Quick, Quick Takes on Travel - Vol. 2, Take 2
Over the last 10 years as social media has evolved from a stand-alone part of a brand into the lifeblood of the marketing ecosystem, content consumption has increasingly taken center stage to the everyday lifestyle of consumers. As we look to the future, the ability of a brand or destination to create relevant content will become increasingly important.
In 2023, social media will be a place for brands to distribute high-impact content (both one-to-one and one-to-many) to their highest-value consumers. But that content requires creation with care that goes beyond the traditional ad structure.
Since 2020 and the rapid adoption of TikTok, the timeline of trending-content relevancy has shrunk from weeks to days. In the coming year, travelers are going to require brands to have short approval windows and speedy posting timeframes in order to be timely.
In addition to this in-the-moment content approach, 2023 content marketing will continue to require hero content that puts brand/destination usage at the forefront of consumer consideration. This will include everything from influencer testimonials of product/experience trial to paid and owned branded content.
While, clearly, content creation remains important as we enter the new year, we expect to see shifts in consumer channel landscapes. With Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter in Q4 2022 and altered user behavior following the pandemic lockdowns of 2020, it has never been more important to shift platform selection to align with key target demographics.
In addition to these shifts, the last several years have changed consumer expectations of brands. While travel brands tend to fare more positively, all brands and destinations must consider shifts in a brand’s participation in social issues. Especially within their social media channels, brand values need to be clear and authentic as shown through both owned content as well as through what is shared by consumers. A shining video cannot compensate for a failed brand value.
Moving forward, a one-size-fits-all social and content strategy will not work. Users are going to look for authentic connections to brands in the places they want to be with the content they want to see.
Brandon Layland
Director of Social, MMGY