At a recent tourism conference, a majority of the marketing and PR agencies we spoke to said they did influencer marketing but it wasn’t their speciality. And it got us thinking, “Why would you trust a non-expert to handle something so valuable?” Why would you put all of your marketing eggs into one basket?

Let’s go back 10 years and think social media. When you look back at how you handled your social media strategy, what would you have done differently?  Would you have focused more attention or budget on social and think long term? Ask yourself the same questions when it comes to your content strategy, PR or SEO and how you might have planned more thoroughly or hired  more professionals or invested more heavily. Are you making the same mistakes with influencer marketing?

Think of your business as you face the daily challenges of growing revenue and reaching new markets. Now think about how much the market has changed in the past few years and how these new demo- and geo-markets present an opportunity like you haven’t seen in years.  A new face that has the ability to reach your audience in unseen ways- and quickly.

Influencer Marketing is simply content creators with a highly engaged audience and their own publishing sites. 

From inundations of influencer requests and too little time for properly vetting content to PR teams focusing on their own goals and outsourcing influencer marketing to agencies who are unable to provide consistency across all brand channels, brands are cutting themselves short by not dedicating the effort and expertise that their influencer marketing truly requires. 

We are all influenced to buy new products, travel to new destinations and experience something new with our family or friends based off of recommendations from people we follow online. Whether on Instagram or through a link on a blog or website, the simple fact is that influencers are shaping the landscape and pushing companies to create better, more inspiring & interactive products and experiences. Impactful influencer marketing has the power to define your brand. 

“90% of consumers trust an influencer more than an advertisement or celebrity endorsement.” – Forbes

“1 in 5 people have selected their trip destination based off social media.” – Destination Analysts 

“For Tourism Boards, Influencer Marketing results in an average of $12.54 in earned media value for every $1 in investment.” – RhythmOne

There are agencies that help with SEO, agencies that assist with website building, agencies specifically for PR and agencies that handle all of your social media. They are experts in that specific field. They have the knowledge and years of experience to help you hit your goals and deliver specific results. They’ve taken years of website building and A/B testing to know exactly where to put the email sign-up to deliver you the most subscribers. They’ve tested Facebook ads to know which ones will get more clicks. You wouldn’t hire an SEO agency to work on your social media and you wouldn’t hire a PR firm to rebuild your website. Now is the time for an agency that handles all of your influencer marketing efforts.   

Top 5 Reasons to have an influencer marketing agency of record: 

1. BRAND CONTINUITY LEADS TO COST EFFECTIVENESS & REVENUE GROWTH:

2.UNPARALLELED EXPERTISE:

3. FULL STRATEGY & CREATIVE APPROACH:

4. TURNKEY SERVICE:

5. HIGH-QUALITY EVERGREEN CONTENT – THAT SEAMLESSLY INTEGRATES WITH YOUR CURRENT MARKETING AND PR EFFORTS:

AND 4 REASONS WHY YOU NEED TRAVEL MINDSET AS YOUR INFLUENCER MARKETING AGENCY OF RECORD:

1. EXPERIENCE:

Our roots as a travel publisher started in 1999, and from there we added a social and blogging team in 2012 and hired a content creator and social media thought leader as our Vice President — All that is to say we have been instrumental in shaping the industry and are the only influencer marketing agency focused exclusively in the travel industry.   That experience allows us to have first-hand access to some of the most influential people in the space, along with the ability and know-how to determine influencers from socialites, what you should be paying for and what you can get for free, what will take your business to the next level and what will have you left behind.  

2. WE STRETCH YOUR DOLLARS BY CONCEPTUALIZING CUSTOM CAMPAIGNS:

There is not a one size fits all approach to influencer marketing, but it all starts with a compelling idea.  At Travel Mindset, we stay at the forefront of social media trends so that we can strategize campaigns which will capitalize on trends and buzz while seamlessly aligning with your current and future marketing efforts. Digital and social content is constantly evolving and brands are, too, so we keep clients tuned into the types of content that are going to soak up the likes and shares while leveraging the ideal audiences and strategies for them. From off-line meet-ups and events to IGTV and interactive blog posts, to us, influencer marketing isn’t a IG billboard/commercial. Let’s set up a yearlong strategy that allows your brand/business to capitalize on influencers throughout the year so your brand is always top of mind with the right consumers.

3. PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS & THE TRAVEL MINDSET INFLUENCER ACADEMY:

Finding the right influencer goes well beyond their follower count and engagement rates. There is an undeniable human component to influencer marketing that makes it all work.  We’ve been partnering with influencers and content creators on travel and lifestyle brand campaigns since 2012, and we have developed deep/personal relationships with each and every one of them. We know their strengths & weaknesses. We know what resonates with their followers and what will fall flat.  We also know their true rates, turn-around times and ability to exceed specific KPIs to help your business prosper. Finally, our Influencer Academy is a community of content creators leading impactful influencer marketing campaigns, creating content through a business-focused lens, and further amplifying Travel Mindset’s current and future initiatives—providing clients with a professionalized pool of creators that consistently deliver value and in-the-know expertise.

4. TECHNOLOGY & REPORTING:

We use the best in class 3rd party reporting so you have no doubt that you’re partnering with a true influencer, one that hits your exact target market and delivers on content needs. Our reporting is detailed and insightful, getting into the nitty gritty of why something worked or didn’t so we can A/B test and optimize content for the best results and ROI.