Collaborate with Travel Brands #1: Make a positive first impression

A glimpse into the travel industry and what marketers really want -revealed by one of them.

In the first article of this series "Starting your first collaboration with a travel brand", I’ve explained why getting the attention of marketers in the travel industry has become increasingly difficult for content creators.

Yet 70% of travel brands do work with creators or influencers, according to the Influencer Marketing Hub.

As a marketing professional at some global travel brands, I’ve worked with creators and driven high profile collaborations.

Marketing professionals in the travel industry receive hundreds of collaboration requests every year: Standing out of the crowds for a creator isn’t easy. In my career I have received dozens of requests for collaborations and by now understand what catches a marketer’s attention.

Is it the number of followers? No, not anymore.

The amount of followers is perhaps the most frequently argument used by content creators pitching a brand. But it’s just one piece of the puzzle.
Unless you have a huge reach, the amount of followers isn’t something that stands out anymore (After all, 35% of all Instagram and TikTok influencers have 10,000 or more followers, according to Statista).

Instead, if you are a content creator and want to catch the attention of a marketer, start by understanding the basics of the travel industry and what really matters to travel brands.

Does that sound too easy?

You won’t believe how many requests for collaborations I’ve seen that completely missed the mark!

“I can look that up on Google”, some creators might think. Maybe.

The truth is that over the last years the travel ecosystem has evolved and became more complex for non-industry insiders. The market is more fragmented and marketing priorities have changed.

Knowing some key concepts and terminology will help you, as a creator, better understand the travel industry and marketers’ needs -regardless if you are approaching, or have been approached, by a travel brand.

Therefore, in the first article of this series I’ll begin by doing just that -covering the basics, demystifying some common beliefs and revealing some tips.