4 Tips You Need to Know to Get Free Travel
If you have been following me on Instagram, you already know I recently had a press trip to Catalina Island! The island is stunning and we had so much fun. I have been blogging for a few years now, and have been lucky enough to get a few sponsored press trips. Even without a huge following, I’ve had complimentary stays in several cities! People always wonder how influencers get complimentary travel, and in some cases, actually get paid to travel. It’s tough and competitive, but if I can do it so can you! I got my first complimentary hotel stay when I had less than 10k followers, so it is definitely possible for microinfluencers to get travel collaborations. Keep reading for my tips on how bloggers and influencers get sponsored travel!
How To Pitch A Complimentary Hotel Stay As A Blogger Or Influencer
The question on everyone’s lips is how can I travel for free?! Well, it starts with the right pitch strategy! The art of the pitch is one of the most important tools in a blogger’s arsenal. You should have a pitch draft master template that you tweak with details for each brand or business you are trying to work with. It should include basics like who you are, info on your audience, what you have to offer, and what you want in exchange. You don’t want to low-ball yourself, but be generous with your ask. A hotel likely will not give you a free stay if all you offer is 1 Instagram post. Be prepared to offer multiple posts and stories over the course of your stay, as well as a blog post! Blogging is pretty important for travel brands since it helps with SEO, so that will be a huge plus.
Keep a few things in mind when you pitch a hotel or tourism board for a free stay.
1. Find the right contacts.
You can always use the generic info address that is easy to find, but your pitch probably won’t end up in the right person’s hands. Look at the contact email on Instagram, or even send a dm to the account and ask the best way to get in touch for a social media partnership. I also like to look up recent press releases or news articles since they will usually have a media contact listed at the end.
You can also start by researching PR firms that specialize in hospitality, since they will usually have several hotel clients listed on the website. If you are interested in any of those properties, get in touch with the agency to pitch your collab idea. PR firms are usually more used to working with influencers than independent boutique hotels, so this strategy works to your advantage. And some properties, like the Starwood in Hawaii, are even publishing “Influencer Request” Forms on their website to make it easier to get in touch.
2. Be flexible with your ask.
Usually I will include a preferred window of travel in my pitch, but also mention that I can be flexible on dates depending on their occupancy levels. A hotel will never give away a room for free during a big event or peak season. You probably will have zero luck trying to get a free room in Miami during Art Basel, but a mid-week stay when things are less busy may be possible.
And keep in mind – free hotel rooms are not the be all and end all! If they are unable to host your stay, ask for a discounted media rate, resort credit for meals/ activities. That kind of stuff can add up on your trip, so getting it complimentary or discounted saves you money and ensures more content opportunities!
3. Do your research to perfect the pitch!
Look for recent news or press on the hotel and brainstorm ideas for how you can create a relevant story. If they just opened a new restaurant, focus your content on that new update. If the area is recovering from a natural disaster or other issue, focus on how your content will highlight the return of tourism to that area. Keep your pitch unique and creative to make it compelling .
Be sure to include past examples of your travel content or past collaborations. If you don’t have a lot of great travel content, you absolutely need to step your game up before you try to pitch brands for travel partnerships. The next time you are planning a trip, be prepared to create content focused on the hotel and travel to that city. You want to be able to have examples of your work to show off. If you don’t have any trips coming up, see if you can have a staycation in or near your city! Book a hotel for the night and use it to shoot some content.
You also want to understand the demographics the hotel wants to target and see if your audience is even a fit. I once got a very nice rejection from a hotel because my audience is mostly US based and they focus their marketing on European clients. Not everyone will take the time to explain that, but just know there is always a reason why you may not be a fit with them.
4. Stay safe when travelling.
As a woman that often travels alone, I take precautions on any trip – whether it’s sponsored or not. I never share my exact location while I’m there, or advance details of my itinerary. And while hotel room tours are common among influencers (and usually expected when working with a hotel) I never tag the hotel I’m staying at until after I Ieave. Safety is paramount and don’t compromise that.
Stay persistent and positive. The simple fact is hotels and tourism boards get more requests from influencers than they can accommodate. It’s highly likely that if you pitch 30 brands/hotels, you may only hear back from 3-4 of them. Travel blogging is competitive, especially when you are a small influencer. Keep a positive mindset and keep trying!
Managing Backlash as a Travel Influencer
Even though pitching brands as an influencer is part of the job, there are still a lot of businesses that are hostile towards influencers. Maybe they just don’t understand why influencers get free stuff, or how legitimate the influencer industry is. We’ve all heard stories of influencers getting dragged online – from private conservations being published to downright rude and nasty responses from business owners. It’s incredibly unfair how influencers can be treated by people that don’t understand or respect the nature of our work. Working as a social media influencer is a legitimate career, despite that some people think. Brand partnerships are an essential piece of business as an influencer. You should never feel ashamed or embarrassed of trying to secure a brand partnership, as long as you do so in a professional manner.
If you get backlash or negativity, try to keep a positive outlook and stay focused! Always stay professional, even if the other party is not behaving the same. And make sure you spend the time researching potential partners that may be more open to influencer partnerships.
Hope these tips help! Now is a great time to start working on travel partnerships and securing some free travel as an influencer. Hotels are at the lowest occupancy levels in years, and everyone will be looking for content and press around the reopening of tourism. Take advantage of the times, but travel safely!
