There are many battles to be fought in this fast moving sector but one of the biggest ones will be for the content crown

Not that long ago, content was merely a tool for achieving something, but now it’s becoming the end goal in the struggle to deliver relevant and personal results.

There may still be plenty of dots to join up in this battle but this much we know.

#1. Qualitative results matter more than quantitative results

This past year Google has been on a mission to understand user intent. The result is that with introduction of Knowledge Graph, and to a lesser degree, Hummingbird, today’s approach to search is less mathematically driven; there is a much stronger focus on semantic search and the brand.

“A brand used to be defined by ad dollars and on quantitative rather than qualitative results, but today the focus is far more on great content and what is good for users [aka a great user experience],” says Matteo Cellini, head of search at Venere.com, a Rome based metasearch engine.

Google hasn’t cracked this challenge yet, but it goes without saying that moves by the search giant must be closely watched.

#2. Influence matters more than information

Today there is simply too much information available. Going forward, the brands that deliver content which helps customers make the right decision, as efficiently as possible, will be the winners.

Take TripAdvisor, for example. While it has, and continues to be, hugely successful as the go-to site for user-generated travel information, faced with 200 wildly varying reviews about a hotel or restaurant, which do you trust? Sifting through those reviews can also be time consuming and confusing.

As Cellini points out: “Ultimately everybody is different. Content needs to reflect and recognise the many types of users there are, what they are looking for and where”.

As such, travel brands must be constantly thinking about how to influence their customers and considering how they search, and what they search for, in all of the five stages of travel.  

One way is to position the brand as an expert in a particular field by harnessing the support of local recognised experts in, say, culture, gastronomy or sport. As we reported last week, this approach is proving successful for the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau. What this destination organisation shows is that you can discover what your customers want by giving them well thought out choices.

Another strategy is to engage popular travel bloggers and use social media as the platform to get an inspiring message out. Taking this approach Lufthansa, for example, was able to increase brand affinity with millennials, a segment that it was struggling to reach, by more than 14%.

Let’s also not forget social word of mouth and the influence of friends and family on purchase decisions.  

EyeforTravel research into consumer behaviours and analytics backs this up. The biggest factor by some distance in people’s holiday choices is the opinion of friends and family.

• 51% of respondents were inspired to go on a holiday in the past year by friends and family
• 54% said used them to research a trip

Returning to the point that we live in a world with too much information, Cellini says content syndication will also be a relevant solution.

“Users will recognise the value of brands collecting the right information and making their choices easier,” he says.

To this end, brands should ensure that they leverage all assets in the organisation from employee knowledge to user research.

#3. Knowing your audience, and delivering a personal, relevant experience, has never been more important

If you are going to get content right, then you need to know your customer. That may sound obvious but it isn’t simple. Firms are operating in an increasingly fragmented multi-device and multichannel world, where user behaviour is changing faster than technology can keep up. Yes, personalisation and relevance are the big buzzwords of the day, but attribution remains a huge technical challenge.

However, this isn’t stopping big players, like the ODIGEO Group, from ongoing investment in big data and personalisation technology.

“By personalisation we aim to provide different content and services to any customer that visits our sites,” says Dana Dunne, Chief Executive, ODIGEO Group.

The end game is that every single customer will have a unique user experience, achieved by taking into account different variables such as their interests, shopping patterns and so on.

#4. A clear brand identity and a touch of humility won’t go awry

Having a clear brand identity is something that has helped SecretEscapes, a members only club for handpicked luxury deals, to define a clear content strategy. Great content is at the heart of this firm’s value proposition, so much so that they will turn down potential business if a hotel partner’s website doesn’t stack up.

Group Chief Executive Tom Valentine argues that content, and how you wrap it up in an interesting, truthful and aesthetically pleasing way, and then deliver it to the right audience, on the right device and in the right channel, is key to success in an overcrowded market.

For Cellini, it’s better to be a bit humble and to have specific knowledge in a particular area, rather than trying to be all things to all men. Indeed, firms that claim to be best at everything – and then let their customers down – may struggle to build trust.

#5. Content requires a 360° approach

‪Most travel brands today are already doing text, video, images and so on, but not necessarily in a strategic way. Given that 3 billion videos are watched on Facebook each day, and travel is the most popular category, not taking this seriously is a no-brainer.  

Whether it is on social media, via mobile, email or an online travel guide, brands need to reflect all possible types of content and be relevant on every channel and in all places that users may be looking for it.

“The future of content strategy is going to be personalised storytelling for the different types of users,” says Cellini.

What this means is that brands will need a 360° integrated content strategy that includes all media types including user generated content. 

Only the brands that effectively use the increasing amounts of data available on travellers to deliver highly personal and relevant, yet subtle experience, will survive.

Don’t miss TDS Europe in London, May 23-24, where ODIGEO, Skyscanner and Venere will be speaking alongside other big names in online travel