exceptional examples of travel content marketing. You’ve been patient (thanks for that!) and now it’s finally time.

Yes, it’s now time to create compelling, actionable travel content. It’s time to use your words to paint vivid mental pictures with brushstrokes so bold, they’re almost fluorescent. And it’s time to leverage the principles of travel copywriting to guide your site visitors to click, to sign up, to book, to call – whatever it is you want travelers to do, it’s time to get them doing it.

But before I release you into the writing wilds, I’ll leave you with this travel content marketing checklist – 11 essential elements to include in every piece of your content marketing:

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The Zen of Travel Content Marketing, Part 5: 9 Examples of Exceptional (but Doable) Travel & Hotel Content Marketing

Editor’s Note: This is part five of The Zen of Travel Content Marketing series on building an inspired (and inspirational) content strategy for your hospitality or tourism business. (Still not convinced you need content or a blog? You do.) As I publish each new installment, I’ll link it at the bottom of this post. 

Travel content marketing makes magic, but there's no actual magic involved.
Travel content marketing makes magic, but there’s no actual magic involved.

They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery. And while I wouldn’t recommend copying or duplicating your favorite travel content marketing, you can certainly take inspiration from others. After all, travelers like what they like: they click and share and follow for epic photos and awesome checklists and free content so good, they probably would have paid for it. (Stuck for inspiration? Here are 26 travel content ideas to get your creative juices flowing.)

Because here’s the secret: content marketing isn’t magic. It isn’t as hard to understand as SEO. And it certainly isn’t new: companies have been using content to market themselves for more than a century. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel; you just have to decorate the wheel with your own brand of creativity.

One of the best parts of my job is digging up sparkling gems of content marketing from around the globe. In Part 3 we discussed travel content channels, so I thought I’d showcase some of my personal favorites in travel blogging, free guides, and downloadable ebooks. These companies are kicking butt and taking names. Call them my content marketing crushes.

And did I mention I saved the best part part for last: scale. The following aren’t examples of pricey, over-complicated campaigns that require a team of marketers, writers, designers and publishers. No; this is simple, effective travel content marketing that you can replicate – in your own way, of course – for under $1,000 a month. So get started on getting inspired – and please share your favorites in the comments!

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Travel Copywriting & Tourism Marketing Roundup (March 6)

travel copywriting & tourism marketing blog roundup
Vacation rental copywriting & content marketing, this way!

Today’s roundup is incredibly inspiring – info-rich, actionable posts you can really sink your teeth into.

But that’s my opinion. I’d love to hear from you. What kind of inspiration is most helpful for you? What kind of content do you want to read in these roundups? What are you favorite blogs for travel & hotel marketing, copywriting, and social media? Let me know, and I’ll scour the the nets every other week in search of what you want to read most.

So seriously, please hop on down to the comments and fill me in: What do you most want to read in these weekly roundups?

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