by Susan Tucker
Let’s face it; it’s a dog eat dog world out there in digital marketing land. With more and more brands vying for the decreasing attention span of potential customers, it can be easy to lean on click-bait tactics for standing out. Like pugs. Or politics. Or any Kardashian-ish ploy to get people to look. But, these are all mistakes. Big, ‘uge mistakes.
If you’ve fallen victim to any of these content marketing traps, we’re asking you to drop the keyboard, take a step back and get yourself back on track with these no-fail content marketing rules that are certain to help drive inbound sales, and your bottom line.
CONTENT MARKETING RULES FOR THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY
Marketing managers and everyone else associated with your brand should JUST SAY NO to….
1. Pugs! Ok, you don’t really have to say no to pugs exactly. They’re cute, who doesn’t want to see a pug? (I’ll bet you clicked on this article BECAUSE of the pug. You did, didn’t you?) However, they’re not necessarily a content strategy, unless that’s what your customers want to see, of course. Before you jump on the pug party bus, first ask yourself, “Does this align with my brand identity?”, “Is this what would be appealing to our guest personas?” and “What is my goal for sharing this pug pic?” You can’t just throw a pug out there (I mean, I hope you’re not “throwing” a pug out there) without being thoughtful of how it will play into your overall brand goals, how it aligns with your brand voice and most importantly how your target guest personas will receive your messaging.
2. Politics. I cannot tell you how many times during this most recent election cycle (and still to this day!), I have seen inappropriate, emotionally-charged rants and distasteful memes about politics in my LinkedIn feed. HELLO! This is a major no-no! Not only is your LinkedIn a part of your personal brand – where you are marketing yourself online – you are also an extension of the brand you represent. Your colleagues, clients, prospective clients, past and future employers could all see any negativity and mud-slinging. Even if you aren’t engaging in super negative behavior online, if you express a political stance at all, do you really want to risk alienating potential clients or employers who are equally passionate about their opposing political values? It’s just not worth it. {Rant over}.
3. Only talking about yourself. Ugh. When you go to a party, and you get stuck in a one-sided conversation with someone, doesn’t that irritate you? It certainly does me! Nobody likes people who talk about themselves all the time. Same goes for brands. When creating a content strategy, behave like you do in real social situations. Not every blog post or social media interaction should be sales-focused. Lead with value, and they will come.
4. Giving up too soon. We get it, you want results, and you want results now! But, hang on a minute mister. Building lasting relationships doesn’t work like that. Content marketing tactics take time, and the quality of the end result more than pays for itself. You don’t want a fling, you want a love that’s going to last. And, we all know that finding your lifelong love and building that relationship takes time. End of story.
5. Not identifying the needs of your audience and creating content that supports those needs. The more you listen, the more you understand how you can provide value to your prospects. They’ll come, they’ll engage, they’ll become your forever fans! For example, we recently identified that multi-generational travel to Disney World can be a challenge. So, for The Grove Resort & Spa, we created an article on tips for vacationing with the grandparents that has become the third most popular post!
Content marketing is a delicate balance of delivering the kind of information your customers will find valuable, producing great leads, and even greater sales. It’s about building trust, authority and delivering a level of transparency that modern travelers are seeking. Finding the perfect mix for your brand is going to be a bit of trial and error. It’s testing and—well, more testing, and finding creative ways to share your story without cheap click-bait tactics.
I hope you’ve found these content marketing “rules” helpful as you venture on your inbound sales journey. And, as always, feel free to reach out with any challenges you may face.
