Marketing
That sound you just heard was me hefting my considerable weight onto an already creaking bandwagon. But following on from Ewen Bell‘s magnificent video explanation of how to become a travel writer, I thought I’d give a few marketing tips in a visual format as well… I feel that I ought to, at this point, [...]
Ten tips for getting yourself noticed: PART ONE In recent times, I have come across a number of really interesting projects – be they unusual tours, genuinely excellent B&Bs or quirky experiences. And there seem to be some common themes with them. Firstly, they’re small, independent operations run by one or two people without [...]
When in Rome… By and large, I like to go with a “when in Rome” policy. If the traditional owners don’t want you to climb Uluru, you don’t do it; if walking around in shorts is deemed offensive in certain countries, you stick to trousers; if public displays of affection are frowned upon, then you [...]
Continue reading about Cultural expectations – is the onus on the visitor or the host?
For those who missed it, Google announced a major change to how its search engine works yesterday. It’ll be rolled out gradually, and only for those with the most up-to-date web browsers. Essentially what will happen is that the search results will update as you type, with suggested search terms appearing in the search box [...]
Targeting high-end travellers A common theme tends to emerge when I speak to tourist board representatives. The new strategy, it seems largely across the board, is to target affluent, high-end travellers. The idea is to look for those who spend fairly big while they’re on holiday rather than go for numbers and appeal to mass-market [...]
Continue reading about Why tourist boards shouldn’t forget about the backpackers
The freebie debate The debate about whether journalists and bloggers should accept freebies is so old and hoary that I’m reluctant to bring it up again. But my recent experience in Germany shed a bit of new light on it for me, so tough, back to the well-chewed territory… For those not in the know, [...]
Continue reading about Travel writing and freebies: The bias that matters
Close encounters of the guidebook kind This morning, I had what I thought was an extraordinarily encounter. Guide book writers may be more acquainted with it than I am. But, to me, it just didn’t make sense. I am currently in Bath, researching a city guide for a major Australian newspaper. As part of that, [...]
Continue reading about Lesson for hoteliers: How to disappear from the guidebooks and lose customers
Round the world trip As some of my regular readers may be aware, I recently spent two months travelling around Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Singapore. I was on a somewhat whistlestop round-the-world trip, and I primarily did it because I had a number of commissions for various clients in the UK and Australia. [...]
Continue reading about Corporate blogging: Does it compromise a writer’s independence and integrity?
A lesson learned Last November, I learned a valuable lesson. We were half-planning a Caribbean holiday, when we saw flights to the Seychelles for under £400. Figuring we’d never be able to get there as cheaply again, we snapped the tickets up and decided to take the opportunity to do a famous luxury destination on [...]
Continue reading about An important travel lesson: When good deals make for bad holidays
A PR’s job I am acutely aware that there is more to doing travel PR than forever leaping every time a journalist clicks their fingers. In fact, some PRs may argue that dealing with journalists only forms a small part of their job. But it is a part of the job nonetheless, and the whole [...]
Continue reading about One common mistake that PR companies make – and how to fix it