Cool weather is upon us, and if you’re a travel marketer then you’re probably gearing up for the new year with your next travel marketing campaign. Is Facebook advertising included in your game plan? It should be!
Not only is Facebook among the top choices for travel marketers, but a recent study by EyeforTravel shows that most travel companies (95%), are using social media to help entice would be travelers with things like accommodation specials, photos of locations and guides to local hot spots.
Further, travel marketers have another huge advantage when it comes to Facebook: they can use user-generated content. Thanks to the rise in smartphones and tablets, those in travel marketing have access to a wide variety of photos and videos of tourists enjoying their location and/or destination.
Looking for more Facebook advertising benefits for the travel industry? We have them!
- Advanced Targeting. Facebook allows you to target your ads by user’s interest, re-target based on your website traffic and/or create a custom audience (i.e. past customers);
- Visual Appeal. Whether you use images or videos, Facebook advertising gives you an opportunity to visually display your region or resort’s best amenities; and,
- Build Awareness. Facebook allows you to get in front of your target audience to build awareness around your location or resort and the specific amenities that make you unique or special.
We could go on and on about why Facebook advertising is critical for your next travel marketing campaign (no, really we could), but instead let’s take a look at where to start so you can ensure your campaign is a success.
Step #1: Define your Goals
Before starting any ad campaign, we always recommend identifying your goals by what you are trying to achieve. Are you looking to increase awareness around specific amenities? Are you trying to re-engage past customers? Are you looking to showcase your beautiful location to a new audience? Or perhaps you’re trying to drive visitors back to your website to book travel? Spend some time accurately defining your goals so you can determine the right targeting, graphics and messages.
Step #2: Choose your Marketing Objective
Once you have set your campaign goal, choose your marketing objective. Your choices are:
Step #3: Define your Target Audience
Identifying your target audience is critical to the success of your Facebook advertising campaign. Here’s what you need to consider when doing just that:
- Demographics
- Location
- Interests
- Custom Audiences (i.e. past customers or website visitors)
Step #4: Set your Budget
Just like any other marketing campaign, you have to know your budget and determine that up front. Also, we have another reason to love Facebook advertising: there are multiple ways to purchase ads, AND Facebook offers pricing that works for any budget. Talk about a win-win! For additional information such as cost and how to purchase, visit Facebook for Business.
Step #5: Develop your Creative
This is the fun part: coming up with the creative! Whether you’re using images, videos, a single ad or a carousel ad, there are multiple tools available to show just what makes your resort or destination special. Have fun in this step, and if you’re looking for some inspiration (aka really cool success stories), then click here.
If you haven’t yet checked out Facebook for Travel, you must pop over there for some great tools, resources and case studies. Also, check out this great post for five Facebook ad strategies. If you have questions about Facebook advertising, or need some help creating your next campaign, we’d love to talk it through with you! Drop us an email, and let’s chat.
And now we’d love to hear from you! Are you currently working on a travel marketing Facebook ad? Or perhaps you’ve recently concluded a campaign and have some awesome results to share? If so, please let us know and comment below!
