The past year and a bit forced being a ‘homebody’ onto millions of people, and through that period, a surge of digital content consumption and engagement manifested at unseen levels for most social media platforms.
NB: This is an article from GuestRevu
People literally escaped their ‘quarantine blues’ by way of virtual means, and this presents the hospitality sector with a burgeoning demand from many keen travellers who have been looking to pick up where they left off with their real-life travel bucket lists.
Along with many emerging digital trends related to the spike in screen time, the theory that TikTok would only be a fad was completely blown out of the water. TikTok currently stands as the most downloaded non-game app globally, and as it grows from strength to strength as a viral community-building platform, hoteliers should cash in on the potential reach that comes with using #tiktoktravel as a marketing tool.
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Why TikTok?
As the future of travel unfolds amid vaccinations and restrictions being lifted in many countries, it is younger travellers (Millenials and Gen Z) who are likely to be the generation most comfortable to travel during the pandemic. If you want to get your hotel brand in front of these younger generations, you need to go where they are, and that’s TikTok.
According to digital marketing agency Omnicore, the platform has 689 million active users, 50% of which are under the age of 34; and as you may have already noticed, the content that does really well on the platform goes on to be shared to many of the other social media apps where your next guests may be.
To help you make the most of this platform, we’ve gathered three top tips to use as the foundation to build an engaging presence on TikTok, and attract future guests to share memorable travel experiences, with your property at the centre of those experiences.
Focus on interacting with the community before creating content
It’s easy for some of us to fall into the trap of relying too heavily on formulas for creating content according to what we understand to be ‘evergreen’, or should do well technically. When marketing in a brand new space like TikTok, however, this can lead to you missing the mark. Whoever does your property’s marketing may need to stray slightly from your usual tone and messaging, because the content on this platform is largely consumed for its ‘entertainment factor’, which comes naturally from the way content is so personalised and relatable. So brands that want to make a lasting impression on the people that are on this app should follow suit, and keep their presence locked in on what the people like to see.
The more time you spend on the platform simply as a consumer, following and analysing the kind of content that’s out there and doing well, the more you get to find where you would like to fit in, or what best represents the voice you’d like to use for your brand and its audiences. The #tiktoktravel hashtag has about 24.2 Billion views and counting; and it’s here, between hotel hacks, hidden gems, and challenges, where you will find your bearings – and get loads of examples of the kind of moments that will resonate with your future guests.
There’s a lot of content to gather inspiration from, like this insightful blog by National Geographic to give you a brief background about the community of TikTok, from which you can move onto this TikTok blog by Buzzfeed for 27 of some of the best and most breathtaking travel TikToks from around the world.
Find your ‘sweet spot’ between conversational and profesional content
Most TikTok content isn’t scripted or directed, and that gives you the opportunity to involve the different elements and teams that make up your property and its surroundings. When it comes to following hashtags that will guide you to align and segment content that’s relevant to hoteliers and travelers, here’s where to start:
