With more and more consumers doing their holiday travel booking online, this is a potentially high-traffic season for your website. But once the holidays have come and gone, how can you keep that momentum going? These three link building strategies for travel brands can put your customers to work for you this holiday season, using social media to encourage the projected 90 million holiday travelers to share your content and increase website visits into the New Year and beyond.
Encourage social sharing. Amazon.com is a great example of a retailer maximizing social sharing to increase link building. After completing a purchase, buyers are encouraged to share what they just bought on popular social networks like Facebook and Twitter, thereby inviting their connections to visit the site. In addition to including a social sharing app like AddThis, consider adding an auto suggestion box to your travel booking site. Customize this feature to generate links from your site’s blog about attractions, restaurants, and hotels near your customer’s chosen destination. For example, if your customer has booked a flight to Las Vegas, they might see ‘Top 3 Resorts in Las Vegas’ or ‘Best Places to Dine on the Strip’ on their confirmation page. By showing your readers content they are genuinely interested in, they are more likely to both engage with your site and share it with friends.
Host a contest. To further excite your customers and fans, consider hosting a contest on your website. For example, invite travelers to create a YouTube video about why they deserve a free hotel stay at your property or free flight on your airline. Host the top ten videos on your website and create a Twitter hashtag like #MyBrandHolidayGiveaway so participants can direct their friends to your site. Allow visitors to vote and comment on videos, with the most interactions determining the winner. This not only generates social buzz that further amplifies your brand, but it will help build more high-quality contextual links back to your site. You’re also likely to receive some fun and potentially moving user-generated content, a big win during the holiday season.
Give back to the community. Last, but certainly not least, you can create a charity campaign to celebrate the true meaning of the holiday season. After customers finish booking their travel arrangements, let them know that a percentage of net proceeds will be donated to a certain charity. This can encourage people to talk and link back to you on social media in an effort to let their friends know about your campaign. You can also create a poll for an added level of user engagement and allow your customers to vote on which charity they want the donation to go to. Be sure to share the results of the campaign after the new year to attract new and returning visitors to your site.
Social media is a powerful tool for building links back to your website. Harnessing your customers’ sharing power and reach to new audiences can help bring new visitors – and potential customers – to your site, just in time for the busy holiday season. And if well-executed, your efforts could keep visitors interested throughout the coming year.