Marketing

#contenthacks: How the Travel Industry Can Use UGC

by Jessica Smith Posted On August 9th, 2017 | 11:00am EST

One of the most (if not, the most) effective ways of reaching consumers is through user-generated content. UGC refers to video, blogs, photos and other media that is both created by and made available to consumers.

No other field has as much success with UGC as the travel industry.

Hotels, airlines and travel agencies have capitalized on wanderlust, ditching their stock advertising campaigns to showcase tourist-taken photos and videos. It’s equally effective and genius – it gives consumers an authentic assessment of services by utilizing other consumers’ content. You can save on photographers, writers and expensive campaigns trying to replicate an authentic experience by capitalizing on an (actually) authentic experience.

For example, City/Studio’s own client, Destination DC, used UGC from Instagram in a native post on Phillymag.com to hype up their hallmark cherry blossom season. By doing so, they met their goal of urging new tourists to plan a trip to Washington, D.C. at its peak and also paid tribute to current travelers with photo credit.

Similarly, Starwood Hotels and Resorts have yielded great results with their social hubs, which are microsites featuring photos taken by hotel guests. This past winter, Discover Los Angeles’ “Picture Yourself in L.A.” campaign allowed users in New York City’s Union Square to stand in front of a life-sized poster and snap a photo, creating the illusion of floating in a picturesque pool. National Geographic created the #wanderlustcontest, which encouraged Instagram users to post travel photos that fit the magazine’s brand for a grand prize (the real winner was National Geographic, who seized the opportunity for a new catalog of real imagery).

Whether you’re creating a hashtag or setting up a photo booth, you need to give your users a channel to send their creative content directly to you. Doing so only helps to build the bond you have with your audience. The power of UGC is creating a mutually beneficial relationship with your users.

To learn how City/Studio can help you master UGC, see our approach here. For more information on our client Destination DC, click here.