As you dive into 2019 budgeting, what trends should you be thinking about? Which approaches, platforms, and tools should be top of mind for travel and hospitality marketers?
The team at MDG Advertising recently analyzed a host of recent analyst reports and industry surveys to find out.
What came from that deep dive are these four key trends trends that every travel and hospitality firm should be watching closely in the year ahead:
1. The Power of Search
When it comes to travel and hospitality marketing, search has become the digital workhorse. Newer channels may get more buzz, but it’s search that continues to most consistently deliver audiences, engagement, and bookings.
Some 48% of all US travelers say they begin trip planning with a search engine and 57% of travelers ages 18–34 go to a general search engine to check accomodation prices.
In addition, travel and hospitality advertising on search is especially effective: 36% of consumers overall recall viewing a travel ad on a search engine and 50% of consumers ages 18–34 recall viewing a travel ad on a search engine.
Moreover, search is becoming more important, not less important. Due in part to News Feed changes made by Facebook, search engines overtook social media as the top referrer of traffic to content sites this year.
Given all that, make sure to budget well in 2019 for the tried-and-true (and highly effective) approaches of search engine marketing and search engine optimization.
2. The Value of Visual Content
Travel and hospitality has always been an especially good verticals for visual content. What’s changed in recent years is that images and videos have become more central to digital platforms, enabling consumers to more easily access these pieces.
Today’s trip planners engage across formats and channels: 49% say they look at travel content sites, 30% look at social media, and 23% watch videos.
