From couture fashion to sailing, travel
and gourmet cuisine – each niche interest boasts its own social media prodigies.
With hundreds of thousands of followers, these online personalities have
transformed from simply #instastars to trusted curators in their respective
fields. And now another factor is playing into the mix: marketing strategists’
need to consider financial support to gain access to Instagram influencers’ audiences.
In destination marketing, where images
can trigger a vacation booking, a free trip is no longer enough. Tourism
bureaus are having the remuneration talk as the difference between Instagram
photographers and professional photographers fades. With the rise of platforms
such as Niche, connecting social media stars with marketers and advertisers – for
compensated gigs only - one must question the genuineness of the influencer’s
post. Cost is now seen like placing an ad: Wall Street Journal vs. neighborhood
paper will lead to distinct levels of exposure similar to an Instagrammer with
750,000 followers compared to a mere 5,000.
Chris Chambers, director of digital marketing
for Tourism and Events Queensland, seeks Instagrammers who take the trip and
understand that any additional financial support is to purchase rights to
images captured while exploring the destination. Queensland is paying $1,000
per day on top of travel costs to an American influencer for these rights. Across
the world, the Canadian Tourism Commission has paid up to $3,500 for taking part
in one of their campaigns. However, other destinations take a different
approach by focusing on finding influencers that can align with the location
and truly value the experience. I too believe that long-term loyalty will be
built out of a partnership that meshes well with the interests of both sides, something
money can’t buy.
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