Savvy travel PR pros combine on- and offline media

March 27, 2008 | Hospitality Industry

With 75% of the traveling public going to the web first to research their trips whether for leisure or business, its best to seek media relations specialists for hotel public relations that understand how to secure coverage online as well as in magazines, newspapers, television and radio.

by Lorraine Abelow

Savvy travel public relations campaigns today now cover both online and traditional media. With 75% of the traveling public going to the web first to research their trips whether for leisure or business, its best to seek media relations specialists for hotel public relations that understand how to secure coverage online as well as in magazines, newspapers, television and radio.

Online and traditional media act in synergy, creating a snowball effect that will drive traffic to your website and get your reservations line ringing. Any travel public relations campaign today should incorporate the priceless credibility that is gained by securing editorial exposure in such prominent publications as Conde Nast Traveler. At the same time there�s a new term for an emerging PR discipline called �Google Relations.�

Through a number of online wire services, placing your press releases on strategic websites and blogs, and creating an RSS Feed on your website, a select few PR agencies in the U.S. are capable of moving your hotel, resort or destination up the rankings of Google to the top half of the first page. In this way, knowledgeable PR agencies are able to leverage the power of visibility on the web along with mainstream press exposure. Abelow PR, which has been conducting PR campaigns for hotels and travel entities for 25 years, is one of those agencies.

Optimizing your press releases with relevant keywords enables viewers to link to your website and as a result, drive traffic to your site. It is necessary to distribute frequent, topical and interesting press releases. This is an essential component of any public relations campaign in the travel public relations category. With fresh content on press releases you distribute as well as via RSS feeds sprinkled with your keywords, the search engines have a better chance of indexing you.

Press releases with timely and service oriented information should be a requirement of any public relations corporate communications PR effort in today�s media marketplace.At the same time, visibility in the traditional media, such as Travel and Leisure, The New York Times and the Travel Channel, are all-important outlets for PR agencies to target for a hotel, resort or destination. Articles and airtime in media of that caliber has a very big impact on your target market and attracts other media attention � both online and print. A wise hotelier realizes the immense value of strategic travel public relations campaigns, and dedicates an adequate budget to the PR agency they choose. That person realizes that in many ways, publicity online and in the media is more valuable than advertising because it carries with it the endorsement of the editors of the magazine or the producer of the TV show.

Viewers know the difference too, and place significant trust in the media. It�s all about creating a buzz, so harness the power of PR for your hotel, resort or destination by getting the word out consistently and in all the forms of media available today.

Lorraine Abelow can be reached at Abelow PR