10 Travel Influencers to Follow in 2025

in General Marketing Insights, Social Media Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

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ver considered partnering with a travel influencer to market your property or destination? Content collaborations with influencers can be a win-win, helping expand the marketing reach for your destination while building new audiences for the influencer.

If an influencer collaboration is on your radar this year, getting familiar with some of the top travel influencers can help you get started. You’ll want to look for accounts with a social media presence — and maybe even a travel blog — that aligns with your brand’s voice, aesthetics, and style.

Even if you’re not ready to launch a collaboration, there’s a lot to learn from popular influencers about how to showcase a destination in an engaging way. Start by checking out 10 of the best travel influencers to follow in 2025 — on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or all three.

Maz Green @wheretofindme

Maz has one of the most vibrant and colorful Instagram accounts out there. Her luxe images are elegant and aspirational — not just her great food posts, like a video of kakigori being assembled (a Japanese shaved ice dessert loaded with syrups and toppings) — but also the lavish locations: the turquoise blue of a Mediterranean swimming hole, brightly painted houses on the Riviera, and the multihued decor of a lakeside hotel in Sri Lanka. Based in London and Tokyo, Maz shares her view of her two homelands, including insider tips on finding the best eats in both cities.

Caroline Foster @wilderness_addict

This New Zealand–born photographer has worked with the likes of L.L. Bean, Blundstone, and LifeStraw. Her account is packed with images of dramatic, pristine landscapes in national parks around the globe. While she occasionally showcases a property, like a treehouse retreat in the Montana forest or a backcountry cabin in British Columbia, her account focuses primarily on scenes of nature. If your property is in a misty valley surrounded by snow-frosted mountains, she’ll know exactly how to make it stand out.

Gabi and Shanna Meit-Sciara @27travels

Based in Brooklyn, this couple has a specific niche: LGBTQ travel. Their accounts and blog feel like a celebration of love — for each other, their followers, and the world, especially New York City and their “second home” in Curaçao, where Gabi has roots. With the mission of helping LGBTQ people feel safer and more informed while traveling, their beat includes the queer scene and the best LGBTQ spots to visit in cities around the globe. Whether they’re on the slopes in New York’s Catskill Mountains wearing matching ski suits, traveling by jeep through Palm Springs, or renewing their vows in a Japanese shrine, these two always convey a sense of fun and adventure.

Mikki Tenazas @mgtenazas

Aesthetic doctor by day, Mikki is also a world traveler and founder of @theglobewanderer, another travel account worth checking out. Mikki and his partner, fellow “furdad” Ric (they have 20 cats and dogs), can frequently be found in tropical locales, often via brand collaborations — on a secluded beach in Boracay in the Philippines, in the pool at the Four Seasons in Palm Beach, or on a Caribbean cruise with Virgin Voyages.

Mark Wiens @MarkWiens, @migrationology

Mark describes himself as a “full-time eater,” dedicated to tracking down the best street food and most unique eating experiences worldwide. On any given day, he might be chowing down on a spicy fish curry made with fresh-squeezed coconut milk in the Maldives; Egyptian shawarma with chopped tomatoes, baba ganoush, and mint; carnes asada in Guadalajara; or pistachio ice cream in Syria. His commentary and cooking videos are not to be missed.

Jodi Ettenberg @legalnomads

Jodi has an unusual story: She left her law career to become a travel and food writer focused on celiac-safe food, and then suffered a spinal fluid leak after a lumbar puncture (she shared her story with CNN Travel in 2022). Nowadays, she chronicles a very different journey, one of recovery and resilience. Her account offers thoughtful and authentic reflections, glimpses back to her traveling days, and tips on gluten-free eating in various cities.

Daniel Kordan @danielkordan

Scrolling this Bali-based photographer’s Instagram account feels like stepping into a dream world. An aerial view of Vietnamese women washing water lilies in the Mekong Delta, a close-up of the fantastically colored Wilson’s bird-of-paradise in the Papua New Guinea rainforest, a multicolored mountain in Kazakhstan, deep pink apricot blossoms in the mountain villages of Pakistan … his images of flora and fauna are surreally gorgeous.

Louis Cole @louiscole

On an “adventure exploring better ways to do things,” Louis is often on the move — traveling across Europe on a solar-powered scooter, shooting video from a dune buggy in the Dubai deserts, kayaking through the mangroves in Abu Dhabi — but occasionally he slows down to relax with his wife and son in Costa Rica, their home base. Photogs will enjoy his posts on the various drone and camera equipment he works with, and he also shares lots of adorable baby and couple pics, as well as more classic travel images.

Chris Burkard @chrisburkard

An award-winning American photographer, Chris takes a unique angle on the natural destinations he explores — some of his images are almost like abstract paintings, with the elements of sand, ice, snow, rock, and water as his mediums. He pairs each image with a behind-the-scenes narrative about the location and the journey that accompanied it. If you want to know more about Chris and his travels, watch his TED Talk: “The joy of surfing in ice-cold water.”

The Bucket List Family @TheBucketListFamily

When Garrett Gee sold his first app, Scan, to Snapchat, he decided to head “out of office” full-time and started a life of globe-trotting with his wife, Jessica, and their kids (they now have three). This photogenic family’s online presence is as much about parenting and kid-friendly activities as it is about travel — but with a backdrop of boats, planes, and exotic locales, like a river cruise on the Danube or freediving in Malaysia (yes, the kids, too!). The Gees recently published a children’s book with National Geographic based on their adventures.

Want support managing social media for your property or destination? Schedule a consultation with our expert team to take your account to the next level.

RELATED READING

5 Summer Content Ideas to Spice Up Your Social Media

in Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

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ast your mind back to your favorite summer memories of childhood. Can you feel the salt spray on your face and your toes sinking into the sand? Do you hear the crack of bat against ball, and the cheers filling the stadium a second later? Or maybe you taste a fresh tomato right off the vine, bursting with juicy flavor, or a cloud of cotton candy melting on your tongue.

Social media is the perfect medium for bringing to life the deliciousness of summer and reminding your followers of all their own favorite memories of the season. Here are five ways travel and hospitality brands can infuse a taste of summer into their social media presence.

1. Celebrate the Bounty of the Season

Summer is synonymous with fresh fruits and veggies, whether they come from nearby farms or a garden right on your property. Highlight your culinary offerings by featuring content built around your seasonal menus and the plethora of produce available at this time of year.

Content Inspiration:

  • Take a short video of a special seasonal dish being prepared in your kitchen with homegrown summer ingredients, such as fresh berries, watermelon, or the aforementioned juicy tomatoes right off the vine.
  • Feature high-quality images of plated entrees, from a birds-eye view or using a super close-up angle, and ask followers to identify the summery ingredients on each plate.
  • Use a carousel post or an Instagram reel to share recipes of your guests’ favorite summer dishes at your property — something simple like a summer cocktail or a fruit-based dessert.

Pro tip: Consider speeding up videos of food or cooking, as they can feel long and repetitive otherwise — but they’re supremely satisfying when viewed at a quicker pace.

2. Tap Into Local Activities

Wherever your business is located, there are likely multiple activities and offerings you can tap into throughout the summer months to give your followers a sense of the cultural scene in your area.

Content Inspiration:

  • If your city or town has a baseball or softball team (even a decent Little League team!), go out to the ballfield and capture some footage, paired with classic baseball quotes in your caption to stir up a sense of nostalgia.
  • Take a GoPro video weaving through a local farmers’ market or craft festival, and let your followers know when they can experience it for themselves — you could even offer a small discount or perk if they make a reservation in connection with the event.
  • Use an old-timey sepia filter on still images of a carnival or state fair in your region, and share them via a carousel post.

Pro tip: Connect with a staff person before taking and posting images or video content. They’ll likely be excited to have their event, game, or venue highlighted — and they may have insider tips and ideas for content.

3. Put Your Blooms on Display

Summer is the season of blossoming! Make the most of it by featuring the eye-catching flora around your property.

Content Inspiration:

  • Film your groundskeeper giving a tour of special spots on the property — if you don’t have gardens on site, showcase an extravagant summery centerpiece or water feature.
  • Take a time-lapse video of day-blooming summer flowers — morning glories, day lilies, and California poppies — as they open their petals at dawn.

Pro tip: Gently mist flowers and foliage before taking photos and video, to add sparkle and simulate dew or rain.

4. Light Up the Night

One of 2025’s top travel trends is “noctourism” — the pursuit of unique nighttime experiences (think: seeing the Northern Lights or watching bioluminescent illumination in the water). While those natural phenomena might not be accessible on your property, you can create mini “noctourist attractions” that take advantage of what you do have on site, and capture them for social media.

Content Inspiration:

  • Schedule a full-moon yoga class with live music on the beach or a rooftop deck, and create an Instagram reel that shows what the event will look like.
  • Design romantic outdoor seating arrangements, like cozy couches canopied by strings of outdoor lights. Post images of each setup, with engaging captions like “Picture yourself here” or “Would you like a seat?”
  • Instead of a “man on the street” video, do a “person on the lawn” shoot just before a fireworks show in your area: As dusk begins to fall, get people of all ages to answer an easy question (like “What’s your favorite thing about summer?”) and edit the best quotes together for a 90-second Instagram reel. Make sure to catch the first firework to use as the final frame.

Pro tip: Use Night mode on your iPhone to capture great images in low-light conditions.

5. Lean Into Iconic Summer Moments

There are a few perennial summertime experiences that live on in our collective imagination, whether or not we’ve actually lived them — like picnicking in a grassy meadow, canoeing down a lazy river, or sipping a cold drink on a steamy night. If you can find creative ways to activate that sweet summer nostalgia, you’ll have fashioned a memorable moment that will bring followers back to you time and again.

Content Inspiration:

  • Create a picnic basket “unwrapping video.” Launch a summer picnic offering for guests with picnic lunches to go packed inside old-fashioned picnic baskets, and take a stop-motion video for social media that lets viewers see each item inside — consider tiny jars of jam, crusty baguettes, individual fruit tarts, a mini board game, and, of course, a red-and-white-checked picnic blanket.
  • Share video of seasonal cocktails being mixed, maybe a watermelon margarita or a citrusy negroni, or feature a frosty glassful silhouetted against the sunset — and include a link to the recipe.
  • Get GoPro video from a boat or paddleboard on the closest body of water — ocean, river, pond, or lake — ideally at golden hour (just before sunset and just after sunrise).

Pro tip: Check out our tips for capturing better content on your iPhone, including how to work with light, angles, and the rule of thirds.

Want Hawthorn Creative’s expert content team to help bring your seasonal social media ideas to life? Discover our approach to social media marketing.

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10 Travel and Destination Blogs We Love

in Content Marketing, Destination Marketing Organizations, Hotels & Resorts by Hawthorn Editorial

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hinking about launching a blog focused on your unique destination, boutique hotel, or worldwide family of properties? We picked 10 of our favorite travel and destination blogs to inspire you.

Before we get into our top picks, a word on what makes a great travel and destination blog. First and foremost, unique takes from real (human!) writers. Next, a strong point of view that allows them to add something fresh to the massive amount of Google-able information already out there about any given place on earth. And of course, great photos are a must-have, whether they’re fun selfies or gorgeous National Geographic–worthy images.

In no particular order, here are some of our favorite travel and destination blogs that meet all those criteria, plus a couple of bonus blogs produced by our Hawthorn Creative team. Their layouts, offerings, and content will provide plenty of fodder for designing or ramping up your own blog.

The Blonde Abroad

This is perhaps the most Instagram-ready blog on our list, packed with pics of its author sporting adorable sundresses and jumpsuits in exotic locales — but Kiki is the real deal, with the passport stamps to prove it (metaphorically anyway). A California native, she left her career in corporate finance in 2011 and has now visited more than 70 countries. This is a great source for solo female travelers to get destination recommendations and tips for planning ahead and navigating challenges. Her packing guides, travel outfits, and destination recommendations based on your astrological sign are all great inspiration for creating your own shareable posts.

Along Dusty Roads

Like Kiki, UK-based Andrew and Emily quit their jobs to devote their lives to traveling and writing about their adventures — which often take place on foot through awe-inspiring landscapes. Whether they’re covering popular destinations like Cinque Terre, Santorini, and Mexico City, or off the beaten track searching for quetzals along the Pipeline Trail in Boquete, Panama, they offer a bounty of information, often broken down into user-friendly fact boxes. The couple prioritizes “responsible, slow, and sustainable” travel, and the blog is heavy on trails, waterfalls, and beaches, illustrated by their gorgeous photos.

Marriott Bonvoy Traveler

The official travel guide and editorial voice of Marriott Bonvoy, this blog is jam-packed with serviceable destination content and trip inspiration. From vacation ideas for milestone birthdays and train-centric journeys to blog posts centered around distinct hotel experiences, the major hotel brand’s loyalty program publishes content that deftly balances marketing its properties with providing valuable tips for world travelers.

Nomadic Matt

For travelers on a budget, this blog by a New York Times best-selling author focuses on how to travel both affordably and well. You’ll find listicles like “9 Destinations Under $50 a Day” and “How to Eat Cheap Around the World” (Matt’s five-block rule is an example of his simple, savvy advice), alongside thoughtful posts like his reflections on whether traveling is really running away. This is not a blog to daydream by, but Matt is definitely the dude you want to consult on the practicalities, from finding deals on airfare and accommodations, to picking the best travel credit card, to saving money at home so you can leave home more often.

Expert Vagabond

This blog features another American native named Matt, who recently relocated to France with his wife and kids (he sometimes travels with the family in tow). This Matt also offers lots of detailed advice, with posts on super-specific topics like driving in Costa Rica, using virtual mailbox services, and renting a gondola in Venice. His blog is also heavy on tips for itinerant photographers like him, including reviews for travel tripods, camera backpacks, and online photography classes, as well as insights on becoming a “digital nomad.”

Adventurous Kate

Boston-born Kate is another blogger who left a traditional life behind to go on the road; now based in Prague, she’s been traveling for 14 years and has visited 89 countries. Her blog has a cozy feel, like you’re sitting down with her for a glass of wine and hearing a few of her fabulous travel stories, including her worst moments. Like Kiki of The Blonde Abroad, she’s especially interested in helping women safely travel solo, and she brings political and social awareness to her blogging. While Kate has been absolutely everywhere, perhaps her most extensive coverage is of Italy, one of her favorite destinations.

The Planet D

Dave and Deb are yet another couple who spend much of their time circling the globe. Named one of the Top 10 Travel Influencers in the world by Forbes, their blog offers detailed itineraries, destination guides, and what they call “bucket list experiences,” like safaris, historical sites, and the best beaches and hikes in the world. While Dave and Deb’s style is a bit less personalized than some of the other blogs on our list, they make up for that with the scope of their offerings, spanning food, attractions, accommodations, and tips for destinations across 130 countries.

Mosaic Traveler

Benchmark Resorts & Hotels comprises an impressive portfolio of properties, so naturally, the brand offers up an equally impressive collection of travel-focused blog posts on its website. Covering major trends in the travel world — think astrotourism and Western-themed “cowboycations” — and leaning on the expertise of freelance travel journalists, the company’s blog page is full of helpful guides, itineraries, and travel tips. (For even more editorial content from Benchmark Resorts & Hotels, check out their most recent custom magazine, produced annually by our Hawthorn Creative team!)

Green Global Travel

For travelers looking to see the world sustainably, Bret and Mary have carved out their own niche with a site focused on ecotourism. Their go-to guide for sustainable travel, wildlife conservation, and cultural preservation is ideal for nature lovers, hikers, foodies, and those seeking less-trodden paths, like the best places in Europe to avoid crowds. Along with profiling places, they also provide wisdom on being a better global citizen — such as supporting local communities when you travel and choosing responsible ways to see amazing animals.

Atlas Obscura

This community-sourced site gathers content from hundreds of travelers, who have together created what they term “a comprehensive database of the world’s most wondrous places and foods.” It’s a jam-packed bazaar, highlighting destinations, food, and attractions as “obscure” as the name promises: living root bridges in India, Maultaschen dumplings in Germany, the Museum of Fluorescent Art in Amsterdam, and on … and on … and on. For inspo, start in the Stories section, or navigate to a specific country to find posts on everything from non-touristy things to do in Paris to Florida’s best snorkeling spots — and just about everything in between.

Of course, we’d be remiss not to mention a couple of standout travel and destination blogs produced by our team of talented writers: First up, the Destination Concepts Inc. (DCi) blog — chock-full of inspirational, educational content from the destination management company’s seasoned event planners, from tips for coordinating event transportation to crafting festival season celebrations in Palm Springs.

There’s also the New Hampshire Lakes Region’s blog, called The Current, which serves as a one-stop shop on local happenings from Winnisquam to Winnipesauke. Whether you’re a Lakes Region resident looking to get to know the area better or are planning a visit to the scenic slice of The Granite State, you’ll find all the information you could hope for on what makes the region so special — think: hiking trails, historic landmarks, and top-notch eateries.

Want support crafting your own blog focused on your destination? Here’s how we can help you make it stand out.

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5 Must-Have Elements on Your Wedding Venue Website

in Event Venues, Websites by Hawthorn Editorial

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ver the years, we’ve designed several websites for wedding venues — like the eco-friendly estate Twenty Mile House and a historic venue at our old office space, called The Hawthorn. So, we’ve learned a thing or two about the non-negotiable items that every venue should have on its website. Consider this a tried-and-true checklist of the most important pages, forms, and other elements that will transform your wedding venue website from a simple dot-com into a strategic and stunning marketing asset — one that will get newly engaged couples to fall in love at first click.

1. High-Quality Photography (and Video)

The number one element you can’t skip for your wedding website? Top-notch photography. A picture is worth a thousand words, after all, and photos from real weddings hosted at your venue will go a long way in convincing prospective couples that they can turn their dream wedding into a reality at your venue. Soon-to-weds want to envision what their future wedding could look like — from where their grand entrance will take place to the dance floor they’ll be taking to once they’ve said “I do.” Seeing what the property looks like in the daylight versus nighttime, and with various decor styles, can emphasize the versatility of your venue. We also recommend incorporating video footage on your site, which can serve to make your homepage hero more interactive and engaging than simple static imagery (check out Mankin Mansion’s website to see what we mean!).

2. An Overview of Spaces

You’ll want a dedicated landing page that dives deeper into each of the spaces available at your venue. From the bridal suite to ceremony and reception spaces, outline what prospective couples can expect in every corner of your property — and put those aforementioned high-resolution photos to use. You’ll also want your copy to really sing here. Is your venue romantic? Rustic? Modern? Historic? Convey the unique charm of these spaces with vivid, descriptive language that rivals the experience of an in-person venue tour.

3. Packages & Pricing Information

To show pricing or not to show pricing: that is the question! In general, we recommend that wedding website clients clearly define their packages — you certainly don’t want to drive away interested couples by burying your pricing, services, and package information on a hard-to-find corner of the website (or by not including it on your website at all). One useful strategy is to offer a brochure as gated content, meaning users will first provide basic contact information in order to download it. This way, you aren’t turning away potential clients in the initial awareness stage. They’ve had time to explore all your venue has to offer and get ready to take those next steps. (Psst: If you need help putting together an event brochure that converts, let’s talk!)

4. Glowing Reviews and Client Testimonials

Sure, you and your team know how fabulous your wedding venue is. But that alone may not be enough to convince soon-to-weds to select your venue. Prospective couples want to feel assured that your wedding venue is the absolute, number one right choice for them. What better way to convince them than with stories and testimonials from happy couples who tied the knot there themselves? Consider reaching out to couples a few weeks after their wedding and ask them to share their feedback — either on social media, Google Reviews, or websites like The Knot.

5. Clear Contact Information

You’ll need killer CTAs throughout your website, and in that same vein, you’ll need to make it abundantly clear how people can schedule a tour, download an event brochure, or book a consultation. In addition to CTAs strategically sprinkled on multiple landing pages, incorporate a contact page on your site so people can quickly learn how to get in touch with your team. You’d

Other Website Pages & Elements We Recommend:

  • Our Story — This webpage can share how your venue came to be, introduce the people working behind-the-scenes to coordinate the celebrations, and give readers a glimpse into what makes your property unique (is it a historic building, for example?).
  • Blog – A robust blog page can help drive traffic to your website, answer prospective couples’ questions, and show off your wedding industry expertise. If you want to publish regular trend-focused, SEO blog content, give us a shout — our in-house content writers are experts at whipping up blog copy that balances editorial storytelling with sales and marketing objectives.
  • FAQs – Odds are, newly engaged couples clicking through your website are going to encounter a question or two about your venue. Do you have a preferred vendor list? How many guests can they invite? What’s your weather contingency plan for outdoor ceremonies? Address the questions you notice popping up again and again on an easy-to-find FAQ page.

A final note as you’re considering this checklist for your wedding venue website: Make sure you’re communicating your venue’s brand story and unique selling points at every turn. While this list can serve as a helpful guide, you ultimately know what makes your venue one-of-a-kind — and when you partner with an agency that knows how to turn your story into an aesthetic and engaging website, that’s when your venue’s marketing presence will truly shine.

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How To Capture Better Content on Your iPhone

in Photography & Video by Hawthorn Editorial

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he quote “a picture is worth a thousand words” dates back to 1911, but it’s just as true today, as long as the “picture” encompasses photos and videos. Even a writer must admit that no adjectives can capture an atmosphere — whether it’s a cozy, candle-lit bistro, the view from a hotel balcony onto an ocean sunset, or the serene beauty of a wedding venue surrounded by cherry blossoms — as powerfully as even the simplest iPhone camera.

That’s why it’s so important for hospitality marketers to have updated images and videos of their destination to share across platforms. But getting the shots doesn’t have to be a chore, particularly if you keep in mind that authentic, human content has become increasingly valued in the age of AI. Don’t be afraid to focus on charming flaws (like a crumbling statue in the courtyard), genuine moments (a child splashing his brother in the pool), or even rainy days (because, let’s face it, they happen!).

Here, we offer up a short-and-sweet guide to the basics of iPhone photography, to help you overcome perfectionism and feel more confident when gathering visual content of your property or destination.

1. Look for the Light

Before you take a picture, ask yourself: What is drawing your eye? Our gaze is typically pulled to the brightest spot in a scene, so work with it, and make that light your central focus. You might want to capture the light itself — sunbeams on water, for example — or direct the light onto your focal point, whether that’s a person, place, or thing.

  • Get the light in their eyes: In portraits, you want to see light in the subject’s eyes; if the sun is too bright, have them step into shade, while still facing the light. Indoors, consider placing your subject near a window.
  • Be there at the right time of day: The golden hour (the hours just before sunset and just after sunrise) casts everything in a warm, golden glow, and is an ideal time to photograph landscapes, nature, and architecture. By contrast, overhead light, like ceiling fixtures or the midday sun, creates harsh shadows.
  • Avoid competing light sources and qualities: Turn off indoor lights when you’re shooting by a window, or pull down the window shade if your room or subject is lit by a lamp. Here are more tips for shooting interior spaces.

2. Do a Background Check

How many great photos have been ruined by a tree limb growing out of someone’s head, or a telephone pole bisecting a glorious landscape? While some background blunders can be fixed in editing, it’s better to avoid them up front so there’s less work to do later.

  • Check, please: Before shooting, look behind your subject and at all four corners of your image with an eye toward distractions.
  • Sidestep the issue: You don’t necessarily have to move your subject to eliminate the intrusion; instead, slightly shift the framing by stepping to the side, kneeling, or zooming in.
  • Stay simple: If you’re taking portraits, keep your background as simple as possible — a brick wall or weathered barn siding, for example, works better than busy scenes or detailed decor.

3. Find the Right Angle

If you have an iPhone Pro or Pro Max, you’ve got access to a telephoto lens, which is more flattering than wide angle for portraits in particular. Go for a wider angle when you want to focus on a larger scene or place a person within a specific background, like a gardener against a field of daffodils, or a chef in her kitchen.

  • Try shooting from different perspectives: Look up, shoot from above, get low, get high. Frame a shot and then move your phone just a couple of inches to see what’s changed and if it’s more interesting.
  • Keep an eye out for natural framing devices: Try shooting through archways, through doorways, or between leafy boughs.
  • Play with different iPhone modes and apps: Portrait mode brings your subject into focus by gently softening the background. To activate burst mode, hold down the shutter button to quickly take multiple photos; this is ideal for getting lots of group shots or capturing a subject in motion. Play around with different apps, too, such as Slow Shutter, which gives your photos artsy effects like light trails, blurred motion (great for traffic or moving water), and double exposures.

4. Use the Rule of Thirds

With iPhone photography, composition is everything, and there are two settings designed specifically to assist with alignment and balance. In the Settings for Camera, toggle on the Grid and Level options. The Level feature helps you take images and video straight on; it uses a light to indicate when your phone camera is level with the ground, helping you avoid content with tilted or uneven perspectives.

The Grid feature divides your image into a 3×3 grid, like a tic-tac-toe board, allowing you to more easily tap into the “rule of thirds.” This composition guideline dictates that the important elements of the photo should be placed along these lines or at their intersections, often with the primary subject in either the left or right third. Here are some ways to use it:

  • Watch for lines: Place a horizon, road, or waterline along the bottom or top line of the grid to create a dynamic composition with a strong through-line.
  • Place subjects to the side: Compose your shot so a person, building, or other focal point is in the right or left third of the image. With portraits, try aligning the person’s shoulders with a horizontal line and placing their face between two vertical lines.
  • Experiment with the grid, but don’t lock yourself into it: While the rule of thirds tends to be pleasing to the human eye, it’s a guide, not a law.

5. Fix It in Post

Applying basic editing and processing techniques can take your images to the next level. There’s lots you can do right in the iPhone app, but other apps, such as Adobe Lightroom, offer you more control. Start with learning simple fixes, like how to make your photos lighter or darker, and how to fix a slanted horizon that’s throwing off the perspective of the shot.

Be warned, however: It can be easy to overprocess photos, so try these tips to keep your images authentic:

  • Edit in stages: Do a little editing, then step away for a moment so you can get a fresh look when you come back.
  • Pull it back: Process a photo to a point you like — and then pull back the effects by about a third to make sure you haven’t gone too far.
  • Don’t go wild with filters: If you use filters to enhance color and contrast, such as VSCO Presets, use the same ones over time to maintain a consistent look and feel that represents your brand.

Where to Put Your Pictures

Once you’ve snagged your perfectly imperfect images and video, where to use them? Here are the most important ways to showcase fresh visual content on an ongoing basis:

  • Authentic social media posts: Stiff and overly posed is out, real is in. Use your content to tell genuine stories — like profiling a beloved staff member — and to give followers a behind-the-scenes peek at daily activities, like event prep, flower arranging, or turning down a room.
  • Inspiring call-to-action videos: To drive engagement and conversion, focus on the guest experience, not the property amenities. Here are a few examples. These can live on your website, embedded in blogs as well as on pages focused on specific topics. Use images and video to highlight a new seasonal menu or recent upgrades to your wedding venue.
  • Enticing email campaigns: Almost anything you use on social media or your website can be translated into email for your list. Just remember to keep the mobile view in mind, as that’s the way most people consume content — for example, avoid using multiple images at the top of an email to reduce scroll depth.

Last but not least, keep the spark alive! Don’t take your iPhone for granted: Once upon a time, we couldn’t have imagined having a pocket-sized camera right there whenever we needed it. Instead of viewing content production as an endless churn, view iPhone photography as an opportunity to easily and effectively capture real moments. And if you need a bit of help deciding where these photos and videos fit into your marketing collateral, give us a shout.

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5 Tips for Writing Irresistible CTAs Every Marketer Should Know

in Content Marketing, Email Marketing, General Marketing Insights by Hawthorn Editorial

A CTA (call to action) may consist of just a wee little bit of text, but it’s arguably one of the most important bits of copy involved in your business’s digital marketing ecosystem. This word, phrase, or sentence – which usually lives in the form of a button – is what prompts your audience to take a specific action. And that action is usually clicking on a link to move a potential customer further down the funnel and toward conversion, whether you deem that as a purchase, a contact form submission, or something entirely different. Imagine it akin to a giant flashing arrow sign to “GO HERE,” ultimately helping to direct your customer to your ideal end goal.

But a CTA that simply states “Click Here” doesn’t always cut it. It needs to hook. It needs to engage. It needs to intrigue. So how do you make sure that this tiny bit of text is truly going to work for you on the various pages of your website, in your email marketing, organic and paid social, and various other forms of digital content? You study these five key rules for constructing a killer CTA that begs to be clicked.

1. Be Clear & Concise

Limiting your CTA to less than five words is ideal (however, there are cases when you do see longer CTAs that are equally effective). The reasoning for this is that simple statements are easy for users to read and make a snap judgment about. When your CTA is too wordy, you’re asking your user to consider too much, usually resulting in them taking no action at all. The more concise your CTA, the easier it is for a user to decide whether to click.

EXAMPLES:

  • “Get Started”
  • “Subscribe Now”
  • “Join Free Today”
  • “Give It a Try”

2. Begin with a Command Verb

Again, it’s all about being clear in the action you want readers to take — and believe it or not, people want you to tell them what to do (that’s how they evaluate if it’s an action they want to take). That means starting the CTA with a command verb or directive — something that tells them to “do this.”

EXAMPLES:

  • “Download Our New E-Book” instead of “Our Latest E-book Is Available”
  • “Send Me Specials Now” instead of “Here’s Where Sign-up to Receive Specials”
  • “Claim Your Free Trial” instead of “Your Free Trial Awaits”

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3. Use Active or Power Words

On a similar note, the words you use should feel active and powerful versus passive and plain. This helps solidify your brand’s authority and evoke emotion that encourages a user to click.

EXAMPLES:

  • “Skyrocket Your Sales” versus “Increase Your Sales”
  • “Claim This Once-in-a-Lifetime Offer” versus “Claim This Important Offer”
  • “Prepare to Be Inspired” versus “See These Inspiring Examples”

4. Spark a Sense of Urgency

Don’t be afraid to play up a little FOMO! Use your CTA to compel your visitor to take an immediate action (think something akin to the old TV ads proclaiming “call in the next 60 minutes to get this exclusive offer!”). Time-sensitive words, in particular, convey a sense of urgency.

EXAMPLES:

  • “Hurry. Offer Ends in 24 Hours”
  • “Get Your Free E-Book Today”
  • “Book Now & Get 25% Off”

5. Ignite Curiosity, Intrigue & Anticipation

A good curiosity-evoking CTA hints at the result of whatever story you’re going to tell in your content, without giving too much more. Essentially, you are connecting your audience with something they really want by getting them eager to learn more about how they can achieve it.

EXAMPLES:

  • “Discover a Cocktail Tailored to Your Taste”
  • “See What 21 Leads in <1 Day Looks Like”

Other Important Design Features Associated with a Strong CTA

Whether you’re using CTAs on your website landing page, in your blog content, email, or social media, here are a few other key design elements to make sure they stand out enough for users to click.

  • Visibility: Use visual cues to indicate “this is clickable” by putting your CTA in a button, color block, an underline or outline, or paired with an arrow-like element (arrows usually indicate that the text will take you somewhere new). Also, include plenty of negative space surrounding your CTA to make it stand out.
  • Size: If the CTA is too small in size, a visitor or subscriber might not notice it; too large, and it can compete with or overshadow the other content on the page.
  • Consistency in Treatment: Once you nail down the best way to visually treat your CTA, keep it consistent so that users begin to identify and understand, especially as they navigate your site, that those elements indicate “click here.”
  • Amount: Too many CTAs on the same page can conflict with one another and confuse readers about what to click, which can result in them clicking nothing at all.

Last But Not Least: Test Multiple CTAs To See What Works

A/B testing is essentially the marketing version of throwing pasta at the wall and seeing what sticks. You want to test out multiple CTAs in order to know which ones best capture your audience’s attention. For email campaigns, this could look like creating two emails for different segments of your audience, altering only the CTA, and seeing which receives more clicks. (Platforms like Mailchimp and Hubspot have specific directions on A/B testing.)

 

Does all the above sound great, but you’re not sure how to put it into action (nor have the time)?

Our team of designers, writers, and strategists is at your digital disposal. Just drop us a line any time.

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8 Social Media Updates for Marketers to Know in 2025

in Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

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ocial media — whether you love it or hate it, you can’t live without it as a hospitality brand. Building engagement is essential, and to do so effectively, you need to know about the seemingly countless social media updates happening on the daily. In this post, we focus on a handful of major updates from the past year or so that will change how hospitality marketers approach their social strategy in 2025.

1. Instagram’s New Vertical Aspect Ratio

In mid-January 2025, Instagram made a paradigm-shifting change (literally), switching from the iconic square format to a vertical one (4:5 ratio). While many users are grieving the demise of their perfectly symmetrical grids, Meta says it made the change to accommodate the fact that most photos and videos uploaded to the platform are vertical; this way, users don’t have to crop their content to avoid distortion. (If you’re unhappy with how the change has impacted the thumbnails of your old square posts, you can make it better by tapping the three dots next to the post, selecting Adjust Preview, and choosing either Fit or Fill.)

Going forward, you can still upload square images and videos, but they’ll be automatically cropped with black borders added at the top and bottom. To fit the new format, your photos and videos should be 1080 x 1350 px, with a 4:5 aspect ratio. It might take a minute to get used to the new look, but ultimately, this change does make it quicker and easier to post — maybe not a plus for artists, but definitely a benefit for most brands.

2. Improved Video Features on LinkedIn

In 2024, LinkedIn introduced a short-form video feature, allowing users to create and engage with bite-size content like they do on TikTok and Instagram. Given its professional nature, LinkedIn has always had the stuffiest vibe of all the platforms, and short-form video offers a fun way for brands to portray their personality and authenticity. Now, hospitality marketers can give a tour of their meeting spaces or corporate event venues, film guest testimonials, and offer travel tips.

Creating video content takes time, but if you’ve already been making it for Instagram or Facebook, you may be able to repurpose this content for LinkedIn. Just be aware that people come to LinkedIn with different goals and needs, so think about your audiences and find that sweet spot that works across platforms.

3. The Return of TikTok and Its Ever-Changing Features

It’s impossible to talk about changes to the TikTok platform without noting the biggest news that rocked the social media landscape — TikTok was removed from U.S. users’ mobile devices in mid-January, only to return after less than 24 hours. Now that TikTok is back in full force and available to download from the App Store, it seems there are more updates than ever to keep track of, plus changes from a few months back that marketers may not have had time to fully implement into their strategy. (Think: new automated ad targeting options that rolled out in the fall, or the ability to pre-schedule posts through TikTok Studio.)

One TikTok feature our social media team finds most helpful when creating content for clients is downloading videos from TikTok without the watermark, which makes it simple to repurpose content for other platforms without any strange distortions to the original video. The platform has also recently begun favoring image-based content, like photo carousels. But, don’t take this as a sign to post a few static videos on the app and call it a day — this strategy works best when you tell a story throughout your post. Try adding text over your images, from an engaging introductory hook on the first slide to a clear CTA at the end. You can even add music to give your image-based post an extra layer of interest.

4. Snapchat: Advertising and Subscription Growth

Snapchat has perhaps the most playful feel of all the platforms — that mischievous little ghost! — and most users (48% in the US) are young, between 15 and 24. But that leaves a whole other half made up of older users with more disposable income. (Here are some tips for reaching different generations on social media.) Starting last year, Snapchat introduced two new advertising features: Sponsored Snaps and Promoted Places.

Through Sponsored Snaps, brands can engage customers via a full-screen vertical video sent directly to users. Users can opt in by opening the Snap, directly messaging the advertiser, or opening a link. Sponsored Snaps are clearly distinguishable from users’ other videos, and if they’re left unviewed, they will be removed from the inbox — so while you might want to mirror the feel of a traditional Snapchat video, know that users who watch your content are consciously choosing to engage with an advertiser. In other words, don’t try to be something you’re not.

Promoted Places could be a great way for hospitality brands to experiment with Snapchat marketing. This feature allows you to sponsor a spot on the Snap Map, where users can see what their friends are up to, find out what’s available nearby, and view “Top Picks,” as determined by how many Snapchat users report a visit. According to Snapchat, marking places as “Top Picks” drives a typical visitation lift of 17.6% for frequent users, so investing time and money here could be a productive way to bring travelers to you.

5. Ad Testing on Threads

As of January, Threads had over 300 million monthly active users, and the platform reports that three out of four people follow at least one business. Earlier this year, Threads began testing ads with a small group of businesses and consumers in select regions.

Once Threads expands that capability, the process should be seamless: You’ll be able to simply check a box in Ads Manager to extend your existing Meta ad campaigns to Threads, reaching even more users and potential leads.

6. The Evolution of the Fediverse

A combination of “federation” and “universe,” the fediverse harks back to the idealistic early days of the internet. David Pierce does a nice job of summarizing it in his post on The Verge: “The fediverse is as if you took [all the social media platforms] and made them all interoperable so you could post anything from anywhere, and all your followers would be guaranteed to see it. And if you wanted to leave one platform for another, you could bring all your content, all your followers, all your everything with you.”

Bluesky, Threads, and Mastodon are currently the best-known players in the fediverse, alongside tons of smaller blogging, video-streaming, and discussion platforms. It’s an ad-free space, but brands can reach users through organic content and explore strategies like influencer collaborations and building communities. Speaking of the latter …

7. The Rise of Private Communities

Social media used to be a place where you could find your niche and your people. Now that the platforms are oversaturated and less differentiated, more users are seeking out private communities on platforms like Facebook Groups, Keek Flex Groups, Discord, and Slack. About two-thirds of internet users participate in online communities, and research finds that brand loyalty increases when the brand builds this type of community. Apple, Sephora, and Airbnb are some of the best-known companies to benefit from community connections and engagement.

To build a brand community, you need to define your audience, tap into their needs and interests, and tailor your offerings accordingly. In the hospitality industry, that might mean special deals, insider events, and sneak peeks at new projects or renovations. Equally important: Elevate the voices within your community by giving members the chance to share their experiences with your brand.

8. AI Features Across Platforms

It’s happening: AI is everything, everywhere, all at once, and 2024 was a year of exponential growth in AI’s impact on our lives. In response, various platforms launched new AI features last year. Facebook’s Movie Gen provides AI content creation and editing tools, and Facebook also launched tools for creating marketing materials through generative AI prompts. TikTok’s AI ads tool, Symphony Creative Studio, is now available to all advertisers and includes the ability to activate virtual AI influencers. Keek — a lesser-known video- and image-sharing app — now has AI tools that provide video translation and digital avatars.

If you choose to use generative AI tools to create social media content, proceed with caution. Users are increasingly, and understandably, suspicious of anything they can’t put a real name or face to, so be sure to prioritize authentic, human content over all else. In fact, that’s a good rule of thumb for every post you create, regardless of the platforms you use or the changes those platforms make.

Need support building a cohesive social media marketing strategy? Hawthorn’s experts can help you translate your brand into meaningful, inspiring content — learn more about our social media marketing offerings.

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Hawthorn Highlight: How We Designed The Home Ranch’s Luxurious New Website

in Search Marketing, Websites by Hawthorn Editorial

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ucked away in the heart of Colorado’s wilderness, The Home Ranch is a private retreat that thoughtfully pays homage to its Western heritage and the picturesque terrain it calls home. From the working cattle ranch to newly renovated guest cabins and sprawling event spaces, this ultra-exclusive property boasts several one-of-a-kind experiences — whether you’re looking to host your wedding under the ranch’s vast blue skies or plan the ultimate corporate retreat.

Hawthorn Creative was tasked with redesigning The Home Ranch’s existing website from scratch, dreaming up a new website experience that would better reflect the property’s exclusive, luxurious nature. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look into our process and a peek at the stunning end result!

The Goals

  • Increase bookings for exclusive weddings and corporate events.
  • Highlight the property’s recent renovation.
  • Showcase the wide range of accommodations and custom experiences available.

The Strategy & Process

One of the biggest opportunities we identified to improve The Home Ranch’s website? Better imagery. To gather high-quality photos we could use throughout the website, our team coordinated a lifestyle photoshoot with New Hampshire-based photographer Will Zimmermann. After the site visit, we ended up with a folder full of gorgeous photos from every corner of the 580-acre ranch, from the scenic rolling prairies to authentic Western experiences like fishing and horseback riding.

“The scale of this ranch was so much more than I had anticipated,” said Michele Hazut, Hawthorn Creative’s vice president of client services. “The property itself is grand and wild, with access to what feels like hundreds of miles of wilderness. The passion and knowledge from their staff and owners truly make this a special place.”

In addition to gathering new imagery options, our design team got to work developing a basic website framework that would allow the client to showcase the property’s wide range of offerings and continue to expand the website as they finish construction on their lodge and event spaces.

When it came to search engine optimization and keyword research, our digital strategists focused on broader keywords related to the Steamboat Springs area of Colorado, sprinkling in a few relevant wedding and event terms — think “luxury ranch wedding” and “exclusive corporate retreat.”

Before & After

Home Ranch Previous Homepage
The previous Home Ranch website homepage.

In our project kickoff, we collaborated with the client to better understand what worked and didn’t work with their existing website. Ultimately, we narrowed their concerns down to one overarching issue: the layout. The Home Ranch team wanted more seamless and intuitive navigation, with new pages added to better distinguish topics like accommodations, retreats, and weddings. And, since a primary project goal was increasing bookings for weddings and events, we needed to create an Events page that clearly laid out what potential clients should expect from their Home Ranch celebration or retreat.

The existing website’s color scheme was also identified as an opportunity for improvement — so, our designers prioritized a cohesive color palette when deciding on the site’s fresh look and feel.

Now, when you first arrive on The Home Ranch’s website, it’s immediately clear that you’re looking at an ultra-exclusive getaway — one that thoughtfully balances an authentically Western and luxurious aesthetic. Everything from the carefully selected photos to meticulously crafted copy reflects the ranch’s true exclusivity.

To achieve our goal of a smoother and more efficient layout, we landed on the following page navigation (in addition to the homepage and contact page):

  • Accommodations: A main page with short-and-sweet summaries of the available stays, combined with dropdown pages that give a closer look at each of the nine cabins.
  • Events: An overview of the types of events the ranch can host — separated by weddings, groups, and corporate retreats — and a list of the four event venues.
  • Experiences: One page that scrolls down to reveal outdoor adventures, culinary experiences, and wellness-focused offerings.
  • The Ranch: A detailed history of the ranch’s legacy, with dropdown pages for performance horse training, alpine farming, and a product page for grass-fed Wagyu beef.

Of course, we were eager to show off all the stunning new photography we gathered from our property visit, and the new site is full of rotating, horizontal image galleries that give users a glimpse into The Home Ranch experience. Our design team also incorporated an easy-on-the-eyes color palette with earthy and warm tones.

Hawthorn Creative’s director of content, Mariam Alexander, whipped up brand-new copy for the website, keeping the ranch’s Western charm top of mind throughout the copywriting stage. “Communicating the beauty of the region — the remoteness and ruggedness of the terrain — was a top priority,” Mariam said. “We did that through vivid descriptions, sensory details, and active language that immersed readers straight in the scene.”

Next Steps

We always caution clients to avoid a “set-it-and-forget-it” approach to their websites. After a new or redesigned website launches, it’s natural to want to check “website” off your marketing to-do list and move on to other priorities — but as anyone who’s ever been involved with a website project knows, the work doesn’t end there. There’ll always be additional content to add and changes to make in order to keep your site up-to-date.

Our team will continue to refresh The Home Ranch website, focusing on tasks like breaking out individual pages for event types and event spaces, weaving in additional SEO keywords, and producing sample itineraries.

Feeling inspired to elevate your digital marketing strategy? Learn more about Hawthorn Creative’s website redesign process here — and, of course, you can reach out to our team of website experts anytime!

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How Important Is It for Hotels to Have a Unique Brand?

in Brand Strategy, Destination Marketing Organizations by Hawthorn Editorial

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pple’s apple. Visa’s “Everywhere You Want to Be.” Marriott’s elegant, brick-red M. Every business aspires to follow in the footsteps of these instantly recognizable brands and invent its own secret sauce. But ultimately, what makes these companies work isn’t their logos or taglines — it’s the fact that they’ve managed to offer substance as well as style over the long term. All three are among Forbes’ top 50 most-trusted companies in 2025, and it’s not because of their branding alone.

So, how important is it to have a unique brand as a hotel? That depends on what else your property brings to the table. A unique brand is equivalent to what’s known as “high concept” in the film and publishing industry: an intriguing, instantly captivating elevator pitch that stands out from the rest. Something like “A man has to relive the same 24 hours over and over again” (Groundhog Day, and the many copycats that followed) or “What if you could control other people’s dreams?” (Inception).

A high concept is great for selling a studio on your movie or a publishing agent on your novel. But here’s the thing: A concept does not a story make, unless all the foundational elements are also there, like strong characters, a solid plot, and good writing. Take Snakes on a Plane, for example. The high concept is right there in the title, and we all know the name, but the movie couldn’t manage to take that idea much further, and it flopped at the box office.

How does that translate to the hospitality industry? One example of a high-concept hotel is the Hotel de Glace (Ice Hotel) in Quebec City. The property is made entirely of ice and snow and is open to guests for less than three months a year, from January to mid-March. According to reviews, the Ice Hotel lives up to its bold branding — it’s gorgeous and most definitely unique. There’s also the Starlite Motel in New York’s Catskill mountains, a 1960s motor lodge with a saltwater pool, outdoor movie screen and fire pit, and its original neon sign — all contributing to its reputation as a retro icon.

As with any form of advertising, if you can follow through on the unique brand by infusing that brand into every aspect of your hotel, you’ll be set up for success. But if you’re trying to use new, high-concept branding as a Band-Aid without fixing other things that aren’t working, or if you don’t have the chops or bandwidth yet to fulfill what your branding is promising, you might want to put on the brakes.

Here are a few ways to think about your hotel or resort’s unique brand — and ensure you’re living up to the expectations set by that branding.

Go from the inside out, not the outside in. Rather than thinking about how you can integrate new branding into your existing business, think about what already works well. Talk to your team about their experience, consider what guests love about your hotel, and take into account the most popular activities or that signature dish people come back for again and again. Base your brand on those existing strengths and build from there.

Create a full brand experience. A unique brand should filter through all aspects of your hotel, from your website to the room décor to the menus. Take, for example, The Press Hotel in Portland, Maine. Our Hawthorn Creative team collaborated with this boutique hotel to design a website that reflects the property’s unique, newsroom-inspired aesthetic. That literary-focused branding is apparent in every corner of the hotel, from the two-story installation made entirely of vintage typewriters to the 1920s writers’ office-inspired guest rooms.

Don’t sacrifice the basics in favor of your brand. Longevity depends on quality and reliability. Be sure that the energy you’re putting into your unique brand doesn’t sap funds, focus, or staff time that should be going toward the essentials, like great food, top-notch service, and clean, comfortable rooms. Your unique brand will ultimately be worthless without these foundational pillars.

Take your time with the design. Don’t go off half-cocked here. Once you’ve settled on a focus, find the right in-house teams or consultants to help with developing a tagline, creating graphics that will bring your concept to life, and finding ways to weave it throughout your property. (Need support with this stage of the journey? Check out our brand strategy offerings.) Whether you’re considering subtle changes or a more extensive overhaul, bring your interior designer and website designer into the mix early on, so you can collectively reimagine the color palette and overall vibe. Remember to update the little things, too, from guest soaps to coffee cups to bar napkins.

Target the right audience. Once you’ve defined and surfaced your unique brand, find the people who fit and tailor your message to them. Viking Cruises’ PBS ads are a great example. Their sophisticated, cosmopolitan tone and luxe visuals are a perfect match for the PBS demographic of educated, high-income retirees. Viking’s website features on-board activities like lectures and cooking demos — a very different audience than the one Royal Caribbean is targeting with its robot mixologists, surf simulators, and the “tallest slide at sea.” If you’ve done the work of defining and expressing your unique brand from a place of integrity, then you’ll know exactly who your audience is, and how to bring them to your property.

Now that you’re thinking about branding more holistically, it’s time to consider how exactly you want to craft your hotel’s new or refreshed brand. The good news? Our experienced team of strategists and designers is here to help. Reach out to take the first steps toward creating your hotel’s elevated brand experience.

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10 Marketing TED Talks to Watch in 2025

in General Marketing Insights by Hawthorn Editorial

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hen you think about it, TED Talks are perfect little pieces of marketing in themselves — short and sweet messages with clear, actionable takeaways. So, it makes sense that these influential talks offer a wealth of rich insights and learnings for anyone whose work involves getting across a memorable message.

The TED Talk forum also invites a diversity of opinions and outlooks, with speakers who aren’t afraid to broach cutting-edge ideas and consider the responsibility of businesses to uphold social good. No matter how big or small your company, you’ll find nuggets you can use in these presentations included in our top 10 must-watch marketing TED Talks — most from the last year, along with a couple of older talks that remain just as relevant today.

1. Love, Trust, and Marketing in the Age of AI

Who: Amaryllis Liampoti, entrepreneur and business strategist.

What: Liampoti presents three foundational principles for how brands can harness AI to build deeper emotional connections with consumers while prioritizing well-being, transparency, and autonomy.

Why we love it: Liampoti reminds us that the fundamental goal of marketing is to build “relationships that feel close, intense, and long-lasting.” She acknowledges the power of AI to help create those relationships and lays out much-needed boundaries for using AI tools responsibly.

Watch the TED Talk.

2. The Art of Marketing — for Good

Who: Mastercard CMO Raja Rajamannar in conversation with TED’s Whitney Pennington Rodgers.

What: The author of Quantum Marketing, Raja Rajamannar, describes how business goals can be a force for good, “aligning profit with purpose” to create meaningful, positive change.

Why we love it: It’s refreshing and inspiring to hear that one of the biggest U.S. companies out there is considering how to address social issues and support underserved populations — for example, allowing transgender cardholders to choose the name that appears on their card, and adding notches to cards to help blind people to use them more easily.

Watch the TED Talk.

3. Is Perfectionism Just Procrastination in Disguise?

Who: Jon Youshaei, video creator.

What: Youshaei explains how, with persistence and prolific production, we can overcome the desire to make things perfect. Sometimes giving yourself (or your team) permission to fail and flop paves the way for the most creative ideas.

Why we love it: We’ll bet you can’t guess what James Corden (of “Carpool Karaoke” fame) and composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart have in common. One great takeaway: “The only thing worse than something imperfect is something that doesn’t exist.”

Watch the TED Talk.

4. What If Advertising Was Honest?

Who: Sylvester Chauke, marketing veteran and founder of DNA Brand Architects.

What: Chauke takes on a challenge all marketers should think about: how the advertising and marketing industry can help reduce global overconsumption and its horrific environmental effects, rather than contributing to them.

Why we love it: Chauke’s vision of honest advertising — helping people think twice before they buy — is a breath of fresh air. Plus, he includes clever examples that will inspire you to think outside the box.

Watch the TED Talk.

5. The Problem with Being ‘Too Nice’ at Work

Who: Tessa West, social psychology professor and expert in interpersonal communication.

What: West shares her research on how people use polite comments to hide their anxiety in awkward interactions and offers options for providing clear, consistent feedback to colleagues. She uses audience participation (or the idea of it, anyway) to illustrate her point.

Why we love it: If you’ve ever been the recipient of what West calls “anxious niceness” — or noticed yourself offering it to someone — you’ll find this talk illuminating. While it’s not directly about marketing, it’s essential information for building strong teams, and can also come into play with customers.

Watch the TED Talk.

6. Ask Dumb Questions, Embrace Mistakes — and Other Lessons on Innovation

Who: Dave Raggio, “intrapreneur” and Intuit marketing and advertising executive.

What: Raggio shares how listening to his team members and creating a shared understanding of the business led to new ideas and averted potential disasters.

Why we love it: Every business should have a judgment-free zone in which everyone is encouraged to ask “dumb” questions, building trust and understanding as a result. Share this one with the leaders in your network who might be at risk of overestimating what they know, as Raggio admits he did.

Watch the TED Talk.

7. The Art of Persuasive Storytelling

Who: Kelly D. Parker, marketing trainer and Fast Company contributor.

What: Did you know that when we listen to stories, our brain waves start to synchronize with those of the storyteller? Parker looks at both the science and art of storytelling as a marketing and leadership tool, emphasizing the importance of listening to your audience and painting them a picture that sticks in their minds.

Why we love it: Parker is an amazing speaker — and her reenactment of two very different marriage proposals is a memorable analogy of how marketers are constantly “proposing,” and how missing their audience’s needs or getting the timing wrong can result in a resounding “no.”

Watch the TED Talk.

8. Can Salad Dressing Transform Capitalism?

Who: Alex Amouyel, president and CEO of Newman’s Own Foundation.

What: Amouyel explains the organization’s commitment to donate 100% of its profits — a “100% for purpose” movement that’s looking to change the current paradigm of business, philanthropy, and capitalism.

Why we love it: For insights like this: “It sounds unbelievable and even radical to build a business and then give all the money away. But you know what sounds unbelievable to me? That we live in a world where children go to school hungry.” Plus, there are some fun pictures of Paul Newman, as well as a little backstory on the founding of the organization.

Watch the TED Talk.

9. What Brands Can Learn from Online Dating

Who: Sarah Willersdorf, brand expert with a focus on fashion and luxury.

What: Willersdorf offers three clear lessons that marketers can learn from successful online matchmaking: Be clear, not coy; give them what they want; and get naked (with your message). Imagine, for example, distilling your brand down to just five images and a few sentences of text, as daters do on their profiles.

Why we love it: This one’s a few years old, but its message is just as relevant as ever: Falling in love with a brand is like falling in love with a person, and we have chemical attractions to our tech products or red-soled shoes, just like we do with humans. It’s also fun to hear Willersdorf talk about dating apps as they were in the age of the iPhone 6 — you can even swipe on your screen now!

Watch the TED Talk.

10. 404, the Story of a Page Not Found

Who: Renny Gleeson, game developer and ad agency strategist.

What: Last but not least, another golden oldie from the early internet age. Using a series of creative 404 pages as the foundation for his talk, Gleeson offers a homily on the possibilities inherent in new mediums, and the potential for creativity to turn a consumer’s frustration into laughter and brand loyalty.

Why we love it: There’s some comic gold here — Gleeson’s delivery is flawless — plus some perennial wisdom about how to turn oopsies into opportunities. Bottom line: How companies handle their mistakes can ultimately define their brands.

Watch the TED Talk.

RELATED READING

5 Tips for Marketing Your Wedding Venue: 2025 Edition

in Event Venues, General Marketing Insights by Hawthorn Editorial

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s anyone in the wedding industry knows, the holiday season is a prime time for couples to get engaged. Since the first step for many newly engaged couples is selecting their venue, now is the perfect time for wedding venues to get a step ahead of the 2025 trends — and ahead of the competition.

This upcoming year, cutting-edge technology, immersive experiences, and a commitment to sustainability are taking center stage when it comes to marketing trends. To capitalize on these opportunities, high-end wedding venues should strategize ways to integrate AI-powered tools, virtual and augmented reality, and eco-friendly practices into their marketing strategies. These approaches not only elevate the customer experience but also position venues as forward-thinking, socially responsible, and unforgettable. Below are key digital marketing tactics to help your venue shine in this competitive landscape.

1. Get to Know AI

If you aren’t already, it’s time to get on the AI-powered bandwagon. What started as an interesting experiment has quickly become a smart tool for helping marketers thrive, from creative ideas to analytics. Luxury wedding venues can harness AI to create powerful connections with prospective customers.

For example, you can use AI to create personalized online portals for couples that showcase tailored packages, venue layouts, decor ideas, and food and beverage options based on their preferences. To engage with newly-acquired leads, AI-powered chatbots on your website can handle inquiries, suggest packages, and schedule tours seamlessly. On the back end, AI can use predictive analytics to analyze trends and help you time your marketing campaigns to match peak booking times.

2. Immerse Couples in AR and VR Experiences

One of the best ways to encourage a couple to visit your venue in person? Let them see it virtually first. Offering virtual tours with interactive features allows couples to explore your venue remotely, customize their setups, and truly visualize how their big day could look. This is especially enticing for couples who are traveling long distances to get married and may not be able to see the venue in person prior to booking.

You can take the experience one step further by offering couples an augmented-reality experience where they can actually see what the venue would look like with various floral arrangements, tablescapes, and seating setups. (This is similar to the “View in your room” feature available on some Amazon products.)

If AR/VR is out of your budget, you can still give customers the same feel by hosting live streams that showcase your venue and its amenities. And even better, a live feed allows you to interact in real time and answer questions from prospective clients.

3. Highlight Sustainability As A Core Value

About 62% of Gen Z shoppers prefer to buy retail from sustainable trends, and it stands to reason that this conviction will also apply to their choice of wedding venue. To show off your eco-friendly effort, promote green initiatives such as solar-powered lighting, zero-waste policies, and partnerships with sustainable vendors in your marketing materials. (And if you don’t have any eco-friendly efforts, it’s time to invest in that strategy, too.)

Another way to highlight your efforts is to create specific wedding packages that prioritize sustainable options, such as locally sourced menus, biodegradable decor, or digital invitations. And then, as an important part of your marketing mix, promote it far and wide to your online audiences.

4. Create Trend-Focused SEO Content

Typically, couples in search of a wedding venue will start in one of two places online: Google or social media. It’s essential to have a strong SEO strategy in place in order to raise your search engine rankings. One of the best ways to do this is to publish blog posts and videos that are not only SEO-friendly but highlight current trends and how your venue incorporates them.

For example, blog post topics could include “AI Trends Shaping Luxury Weddings” or “Top Sustainable Wedding Ideas for 2025.” These keyword-heavy topics (that are also on-trend) will help web crawlers push your content toward the top of the results page. For social media, develop a hashtag strategy that will accomplish the same goal.

5. Get Creative on Social Media

Your social channels are the place to let loose and have a little fun. Designing Instagram or TikTok filters that let users visualize themselves at your venue can not only enhance engagement and reach but also create content that’s truly shareable. While social media has generally been trending toward authenticity, the advent of AI filters presents a great opportunity to do both — begin with an authentic photo or video of a real-life wedding, then apply a hyper-realistic AI filter to emphasize your venue’s immersive and luxurious experience. Especially for younger couples, participating in trends like these is a great way to increase your social proof.

Social media can also be a great channel for showcasing sustainability efforts, including real-life eco-friendly weddings, through stories, reels, and posts.

Understanding Trends is the Key to Success

Trends change over time, so it’s important to do regular research and understand not only what’s shifting in your target customers, but why. To ensure that your 2025 digital marketing efforts are aligned with all the year’s biggest trends, partner with our in-house experts to develop a strategy that helps your venue stand apart from the competition.

RELATED READING

This or That: SEO vs. Social Media

in Search Marketing, Social Media Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

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arketing is a high-stakes business for DMOs, hotels, and resorts—the battle for visibility and engagement is relentless. With ever-increasing tactics vying for a spot in your marketing mix and algorithms that constantly move the goalposts, even choosing between two staples — SEO and social media — can feel like a tug-of-war. While both are critical to success, understanding their unique strengths and demands can help you optimize your marketing mix for maximum ROI.

Let’s take a deep dive into two very different worlds: the high-effort, ongoing demands of social media and the foundational, long-term benefits of SEO. We’ll break down how their approaches differ, the type of results you can expect from each, and a look at why quality content still reigns supreme for both.

Social Media: Dynamic, Immediate, and Engaging

Social media platforms are the powerhouses of real-time engagement. For hotels, resorts, and DMOs, platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook can serve as virtual storefronts where stunning visuals, engaging captions, and timely interactions can captivate prospective guests.

The benefits of social media are based on its immediacy and flexibility. For example, social campaigns can drive instant traffic, engagement, and bookings with just a click or two. In addition, content like livestreams, polls, and direct messages offer a real-time way to foster one-on-one connections and build customer loyalty. Social platforms are also the only channels that allow brands to jump on trend bandwagons and produce viral content, especially when targeting capabilities enable precise audience segmentation.

Conversely, social media’s immediacy is also one of its downfalls. Because algorithms prioritize fresh, frequent content, accounts require constant posting and reacting. That content also has a short shelf life — days at most — which means that relevancy becomes even more difficult to maintain. Those dreaded algorithms are also frustrating simply because they can be confusing to understand.

As you develop your social strategy, keep these things in mind:

  • Post consistently.
  • Experiment with different content types like videos, stories, and carousel posts.
  • Invest in paid advertising to boost your content’s visibility.
  • Engage with your audience through comments and messages to build loyalty.

SEO: A Long-Term Investment

Where social media is the sprinter of digital marketing, SEO is the marathoner. Successful SEO rests on a strong foundation of keyword research, optimized meta descriptions, and high-quality content that helps grow an evergreen digital presence. SEO efforts, once implemented, can yield consistent traffic over time with minimal ongoing input.

The pros of SEO can be tracked by how your content rises through the rankings of your various keywords. When properly optimized, SEO leads to sustained growth that can drive traffic for years. (Appearing high on the search rankings builds authority and trustworthiness, too!) Although initiating SEO can be an initial investment, the long-term ROI can be substantial because it captures potential guests actively searching for the specific services or destinations you offer.

SEO is the opposite of social media in that it takes a significant initial effort to set up, followed by months to start producing results. In a world of instant gratification, this can cause frustration. SEO can also fall victim to Google’s algorithm, which likes to introduce updates and disrupt the rankings. And, since the advent of Google AI Overview, many marketers are scrambling to understand how that changes their strategy and how they can get their links to appear as part of this new section.

These actions can help you develop a strong SEO strategy:

  • Conduct keyword research to target phrases your audience searches for.
  • Optimize your website’s loading speed and mobile-friendliness.
  • Regularly update older content to maintain its relevance and rankings.

Choosing Between Social Media and SEO

For marketing managers at DMOs, hotels, and resorts, the decision between SEO and social media isn’t about choosing one tactic over the other — it’s about aligning each strategy with your goals and resources:

1. Goals: If your goal is immediate visibility and engagement, prioritize social media. For long-term traffic and increased bookings, SEO is your best bet.

2. Resources: Social media requires a dedicated team to produce, post, and monitor content daily. SEO requires an upfront investment in expertise, tools, and content creation but less day-to-day management once established.

3. Audience Behavior: Understanding where your audience hangs out online can determine whether to prioritize social or SEO, so research where your audience spends their digital time. Are they browsing Instagram for travel inspiration or searching Google for specific destinations?

4. Competitor Activity: Analyze your competitors’ digital presence. A strong social media game might mean they’re weak on SEO, giving you an opportunity to dominate search rankings.

Combine Forces for a Hybrid Strategy

For some organizations, a hybrid approach can yield the best results. Consider this strategy, for example:

1. Leverage SEO for foundational growth: Build optimized landing pages, publish evergreen blog content, and ensure your website ranks for critical keywords.

2. Use social media for engagement and amplification: Share your blog posts, showcase destination highlights, and run campaigns to direct traffic back to your website.

3. Monitor and adjust: Use analytics to identify what’s working and adapt your strategy accordingly.

Content is the Common Ground

Whether you prioritize social media or SEO, one truth remains constant: content is king. Both strategies thrive on high-quality, engaging, and relevant content that resonates with your target audience. On social media, that means eye-catching visuals, compelling stories, and user-generated content to keep your audience engaged and coming back for more. For SEO, strong content means informative blog posts, detailed guides, and keyword-rich web pages that make your site visible to search engines and valuable to users.

At Hawthorn Creative, we have an experienced staff of marketers who are well-versed in both social media and SEO strategies. If you’d like help perfecting your marketing mix, let’s talk.

RELATED READING

How to Get the Most Out of Your Year-End Metrics

in General Marketing Insights by Hawthorn Editorial

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024 has come and gone, and you’re sitting on a treasure trove of data that can help you as you begin to make your 2025 plans. For many marketers, though, being creative in the brainstorming phase and understanding spreadsheets full of numbers are two very different things. How can you make the most out of your data if you aren’t sure what it’s telling you?

To help you analyze your year-end metrics, we put together a list of tips and tricks that will simplify all those numbers. We’re breaking down what to look out for, what data matters, and how to apply it to your 2025 planning.

Identify Your Most Important Metrics

The list of “important” metrics will vary by your company’s industry, your overall business objectives, and upcoming plans for the year. However, marketing metrics typically fall into three categories: business outcomes, audience engagement, and operational efficiency. Here’s a closer look at each:

Business Outcomes
These metrics directly measure your financial results, customer value, and overall growth. They include:

  • Revenue, like return on investment (ROI), return on ad spend, revenue growth, and revenue per customer.
  • Sales and lead generation metrics, like cost per acquisition, sales conversion rate, number of leads, lead conversion rate, and cost per lead.
  • Customer metrics, like customer lifetime value, customer retention rate, and net promoter score.
  • Industry and benchmark metrics, like market share growth and benchmark performance.

Audience Engagement
These numbers reveal how users interact with your content, channels, and campaigns. They include:

  • Website and digital engagement, like click-through rate (CTR), bounce rate, session duration, and page performance.
  • Content performance, like top-performing content, time spent on content, and content ROI.
  • Social media engagement, like engagement rate, follower growth, and social ROI.
  • Email engagement, like open rate, click-to-open rate, and unsubscribe rate.
  • SEO metrics, like organic traffic to your site, keyword rankings, and search impressions.

Operational Efficiency
Finally, these data points assess the overall cost-effectiveness and productivity of your marketing efforts. They include:

  • Advertising performance, like cost-per-click (CPC), and impressions vs. conversions.
  • Campaign efficiency, like cost-per-acquisition (CPA), lead conversion rate, and ad spend ROI.

Many of these facts and figures are accessed using an analytics dashboard — the most common of which is Google Analytics 4 — but even with innovative visualization software that presents your data in graphs and charts, deciphering them can still be overwhelming. As you sift through your 2024 numbers, here are some techniques you can use to uncover the gold:

5 Ways to Apply Your Year-End Metrics to Future Planning

1. Conduct a comprehensive performance review

First, look for the highs and lows of your campaigns — those will help you identify patterns and trends. (If you have 2023 data as well, you can also look for year-over-year changes.) Focus on metrics like conversion rates, engagement, and ROI across all channels. Plus, keep in mind any seasonal patterns or anomalies in customer behavior. This can help you predict next year’s periods of high (or low) interest.

2. Revisit your customer segments

Compare your year-end data to your current buyer personas — do they match up? If you see discrepancies, such as demographics, preferences, spending patterns, or actual vs. anticipated online engagement, that’s a sign to do a little fine-tuning or create some new segments. Other watch-outs include shifts in demographics, preferences, or spending patterns. The more you know your customer base, the more personalized and effective your marketing strategies will be.

3. Identify your top (and bottom) sellers

As you look through sales data, identify the products or services that performed the best and the worst. Ask yourself questions like: Why were they successful? Why were they not? How did they perform compared to the same time last year? What did the average shopping cart look like? With an overall performance picture, you can create strategies that replicate your successes, improve your weaknesses, and take advantage of trends like product bundlings.

4. Evaluate your marketing budget

If there’s one thing about marketing, it’s that things are always shifting — it’s rare that your marketing mix will be exactly the same from year to year. To see where you need to make adjustments, compare performance across all channels to determine which produced the highest ROI. This information is invaluable in helping you trim the fat, which is especially helpful if you’re working with a smaller budget.

5. Make improvements to customer retention

In addition to engagement data, it’s also important to assess customer churn to look for patterns or common factors, including bounce rate, loyalty program data, or re-engagement campaigns. This valuable information, along with customer feedback collected throughout the year, can guide you in adjusting your retention strategies to address recurring issues or level up successful areas.

Leverage Predictive Analytics to Set New KPIs

Many analytics dashboards now include predictive analytics, which is a machine-learning enhancement that uses historical data to make future predictions about customer behavior and sales trends. These predictive insights empower you to be proactive across the board when planning, including the allocation of resources toward areas more likely to yield results, and the ability to make smart KPI decisions, set baseline metrics, and track progress.

Hawthorn Creative’s full-service team of marketing professionals is experienced at both analyzing data and using it to help build future marketing campaigns. If you’re ready to improve your performance in the coming year, let’s talk.

RELATED READING

Do Magazines Still Have a Place in Hospitality Marketing?

in Content Marketing, Hotels & Resorts, Print Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

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otel and resort marketers from the not-too-distant past would barely recognize the industry landscape today. From rapid advancements in technology to massive changes in both consumer behavior and traveler expectations, marketing in the 21st century has redefined the entire hospitality industry.

The digital revolution has opened new doors for marketers, but what does that mean for tactics like destination magazines? Are they still relevant in an age where a company can save time, money, and the environment by publishing their content online instead of in print? (The short answer: yes.)

The Role of In-Room and Destination Magazines

If you’ve stayed in a higher-end hotel, you’ve likely thumbed through one of the high-gloss, in-room magazines that have long been a staple in the hotel and resort world. Their purpose is to introduce guests to the hotel, the local culture, nearby attractions, dining options, and shopping experiences. These publications are a valuable resource for travelers who appreciate the help building their itineraries and discovering what experiences await them during their stay.

From a marketing perspective, in-room magazines also serve as a platform for local businesses, tour operators, restaurants, and other hospitality-related services to reach a ready-to-explore audience. They also help to reinforce a brand’s image by reflecting the hotel’s style and sophistication. Destination magazines, which guests may encounter in their rooms or at airports, train stations, and tourist centers, provide broader insights and relevant regional information.

Sounds like a pretty important tactic to us!

Here’s Why Magazines Are Still Relevant

Tactile Experience and Luxury Perception

One of the main reasons print magazines remain relevant in the hospitality industry is the hands-on, luxurious experience they provide. The sensory experience of flipping through pages — especially in a high-end hotel — conveys a sense of opulence and leisure that digital alternatives struggle to replicate.

For luxury hotels, in-room magazines that feature custom layouts, high-end paper stock, and stunning photography are a great way to reinforce the brand’s image as exclusive and sophisticated. The tangible nature of these magazines can engage guests in a way that feels more personal, reflecting the hotel’s commitment to a premium guest experience.

Unplugged Moments and In-Room Experiences

In-room magazines can also capitalize on what marketers sometimes call “unplugged moments.” After a long day of travel or sightseeing, many guests may want to disconnect from their devices. During these moments, a beautifully curated magazine left on the bedside table can be exactly what’s needed, especially for older travelers or those who simply appreciate a break from their screens.

Guests of all ages also tend to spend time with the perks that are physically available in their rooms. Whether they’re waiting for room service, relaxing after a day out, or looking for a way to pass a rainy afternoon, spending time inside their luxurious room is a welcome reprieve from an action-packed vacation —- and it’s the perfect time to peruse an engaging publication.

Local Insight and Personalization

While travel apps and websites offer a wealth of information, they often lack the curated, local insight that destination magazines provide. Magazines are produced and developed by experts with in-depth knowledge of the region, which means they can introduce travelers to hidden gems they might otherwise overlook. From feature-length articles to smaller department pieces focused on a specific topic, in-room magazines give hotels and resorts a unique way to present their property and the surrounding destination.

That said, a print magazine can be the catalyst for a property’s digital marketing mix as well — especially if smaller chunks of content can be repurposed within blogs, social media posts, and on the property website.

Some Things to Consider

Travelers today rely heavily on social media, apps, and the internet to access information about their destinations. The wealth of data available on Google Maps, TripAdvisor, Yelp, and other travel services means that many guests no longer need printed materials to plan their activities.

Because digital platforms also provide a level of interactivity that print magazines can’t match, many hoteliers also choose to create e-publications, or digital versions of their magazines that offer the best of both worlds. Readers can gain access to the digital version via a landing page showcased on an in-room tablet.

Environmental Concerns and Sustainability

Another factor to consider in your decision to produce magazines? Sustainability. The hospitality industry has been increasingly pressured to reduce its environmental impact, especially by younger travelers who say a property’s commitment to sustainability could be a deal-breaker for whether or not they stay. The production and disposal of print magazines contribute to paper waste, which may be viewed as inconsistent with these green practices. If your hotel decides to use print magazines, consider using recycled paper and making sure that guests know that the magazines are recycled with each new issue. And, if reducing your paper output is central to your green initiatives, distributing the magazine as digital copies is a great alternative.

Cost and ROI

The costs associated with producing high-quality magazines can be substantial, particularly for luxury properties that want to ensure their publications reflect the same level of quality as their brand. As more marketing dollars are being funneled into digital strategies, which often offer better tracking and measurement of ROI, the financial justification for maintaining print publications can be hard to make. But while the returns may be less tangible with a print magazine, it can be a worthy investment on a number of levels — from brand reputation management to customer satisfaction.

The Final Page

While it’s clear that digital platforms are a major way people consume information during their travels, in-room and destination magazines still hold a vital place in hospitality marketing — especially for luxury properties.

Our experienced staff of writers, editors, and strategists know what it takes to produce a magazine that your travelers will read from cover to cover — reach out to learn how we can create a custom magazine that aligns with your company’s marketing goals.

RELATED READING

Noctourism, Set-Jetting, and Other 2025 Travel Trends to Know

in Destination Marketing Organizations, Hotels & Resorts by Hawthorn Editorial

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new year is around the corner, and research is finding that travelers are still thinking big when it comes to travel plans. The post-pandemic urge to get out and see the world remains strong, but the types of trips on the docket for 2025 are becoming increasingly unique.

Next year’s travel trends provide a wealth of opportunity for marketers to capitalize on these new traveler segments — and the best time to adjust your marketing strategy is right now. Here’s a look at what’s hot (and what’s not) for travel in 2025:

Group Travel

The year 2025 is all about travel togetherness. According to recent reports, 47% of travelers say they want to take multigenerational family trips in 2025 — a number that’s up 17% from 2024 and higher than any other type of group trip. Friend group travel is also popular at 20%.

What’s not trending? Solo trips. In 2025, only 12% of travelers say they’re interested in traveling alone, which is down a whopping 72% from just a year ago.

Ideas to Inspire Groups

  • Promote flexible accommodations, including rooms with bunk beds, suites with pull-out couches, connecting rooms, and other ways a large group can share space.
  • Create a “memory-making” service where large families can opt for photo packages that capture every moment.
  • Market to several generations at once — here are our tried-and-true tips for attracting multi-generational groups to your property.

JOMO Travel (Joy of Missing Out)

Travelers are no longer feeling the fear of missing out on big, well-known tourist destinations. Instead, guests now favor quieter, off-the-beaten-path destinations with fewer crowds.

Vrbo reports that travelers are opting for serene accommodations like secluded lakeside cabins, mountain chalets, and cozy beach houses. They’re especially interested in amenities like hot tubs, gardens, and scenic porches to amplify their experience​.

Ideas to Inspire Getaway-ers

  • Provide private dining options for travelers who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the main dining room.
  • Offer book nooks or other cozy seating areas where there’s no Wi-Fi signal.
  • Schedule private wellness experiences, like in-room spa treatments or guided meditation sessions.
  • Emphasize your tranquility-focused amenities such as gardens, hot tubs, or hammocks.

Noctourism

Adventurers are looking for destinations in 2025 that offer nighttime phenomena that they can’t see anywhere else: stargazing under a Dark Sky, seeing the Northern Lights, watching bioluminescent illumination in the water, or ducking as bats cover the night sky.

Like those attracted to the idea of JOMO, “noctourism” travelers are also seeking brand-new experiences … and what’s more unique than experiencing the world under cover of darkness?

Ideas to Inspire Night Owls

  • Create nighttime itineraries focused on stargazing, moonlit beach walks, or evening nature tours.
  • Host themed late-night dinners or entertainment (like fire dancers on the beach).
  • If your property is in an area known for its natural wonders, highlight yourself as the perfect home base — you can even provide amenities like telescopes, binoculars, flashlights, or star charts.

Goods-Focused Travel

According to Expedia, as many as 44% of travelers shop for local goods they can’t get at home while they’re visiting a destination, and 39% visit local grocery stores. In this new travel trend, coined “Goods Getaways” by Expedia, travelers are seeking out specialty items and experiences (think: locally made chocolates or regional cooking classes). It’s an extension of the experiential travel trend, which now includes tangible items that travelers can taste, touch, and take home.

Ideas to Inspire Souvenir Shoppers

  • Create unique “souvenir experiences” for your guests by partnering with local artisans or specialty stores to offer exclusive products on-site or in gift shops.
  • Offer curated, locally-inspired gift baskets upon arrival as part of a VIP guest package. This could also include product tastings or demonstrations.

Set-Jetting

Here’s another new term, designed to reflect travel inspired by TV shows and movies. After growing slowly over the past few years, “set-jetting” is taking off as travelers yearn to visit locations featured in popular television shows and films. In fact, according to Expedia, nearly two-thirds of travelers say that their travel has been influenced by their favorite movies, streaming services, and TV shows. Destinations like Montana, from the TV series “Yellowstone,” and North Carolina’s “Outer Banks,” from the show of the same name, are attracting fans who want to experience these cinematic settings for themselves.

Ideas to Inspire Movie Buffs

  • Tap into the set-jet crowd by highlighting any connection your location has to popular films or TV series — like our client Opal Collection did with this blog post about the episode of “Succession” that was set at Lake Placid Lodge.
  • Offer themed packages inspired by local filming spots or guided tours to nearby landmarks featured on the big screen.
  • Create your own cinematic experiences, like movie-inspired decor or events based on iconic scenes to attract fans of specific shows or movies.

One-Click Trips

Inspired by social media influencers, many travelers want to book entire trips directly from one post. Some social platforms are even developing “shoppable storefronts” that streamline the booking process based on influencer recommendations​. One-click travelers are the opposite of those who love going down the research rabbit hole and finding the perfect accommodations, best restaurants, and highest-rated attractions. They instead want to secure their next exciting getaway with just the touch of a button.

Ideas to Inspire the Influenced

  • One-click trips originated on social media, so it’s essential to have a solid presence on the platforms that are most important to your ideal customers.
  • Create an experience that allows guests to book rooms, experiences, and services directly from their favorite social platform. This can be even more effective if you partner with an influencer who can curate their own travel itineraries.

All-Inclusive Is In

Major hotel brands like Marriott and Hilton are expanding their all-inclusive options, which appeal to younger travelers seeking luxury without added stress (or money). By bundling amenities and activities for one flat price, these resorts offer a simplified, cost-friendly vacation experience​. To attract the all-inclusive crowd (even if you aren’t a traditional all-inclusive resort), curate your own exclusive packages that cover a wide range of activities — from dining to drinks to wellness activities. Make your options fully customizable, offer add-ons, and allow guests to personalize their stay while not having to worry about paying for everything separately.

Bleisure Is Out

In the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, travelers were doing what they could to combine business travel with pleasure, such as adding extra days before or after their business trip. Now, that trend is on a downward swing. “Bleisure,” or blended travel, refers to trips that include both work and leisure time. These days, travelers are opting to keep work and play separate: 85% say they want separate trips in 2025, which is a 60% decrease from last year.

If you’d like to work with an expert team of travel marketers to take advantage of 2025 travel trends, get in touch.

RELATED READING

The 2025 Big 3 in Marketing: AI, Sustainability, and Immersive Integration

in General Marketing Insights by Hawthorn Editorial

A

lthough each marketing campaign you tackle in 2025 will have its own unique goals and KPIs, three marketing areas are shaping up to be toolkit essentials: AI-powered personalization, sustainability, and immersive integration.

Spurred by advances in technology, changing consumer behaviors, and a greater emphasis on the environment, these areas are essential for staying competitive and building long-term customer loyalty.

1. Artificial Intelligence and Hyper-Personalization

After a few years of experimentation, AI has grown out of its “cool new toy” phase and become a powerful digital assistant. In 2025, AI-driven personalization will be a key differentiator for brands by enabling them to create highly tailored experiences using real-time data.

Hyper-Personalization at Scale

AI can analyze a massive amount of customer data, including browser behaviors, purchase history, and social interactions, to create one of the most complete pictures of your target audience ever. With that level of insight, imagine how a truly personalized message can drive engagement and conversion. Hyper-personalization has been focused mostly on email to date, but it can also include tailored ads, dynamic website content, and even personalized pricing strategies.

Automation and Efficiency

Behind the scenes, AI-powered automation will also be crucial in helping marketers streamline operations. From scheduling email campaigns to managing social media interactions through AI chatbots, automation can reduce time spent on manual tasks and allow marketing teams to focus instead on strategy and creativity. AI can also help automate customer segmentation and follow-ups to ensure that the right customers are targeted at the right time.

Predictive Analytics

Predictive analytics — an AI application that uses historical data to forecast future trends — will allow marketers to anticipate customer behaviors and trends and adjust their marketing strategies proactively, rather than reactively. It can also be used to forecast the best times and dates to post on various social media channels.

2. Sustainability and Social Responsibility

When it comes to 2025 marketing plans, sustainability and social responsibility will no longer be optional; they will be essential components of successful marketing strategies. Modern consumers, particularly younger generations, are deeply concerned about the impact of their purchasing decisions on the environment and society. Brands that ignore these concerns risk alienating a growing segment of the market.

Promoting Sustainable Practices

With a growing number of consumers who say a brand’s commitment to sustainability (or lack thereof) is a deal-breaker, it’s imperative to showcase your company’s sustainable practices and values. This could mean designing tablescapes with eco-friendly materials for wedding venues or offering products in refillable, recyclable packages for medical spas; whatever your sustainability strategy is, be sure to focus on communicating these efforts transparently and authentically.

Aligning with Social Causes

Beyond environmental concerns, consumers also expect brands to take a stand on social issues. That can mean diversity and inclusion, fair labor practices, or healthcare access. Companies that align with social causes will build stronger emotional connections with their audience. It’s important to market this information as well, but once again, it must be authentic, or consumers will see right through it.

Building Trust through Transparency

Social responsibility is about more than saying you’re taking steps to be more proactive. You need to walk the walk, which means ensuring that your communication is honest and backed by data. This could include publishing sustainability reports, showcasing certifications, or partnering with reputable third-party organizations to verify claims. Trust is a valuable currency in today’s market, and brands that earn it through genuine efforts will be rewarded with customer loyalty.

3. Omnichannel Integration and Immersive Experiences

The modern customer journey spans multiple touchpoints, from physical locations to websites, mobile apps, and social media. To deliver a seamless experience across these platforms, your 2025 marketing plans should adopt omnichannel strategies that ensure consistency and continuity wherever your customers encounter your content.

Seamless Omnichannel Experiences

We can’t express how important it is for marketing campaigns to present a unified brand style, voice, and tone — regardless of channel. Whether a customer is shopping in-store, browsing online, or engaging with your brand on social media, the experience should be seamless from beginning to end. For example, a customer should be able to start shopping on their phone and easily complete the transaction in-store, with access to the same promotions and personalized offers. This is especially important for luxury brands, where glitches and inconsistencies detract from an exclusive atmosphere.

Leveraging AR/VR for Immersive Experiences

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are also advancing from neat experiments to expected inclusions. These technologies, when properly created, can open your customers up to entirely new worlds that go far beyond traditional marketing. For example, customers could use AR to virtually “try on” a piece of jewelry or see how their appearance would look after a spa treatment. This not only enhances the customer experience but also helps them make more informed decisions, reducing return rates and boosting satisfaction.
Get a jump on the competition with your 2025 marketing plans. Our team of experts has years of experience following trends, analyzing data, and crafting smart strategies that drive engagement. Ready to get started? Let’s talk.

 

RELATED READING

From the CEO: Strategies for Driving Engagement and Direct Bookings on Your Hotel’s Website

in Hotels & Resorts, Websites by Hawthorn Editorial

Editor’s note: Hawthorn Creative Founder and CEO, Jessica Kaiser, presented a webinar with the International Luxury Hotel Association on strategies for driving hotel engagement and bookings. Watch the entire webinar here.

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or hospitality marketers, enticing travelers to choose their property is getting more and more challenging. There’s so much competition out there — both in physical locations and the digital ways to research them — that travelers can quickly become overwhelmed by the choices. According to Jessica Kaiser, founder and CEO of Hawthorn Creative, hotels and resorts can cut through the clutter, but it takes hard work, diligence, and dedication to staying on top of trends.

Your website is your most important tool

To help your property rise above the noise, it all starts with your website. The clearest path to success begins with understanding what’s working and, more importantly, what’s not. And it’s about much more than clicks, bounce rates, and conversion rates. “If you can understand this undercurrent, you have a much better chance of impacting the results,” Kaiser said.

Armed with that information, you can create a strategy that refines your funnel by optimizing the good and minimizing (or eliminating!) the bad. To get a clear picture of what’s happening on your site, ask yourself questions like these:

  • Are your high-traffic pages leading to the booking engine? (If not, why?)
  • What pages are driving the highest exit rate?
  • Do you have enough CTAs throughout the site encouraging people to book? (And are they placed high enough on the high-traffic pages?)

On average, Kaiser noted, travel and hospitality websites average six page views per session. If your site isn’t seeing that level of engagement, it’s time to reassess.

Tap into buyer psychology in marketing

According to Kaiser, there are five categories to consider when developing your marketing strategy: simplicity, consistency, social proof, scarcity, and pricing. Together, these add up to what she calls “buyer psychology,” or the beliefs and behaviors that drive their decisions:

  • Simplicity: One thing buyers across all personas have in common? They don’t like to be overwhelmed by information. To avoid decision fatigue, don’t offer too many options — or, be sure to break those options into clear categories and present the information in a way that’s easy to understand.
  • Consistency: For luxury hotels, your website needs to reflect that sense of luxury and exclusivity in all areas of your marketing. That means the negative space, large images, and clean fonts that you use on your website home page should remain throughout every sub-page, on your social media pages, and especially your booking pages.
  • Social proof: Hotel reviews are oftentimes the deciding factor in which property a traveler chooses. For that reason, it’s essential to incorporate the best testimonials on your site or, even better, integrate a feed that updates in real-time. Giving travelers the chance to read reviews directly from your website also keeps them within your ecosystem.
  • Scarcity: In Gen Z terms, this is also known as FOMO, or fear of missing out. One way to address this fear is to note in your booking engine how many rooms of each type are available on a traveler’s preferred days. Or, if you’re running promotions, be sure to include how much time is left before the special ends.
  • Pricing: What should the price be? When should we shift it? How should we sort pricing on the booking engine? All of these questions have psychology-based answers: luxury hotels over $400 per night, Kaiser said, should sort prices by high to low in order to showcase premium products first. If that number decreases during the off-season, though, sort prices by low to high in order to be more competitive.

Direct bookings are on the rise

Since 2020, travelers have shifted their booking behavior away from OTAs in favor of direct bookings. And ironically, this is somewhat due to advertising. Called the “OTA billboard effect,” some hotels see an increase of as much as 25% in direct bookings when they advertise on OTAs.

The key, once those travelers make their way to your website, is to keep them there. One of the best ways to do that, Kaiser advised, is to give them direct access to what they value most about OTAs: multiple services in one location.

An OTA, for example, makes it quick and easy to compare rates and reviews for all the local hotels. Add in the benefit of booking a flight or renting a car, and it’s hard not to take that deal. Hoteliers can create that same atmosphere on their individual websites by announcing clearly and up front that travelers get the lowest rate guaranteed when they book directly. To sweeten the pot, direct bookings can also include exclusive bundles or upsells like spa experiences, a free drink at the hotel bar, or a discount on local activities as part of a direct booking package.

Focus on experience vs. amenities

Travelers today tend to book their lodging based on the type of experience they’d like to have. Spa resorts, for example, attract guests looking for relaxation, education, and personal growth for the mind, body, and soul. Family-friendly seaside retreats, on the other hand, bring in guests looking for excitement and adventure.

Once hospitality marketers understand the experience they’re able to offer (and the experience their guests expect) the key to success is to promote the concept everywhere, including your website, digital media, social media, blog, short-form video, influencer content, and whatever other tactics make sense for your marketing mix. Kaiser said targeted promotion, along with a smart SEO strategy, will go a long way toward attracting the right travelers for your property.

Understand the changing luxury travel space

The bottom line is to understand as much as you can about your industry, region, property, and most importantly, your ideal traveler. And once you have that information, never take your eye off the ball. “Every choice you make about marketing should revolve around the values and desires of your buyer,” Kaiser said.

To hear more advice from our CEO Jessica Kaiser on how to drive more bookings to your property, watch the full webinar.

RELATED READING

Engagement Season is Coming: Here’s How to Attract Higher-Budget Weddings

in Event Venues, General Marketing Insights by Hawthorn Editorial

T

he holidays are almost upon us! This year, experts predict a record 2.5 million couples will become engaged. For wedding venues, there’s no better opportunity than “the year of the engagement” to attract clients who are ready to go big — and spend big — for their impending nuptials.

The luxury wedding industry is competitive, though, which means that getting affluent couples to say ‘yes’ to your venue requires more than a stunning location and high-end amenities. This season, it’s time to get creative with clever strategies and innovative approaches that make high-end customers take notice.

Here are six ways to help you get your venue in front of the couples seeking luxury, exclusivity, and bespoke experiences:

1. Understand the Profile of High-Budget Couples

First and foremost, it’s crucial to understand that discerning clients aren’t just looking for a venue; they’re seeking an experience that aligns with their elevated expectations. They value exclusivity, personalization, and impeccable service — in short, they want a venue that reflects their status and distinct vision.

Although each situation will be different, here are some characteristics that define a high-budget buyer persona:

  • Personalization is paramount. These couples want a wedding that tells their story, so they often opt for bespoke services, from custom floral designs to unique culinary experiences.
  • Attention to detail. Every detail, from the grand entrance to the napkin design, is expected to be flawless and meticulously executed.
  • Convenience. Venues offering an all-encompassing, one-stop-shop experience, from planning services to accommodations, will move to the top of the list.
  • Opulence meets innovation. Couples willing to go the extra mile appreciate both tradition and innovation, such as a modern-style wedding at a rustic lodge or castle.

2. Cultivate Exclusive Partnerships

If you can’t offer everything in-house, focus on developing partnerships with wedding planners, stylists, caterers, and other luxury vendors to curate your clients’ perfect day. It not only eases the burden of finding the right vendor but also positions your venue as part of an elite network within the luxury wedding space. In addition, fostering these types of relationships can lead to one of the most powerful forms of marketing in the space: word-of-mouth referrals.

Here are a few ways to make connections in the luxury wedding market:

  • Work with luxury wedding planners. Recommendations are a two-way street, and planners who have exclusive relationships with their clients can recommend your venue as the perfect option for high-end weddings.
  • Vet a preferred vendor list. Do your homework to ensure that every vendor on this list aligns with your brand’s values of luxury and quality. This could include caterers, florists, photographers, and entertainment options who all cater to an upscale clientele.
  • Offer exclusive incentives. Collaborate with vendors to offer special packages or incentives that appeal to couples who want to maximize convenience without compromising quality.

3. Invest in High-Quality Photography and Videography

When couples seek a luxury wedding venue, pictures are worth a thousand words (and thousands of dollars). For this reason, it’s critical to invest in high-quality visuals for your marketing campaigns.

We can’t stress enough the importance of speaking to your target audience’s tastes with photos that capture the essence of a luxurious experience. For this reason, it’s essential to hire a professional photographer specializing in luxury weddings to create content highlighting your venue’s exclusive features, such as stunning vistas, intricate architectural details, and lavish interiors. When you attract the right customers, it’s an investment well worth the return.

In addition, you’ll want to create cinematic highlight reels that showcase full wedding days at your venue, from preparations to the ceremony, dinner, and evening entertainment. Include aerial drone footage for a dramatic perspective of your property.

Here are some key tips for getting it done right:

  • Reflect your ambiance. Be sure that the photos and videos you take actually look like the venue. For rustic settings, for example, decorate the set and choose outfits that reflect whimsy, vintage, or countryside feels.
  • Tell real-life stories. Highlight high-budget weddings you’ve already hosted, taking care to emphasize the luxurious elements that differentiate your venue.
  • Expand your reach. Dedicate a portion of your budget to creating high-quality virtual venue tours for out-of-town or international clients who can’t visit your venue in person.

4. Tailor Your Digital Marketing Strategy

Once you have those beautiful photographs, it’s time to market them. In a digital-first world, it’s essential to reach couples where they spend most of their time: online. However, attracting a high-budget wedding requires a more sophisticated approach than traditional digital marketing. This ties back to doing your initial research and understanding how and where your target audience consumes digital information.

Here are some strategies we recommend:

  • Leverage targeted ads. Invest in Facebook and Instagram ads that specifically target users interested in luxury goods and services. Use sophisticated targeting parameters, such as income brackets and interests, to ensure your ads reach affluent couples.
  • Invest in SEO. Optimize your website for high-intent search keywords, such as “luxury wedding venue,” “exclusive wedding locations,” or “destination weddings for the elite.” High-budget couples are more likely to search for these terms when looking for a venue that aligns with their vision.
  • Create content that speaks to luxury. Your blog posts and social media should highlight the exclusive nature of your venue, discussing high-end trends in weddings, luxury experiences, and the exceptional service you provide.
  • Post on Instagram and Pinterest. These platforms are especially popular among engaged couples for wedding inspiration. Use Instagram to highlight real weddings, behind-the-scenes moments, and the luxurious amenities of your venue. Pinterest is a powerful tool to create mood boards that show potential clients how your venue can be transformed into their dream wedding setting.
  • Promote, promote, promote. As you complete the above ideas, like securing partnerships, hiring a world-class photographer, or expanding your in-house services, share that content far and wide as social media content.

5. Create Beautiful Collateral

While much of the luxury wedding market relies on digital marketing, there is still immense value in providing tangible, high-end materials such as printed brochures. These brochures can leave a lasting impression on prospective couples and serve as a constant reminder of the luxurious experience your venue offers.

Here are a few ways to create a brochure that speaks to the exclusivity and sophistication of your brand, even after couples have headed home:

  • Invest in premium materials. Use high-quality paper stock and elegant finishes, such as thick, textured paper, matte or gloss finishes, and metallic or embossed details, to create a brochure that reflects the luxury of your venue.
  • Focus on visual storytelling. Aesthetics are important. Fill your brochure with full-page, high-resolution images that capture the grandeur and beauty of your venue. For close-ups, highlight opulent decor, stunning views, and intimate moments that can help couples imagine themselves on their big day.
  • Highlight personalized, exclusive services. Dedicate space to show how you cater to couples seeking a bespoke experience. This can include customized menus, options for exclusive use of the venue, in-house planners, and any high-end amenities like spa treatments.

6. Showcase Past Successes with Testimonials and Real Weddings

Finally, nothing convinces high-budget couples more than social proof. Showcase glowing testimonials from previous clients and document luxurious weddings you’ve hosted in the past. Share their success stories on your website, social media, and marketing materials to build credibility and trust.

Here’s a look at some of ours:

Twenty Mile House
Here’s how a wedding venue rebrand and website launch combined to drive conversions.

Walters Wedding Estates
We developed a unified digital brand and content strategy fit for wedding industry experts.

The Vine
A new brand and website repositioned this Texas venue for success.

By leveraging these marketing strategies, your luxury wedding venue can become the ultimate destination for high-budget couples. As engagement season kicks off, position your brand to offer these clients the exclusive, unforgettable experiences they crave.

This marketing-focused approach will help attract more high-end clientele by emphasizing exclusivity, personalization, and quality partnerships, ensuring your venue stands out in the luxury wedding market.

RELATED READING

Inspire a Fall Getaway With These Instagrammable Content Ideas

in Hotels & Resorts, Social Media Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

F

or much of the country, sweater weather is finally here! The changing leaves and dropping temps of fall are the perfect opportunity for hotels, resorts, and destination marketing organizations (DMOs) to capture the hearts of travelers who can’t wait to don their coziest jackets and boots.

If you had to pick one social channel where viewers flock to see photos of changing leaves and warm coffee, one platform stands out above the rest: Instagram. This time of year lends itself perfectly to Insta-worthy moments that can elevate brand engagement — and ultimately drive bookings.

Here are some highly Instagrammable fall content ideas to showcase your property as the perfect fall getaway.

1. Seasonal Decor

Nothing defines this season more than a warm, rustic color palette. Showcase how your property is embracing the season by sharing photos and videos of your autumn-inspired decor.

Content Inspiration:

  • Feature harvest displays with pumpkins, gourds, and corn stalks.
  • Provide a video tour of cozy, inviting lobby spaces adorned with plaid blankets, candles, and foliage-inspired centerpieces.
  • Capture photos of fire pits or outdoor seating areas with seasonal floral arrangements.

Pro tip: Use hashtags like #FallVibes or #AutumnAesthetic to reach a wider audience of potential travelers looking for a seasonal escape.

2. Fall Foliage Walks and Views

If you’re located in a region where fall foliage is abundant, take every opportunity to show off the natural beauty of your surroundings. Create visually stunning content that showcases the changing colors in creative ways.

Content Inspiration:

  • Share drone shots of vibrant treetops and scenic landscapes.
  • Post time-lapse videos of the sun rising or setting over a golden-hued forest.
  • Promote nature trails or guided walks that guests can enjoy, along with the scenic vistas they’ll experience.

Pro tip: Consider creating a fall foliage tracker on Instagram Stories, highlighting when the colors will be at their peak. This adds a layer of urgency for travelers to book a stay during the most picturesque time of the season.

3. Seasonal Food and Beverages

This time of year is all about comfort food and seasonal flavors like pumpkin spice, apple cider, and caramel. Post content that showcases your fall menu.

Content Inspiration:

  • Feature your chef or bartender making signature fall dishes or cocktails.
  • Post carousel images of beautifully plated meals using seasonal ingredients like butternut squash, apples, and mushrooms.
  • Highlight any special fall menus (don’t forget to include local ingredients to appeal to the farm-to-table crowd).

Pro tip: Take advantage of user-generated content by encouraging guests to share photos of their meals with a branded hashtag, and repost their best shots on your own feed.

4. Cozy Guest Room Experiences

As the weather cools, travelers are drawn to cozy accommodations that offer warmth and comfort — so, take the opportunity to show off the coziest aspects of your property’s rooms or suites.

Content Inspiration:

  • Share images of rooms with fireplaces, hot tubs, or luxurious bedding.
  • Create short videos of guests enjoying an in-room coffee, tea, or hot cocoa, wrapped in soft blankets, while looking out at the fall scenery.
  • Post before-and-after photos of rooms transformed for the season with autumnal decor.

Pro tip: Highlight features like plush robes, slippers, or in-room amenities like local snacks and seasonal treats. The goal is to evoke a sense of warmth and relaxation that will entice potential guests to book a getaway.

5. Promote Fall Events and Activities

Take advantage of your area’s fall event calendar to attract guests to your property. Whether it’s a pumpkin carving contest, a local harvest festival, or a wine-tasting event, these events can lend themselves to Instagrammable moments for your followers.

Content Inspiration:

  • Create an event-specific hashtag and encourage attendees to share their experiences on Instagram.
  • Share behind-the-scenes content leading up to the event, such as setup details, interviews with vendors, or sneak peeks at the activities.
  • After the event, share user-generated content to give potential guests a taste of what they missed — and a reason to book for the next event.

Pro tip: Use Instagram Stories and Reels to highlight the energy and excitement of fall activities, which can help even those who missed out this year start planning for the next.

6. Fall Travel Inspiration and Local Experiences

DMOs and hotels can position themselves as fall travel experts by curating fall content that showcases unique local experiences. Post guides, itineraries, or day trips that highlight what travelers can see and do during their stay.

Content Inspiration:

  • Highlight nearby apple orchards, vineyards, or corn mazes, along with tips for visitors.
  • Create Instagram Stories featuring “A Day in the Life” of a traveler enjoying the best fall activities in your destination.
  • Interview local artisans, shop owners, or farmers, and promote their fall offerings like handmade scarves, artisanal cider, or seasonal produce.

Pro tip: Partner with regional influencers or bloggers to attract both local travelers looking for a quick fall getaway and those from more Southern climates, who might be seeking an authentic experience.

7. Interactive Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories provide a dynamic way to engage with your audience in real-time. Use interactive features to spark conversation and keep your followers engaged.

Content Inspiration:

  • Create a poll asking followers to vote on their favorite fall activities or dishes at your property.
  • Use the question feature to ask for recommendations on their favorite fall destinations or seasonal experiences.
  • Share quizzes or trivia related to fall, such as “Guess this fall flavor” or “Which autumn activity should you try?”

Pro tip: Don’t underestimate the power of interactive content when it comes to keeping your brand top of mind.

8. Behind-the-Scenes Fall Prep

Giving your followers a glimpse behind the curtain can be an engaging way to showcase the hard work that goes into preparing for the season.

Content Inspiration:

  • Share a video tour of your property’s fall transformation, from putting up decorations to stocking seasonal amenities.
  • Post a time-lapse video of your team setting up a fall event or creating a stunning harvest display.
  • Highlight the local farmers, artisans, or vendors that supply the seasonal products you use in your food, drinks, or decor.

Pro tip: Harness the power of behind-the-scenes content to humanize your brand and create a more personal connection with your audience.

With a well-planned strategy focused on seasonal beauty and attractions, fall can be a content goldmine for hotels, resorts, and DMOs. Our team of social media experts can help you develop a top-notch fall content strategy that perfectly aligns with your business needs. If you’re ready to get started, let’s talk.

RELATED READING

Here’s How to Spend Your Marketing Budget Wisely

in General Marketing Insights by Hawthorn Editorial

K

eeping up with the right marketing tactics for your business can be challenging. Marketing is largely a numbers game, where the winning strategy is to find not only the right amount for your overall marketing budget but also the right mix of tactics to reach your business goals.

No two campaigns are alike (or at least, they shouldn’t be) but rather designed around unique factors like audience, analytics, and KPIs. And if you’re a luxury brand, there are additional considerations, such as the brand’s premium positioning, exclusivity, and focus on high-quality customer experiences.

There’s no magic formula or template when it comes to marketing budgets and mixes, but here are some industry-typical guidelines to get you started:

According to Deloitte’s most recent survey of CMOs, companies across the board spend an average of 10% of their overall budgets on marketing, which is only slightly higher than a pandemic-era low of 9%. Of the total marketing budget, around 9% is dedicated to digital marketing, 16% on social media marketing, and another 20% on marketing tech.

Typically speaking, the marketing channels with the highest ROI in 2024 have been social media shopping and website/SEO marketing (both at 16%), followed by email, paid social, and content marketing (all at 14%.) It’s clear that no one channel stands out above all the rest as a sure-fire campaign win — so which mix is right for you?

Luxury Marketing Budgets

While the foundations of strong marketing remain the same across the board, luxury businesses and brands need to consider additional, unique factors, such as exclusivity, rarity, brand perception, and a smaller circle of potential customers. They may also need to consider that some forms of marketing that might feel dated to other brands are still necessary to reach an affluent, older audience. In these cases, it’s recommended that luxury B2C companies invest more than the average — around 12-20% of their revenue — into marketing, and B2B companies invest around 8-15% of their budget into marketing. (If you’re a high-growth brand, 20-25% is a better target.)

Within those budgets, you’ll find two main types of marketing buckets. Performance marketing has the goal of soliciting a direct response from a customer, whether that’s booking, signing up for a newsletter, or scheduling a consultation (these are the imperative calls-to-action, like Buy Now, Book Today, or Sign Up). This type of marketing is data-driven, making the results easy to track, monitor, and analyze.

The other type of marketing is brand-related, which focuses on engagement, awareness, reach, and reputation building. This form of marketing, which includes content marketing, social media engagement, and influencer marketing, is a little less tangible but nonetheless essential to building authentic, emotional connections that build trust and loyalty.

The key to a strong campaign? Finding the right mix of both.

A Sample Marketing Mix to Drive Conversions

Your ideal marketing mix will depend on what type of business you have and what your objectives are. For this example, we’ll use a metric that luxury businesses of all stripes find important: conversions. To achieve this essential KPI, here’s one way you might slice up your marketing budget pie.

Digital Marketing (55%)

The breakdown:

  • SEM, PPC, and SEO: 25%
  • Social media: 15%
  • Content marketing: 10%
  • Email marketing: 5%

Because it’s such a ubiquitous part of our lives, digital marketing should take up around half of your budget. Within this subsection, strong conversion tactics include search engine marketing (SEM) and pay-per-click advertising (PPC), both of which use keywords and targeted search-engine ads to engage luxury shoppers. They should take up about 15% of the digital chunk of your marketing money, with the other 10% of this category going toward search engine optimization (SEO). A strong SEO strategy — broken down between on-page and off-page SEO — is one of the best ways to ensure that people searching for venues like yours find your information as easily as possible.

Social media marketing should also get around 15% of the spend, with a focus on visually-driven platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. Tactics like carousel ads and short-form videos create exclusivity and a desire for belonging. Plus, influencers who target luxury consumers can bring authenticity to the brand. Content marketing (around 10%), such as blogs, videos, or partnerships with industry magazines, offers the chance to tell your unique business story, show off your craftsmanship or legacy, and give customers a peek behind the scenes. And finally, email marketing (5%) can be used to create personalized campaigns based on past booking behaviors, customer preferences, or seasonality.

The majority of these tactics are performative, although some brand-building happens in digital marketing as well, especially when it comes to building a community online and engaging with followers on social media.

Public Relations (15%)

The breakdown:

  • Press releases and media features: 5%
  • Influencer marketing and partnerships: 5%
  • Trade shows: 5%

These are traditional brand-building marketing tactics designed to reinforce your luxury positioning and increase awareness to wider audiences. Public relations tactics, like mentions or guest articles included in high-end lifestyle magazines, can help elevate your brand perception to a discerning audience. Influencer marketing can also fall under this category, especially if your chosen partner is a well-known lifestyle blogger, luxury travel influencer, or someone affiliated with a related magazine.

Luxury trade shows, which can either be B2C or B2B, are great opportunities for networking with professionals in your industry, expanding your reach, seeing what the competition is up to, and showing off new products and services.

Branding and Creative (10%)

The breakdown:

  • Photography and videography: 5%
  • Website maintenance: 5%

Although it’s a small part of the overall marketing mix, it’s important to invest in high-quality photographers and videographers who can not only showcase your business’ luxury appeal, but do it in a way that’s authentic, real, and lets potential clients picture themselves doing business with you.

Another small chunk of the budget should go toward making sure that your website remains up and running without issues.

That said: In addition to, and separate from, your overall marketing budget, it’s essential to invest in making your website the centerpiece of your entire online operation. It will be the destination for most (if not all) of your CTAs, and especially for luxury brands, customers expect slick design, intuitive functionality, and little to no downtime. To guide you in this important process, please check out our website series, starting here.

Offers, Promotions, and Partnerships (15%)

The breakdown:

  • Limited time offers: 5%
  • Loyalty programs/referrals: 5%
  • Brand partnerships: 3%
  • Vacation planner partnerships: 2%

This subcategory includes promotions like limited-time offers and loyalty programs and referrals. These are part online and part offline marketing, since digital channels are used to promote real-world offers. For example, exclusive packages that bundle med spa services or wedding ceremonies and receptions can be promoted through email marketing, social media, and PPC campaigns. Loyalty programs offer incentives for repeat business and referrals from happy customers; special offers for loyalty members build trust and encourage repeat business.

Another small piece of the marketing puzzle is partnering with fellow luxury brands for co-promotions – a wedding venue with a bridal dress designer, for example, or a high-end event space with a limo service. Collaborations can also extend to local businesses, such as wineries, golf clubs, or cultural institutions, to offer exclusive, VIP packages. Finally, you can expand your reach by building relationships with luxury vacation planners who specialize in booking premium experiences for their clients.

Experiential Marketing (5%)

Finally, allocating a small portion of the budget to experiential marketing hits on the hot trend of consumers seeking immersive experiences. Some examples include hosting exclusive events, pop-up experiences, or even virtual tours that highlight your company’s ambiance and style.

Prioritization Strategy

This example plan is just that — an example. Many times, though, budgets get slashed or tactics don’t get approved. In those cases, how do you triage your strategy?

  • The straightforward answer is to go with what’s already working the best. Focus on your high-ROI channels and tactics that have already seen the best results.
  • Prioritize digital marketing tactics like SEM/PPC, social media, and email marketing, all of which can be carefully targeted and drive direct bookings.

Note: This advice is based on campaigns that are intended to drive conversions. If you’re looking to expand your reach, reinvent your brand, or drive engagement, your priorities will be different: tactics like public relations, events, and high-end partnerships are more effective at growing both reach and loyalty.

All these numbers can feel overwhelming — that’s why our experienced team is here to help you create the perfect marketing mix for your brand. Contact us and let’s work together!

RELATED READING

How Embracing Culinary Experiences Can Attract Hotel Guests

in Destination Marketing Organizations, Hotels & Resorts by Hawthorn Editorial

E

ven when two people don’t speak the same language, they often find common ground over good food. The act of sharing a meal is a universal language, and in an era where travelers are increasingly seeking authentic and immersive experiences, “slow food” has emerged as a powerful vehicle for cultural exploration and connection.

By definition, slow food is more of a concept than anything else — a movement that advocates for the enjoyment of traditional and locally sourced foods, emphasizing sustainable practices and the preservation of regional food cultures. It promotes a more thoughtful, deliberate approach to eating, in stark contrast with the fast-food industry’s focus on convenience and speed.

For travelers who label themselves as foodies, a destination’s local cuisine and dining experiences can be the No. 1 reason they choose to visit. Food travelers typically are younger, (around 70% are millennials and Gen Z), more affluent, and more likely to spend. They’re also heavily involved in social media, both for seeking travel recommendations and posting about their experiences online.

For hotels and destinations, leveraging their area’s food history, traditions, and expertise can be a game-changer in not only engaging current foodies but even creating new ones. Capitalizing on this tourism trend is also a way to offer unique experiences that stand apart from the competition.

Slow Food Strategies for Hotels and DMOs

For travelers experiencing a location’s culinary heritage — its local ingredients, traditional recipes, and unique cooking techniques — it’s a first-hand way to gain a deeper understanding of the place they are visiting, making their journey more meaningful and memorable.

Destinations with rich food histories should invest in crafting experiences that showcase their culinary uniqueness. A loving focus on food not only enriches the travel experience but also encourages longer stays and repeat visits. Here are just a few ideas to inspire you:

Create Authentic Culinary Experiences

One of the most effective ways to leverage food history is by offering hands-on culinary experiences. Collaborate with local chefs and food experts to design cooking classes, food tours, and tasting events that highlight regional specialties. To enhance the experience further, bring them right into your hotel’s kitchen for a VIP glimpse behind the scenes.

For properties that may not have on-site restaurants, a good alternative strategy is to curate on-site food festivals or markets that celebrate local cuisine. These events can draw both locals and tourists, creating a vibrant atmosphere that showcases your area’s food culture.

Integrate Local Flavors Into the Hotel Experience

Incorporating local flavors into your dining options can not only elevate your guest experience but also help you compete in a crowded market. This strategy can include using locally sourced ingredients in restaurant menus, offering signature dishes that reflect the area’s culinary heritage, or even designing themed dining experiences around local food festivals or traditions.

For example, the historic Wentworth by the Sea Hotel & Spa in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, leaned into regional flavors and historic plates for their 150th-anniversary reception menu. The property team gathered inspiration from turn-of-the-20th-century menus at the hotel, boasting fresh twists on Gilded Age classics. Offerings like this not only provide guests with a taste of the regional cuisine but also foster a deeper connection to the destination.

Collaborate With Local Food Artisans

Partnerships are often win-win-win for everyone involved — whether they take the form of featuring local wines and cheeses in the hotel’s restaurant or organizing joint events with local bakers, farmers, and producers.

Food-based partnerships offer travelers a chance to sample and learn about artisanal products that might not be available elsewhere. Local partnerships (especially when you change them up several times a year) could not only drive more sales for the local artisans but repeat bookings at your property for guests who are yearning for more.

Promote Food History Through Storytelling

Storytelling is a powerful tool in marketing, and it can be particularly effective when it comes to food history. Hotels and destinations should highlight the stories behind their culinary offerings — whether it’s the history of a traditional recipe, the origins of a local dish, or the background of a renowned local chef.

These stories can be shared through various channels, including hotel websites, social media, and in-room materials. This type of elegant storytelling is also effective in promoting a property as a high-end, exclusive destination for discerning travelers.

Guide Visitors to Culinary Trails and Food Tours

Creating culinary trails and food tours — or partnering with existing food routes — is an excellent way to guide travelers through a destination’s history. These tours can be self-guided or organized by local tour operators and can include visits to historical eateries, food markets, and specialty shops.

A destination known for its street food might organize food tours that highlight the best local vendors and their unique offerings.

Want more inspiration for culinary tours that will excite travelers? Check out this guide to 13 unique food trails in the U.S. — from a New Jersey pizza trail to an exploration of oysters across North Carolina.

Leverage Food-Based Wellness Trends

Wellness tourism is on the rise, and incorporating food into wellness experiences can be a compelling draw for health-conscious travelers. Hotels can offer programs that focus on the health benefits of local ingredients, such as farm-to-table dining experiences, cooking classes focused on healthy eating, or spa treatments that use local food products.

For instance, a hotel in a coastal area might offer seafood-based wellness packages that highlight the health benefits of fresh fish and sea vegetables, while an inland destination could promote the benefits of local herbs and organic produce.

At The Woodstock Inn & Resort in Vermont, this takes the form of a four-course Red Barn Dinner series, leaning on local ingredients from the Kelly Way Gardens. (Read about this culinary experience on page 20 of the Hawthorn Creative-produced magazine.)

How to Measure Success

Although some of these strategies may be intangible and difficult to measure, tactics like gathering feedback from guests, monitoring social media mentions, and tracking booking trends can provide valuable insights into what works and what needs adjustment.

It’s also important to remain flexible and adapt to changing trends and preferences. As culinary tourism continues to evolve, staying attuned to emerging food trends and evolving traveler expectations will help maintain a competitive edge and keep offerings fresh and relevant.

At Hawthorn Creative, a team of experts can help you craft the perfect culinary marketing strategy for your destination. If you’re ready to get started, let’s talk.

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