Travel writers are an untapped resource; some hotels either don’t understand the benefits of a blogger or how to work with them! Often when we speak to boutique hotel owners, we find out travel writers were not on their radar: they had no idea what to do with these nomadic folks.

Oftentimes these were also resorts who didn’t focus on their social media. They were not responding to reviews or engaging their current followers. They were a bit out of touch.

It’s important to realize how much resorts are helped by the content of writers and travel bloggers.

Why would you want to travel writers staying with you?

A few reasons actually, if you know how to use them effectively, travel bloggers can be an invaluable tool.

Here’s why:

1. They already have a following that is interested in travel! That alone is great.
2. They will share the wonderful time they have with you with their audience!
3. You will get editorial content written from the view of a guest. This is very different than anything that a resort can write about itself, because potential guests will put more weight in what a past guest says.

How do you know if a travel writer is a good fit for your brand?

Read their work and check out their social media. Go to their site and check out what they’ve been up to. Where have they been and who have they written about? What is their writing style?

Ask for information on their followers demographics. Although: do take big numbers with a grain of salt. There are always ways to skew numbers; they may not block bot viewers to their site, which would inflate their numbers substantially. As a helpful complement, look for viewer interaction. If they have lively social profiles, with less followers, I would assume their followers are very active and engaged; which is always preferable to “fake” viewers. Quality often trumps quantity.

Reach new and exciting audiences!

Influencers are a great way to reach new audiences.

How do you find bloggers?

Travel writers are everywhere! The writers may contact you directly and request a complimentary stay in exchange for editorial content. Make sure you know what you are getting in return for a free stay! Expect them to be able to list which sites they will post on and what media type they will use (video, photo, audio, etc).

If you want more writers to contact you, send up the bat signal! Post in digital nomad and blogging Facebook groups that you are interested in receiving offers from bloggers. Or let us know and we’ll see who we can suggest!

Outside links to your site will increase your domain authority!

When travel writers post about you and link back to your site, that’s actually increasing your Domain Authority (DA) — which is something you want. When people search “luxury resort with spa” in your location, the higher you are in the search results the better. You move up in search results as your DA increases.

We’ve seen more often than not that influencers will link to an online ticketing agency (OTA) with an affiliate link, rather than to your site directly. This does nothing for your DA. Instead, aim to have them link directly to your site for increased DA… and direct bookings.

Don’t be afraid to learn more about DA. It’s a bigger deal than you think.

Is it worth it to have travel writers stay?

Influencers can be very beneficial! Inevitably, you will have available rooms during low seasons and shoulder seasons; this is an ideal time to let a writer stay with you — and in return get some wonderful social content and coverage.

Have you recently added a new service or remodeled, and want to quickly get the word out? Travel writers are great at this!

If you are able to, schedule multiple writers to stay at once. This is ideal because you’ll want to give them a tour of your beautiful space and speak about what sets you apart or any changes. Also, the extra personal attention will make the writers feel special and taken care of, which will come across in their writing. If left to wander your hotel without your expert guidance, they may miss the new spa or not check out the new coworking space. Encourage them to take photos and ask questions!

Not all influencers will be a good fit.

Some bloggers will not be right for your brand. There’s nothing wrong with that; it’s okay to say “thanks, but no thanks.” Or, offer the writer something else, like just a single spa treatment or discount to your restaurant. You are creating a relationship with the writers, their brand, and their followers — so be thoughtful about who you choose.