![Be Valuable: Compelling Content Marketing for Tour Operators [The VIP Marketing Method™]](https://guestfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Video-2-4.jpg)
Be Valuable: Compelling Content Marketing for Tour Operators [The VIP Marketing Method™]
This is part four of our 7-part series around the VIP Marketing Method™. Be sure to start at the beginning for all the details on how to effectively market your tour business!
Simply posting about your tours online isn’t going to sell them. You need to provide your ideal target guest with value. They want inspiration, education, and entertainment, all rolled into one, to help them make a decision about which tour they’re going to buy–and which tour operator they want to book with.
Welcome to the Guest Focus VIP Marketing Method™—a fresh approach tailored specifically for tour, activity, and experience businesses. This method is built on a core philosophy: your success depends on staying focused on your ideal target guests.
And your goal when adding value to your content needs to be to:
- Inspire wanderlust with captivating stories and visuals
- Educate potential guests about your destination and experiences
- Entertain your audience to keep them engaged and coming back for more
Where should you start? Seed content!
The Power of Seed Content
The first step in implementing the VIP Marketing Method™ is creating adding value in the form of seed content. This is primary written content that you can repurpose and extract to create multiple pieces for other channels, mediums, and platforms.
A blog-post-first approach works well for this primary content creation. From one piece of seed content, you or your marketing team can eventually repurpose or extract multiple pieces of content for other channels.
Leveraging AI for Content Creation
AI can be a powerful tool in your content creation process. It’s great for helping with brainstorming content ideas, supplementing your ideal target guest research, and even summarizing and repurposing content quickly.
Here’s an effective prompt to help with brainstorming:
“You are a world-class marketing strategist working for (your tour company). Our ideal target guest is (describe your ideal guest). Here’s the main problem we solve: (state the problem). Here are some of our clients’ challenges: (list challenges). Here are some of our clients’ desires: (list desires). Here are some of our clients’ objections: (list objections).”
Then, ask the AI to develop a list of blog post ideas for helping your clients during a specific stage of Google’s five stages of travel.
However, remember that AI is a tool and shouldn’t replace your human creativity and empathy for your ideal target guests. Your unique experience and personality are what truly set you apart.
Real-World Success Stories
Let’s look at how real tour operators are putting the VIP Marketing Method into action:
Vancouver Foodie Tours
This company specializes in team-building experiences. Using the AI-assisted brainstorming technique, they generated compelling blog post ideas like “Beyond the Office: Unique Team Building Activities in Vancouver” and “Creating Lasting Memories: Why Unique Experiences Matter for Team Building.”
Mystical Asia Tours
This multi-day tour company takes Australians on their first trips to Vietnam. Peter used the VIP method to create targeted content for each stage of the travel journey. One piece of dreaming phase content was repurposed into a lead magnet, generating over 200 new email subscribers in just a few months.
XO Tours in Hanoi
This company demonstrated how providing valuable content not directly related to their tours can still attract and engage potential customers. Their blog post “Custom Made? Yes, Please! A Guide to Custom Tailoring in Vietnam” meets potential customers where they are, addressing their broader interests and needs. While custom tailored clothes isn’t related to food tours, it’s a challenge their ideal target customer has and is searching for online. They have questions, and they find their answers with XO Tours!
Putting It All Together
The VIP Marketing Method™ isn’t about quick fixes. It’s a comprehensive, strategic approach to marketing that puts your ideal guests at the center of everything you do. By focusing on being valuable, intimate, and pervasive in your marketing efforts, you’ll be able to connect directly with your ideal guests and build a thriving tour business.
Remember, it’s not about having the most followers or creating the most content. It’s about creating the right content for the right audience at the right time.
Did you miss the first videos in our VIP Marketing Method™ series? Read on!
What is the VIP Marketing Method™?
VIP stands for Valuable, Intimate, and Pervasive. These three elements form the backbone of effective tour marketing:
- Valuable: Provide genuine value to your ideal target guests through entertaining, educational, and inspiring content.
- Intimate: Build trust, rapport, and loyalty by humanizing your brand and creating personal touch points.
- Pervasive: Maintain a consistent multi-channel presence across the places where your ideal guests spend their time and attention.
While each element is powerful on its own, the real impact comes when you implement all three simultaneously across the five stages of travel.
Creating Valuable Content Across the Five Stages of Travel
Let’s take a closer look at how to create valuable content for each stage of the traveler journey:
- Dreaming: Inspire your potential guests with captivating stories and visuals.
- Planning: Educate with practical information, insider tips, or guidance on upcoming travel.
- Booking: Reassure with engaging content about what to expect and clarify how to do business with you.
- Experience: Enhance their trip with real-time valuable information and support.
- Sharing: Encourage and facilitate the sharing of their experiences, turning them into advocates.
Need help? Book a free 45-minute strategy call with us today and start your marketing on the right path!
