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Blogging, Copywriting

How can AI help to boost your travel and tourism blog?

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My work involves spending a lot of time browsing travel and tourism blogs (yes, I have permanent wanderlust!). And often I’ll come across a blog that looks enticing at first glance only to find that its content is 100% AI-produced. What a missed opportunity! Why? Well, AI-written content is just incredibly dull to read. Surely one of the great pleasures of reading is the feeling that you are hearing the voice of a fellow-human in your head? Whether it be sassy, confident, quirky, authoritative, tentative, or warm – every writer has their own unique voice. And that’s something you just don’t get with AI. Of course, brand voice is a concept we’re all familiar with. But my feeling is that it’s particularly important in tourism marketing. This is because the success of any travel experience depends, to a great extent, on the connection you have with the tour professionals leading it. If that connection is strong, you get an experience you’ll always remember. If it’s not – well, your experience might end up being memorable for all the wrong reasons. How can your customers make an informed decision to choose you when you’re asking them to wade through screeds of bland robotese? AI or human-produced copy? Now, I know what you’re thinking. I’m a copywriter who writings for a living! So of course, I’m going to be twitchy about the robots taking over. And maybe I should be. A 2023 survey by Nativo revealed that 53% of adults were unable to distinguish between real content and artificially generated content. On the face of it, this statistic does sound worrying. I’m skeptical though. Okay, perhaps the people involved in the survey were unable to identify the robot-produced content. But were they asked which content they preferred? Had they been asked this question, I’m prepared to bet that they’d opt for the human-produced version. We know that AI is improving all the time. But it will never have a human heart. It will never have access to a lifetime of experience. Neither will it possess the quirks that make you you and me me. In short, AI alone is not (and may never be) enough to write you blog posts that will connect with and convert customers. So, if you think you can populate your blog with AI-written content, think again. My AI blog-writing experiment Here’a a little AI experiment I tried recently. I looked up a fairly recent blog post I wrote for Promote Shetland. The topic was ‘creative pursuits you can do in Shetland over winter’. Here are two opening paragraphs. One is written by me, one is fully AI generated. Can you guess which is which? — One Welcome to our blog post on creative things to do in Shetland over winter! As the days grow shorter and the air turns crisp, Shetland transforms into a winter wonderland filled with opportunities for artistic expression and exploration. From cozying up in a traditional crofthouse with a hot cup of tea to immersing yourself in the vibrant arts and crafts scene, there is no shortage of creative activities to enjoy during the colder months in this picturesque island archipelago. Join us as we delve into some of the most inspiring and unique ways to unleash your creativity in Shetland this winter. Two Chillier temperatures and shorter days are often associated with hibernation. Not so in Shetland, where winter activities are a far cry from bingeing on box sets and getting into full goblin mode. Instead, the colder months are a cosy, sociable time, where locals fill the hours of darkness with creative pursuits from crafting to creative writing. — Which do you think is mine? And why? Check out the clunky opening sentence in paragraph one. Note also the cliches such as ‘winter wonderland’ and ‘unleash your creativity’. Paragraph one packs in numerous paraphrases of my prompt text, e.g.: ‘creative pursuits’ and ‘artistic expression’ and, in my opinion, the effect is a little OTT. Is it all bad? No. I like the ‘hot cup of tea’ bit (although I’d argue that tea-drinking in itself is not a creative activity!) but overall it’s like wading through verbal blancmange. The second paragraph, in contrast, sounds more natural. The ‘bingeing on box sets’ and ‘full goblin mode’ sound like they were written by a human (albeit a fairly lazy one). It’s less wordy too. AI can help you – with some caveats Having said all of this, AI can help you write great posts for your travel and tourism blog – it can save you time too! – but you need to know what you’re doing. And you will still need to engage your own brain. Here are some key things to bear in mind. In my work as an editor, I’ve often been sent AI texts and instructed to ‘humanise’ them (very 1984, I know). Not a job I relish doing, as quite frankly, it takes a lot longer to humanise a robotic text than it does to write one myself from scratch. So if you choose to humanise an AI text you’ve generated, be aware it’s a time-consuming process with a lot of rewriting. How I use AI to blog AI can be helpful, but over-reliance on it will get you nowhere fast. Used strategically though, it can be a great time-saver. — Well, here ends the final instalment of my blogging mini-series. I hope you’ve found it useful, and that you’re now ready to blog with confidence. One thing that writing this mini-series has brought home to me is that there is so much to think about when it comes to blogging! If you’re still feeling bamboozled by it all, and would like a little hand-holding to get your blog underway, get in touch. In a one-hour Copy Boost session, I’ll answer your blogging questions, help you devise your blogging strategy and send you on your way raring to go! Check out my services page to find out more.

A typewriter on a desk ready to write a tourism blog post
Blogging, Copywriting

How to write a banging blog post

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You’ve overcome your blogging blocks and you’ve got a list of great content ideas to get you started on your blogging journey. (Or at least you should have if you’ve been keeping up to date with my previous posts.) Now, are you ready to write your first blog post? The truth is, no matter how well you may have prepared yourself, the act of sitting down and writing isn’t always easy. Writer’s block, procrastination and fear of failure can all become deadly enemies. With this in mind, here’s a simple process to follow for writing those first few blog posts. After a while, it should become second nature. 1. Beat the blank page Getting started is the hardest thing. So resist the temptation to start at the very beginning – it’s not always a very good place to start despite what Maria might tell you. Instead, write down everything you know about the topic in question. Set a timer for 8 minutes and let your ideas flow onto the page. Resist the temptation to edit – that can come later. So can your introduction and your title. This is where it’s really important to have chosen something you actually want to write about. When I’ve chosen a topic I feel I know inside out and am desperate to share, the words just tumble out of me. The trick is to find something that both you and your readers are interested in. (I could have fun writing about my favourite types of cheese, but would visitors to this blog find that helpful? I doubt it.) 2. Choose a format Now you’ve decided on your topic, you need to choose a format. If you’re new to blogging, listicles can be a great place to start. While some may argue that listicles have become a hackneyed cliche, there is a a good deal of evidence to suggest that this simple, easily digestible format is still as popular as ever. And there’s no denying that certain types of content simply lend themselves to listicles. Say, for instance, I want to write a blog post about the top ten family-friendly attractions in London. Why on earth wouldn’t I choose the listicle format? There are plenty other formats which you can and should experiment with though. For example: I’ve shared these formats as I think they’re the most straightforward to write, but the possibilities are endless! Check out this article for more help with choosing the right format for your next blog post. 3. Build the body Now we’re onto the meat of your post. There’s a lot to say here (probably a whole post’s worth), but in the interests of brevity I will give you just 5 things to think about. 4. Write your heading Coming up with an engaging heading is not an easy task, but choosing the right one will pay dividends. Your heading is not just a way to entice readers to keep reading: it’s also a way to get eyes on your post (if you’re strategic with keywords). Please note: this blog post’s title is not a good example of an SEO-friendly one. My original title was ‘How to write a tourism blog post’ which might have been better for SEO but just sounded dull beyond belief. SEO is hugely important, but sometimes you have to go with what feels good! (I’ll be going into SEO in much more detail in my next post.) Finally, and this should go without saying, make sure your title accurately reflects the content of your post. So don’t write a blog post with the title ‘Taylor Swift’s Top Tips for a fun time in Tenerife’ if your post doesn’t mention Tenerife. Because if you do that, you’ve just produced a piece of click-bait. And that’s naughty. 5. Have a clear CTA Why are you blogging? Is it just for fun? Nope, thought not. While blogging can be a lot of fun, I’m guessing there are other things you might want to be doing with your time. You’re blogging to get people booking your tours. You’re blogging to build know, like, trust. You’re blogging to increase your visibility. So make sure the CTA at the end of your blog posts rewards your effort in writing it. And you can do that by including a clear call to action. Not 3 or 4 – remember, confused minds don’t buy. Just write one thing you want your readers to do. For an example, see the end of this post. 6. Go ahead and click publish! A mentor of mine has a saying which I love so much that I’ve adopted it as my own: ‘Better done than perfect’. Your post will never be perfect. Maybe the ideal heading will elude you (I’m not convinced about the heading for this post!). Or perhaps you could source some better photos. And you should definitely proofread it a few days later. Isn’t that what the writing gurus say? The thing is, the longer you procrastinate, the less likely you are to publish the darn thing. And then no one will ever read what you have to say. Wouldn’t that be a shame? Remember, the beauty of blogging is you can always go back and make changes later on. So be bold! What have you got to lose? Click that button with confidence! Done it? Congratulations – you’ve embarked on your blogging journey. It’s going to be a thrilling ride! (Psst: here’s my CTA!) If you’re still bewildered by blogging (and I know there’s a lot to take in) book a Copy Boost session with me. This hour will be laser-focused on your specific needs, giving you the confidence and know-how you need to write a truly banging blog post. Interested? DM me on LinkedIn or email me at genevieve@campioncopy.com

Women conducting keyword research for her tourism blog
Blogging, Copywriting, Visibility

10 places to find blogging inspiration

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So, you’ve decided to blog about your tourism business. Congratulations! It’s going to be fun – and, if you’re committed, it will pay dividends. There’s just one tiny issue. What on earth are you going to blog about? You’ve maybe got an idea for your first couple of posts – but what then? Fear not, I have good news for you. Posting inspiration is all around! And I’m here to show you 10 places where your next great blog post idea might be lurking… 1. Your own brain The process I am about to describe may sound a little retro. Stick with me, ok? Yes, I know there are loads of online places you can go for inspiration (we’ll be covering these in a moment!) but nothing beats sitting down with a big (I’m talking A2) piece of paper, some coloured sharpies and just letting your mind generate as many ideas as possible. Some of these ideas will not be worth pursuing, others will be pure gold. And keep a pen and notebook beside your bed. How many times have I woken up in the small hours with a brilliant idea, thinking ‘my next post is in the bag!’ only to wake up the next morning to find it has disappeared? (Answer: a lot). Good ideas are flighty little critters – don’t let them slip away. 2. Your DMs Think of your DMs as a repository for FAQS. Then mine these DMS for potential blog posts. For example, visitors to Shetland (where I live) might ask questions like: Any one of these questions could be the basis of a great blog post. And it’s not just questions you’ll find in your DMS. You’ll also find feedback (both positive and negative) which could spark inspiration. For example, what do your customers particularly like about your tours? What particular tour highlights do they mention, and how could you blog about them? 3. My free resource My free resource (available here) catchily titled 30 social media post ideas for tour guides and tour operators can also be a great leaping-off point for the beginner blogger. Behold – here are just three of its suggestions for social media posts: Just writing these ideas down is getting my creative juices flowing! Download my freebie (if you haven’t already) and get writing. Or filming. Or podcasting. (Remember, blogs don’t have to be written.) 4. Your own social media posts Linking on from my previous point, let’s talk about repurposing. Not every blog post you write for your tourism business needs to be a brand new idea (if you take this approach, you’re going to reach blogger burnout fairly quickly!). Scan your social media posts for posts that could be developed into blog posts (bonus points if you choose ones that have got good engagement – this means they’re likely to appeal to your customers). Then expand upon them. For example: Don’t worry about being repetitive. Bear in mind that a tiny percentage of your followers will have seen your original social media post, and even if they have, they’ve probably forgotten it by now. 5. Other tour bloggers’ work Other people’s blogs are always a great source of inspiration. It’s not going to hurt a tour guide on the other side of the world (or even the country) if you copy the style and format of one of their blog posts, is it? For example, if you’re a tour guide in Paris reading a blog post on ‘5 family-friendly days-out in New York’ why not do the same for your city? Here’s a blog post I wrote, where I interviewed a local birder about Shetland’s top ten summer birds and their dialect names. Could you write a similar post about your local wildlife? 6. Outside of tourism Once you’ve got into the habit of blogging, you’ll find ideas everywhere you go. Sometimes we get so immersed in our little tourism bubble, that we forget to look further afield. Next time you’re checking out a blog on one of your other interests (come on, I’m sure you have at least one!) stay alert to format, style and content. Whether it’s a blog on miniature modelling, health and wellness or DIY, you’re likely to find content ideas you can adapt for your own tourism blog. 7. Your own backyard Okay – you may need to go slightly further than this. But get up, go for a walk. See your destination with fresh eyes. If you were visiting for the first time, what would you want to know? Remember – people love to feel they are discovering a city’s secrets. Are there any off-the-beaten-track places you could share? A retro clothes shop? A community garden? A cake fridge?* *In Shetland, cake fridges are a thing! Imagine being out for a walk in the middle of nowhere and stumbling across a box full of homemade goodies! 8. Google I’ll be covering SEO tips later on in this blogging mini-series, as this is vital stuff to know when you’re blogging. Writing content that answers frequently asked questions is one easy way of making sure your content gets read – and it’s also a valuable source of posting inspiration. In the meantime, playing around with Google Search can be a great way of finding out the topics that people have been searching for. And if people have been searching for these topics, you can bet they’re going to want to read about them. This article is a handy step-by-step guide to help you generate blog ideas on Google. 9. Your customers Why not ask your customers directly what they’d like you to blog about? Social media polls are a great way of doing this. Your customers will feel you care, and you’ll get some great content ideas! Win win. 10. Your life Hope you haven’t thrown away the sharpies and paper we were using in number 1. You’ll need them for this bit. Although last on the list, this item is

Genevieve White writing some ideas for her blog about travel and tourism copywriting.
Copywriting, Visibility

Why blog for your tourism business?

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Is blogging for you? (Spoiler alert – it probably is!) Imagine you’re researching a family holiday in Budapest, Hungary and you want to take a tour of the city. You narrow your search down to two tour companies. Both are similar in terms of the experiences they offer, their pricing, and the quality of their websites. But there is one significant difference. The first tour company you come across has a static website with tour descriptions, itineraries and reviews. The second has these things too, but in addition publishes regular blog posts sharing hidden parts of Budapest, the best places to find Hungarian gulyás, top souvenir suggestions etc. Reading these blog posts, you get a strong sense of the tour company’s personality, values and the kind of experience you can expect. Now, which of the two tour operators are you going to choose? Assuming the blog content is of high quality, I’d bet good money on you opting for the second tour company. You see, blogging really can make the difference between winning, or losing, a sale. If you’re not already blogging for your tourism business, then I’d strongly suggest you start! If you’re not convinced, these statistics might change your mind. Still on the fence? Well, here’s something else to add to the mix. If you want your tourism business to be more visible (and who doesn’t want to be seen?) blogging is great for SEO. We all know that Google loves fresh content. And each time you publish a blog post there are lots of little tweaks you can make to push your content higher up these rankings (I’ll go into this in a later post so stay tuned.) And, last but not least, blogging can be a lot of fun! Blog posts can be a great place to share stories from your tours, show your personality and hone your writing skills. Getting started on your blog Okay, let’s say I’ve convinced about the value of blogging. But where to start? It’s probably a good idea to start thinking about your goals. Next week, I’ll post about where to find blogging inspiration and I’ll discuss the importance of planning ahead. In the meantime, think about the questions above. Once you’ve worked through them, you’ll be one step nearer to smashing your blogging goals. If you need additional help in getting started, you might benefit from a 1-1 coaching session with me. Find out more about how I can help you.

Copywriting

Tour descriptions that SELL

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You know your tours are awesome. So why aren’t they fully booked? There could be a few reasons why your services aren’t getting snapped up. But the tour descriptions on your website might be a good place to start. Your tour descriptions should: Let’s look at each of these points in more detail. Speak to your target customer This doesn’t simply mean knowing who your target customer is (age, gender, socio-economic group, interests etc.). While that’s all important stuff to know, it’s the what. You need to think about the why and the how: Keep these questions firmly in mind as you write your tour descriptions and the answers will shine through your copy. Make it easy to read Confront your readers with long paragraphs at your peril! Whether we like it or not, attention spans are shrinking and no one is going to wade through huge chunks of text on your website. Use short paragraphs, bullet-pointed lists and white space where you can. Also, put yourself in your reader’s shoes and don’t assume they know things. Instead of writing: Climb the Scott Monument. (what’s that?) write Get a bird’s eye view of the city from the Scott Monument, Edinburgh’s 61-metre-high literary landmark. (Sounds cool! I want to do that!) Be specific There are a million tour descriptions out there, describing scenery as breathtaking, spectacular and stunning and monuments as architectural gems, iconic and world-famous. It’s all too easy to reach for the nearest cliche, but this is not going to help your tours stand out from the competition! Use specific details to grab your reader’s attention. Instead of writing: Stop for a drink in Ernest Hemingway’s favourite bar. write Make like Hemingway and drink a daiquiri in Bar El Floridita. See the difference? Less can be more You don’t need to provide every single tour highlight. Long lists don’t look good, and a highlights section should be as its name suggests – a list of two or three of the very best bits from your tour. Keep your best highlights for your first and last bullet points, as these are the points that are most likely to grab your reader’s attention. Write with SEO in mind There’s not much point in writing amazing tour descriptions if no one reads them, is there? Now you’ve spent time crafting your copy, you need to get as many eyes on it as possible. There is lots to say about SEO (and I’ll leave it for another blog post) but a good starting point is to choose a keyword that defines your tour and include it in your title. Then make sure you include the keyword once or twice in the body of your tour description (don’t overdo this or you will be penalised for ‘keyword stuffing’). I’m busy helping a tour operator craft the tour descriptions for their website right now – but will have availability for more of this kind of work from the end of March onwards. Do you need someone to cast an eye over the tours on your website? If so, get in touch.

Copywriting

Why content pillars matter

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Ah, the blank screen of doom. I think we’ve all been there – especially when it comes to posting about our businesses on social media. After all, we’re repeatedly told that: But, what exactly do we post? Is it possible to have a real life as well as an online one? And how do we avoid sounding boring/repetitive/like a bit of a dick? The truth is that managing your own social media can be hard. Especially when you have tours to run and itineraries to plan. Often, it seems like there just isn’t time to run a tourism business AND dream up fun, creative social media posts with enticing visuals to match. So, you sit slumped in front of your laptop, waiting for inspiration to strike. And sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t. Then the next day you’re back to square one again and that darn black screen! Wouldn’t it be nice to have a strategy? Of course it would! But how do you even start with that? I’m not going to lie – developing your social media can take time. But in the long run, it’ll be a lifesaver. In this post, I’m going to run you through the basic building blocks for setting up a social media strategy for your tourism business. Does this mean your social media posting will be effortless from hereon in? Um, nope – sorry. But it does mean that it will get easier. And that you’ll be less likely to find yourself confronted by that blank screen… Step 1: What are your content pillars? What exactly do you want to communicate about your tourism business to your ideal customers? Choose 3-4 key themes. These are your content pillars, and they should be the basis of everything you post on social media. Building your posts around these pillars will not only build your brand (over time your audience will know what to expect of you) but it will help your posting consistency and make it much easier for you to find posting inspiration. Wondering what your pillars are? Let’s move on to the next step. Step 2: Defining your content pillars Choosing your pillars shouldn’t be a random exercise. And the pillars you pick shouldn’t be based on your particular interests, but on what your customers need. The most important thing to do when deciding on your content pillars is to spend time in market research, finding out what matters to your customers. You can do this by finding out what keywords your customers are searching for online, highlighting recurring words in customer reviews or by conducting some market research with customers  (1-1 conversations are great for this). Then have an intensive brainstorming session. Write down as many words as you can associated with what customers want and what you provide. Then narrow this down to a maximum of 4 content pillars. For example, a tour guide in Shetland might choose the following as their content pillars: Step 3: Choosing topics Next, you need to think of content topics to go with each pillar. Imagine you are a Shetland tour guide and have decided on the content pillars above. Here are just a few content ideas to go with each post. Try this exercise with your own location. I’m sure loads of opportunities will spring to mind! Step 4: Create a campagin Thinking of one post at a time can get exhausting and this is often where inspiration starts to flag. Instead of thinking in terms of individual posts, think in terms of campaigns. That means thinking of what you want to focus on in your tourism business, and then really doubling down on it – think of something that can be linked to all of your content pillars. So, to continue with the example above, let’s say I want to promote my walking tour of Shetland. That means that for one month, all of my posts are written with this goal in mind. That doesn’t mean writing ‘Hey, come on my walking tour!’ in every post. Because, let’s face it, that’d get pretty annoying. But it could mean: Post 1: a photo of a local beach I’d take in on my walking tour (Content pillar: a place to reset) Post 2: an archive photo of a historical figure I talk about on my tour and a teasing hook so people are desperate to find out more! (Content pillar: storytelling) Post 3: A photo of my scuffed hiking boots along with a little story about them, and why I love them (I always wear them on my walking tours!) (Content pillar: building trust) Post 4: Video footage me walking along the historic street that features on my walking tour, as I point out a couple of historic landmarks (Content pillars: building trust and culture) Step 5: Plan your calendar You can use your content pillar to plan loads of social media posts. I like to plan a month in advance, but you could do much more than this – and wouldn’t that be nice during the busy tourist season? These are the foundations of your social media strategy – if you want some icing and cherries to go on top, stick around for my next post. And – if you need a quick fix of inspiration check out my 30 days of social media planner.

Copywriting

You’re NOT rubbish at writing

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Do you know something I hear A LOT when introducing myself to new people and telling them what I do for a living? ‘I’m rubbish at writing’. Usually, this is said with a sad shake of the head. The same admission is often followed with the tale of the traumatic English class experience that crushed the speaker’s writing confidence. In all honesty, you are probably not a rubbish writer. But you might well be experiencing blocks, something that even perfectly good writers grapple with from time to time.   Writing blocks can be caused by all kinds of things, but here are three serious blockers I’ve come across. Read on – do any of these ring a bell? Common Blocks Lack of confidence: this can be caused by all kinds of things. I’ve already mentioned bad experiences at school. But we can also be crippled by the comparisons we make between ourselves and other writers. It’s all too easy to go on to read someone else’s website or blog post and think: ‘Why can’t I write like they do?’ Well, the answer is simple. You can’t write like they do because you’re NOT them. You can, however, write like the best version of YOU. That’s achievable and that’s what you should be aiming for. A lost writing mojo: the single greatest cause of a lost writing mojo is not feeling genuinely interested in what you’re writing about. When you care about something, the words just flow. You don’t need to check your word count every few minutes – instead, you feel pumped and in the zone. So, if you’re struggling to write about your business, maybe it’s a sign. Are there any tweaks you need to make to your offer? Or do you need to find another angle to write about? Not being copy savvy: copywriting is a specific kind of writing with a specific purpose – namely wooing customers and getting sales! It’s therefore very different from writing a report or a business email. What works for those types of writing just won’t cut it when it comes to copy. You need to know your stuff – headline writing, formatting, branding and tone of voice all have an important part to play here. Overcoming writing blocks You don’t have to resign yourself to being rubbish at writing – and neither should you. If you want your business to succeed, choosing the right words to market yourself is absolutely crucial. Working on your writing skills will ultimately save you time and make you money. If you need help overcoming your writing blocks, check out the offers on my services page. From an hour-long Copy Boost session to an intensive 1-1 copywriting programme, I can help you identify your writing blocks and guide you in taking the action you need to overcome them.

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