Here at World Words, we produce written travel content for clients from all sectors of the travel world, from print magazines to airlines, tour operators to online travel agencies, and \u2013 of course \u2013 hotels. Content marketing is very much a key part of hotel marketing strategy. So much so that hotel brands are no longer discussing why they need content, but rather how best to employ thoughtful and successful\u00a0content programmes.<\/p>\n

As a travel writing agency, we frequently find ourselves juggling lots of different projects at the same time. And in doing so, we\u2019ve learned a thing or two about content planning. Which is why we decided to pen a blog post on the importance of timing for hotel content marketing and specifically, the importance of having an editorial calendar. And much to our delight, our article was published on the travel-focused news website, Tnooz<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Want to find out what we had to say on the topic? Simply scroll below to read the full piece.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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When creating online travel content, it is tempting to come up with brand new ideas as you go along. After all, travel is all about spontaneity; it\u2019s the off-the-cuff experiences that often make the greatest impressions. However, as anybody who has found themselves in Alaska armed with nothing but tiny Speedos and factor 50 sunscreen will attest, a little forward planning can go a very long way.<\/p>\n

Having a good content marketing strategy for your hotel will often mean juggling dozens of different tasks.
\nYour social media statuses need to be updated, online chats and conversations need to be monitored, blog posts need to be written, edited and scheduled, images need to be sourced and uploaded, websites need to be updated, videos need to be produced\u2026 and so on.<\/p>\n

With so much different content to produce, it\u2019s very easy to let something slip your memory, yet there\u2019s little more detrimental to a hotel\u2019s brand image than stagnant blogs and sluggish social feeds. So what\u2019s the solution for combating future content drought?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s simple: make an editorial calendar.<\/p>\n

What is an editorial calendar?<\/strong>
\nAn editorial calendar, or content calendar, is a shareable resource that allows you and your team to plan and keep track of your content marketing, ensuring your hotel has a steady flow of content.<\/p>\n

The more visual your calendar is, the better. A mere glance should reveal what you have planned for the week.
\nYou should be able to glean what content is being created and by whom, what stage the content is at, where it will be published or promoted and who the target audience is. Colour coding is key.<\/p>\n

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Do I really need one?<\/strong>
\nThe answer is almost always yes. A content calendar helps you to think strategically and to plan your content beyond just today and tomorrow.<\/p>\n

An effective calendar can keep your content on track, helping you avoid stalled goals, missed deadlines and sleepy social feeds.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, an editorial calendar also helps maximise the impact of your content too. For instance, a well-kept calendar is a great way to ensure a blog post is not left to wither and waste on your hotel website, but is promoted and championed across online channels.<\/p>\n

How do I create one?<\/strong>
\nCreating a content calendar from scratch can be daunting at the outset, but there is no need to re-invent the wheel \u2013 this is the time to borrow from others. There are lots of pre-made Excel templates to choose from online or you can use Google Calendar and Google Tasks. Other editorial calendar plug-ins, some of which have a small monthly fee, can help with more complex content plans.<\/p>\n

Our top five tips<\/strong>
\nKeep things as simple as possible<\/em>
\nWhatever platform you choose, remember that this is a tool to help you, not confuse you, so only include what is necessary and expand and adjust as needed. If all you have right now is a monthly blog update, a simple document may do. If you have several blogs, multiple social streams, podcasts, YouTube channels and more, you might need something more comprehensive.<\/p>\n

Identify your audience and content goals<\/em>
\nIf you haven\u2019t already decided who you are trying to appeal to, now is the time. Remember, you don\u2019t have to restrict yourself to one demographic. For instance, you might consider holidaying families to be your primary target, with business travellers as a secondary and honeymooners as a tertiary target group.\u00a0Once you\u2019ve identified the various audience types, decide how much of your content to devote to each. You may give over 60% of the total content to your key target audience, with smaller proportions directed at the other groups.<\/p>\n

Highlight important calendar dates<\/em>
\nMark out busy dates and events for your hotel, such as school breaks, Christmas, Halloween and other major holidays, as well as important company events that you might want to publish content around, such as a new restaurant opening, a special event happening in the hotel or a one-off deal.<\/p>\n

Check out local tourist board events calendars<\/em>
\nSee what\u2019s happening near your hotel and note all events that may be relevant to your target audience in your editorial calendar. Every hotel should have expert knowledge of its region, and sharing useful information about local events will help beef up your authority. Add in recurring deadlines for regular content, such as bi-monthly podcasts, weekly blog posts or email newsletters too.<\/p>\n

Consider it a work in progress<\/em>
\nAn editorial calendar should evolve and adapt to your needs. Don\u2019t forget to allocate time on the calendar for brainstorming ideas and pitching so you can continue updating it.<\/p>\n

Once you get used to using one, you\u2019ll wonder how you ever survived without it.<\/p>\n

To see the article as it appeared on Tnooz, simply click here<\/a>. Or visit our portfolio<\/a> to see more examples of written travel content from our expert writers. Want us to help map out\u00a0your hotel\u2019s content strategy? Then just get in touch<\/a>. You can also\u00a0connect on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>, where we share more travel content\u00a0tips and techniques.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here at World Words, we produce written travel content for clients from all sectors of the travel world, from print magazines to airlines, tour operators to online travel agencies, and \u2013 of course \u2013 hotels. Content marketing is very much … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[889],"tags":[1296,1324,1492,1493,1494,1495,1496,1497,1498,1499,149,1500,896,1501,903,1045,1051,1085],"yoast_head":"\n