Are Instagram influencers actually influential?

By Leah McLennan.

Travel marketers in 2016 are well into the digital age, and Instagram has emerged as a valuable way for tourism bodies and destinations to reach their target audience.

But when it comes to Instagram ‘influencers’ — people who have acquired thousands of followers on the photo-sharing site — how do tourism organisations and brands measure the influence these individuals really have?

Melbourne-based marketing and advertising executive Harry Corsham said if organisations picked the right Instagram influencer, it could put their destination at the top of the wish list of thousands of potential holiday-makers.

“What we are talking about here is getting the right influencers and the right followers to put your destination on the map,” he told Fi Poole on ABC Kimberley Local Radio.

Instagram, which was launched in 2010, now has more than 400 million monthly active accounts.

Instagram’s immense growth year-on-year has spawned hundreds of Instagram influencers who have amassed thousands or millions of followers by showcasing incredible photos and engaging with their audiences.

On the return on investment that Instagram influencers can offer a brand, it is a matter of testing to see what works and pays in real life dividends.

“That is something marketers have got to do. They have to work out if this influencer is really influential with their audience,” Mr Corsham said.

“You have to test that and see.”

He said having a lot of Instagram followers did not inherently make a person influential.

“It does not mean those followers are watching day-in day-out. They might be active once a month. We do not know.”

Influencer promotes North West tourism

Australia’s North West Tourism recently partnered with an Instagram influencer for the first time.

Lauren Bath, who has more than 454,000 Instagram followers, visited Karijini National Park in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Ms Bath became Australia’s first full-time Instagrammer when she quit her job as a chef three years ago to pursue a career in photographic marketing on Instagram.

An early adoption of the platform saw Ms Bath’s followers skyrocket before Instagram was as widely used as it is now.

Mr Corsham said in the world of travel Instagram, a good picture was worth a thousand words.

“What people are buying when they are buying a holiday … is a series of amazing experiences,” he said.

“The best way to sum those up is to show people the extraordinary landscape.”

Contemporary images, such as those posted by Ms Bath, have the potential to travel far and wide, he said.

“Content is gold, and if they are real and contemporary images and her personal interpretation of what is in front of her, that is gold, it will travel,” he said.

As part of the agreement with a client, Ms Bath will provide three Instagram posts daily, high resolution images for social media use, and a report on impressions, media value and feedback.

In return her travel costs are covered and she is paid a base daily rate.

Mr Corsham said partnering with a social media influencer could be a cost-effective way for tourism boards and brands to reach a desired audience.

“If you ask Lauren Bath to send a postcard to 454,000 people … that would have cost the best part of half a million dollars just in postage,” he said.

This post originally appeared on ABC News.

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