How to organize a productive blog tour?
With the development of social networks, especially Instagram and Youtube, blog tours have become one of the most effective ways to promote travel destinations. Many Russian travel bloggers have hundreds of thousands of Russians who are interested in traveling. Their audience multiply exceeds any travel magazine or website. Having organized a FAM tour of literally 10 travel bloggers, it is quite realistic to reach a target audience of 1-2 million people. And given that the promotion will come from a person to whom subscribers are loyal, then such a contact will be much better than a standard advertising message.
Separate media and travel agents
Previously, to carry one large group, mixing travel agents with representatives of the media, in fam-turbyla is a fairly common practice, now an exception, but it still exists. You should not carry journalists and bloggers with inspections of hotels – they still will not put 10 hotels in their line – it will look ridiculous. In addition, for high-quality hotel shooting, life is needed – a disassembled bed, a served table, a suitcase in the corner, etc., and the blogger himself, preferably, should be in the frame. It is not possible to do this in a sterile room surrounded by a group of tourist agents clicking around.
Do not mix media journalists and Instagram bloggers.
Most often, the first – reportage, the second – landscape painters and directors. The first are important locals and culture, interesting stories, the second is a beautiful location, where the main character will be themselves or a breathtaking landscape. It is quite difficult to create a single program that suits both categories.
The program of the blog tour should be interesting first of all to the audience of bloggers.
Make the program not so much for bloggers or for the local department of tourism, as for the invited bloggers. The task of the blog tour is to attract subscribers to the country as tourists. Therefore, proceed from what kind of audience you need (romantic couples, families with children, extreme lovers, hikers, etc.), then choose bloggers who may be potential guides to it. And already the task of the invited blogger in its style and manner is interesting to show those things and places that potentially “resonate” with readers. Big mistake to give the whole tour at the mercy of the local tourism administration, without taking into account the opinion of bloggers, will it be interesting to its audience.
Provide blog tour participants with high-speed and unlimited Internet access
An excellent solution is to provide customized Wi-Fi routers. Many conduct their publications and broadcasts online, so the organizer’s calculation that everyone will write and download in the evening at the hotel is wrong. Just before the start of the tour it makes sense to create a general chat in the messenger, where you can discuss all the questions that arise before and during the trip. There you can quickly receive photos and videos made by bloggers for quick posting on their social channels.
Create conditions for the blogger’s sincere desire to share your positive emotions.
A travel agent will tell his clients about what he saw only on return, and the blogger tells his subscribers what he feels and does in real time. Make sure that the hotels and cafes where the bloggers will live and eat will encourage them to turn on the smartphone and start the live broadcast full of emotions and admiration. This will greatly enhance the impact of publications. And of course, you shouldn’t settle in one number two bloggers, unless they are a couple of course. I know about Russian blog tours when there were several bloggers in the room, and some had to share one bed.
It is also a mistake when the first day of WOW (the best hotel and restaurant) is done, and the rest of the nights and dinners are rolling down. If you can not organize everything at the highest level, it is better to distribute the three WOW effects – at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the tour. Then the overall impression of the trip will be very positive.
Match the tour program and the specifics of each of the bloggers
Something that seems like a cool idea to an organizer may be completely unsuitable for content bloggers. I know about the project of the blog tour, when the participants wanted to place in unusual circumstances for them.