How to develop a content strategy
As a travel business or creator, having a content strategy for your social media accounts is the most shell-rific way to keep away the posting paralysis, reach more of your ideal audience and know exactly what’s working for you. Without one, you’re going to feel like a very small fish in a very big pond - but don’t worry! I’m going to break down how to develop a content strategy into 8 steps, helping you stand out among the social seas. With these 8 pearls of wisdom, social media is your oyster!
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Why does your travel business need a content strategy?
Let’s be real - in 2024, social media marketing is more challenging than ever before. That doesn’t mean you can’t succeed and see amazing results, but it does mean not reverting to your old ways of posting whatever you feel like, as and when, and hoping for the best! This strategy simply doesn’t work any more. If you want your travel business to reach the right eyes and help sell your services or products, you’re going to need a plan.
How to develop a content strategy in 8 steps
Step 1: Content Goals
The first thing to do is identify your content goals. In a coconut shell, what do you want to achieve through posting on socials? It might be more enquiries, more engagement, more comments, more website traffic…or it might be a combination of two or more.
Knowing this means there’s always a purpose to every post, and it’ll help you deep dive into your intention every time you show up on socials. It’s important to have clarity on this before you go any further - as crystal clear as tropical waters!
Step 2: Establish Your Target Audience
I know, you’ve heard ‘know your dream client’ a thousand times - but it really is the next most important step in navigating the seven seas of social media. Knowing who you’re talking to means you’ll pitch your content just right every time, and when you combine these first two steps - knowing who you’re talking to and why - it’s a recipe for plain sailing!
I wrote a blog all about knowing your audience using Ryanair’s spot-on marketing as an example, and whether you’re a luxury brand or targeting budget travellers you’ll be able to gain something from reading this!
You can sum this step up by asking yourself:
Who am I talking to?
What are they looking for/what can I help them with?
What do they need from me?
Step 3: Review Recent Post Performance
No one likes looking at their analytics, but think of it like your compass making sure you’re sailing in the right direction. Look at your recent posts and see what did well or not so well, and try to identify common themes among them.
For some businesses, inspirational reels work really well for example. For others, informative carousels are a winner. It’s likely to be a combination of several different types and styles of posts that gets you the reach and engagement you’re looking for, so identify what’s working and do more of that!
Step 4: Check Out Your Competition
Knowing who else is selling the same thing as you in your space is key, particularly so you can identify and shout about what makes you different. It can be confronting to see what your competitors are doing, especially if they’re doing it well, but being aware of it is the only way to ensure your unique angles are coming across.
I’d advise doing competitor research periodically and treating it as a task with a finite end point, otherwise, you can end up getting into a whirlpool of comparison and doubt!
Step 5: Choose Your Content Formats
Now you’ve done all of the above it’s time to decide which content formats you’ll use in your content plan - video, image, infographic, carousel etc…
There are several factors that will help you decide this; what is already working well for you, what is easiest and most enjoyable for you to create, what your ideal audience wants to see, and what the purpose of your posts is.
For example, if you’re looking to target high-spend clients seeking a long-haul tropical getaway you’ll probably want to use enticing video and image content, and handle their objections through informative but attractive infographics.
Step 6: Have A Content Calendar With Your Plan
It might feel formal and restrictive to create a content calendar that tells you what to post and when, but it can actually be very freeing - it takes all the decision making out of your posting for the day! Find a way that works for you and plot out your content plan somewhere, whether it’s a physical or digital copy. Refer to it every time you create content to help realign you with your goals, audience and what works for you.
Step 7: Engaging Content
This sounds like a no-brainer, but after all this you’ll need to create engaging content to keep your audience coming back for more! Great content means posts that capture and keep your viewer’s attention, and give them something to take away - and better yet, make them want to engage! Instagram recently revealed they’re going to start putting more emphasis on the number of times your post gets shared, so consider this when you’re creating your videos, reels and carousels.
Step 8: Measure Content Performance
A few weeks into your content plan, review how it’s going and take down some more numbers. Continually reviewing what’s working well is the only way to ensure it keeps working well, and you keep creating content that people love and want to engage with.
So there you have it - how to develop a content strategy in 8 simple steps. If you’re looking for some help with your content marketing, take a look at The So-Shell Tribe which gives you monthly support via a subscription service - it’s perfect for you if you’re not ready to outsource or go 1:1, and you’ll gain your very own wanderlusty little online community!
Happy posting islanders 🌺
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