If you’re waiting for that amazing day when a luxurious resort sends you an email with an offer of an all-expenses paid vacation in return for a blog post review, don’t hold your breath. Those types of opportunities are one in a million. But you can pitch a travel review for your blog, regardless of your blog’s size with these steps!
Make connections. Use LinkedIn, Google and even Twitter to connect with resorts, hotels and attractions. A local PR agency in your target city who handles travel clients is another place to send pitches. Don’t be afraid to think small by reaching out to a local bed & breakfast too!
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Tell a story. Your pitch should NOT be “I have 5,000 Twitter followers I can tell about your resort.” Be specific about the story you’d like to tell. Maybe the city you’d like to visit has a special connection to your family’s ancestry. Is it the city where you met your spouse? Include the heart of the story on your pitch for a travel review. Tatanisha Worthey from A Mitten Full of Savings recommends, “Always send a link of a recent travel story with your email pitch. If you don’t have one, another piece that is somewhat relevant to what you may be doing.”
Ask early. Think at least eight weeks ahead when you make your travel review pitch. Give the representative time to look at their availability calendar and budget.
Seek what’s new. Ask about any recent updates to the hotel or resort. Feature them in your travel review.
Pitch a weekday or off-peak stay. Weekends are when hotels and resorts see their biggest demand, as well as charge their highest nightly rates. Although it may be harder to take time off from a full-time job to take a weekday vacation, you’ll get to enjoy the resort with less foot traffic. Off-peak visits in non-summer months have a much better chance of getting approved than a Fourth of July weekend request.
Share your coverage. After your stay, share your blog post and social shares with the PR, travel or attraction contact. If there are great Facebook comments from your social share or replies to your tweets, grab a screen shot and send them to the representative. Tag the hotel, resort or attraction on your social shares.
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Emphasize what you bring to the table in your travel review pitch and you’re bound to see success.
Comment below: Which city is on your wish list for a travel review? What story do you plan to tell when you visit?
