Travel is the most exciting story there is to tell. The online space is the perfect medium to translate these tales to people around the world, but what does it take to move the needle from inspiration to action? The Internet is inundated with messages – a chaos that cripples the ability to make a choice. However, the element that can cut through the clutter is so simple that it’s often overlooked: authenticity, or basically being yourself.
Ask yourself if your content meets these five criteria of authenticity:
Listening
Before you even begin writing, have you taken the time to listen to your audience? Gone are the days of one-way communication, today you need to have a conversation with your constituents. Ask questions on your social media outlets. Analyze what keyword phrases are bringing prospective travelers to your site. Instead of trying to make your audience fit your mold, change and shape your content to find ways to empathize and relate.
Voice
This is how you connect to consumers on a human level. Start by creating a persona. Are you casual or refined? Adventurous or traditional? Forget about what you’re going to say, it’s about how you say it. This consistency in voice will make you feel like an old friend to your audience, an attribute that builds trust.
Useful
The most valuable resource in the world is time. In this age of constant clicks, you need to provide helpful information, and you need to provide it quickly. This is not a place for pushy sales copy, but for compelling details that move the reader along the scale from confusion to clarity.
Story
This is where you make the distinction between telling and captivating. Consumers will spend more time on your page if you don’t just say your resort has a private beach, but describe the white sands that will mold to the shape of your foot, leaving a trail of prints behind as you walk idly by the aquamarine waters. Help your audience envision themselves there.
No Sell
Don’t just drop the hard sell, drop it altogether. The unifying theme through all these traits is that you should be less worried about yourself, and more concerned about the reader. Good, authentic content marketing places you in conversations that are relevant to the audience, without shoving an offer down their throats. You’ll see more benefits from creating valuable content the reader is likely to share, instead of subtly filling the copy with pitches. Because the problem is, it’s not actually subtle at all.
