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The influence of Instagram for tourism marketing an interview with Lauren Bath. There is debate about influencer marketing and if Instagram actually impact visitation to tourism destinations. In this episode we talk with high profile Instagramer Lauren Bath about the influence of Instagram for tourism marketing. Chef turned photographer Lauren Bath is a self identified social media influencer due to her success on the popular photo-sharing site Instagram. With over 400,000 Instagram followers Lauren monetises her social media reach working with destinations and brands all across the world. On Tourism Tweetup the Podcast we talk with Lauren about influencer marketing and get her experience and insights on if it really works and what tourism brands and destinations need to consider to be successful when working with digital influencers.   Useful Links: http://laurenbath.com http://socialblade.com Show Notes: We kick off discussing what makes someone an online influencer and this relates to having a large audience online and that audience being highly engaged. Lauren discusses  how she is very open with her online communication and this in turn leads to trust. At the 5.30 minute mark we talk about how do you know that what you do is actually influencing travel. Please listen in here. Lauren discusses that Instagram or influencer marketing impacts the dreaming phase of travel and it is a touchpoint that gets people closer to deciding on a destination. From the 7 minute mark Lauren discusses all the other elements of working with an influencer like her that you may not be aware of. for example for every new client Lauren does an Instagram workshop. This way she makes sure that both her and the client receive maximum value from the activities. Around the 9 minute mark we talk about the importance of  the marketing mix. "I'm not saying don't do regular marketing - and I never have....but Instagram is a very important part of the strategy because there is a whole generation of people that are using social media that aren't reading the paper anymore and Instagram is a great place to reach them as it's such a hot platform right now."   At the 11 minute mark we go into detail about what is offered and expected by the influencer during a typical campaign including what is reported on. "Each destination will capture an audience from my visit. And the strength of that audience is solely dependent on how good their own Instagram account is." At about the 15.30 minute mark we discuss what destinations need to consider when hosting influencers. The number one thing destinations need to be aware of is that influencers will require a fee. Listen in for more. At the 19 minute mark we talk about the dark side of Instagram including those that are buying followers and signs you can look for. At the 23 minute mark we discuss fees and budgets. At about the 27 minute mark I ask if Instagram is getting stale or what if any innovation is happening in this space. Lauren discusses how Instagram still has a lot of life in it yet but always important to look at other platforms too. She discusses an example of a recent campaign she was part of with Tourism Dubai. Well worth a listen for more detail. The post The influence of Instagram for tourism marketing: Ep #44 appeared first on Holly G.