There has been a clear shift as to how travellers research their next holiday. In the past, guide books were the prime source of information. These days, an increasing number of travellers conduct their research on the Internet, seeking tips and recommendations from websites, blogs and social media channels like Facebook and Twitter. It is here, in the online space, that travel bloggers are making waves by creating compelling content based on personal experience. With their rapidly growing blogs, extensive social networks and multimedia skills, travel bloggers are influencing travel decisions like never before, making them ideal ambassadors for destinations and other travel-related brands.
Key benefits of working with travel bloggers
- Immediacy – Travel bloggers publish their blog content within weeks of the experience. Utilising their social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Vine and Pinterest, travel bloggers also provide ‘real-time marketing’ opportunities.
- Multimedia exposure via social media – Blog posts, photos and videos ensure interactive, multimedia exposure via multiple social media channels.
- Long shelf-life – Online content exists forever, making it searchable for anyone planning a trip.
- Trust – Travel bloggers build trust by interacting directly with their readers and sharing content that is based on personal experience.
- Blog trips are an excellent means to generate online exposure for a destination. By hosting a select group of travel bloggers, a tourism board, airline, hotel chain and/or tour operator can benefit greatly from the writing, photography and video skills of bloggers as well as from their online social networks. Blog trips can help to create online buzz before, during and till long after the trip.
The iambassador model can create buzz in four different stages!
Travel bloggers at work during a cooking course in Tuscany
iambassador blog trips can generate buzz in four phases: pre-trip, during the trip (excellent ‘real-time marketing’ social media campaign opportunities), post-trip and/or during a separate social media campaign. Blog trips are an excellent means to showcase a destination or travel product, with the bloggers functioning as digital ambassadors. To maximise the value of blog trips, a separate social media campaign can be organised pre- or post-trip. Stand-alone social media campaigns (without a blog trip) can also be organised.
Designed by Keith Jenkins, iambassador is an innovative marketing model which effectively harnesses the value that travel bloggers can deliver through their blog content and social networks. The model is a collaboration between travel bloggers and their sponsors to promote the destination as well as increase brand visibility of the sponsors.
Since its launch in December 2011, iambassador has built an excellent track record, conceptualising, planning and executing successful campaigns for tourism boards and brands that have generated tens of millions of online impressions and reached millions of people around the world. Please refer to our case studies for more information.
Influential travel bloggers
iambassador works with a team of some of the most influential travel bloggers who specialise in a variety of niches. The group also includes widely-recognised expert photographers and video bloggers (vloggers). This ensures quality content that’s varied as well as an expansive global reach through the blogs and the bloggers’ social media channels. These bloggers have been selected for their high level of professionalism, proven blogging skills, experience with blog trips and their wide social media networks. A pool of travel bloggers is available to supplement the core group at any time. Meet the iambassador team.
In addition, iambassador has established close working relationships with travel blogger networks in Brazil, France, Germany, India, Italy and Spain. This allows us to offer local language exposure in these attractive markets.
Innovative products
iambassador offers a host of innovative, value-adding products. These include blog trip planning and advisory, social media campaign planning and execution, video production and seminars. Read more about our Services.
