digital marketing turismo case study

• Digital Marketing
• Facebook Marketing
• Instagram Marketing
• Ecommerce Marketing
• Content Marketing
• Data Science Certification
• Machine Learning
• Artificial Intelligence
• Data Analytics
• Graphic Design
• Adobe Illustrator
• Web Designing
• UX UI Design
• Interior Design
• Front End Development
• Back End Development Courses
• Business Analytics
• Entrepreneurship
• Supply Chain
• Financial Modeling
• Corporate Finance
• Project Finance
• Harvard University
• Stanford University
• Yale University
• Princeton University
• Duke University
• UC Berkeley
• Harvard University Executive Programs
• MIT Executive Programs
• Stanford University Executive Programs
• Oxford University Executive Programs
• Cambridge University Executive Programs
• Yale University Executive Programs
• Kellog Executive Programs
• CMU Executive Programs
• 45000+ Free Courses
• Free Certification Courses
• Free DigitalDefynd Certificate
• Free Harvard University Courses
• Free MIT Courses
• Free Excel Courses
• Free Google Courses
• Free Finance Courses
• Free Coding Courses
• Free Digital Marketing Courses

Top 10 Travel and Tourism Marketing Case Studies [2024]

We are entering a time where travel is not just a leisure activity but a vital part of our global culture. Industry trends suggest that personalized experiences and digital engagement will drive tourism growth. This blog explores ten innovative travel and tourism campaigns that have set the standard for effective marketing in a rapidly changing world. These case studies showcase how embracing technological advancements, cultural insights, and sustainable practices can create unforgettable experiences and successful marketing outcomes in the tourism sector.

Related: Impact of Augmented Reality on Travel & Tourism

Case Study 1: Expedia’s Travel Yourself Interesting

Company Overview:

Expedia, founded in 1995, revolutionized the travel industry by moving travel booking online, displacing traditional high-street travel agents. However, over time, the market became commoditized, with intense competition and a focus on price and deals, which led to reduced margins and an emphasis on price comparison websites.

The primary objective was to reposition travel from being seen as a cost to be minimized to a valuable investment in personal growth and self-improvement. This shift was intended to differentiate Expedia in a market dominated by price-focused marketing and to drive traffic directly to its website and app.

The essence of the campaign was built on the idea that engaging in travel enriches one’s personality and makes them more fascinating. This concept was created through a multi-channel approach, utilizing television, online films, social media, and the hashtag #TYI on Twitter. The strategy marked a departure from the industry’s standard emphasis on deals and savings, focusing instead on the transformational experiences and psychological benefits of travel.

The campaign’s impact was significant:

• In the UK, the campaign achieved a remarkable return on investment (ROI) of £11 for every £1 spent.
• In France, the campaign yielded an ROI of €6 per €1 spent.
• Gross bookings for Expedia increased by 8% in the UK and by an impressive 33% in France.

Key Lessons:

• Breaking Category Conventions: Moving away from the conventional focus on price and deals in travel marketing can be highly effective.
• Emotional Connection: Creating a campaign that resonates emotionally with consumers, in this case by highlighting the enriching experiences of travel, can lead to significant commercial success.
• Strategic Repositioning: Reframing a product or service as an investment in oneself rather than a cost can help a brand stand out in a commoditized market.
• Insight-Driven Marketing: Building a campaign around a deep, relatable insight (“travel makes you more interesting”) can effectively engage and motivate the target audience.

Case Study 2: Icelandair’s Iceland Academy

Icelandair, the national carrier of Iceland, has played a pivotal role in promoting tourism to Iceland.

The primary objective of the “Iceland Academy” aspect of the campaign was to educate tourists about Icelandic culture, etiquette, and safety, thereby enhancing their travel experience. This initiative was part of a broader strategy to attract more visitors to Iceland and encourage responsible and sustainable tourism.

The campaign was executed through an online platform offering 14 short videos of one and a half minutes each. These tutorials covered diverse aspects of Icelandic culture, such as hot tub etiquette, local food sustainability, and glacier safety. The aim was to provide insider knowledge and tips to tourists for a safer and more enriching visit. The “Iceland Academy” participants could earn badges and even win a trip to Iceland.

• Total Views: 10M
• Increase in consideration of viewers: 30%
• Increase in search compared to non-viewers – 342%
• Educational Marketing: Providing practical, educational content can enhance the appeal of a destination and improve the visitor experience.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Highlighting local customs and etiquette helps promote respectful and responsible tourism.
• Leveraging Local Expertise: Utilizing locals and experts in campaign materials can lend authenticity and credibility.
• Interactive Engagement: Encouraging active participation (earning badges, winning trips) can increase engagement and interest.
• Sustainable Tourism Focus: Positioning a destination focusing on sustainability and respect for nature can appeal to a growing segment of environmentally-conscious travelers.

Case Study 3: Ireland Tourism’s Doors of Thrones

The campaign was led by Tourism Ireland, the organization promoting Ireland as a global travel destination. The organization collaborated with HBO and other partners to create a unique tourism experience highlighting Northern Ireland’s connection to “Game of Thrones.”

The campaign’s primary goal was to promote Northern Ireland as a travel destination by leveraging its association with “Game of Thrones.” This was achieved by transforming a natural disaster (the felling of trees during Storm Gertrude) into a creative opportunity.

The campaign centered around creating ten intricately carved wooden doors, each depicting scenes from the show’s sixth season. These doors, crafted from trees that fell during the storm at the Dark Hedges (a filming location for the show), were placed in pubs across Northern Ireland near key filming locations. The doors served as both an homage to the series and a tourist attraction.

• Generated £17 million in earned media.
• 8% increase in tourism from the previous year.
• Views – 17.5 Mn, 250,000 engagements, and a combined total reach of 126 million people.
• Creative Use of Cultural Phenomena: Leveraging popular culture can significantly boost tourism, especially when linked to globally recognized media.
• Turning Challenges into Opportunities: The campaign creatively used the aftermath of a natural disaster (fallen trees from a storm) to create a unique tourist attraction.
• Strategic Partnerships: Collaborating with HBO and other stakeholders was critical to the campaign’s success.
• Multi-Location Engagement: Placing the doors in different locations encouraged tourists to travel across Northern Ireland, distributing the economic benefits.

Case Study 4: Australia Tourism’s Come and Say G’Day Campaign

Tourism Australia, the organization responsible for promoting Australia as a global travel destination, launched the “Come and Say G’day” campaign. This initiative is part of Tourism Australia’s “There’s Nothing Like Australia” global brand platform.

The campaign’s main objective was to reignite the world’s interest in visiting Australia. It aimed to capture the imagination of potential travelers through creative and uniquely Australian elements, driving demand for travel to Australia.

The multi-channel campaign featured two CGI-animated characters. Ruby, a kangaroo souvenir, enlivened the campaign, brought to life with the voice of renowned Australian actress Rose Byrne. Complementing Ruby was Louie, a toy unicorn symbolizing international tourists, with his voice provided by the talented actor Will Arnett. The campaign included a short film, television commercials, print and high-impact out-of-home creatives, and digital and social media content. It featured a reimagined version of the iconic Australian anthem “Down Under,” performed by King Stingray, sung in both English and Yolŋu Matha. The campaign ran across 15 key international markets.

• By July 2023, international visitation to Australia rebounded to approximately 80% of the pre-COVID figures of July 2019.
• 10% uptick in global flight inquiries for Australia
• Tourism Australia developed 190 strategic partnerships, including prominent airlines and travel agents, contributing to the increase in global interest in Australian holidays.
• Leveraging Cultural Icons: Utilizing recognizable cultural symbols, like the Australian kangaroo, can effectively resonate with international audiences.
• Multi-Channel Strategy: A diverse media approach, including animated films and social media content, can broaden the reach and appeal of the campaign.
• Emotional Connection: Creating relatable and engaging characters can foster an emotional connection with potential tourists.
• Strategic Partnerships: Collaborations with various stakeholders, including airlines and travel agents, amplify the campaign’s impact.
• Adaptability Across Markets: The campaign’s success in both English and non-English speaking territories highlights the importance of adaptable marketing strategies.

Case Study 5: California’s Am I Dreaming

The main goal was to showcase California’s vast attractions and encourage tourism, particularly after the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign aimed to reinvigorate interest in travel to California by highlighting its unique and diverse destinations.

“Am I Dreaming?” was a visually captivating advertisement highlighting a wide array of California landscapes, providing a glimpse of the diverse scenery and destinations from picturesque beaches to majestic mountains and everything in between.

The campaign extended beyond the Super Bowl ad, running on linear TV, online TV, and digital platforms through the peak spring trip-planning season. It also included a social media presence, with remixed ad versions and behind-the-scenes footage.

• The pregame spot received 60 million viewers, a high percentage in the target 25-54 age demographic.
• The ad was selected as AdForum’s #1 ad worldwide.
• Leveraging Major Events: Premiering the campaign during the Super Bowl capitalized on the event’s massive viewership.
• Celebrity Involvement: Involving well-known celebrities helped increase the campaign’s reach and appeal.
• Cinematic Quality: High production value and engaging visuals can significantly enhance a tourism ad’s effectiveness.
• Multi-Platform Strategy: Extending the campaign beyond TV to digital and social media ensured broader and sustained engagement.

Related: Best AI in Travel & Hospitality Case Studies

Case Study 6: Boosting Travel to San Francisco During Golden Week

San Francisco, renowned for its iconic Golden Gate Bridge, vibrant food scene, and pleasant weather, has long been a favored destination among travelers worldwide. The San Francisco Travel Association, alongside key partners such as United Airlines, SFO Airport, Napa Valley, and Concord, aimed to capitalize on the Golden Week—a significant national holiday in China marked by a surge in international travel.

The primary objectives were threefold:

• Elevate brand awareness for United Airlines and SFO.
• Encourage Chinese tourists to book accommodations in San Francisco.
• Increase visibility for neighboring destinations like Napa and Concord.

These goals were set against evolving economic conditions and digital consumption patterns among Chinese tourists.

In response to the emergence of a new demographic of “free and independent” (FIT) travelers from China, the San Francisco Travel Association devised an innovative campaign. They collaborated with United Airlines, SFO, Napa Valley, and Concord to orchestrate the ultimate Northern California road trip experience.

The campaign’s centerpiece was a partnership with Kiki Fang, China’s top travel social influencer, boasting 6.5 million followers on Douyin. Fang’s travel vlogs, embodying the essence of San Francisco, were disseminated across popular Chinese platforms, including Weibo, Douyin, Toutiao, RED, Mafengwo, and Ctrip. These vlogs featured branded experiences designed to appeal to the target audience. They were supplemented by a performance campaign on Ctrip featuring a custom landing page, travel products, and banner ads.

The campaign yielded impressive outcomes, as highlighted below:

• Video Views: 85 Million
• Video Likes: 5 Million
• Video Comments: 103K
• Room Nights Booked: 6,870+
• Year Over Year Growth: 21%

These statistics underscore the campaign’s success in engaging Chinese FIT travelers and encouraging them to visit San Francisco and its surrounding areas.

From this campaign, several key lessons emerged:

• Influencer Impact: The significant role of a well-chosen influencer in reaching and engaging target demographics cannot be overstated. Kiki Fang’s credibility and relatability were instrumental in the campaign’s success.
• Localized Content: It is critical to tailor content to fit the target audience’s cultural and social media consumption habits. Utilizing platforms popular among Chinese travelers ensured the campaign’s visibility and engagement.
• Collaborative Marketing: The synergy between various tourism stakeholders (airlines, destinations, and influencers) can create a more compelling and holistic campaign, enhancing overall effectiveness.
• Digital Adaptation: Staying abreast of digital trends and consumption patterns is vital for engaging modern travelers, particularly those from rapidly evolving markets like China.

Case Study 7: Etihad Airways’ Single Use Plastic Free Flight

Etihad Aviation Group (EAG) embarked on a pioneering journey to address the pressing global issue of single-use plastic pollution, particularly within the aviation industry. Aligning with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, EAG committed to a significant environmental initiative by implementing a policy to reduce single-use plastics across its operations, setting an ambitious target to achieve an 80% reduction.

The initiative’s primary objective was to confront the environmental impact of single-use plastics in aviation, an industry notably contributing to this global concern. EAG aimed to lead by example, leveraging its policy to substantially cut down on single-use plastic consumption within its various verticals and enhance its brand affinity through demonstrating a strong commitment to sustainability and improving the overall guest experience.

Strategy and Execution:

EAG conducted a comprehensive audit to identify the key areas of single-use plastic consumption within its operations, discovering the highest usage in in-flight and customer service areas. The strategy focused on these areas, sourcing eco-friendly alternatives for over 95 different single-use plastic items, including cutlery, cups, and toothbrushes. A landmark achievement was the operation of the world’s first single-use-plastic-free flight on Earth Day from Abu Dhabi to Brisbane, symbolizing EAG’s dedication to sustainability. The event was heavily promoted through various communication channels, including social media, in-flight videos, and participation from environmental experts, media, and influencers, to generate widespread awareness and engagement.

• Achieved a 20% reduction in single-use plastics on-board flights by June.
• Aiming to eliminate over 100 tonnes of single-use plastics from onboard services by the end of the year.
• The video celebrating Earth Day captivated a 6 million-person audience and garnered more than 1.2 million views on various social media platforms.
• Generated significant media coverage, with over 60 global outlets reporting on the initiative.
• Launched an ‘eco partnership’ with Boeing to explore sustainable aviation practices further.
• Comprehensive audits are critical in identifying and addressing key areas of impact within operations.
• Forming strategic alliances and working collaboratively enhances the scope and effectiveness of efforts towards sustainability.
• Engaging narratives and the involvement of prominent figures play crucial roles in elevating awareness and motivating transformative actions.
• Achieving significant environmental goals requires a multifaceted approach, combining policy change, customer engagement, and industry collaboration.
• Sustainability initiatives can significantly enhance brand affinity and customer experience, positioning a company as a leader in responsible business practices.

Case Study 8: Swedish tourism board targets myth-seekers

In collaboration with Prime Weber Shandwick, Stockholm, Visit Sweden embarked on an innovative PR campaign designed to elevate Sweden’s profile as a travel destination. By delving into the rich tapestry of Swedish folklore and leveraging the burgeoning interest in mysticism, occult, and dark tourism, they introduced an immersive auditory experience titled “Spellbound by Sweden.” This campaign aimed to showcase the hidden drama of Sweden’s modest forests through the lens of its mythical inhabitants, providing travelers a unique cultural and emotional journey.

The campaign sought to differentiate Sweden from other nature-centric destinations by highlighting its cultural richness and mystical folklore. The objectives were to:

• Increase global awareness of Sweden as a culturally rich destination.
• Attract interest from markets with a demonstrated affinity for folklore, mysticism, and the occult, particularly focusing on the UK and US markets.
• Encourage engagement with Swedish nature through a novel, sensory-driven travel experience.
• Boost intention to travel to Sweden by captivating the imagination of potential visitors with the allure of experiencing folklore first-hand.

To achieve these objectives, Visit Sweden and Prime Weber Shandwick crafted a captivating audio story, “Kiln,” in collaboration with horror writer John Ajvide Lindqvist. This story, accessible exclusively within Sweden’s national parks, like Åsnen and Fulufjället, through Spotify, leveraged geo-locking technology to ensure an immersive on-site experience. Listeners would embark on a mystical journey through the forest, stepping into the main character’s shoes and encountering various mythological beings. This innovative use of audio storytelling was supported by a comprehensive digital strategy, engaging potential travelers on social media and the Visit Sweden website with rich content about Sweden’s mythical forest creatures and recommended visitation sites.

• Achieved a campaign reach of approximately 150 million in the UK and US markets.
• Digital content engagement significantly exceeded benchmarks, with some content experiencing up to 10 minutes of reading time.
• Successfully reached 80% of the targeted audience in the UK and US.
• Achieved a 16% rise in recognition of Sweden as a travel destination, augmented its cultural image by 14%, and increased the desire to visit by 5%.
• Innovative Storytelling: Leveraging local folklore and partnering with a renowned writer can deeply enrich the narrative and appeal of a destination.
• Emotional Engagement: Transitioning from visual to emotional storytelling, particularly through audio, can create a more intimate and immersive experience for the audience.
• Cultural Fluency: Aligning the campaign with current cultural trends and interests (e.g., the rise of #WitchTok, astrology, and dark tourism) can significantly amplify its relevance and reach.
• Media Strategy: Utilizing a geo-lock feature for content delivery not only enhances the experience but also generates PR interest, showcasing an effective use of technology in tourism marketing.
• Broader Implications: Even if a large portion of the audience may not directly experience the campaign (due to its geo-locked nature), the generated media coverage and social buzz contribute to achieving the campaign’s broader objectives.

Case Study 9: 13000 reasons to visit Northern Norway

Visit Norway, the official tourism board of Norway promotes Norway as a premier travel destination for both domestic and international tourists. By leveraging Norway’s rich cultural heritage, breathtaking landscapes, and unique experiences, Visit Norway aims to increase tourism and showcase the country’s diverse attractions.

The “13000 Reasons to Visit Northern Norway” campaign aimed to boost domestic tourism within Norway, with a specific focus on encouraging Norwegians to explore the northern regions of their country. This initiative sought to highlight Northern Norway’s unique appeal through the lens of foreign tourists, who have shared their positive experiences and the region’s captivating allure on various social media platforms.

To bring this campaign to life, Visit Norway embarked on an innovative strategy by compiling 13,000 comments from foreign tourists who had visited Northern Norway. These comments, sourced from social media, served as authentic testimonials to the region’s beauty and unique offerings. The campaign creatively utilized these comments by having them read aloud by a local comedian, effectively creating what was described as the world’s longest travel review. This not only provided a platform for showcasing genuine visitor experiences but also engaged the audience in a novel and entertaining manner.

• 72% reach of target group
• 33% increase in domestic tourism to Northern Norway was recorded.
• The campaign gained international recognition, winning the HSMAI Adrian Award for “Best in Show” and the Webby Award for “Best Use of Social Video.”
• Authentic Testimonials: Leveraging real visitor experiences and testimonials can provide compelling reasons for others to visit, showcasing the destination’s appeal through genuine and relatable content.
• Creative Engagement: Utilizing unique and entertaining methods to present information, such as having a comedian read out visitor comments, can significantly increase engagement and interest.
• Focusing on Lesser-Known Regions: Highlighting the attractions and experiences of lesser-visited areas can stimulate interest and tourism, contributing to a more balanced distribution of visitors across a country.
• Social Media as a Tool for Promotion: The effective use of social media comments and engagement in promotional campaigns can amplify reach and authenticity, connecting with potential visitors on platforms they frequently use.

Case Study 10: Bermuda Pink

Bermuda’s tourism board embarked on a strategic marketing campaign aimed at reversing a decline in visitor numbers, particularly those arriving by plane, which had seen a 6% year-over-year decrease in 2019. Recognizing Bermuda’s proximity to New York City and its stunning pink-sand beaches, the campaign sought to reinvigorate interest in the island as an ideal destination for families, friends, and couples seeking unique travel experiences.

The primary goal was to rejuvenate Bermuda’s tourism sector by showcasing the island’s unique attractions and experiences. By highlighting Bermuda’s accessibility from major cities like New York and underscoring its idyllic landscapes, the campaign aimed to educate potential travelers about the island and inspire them to make travel bookings, thereby targeting key demographic groups including families, friends, and couples.

To achieve these objectives, the campaign introduced “Bermuda Pink,” a dynamic marketing initiative that combined a digital microsite with a traditional print campaign. The strategy capitalized on content developed jointly with travel and fashion influencer Wendy Nguyen, who has a following exceeding 1.1 million on Instagram, and Meredith Andrews, a renowned local photographer and artist. The campaign content was strategically diversified into three core themes—Family, Friendship, and Romance—featuring listicles, articles, and slideshows tailored to each audience segment.

The microsite was hosted on Travel & Leisure’s website, a favorite among the target demographic, supported by sponsored social posts and traffic-driving efforts from DEPARTURES and Food & Wine. Additionally, high-impact advertorials in the print editions of Travel + Leisure and Food & Wine featured translucent acetate overlays and QR codes to direct readers to gotobermuda.com. The campaign’s launch was celebrated with an exclusive event at the distinguished Roxy Hotel in New York, drawing influencers, members of the Bermuda Tourism Authority, and a select group from The Luxury Group at Meredith.

• The microsite attracted nearly 185,000 total combined page views.
• Generated 47.4k clicks to the campaign’s content.
• Achieved an average read time of 72 seconds on the microsite, which is a +6% lift over the Meredith benchmark of 68 seconds.
• Display ads for the campaign delivered a Click-Through Rate (CTR) more than +67% above the industry benchmark.
• Wendy Nguyen’s Instagram posts related to Bermuda received a total of 58,040 likes.
• Her most popular Bermuda campaign post received over 16,000 likes, significantly higher than her general post average of around 10,000 likes per post.
• Influencer Collaboration: Partnering with influencers who have a strong, relevant following can significantly amplify a campaign’s reach and impact.
• Integrated Marketing Approach: Combining digital and print mediums, along with exclusive events, can create a comprehensive and immersive campaign experience.
• Content Tailoring: Developing content that resonates with specific target groups—families, friends, and couples—can more effectively inspire travel intentions.
• Engagement Metrics: High engagement rates, from page views to social media interactions, are crucial indicators of a campaign’s resonance with its intended audience.

Event Marketing: Exclusive events can serve as a powerful tool for generating buzz and fostering direct engagement with key influencers and potential travelers

Related: Top Instagram Marketing Tips for Tourism

The travel and tourism marketing world is as varied and vibrant as the destinations it promotes. These campaigns highlight key lessons in leveraging cultural icons, creating immersive digital experiences, and utilizing major events for promotional advantage. As the industry continues to evolve in a post-pandemic world, these insights are more relevant than ever, offering a roadmap for future marketing efforts. Whether you’re a marketer, a tourism professional, or a travel enthusiast, these case studies offer a glimpse into the art and science of turning destinations into dream vacations.

• Does Your Business Need a CDO? [10 Points to Ponder] [2024]
• 10 Best Growth Marketing Case Studies [2024]

Team DigitalDefynd

We help you find the best courses, certifications, and tutorials online. Hundreds of experts come together to handpick these recommendations based on decades of collective experience. So far we have served 4 Million+ satisfied learners and counting.

Importance of Customer Retention in B2B Marketing [2024]

B2B Marketing Challenges in Highly Regulated Industries [2024]

Partnership between Fintech Startups & Traditional Institutions [Pros and Cons] [2024]

20 Interesting M&A Facts and Statistics [2024]

10 Worst Corporate Negotiation Failures [2024]

Entrepreneur vs. Founder [2024]

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

Digital Marketing in Hospitality – Case Study of Social Networks as a Communication Toll in Oporto Hotels

2021, Journal of Internet Social Networking and Virtual Communities

Digital marketing and social networks are progressively becoming the most important communication tool in almost all business areas. This has considerably increased the information available online. In the tourism context, these developments have had a considerable effect, as they have altered the way tourists search for information, plan trips and share experiences.

Related Papers

Eva Martin-Fuentes

This article analyses the current situation of the use of the Internet and social networks in tourism promotion in Catalonia by the different existing regional tourism boards. The results obtained from a survey to the managers of Catalan tourism promotion entities and from observations show, on the one hand, that the use of new technologies is very unequal among the different entities, and on the other hand, that in a single year of analysis the use of social media by brands of each region has undergone a significant increase. However, representatives of Catalan tourism brands are aware of the significance of using social networks and the Internet to promote their destination because all of them have a website, and 78% of them have a Facebook profile, Twitter, and a Youtube channel. This study can serve as a tool to promote their destinations with new strategies via social networks that every day increases their popularity among Internet users.

Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference - Sinteza 2016

Ivana Damnjanović

Pedro Duarte , Vitor Roque

As in the case of other industry and services areas, the tourism sector navigates at a different pace according to the investment capacity and the perception of the developments’ owners in relation to their profitability. With a Web presence has significantly high compared to other industries, there is still much work to do in the communication infrastructure operation area, management software and CRM (Customer Relationship Management), but who's ahead begins to roam the new paths linked to social networks, the Web 2.0 and the potential of geo-referencing of content to attract new customers by addressing the economic crisis has also affected the sector.

Journal of Marketing Management

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rashad Yazdanifard

Abstract- This research paper investigates the impact of social networking sites on the hospitality and tourism industries. A social networking site is a type of social media that provides a platform for people to connect with each other. Social networking is so versatile that it can be used for both leisure and business purposes. In the hospitality and tourism industry, social networking sites are one of the essential tools that play an important and beneficial role. Content on social networking sites could affect the marketing in both positive and negative ways. The topic that will be discussed in this research paper are consumer behavior, connection with consumers, effectiveness in terms of time and cost, creating brand awareness and building the image of the company, promoting company, targeting consumers, and finally, the disadvantages. Keywords: social networking sites, social media, hospitality industry, tourism industry.

Jorge Remondes

Marketing applied in tourism and social media marketing are the two most explored themes in Number 12 of the International Journal of Marketing, Communication and New Media (IJMCNM) . Under the first theme, the formation of the image of tourist destinations that occur daily is a growing concern of the marketers. As Renner and Soares (2018) say, the process of image formation is very dynamic and is characterized by countless evaluations that the destinations suffer. The communication of brands in social networks, according to the theme highlighted in this issue, emerges as a strategy of digital marketing because it creates opportunities due to the low cost and benefits provided by ease of use and rapid diffusion (Longley, AA, Anselmo, CR, Maia, C., Lunardi, G. & Munhoz, P., 2018).

Adriana del Carmen Bautista Hernández

At this time, global marketing has become an extremely important, because enterprises can focus their efforts, resources and competencies to make better business through opportunities and threats that come from global market. Companies that engage global marketing across social networks had experience more revenues because they have promoted and influenced their customers with an effective communication process. However, not all the businesses are conscious of this marketing element that they can use as strategy to increase buyers and therefore their sales. The main objective of this Research is to explore and to provide an understanding of the way that touristic and gastronomic businesses such as hotels, travel agencies, and restaurants had used social networks as a promotion and communication tool in their marketing strategies. The found results let us conclude that companies perceive social networks as a marketing tool to educate and influence customers, although all of them said that marketing trend will focus the promotion and communication between companies and customers through social networks as: Facebook, WhatsApp, twitter and others, they don´t invest in this field and their applied budget in marketing is almost null. ______________________________________________________________________________

Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing

Hubert Van Hoof

Journal of Business & Hotel Management

Mahmood Khan

Mareen Tepe

In the tourism industry, communication and customer relationship have always played a significant role. Social media as a form of interaction between businesses and the society has seen enormous increases in the past years and undoubtedly has a promising future ahead. In addition to this, the tourist customer journey is continuously digitizing, due to the fact, that tourists can gather real-time information about their destination and so increase the quality of their experience (Buhalis, 2008, pp.3). Today 2.62 billion people use social media, the numbers are rapidly increasing (Statista, 2018). These facts highlight the importance of the transformation of the marketing communication mix of tourism businesses. This paper is dedicated to display futuristic implications for an effective social media communication.

RELATED PAPERS

The Financial Review

Ronald Spahr

Pablo Ungaro

Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics

Ginette Jalbert

Sintayehu Tulu

UCM毕业证 加州大学美熹德分校学位证

European Respiratory Journal

Paul Greenhaff

Nikiforos Stamatiadis

European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology

Peter I Lachman

International Journal of Agriculture and Biology

Dr Fauzia Y Hafeez

ALBERTO ZAMORA PALMA

Western Journal of Emergency Medicine

Sarah Unterman

New J. Chem.

Ryan Morrow

hyderabad call girls

sarika dube

British Journal of Environment and Climate Change

Dr JA Awomeso

atefeh ahmadi

Archives of Public Health

Hamad Hassan

brenda rice

Archives of Internal Medicine

Nicole Zytaruk

Lecture Notes in Computer Science

Jesus Martins Oliveira Junior

C1C021227_Yaasmiinah Febriani

RELATED TOPICS

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024

Digital Marketing and Tourism : Case Study Applied to Barcelos

Ieee account.

• Change Username/Password
• Update Address

Purchase Details

• Payment Options
• Order History
• View Purchased Documents

Profile Information

• Communications Preferences
• Profession and Education
• Technical Interests
• US & Canada: +1 800 678 4333
• Worldwide: +1 732 981 0060
• Contact & Support
• About IEEE Xplore
• Accessibility
• Terms of Use
• Nondiscrimination Policy
• Privacy & Opting Out of Cookies

A not-for-profit organization, IEEE is the world's largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. © Copyright 2024 IEEE - All rights reserved. Use of this web site signifies your agreement to the terms and conditions.

The importance of digital marketing in hospitality: Case study of hotel turismo são lázaro

D. Serra , E. Morais , C. R. Cunha

Influential Citations

RISTI: Revista Ibérica de Sistemas e Tecnologias de Informação

Key takeaway

Digital marketing is crucial for the hotel sector, enabling effective marketing actions and assisting in combating economic crises like covid-19..

Digital Marketing is a decisive advantage for the business strategy of the hotel sector Besides being a powerful tool for implementing tourism marketing actions and policies also enables the monitoring and measurement of results;helping to keep them at a level of effectiveness and success or to improve them Digital Marketing can also be a strong ally in combating unforeseen economic crises in the hotel sector, as is the case of the current situation that we are experiencing caused by COVID-19 In this article, the Digital Marketing strategy implemented by HSL from the point of view of the digital consumer will be analyzed, through an exploratory analysis of its website, online booking platforms, social networks and how these digital tools have helped HSL throughout the pandemic COVID-19 © 2020, Associacao Iberica de Sistemas e Tecnologias de Informacao All rights reserved

CASE STUDIES

+3200 new fans in 3 months

+45% in engagement, +500.000 users in youtube, galicia as a travel destination.

Turismo de Galicia wants to promote Galicia as a travel destination, arouse interest and attract visitors by broadcasting the natural, gastronomic and cultural resources from the Galician community; by augmenting visibility and increasing its fame as tourist destination.

From Elogia, we suggest a network’s upgrading in its communication adapted to the new digital era, in which travel sector is living, through: the creation of an own editorial line with brand images, videos, a natural and nearest tone (without leaving the propriety that requires an institution) and an immediate, personal and direct user’s service .

We decide to take advantage from the new situation of video consumption via smartphones and viralisation in networks as strength in the setting up of the strategy.

KNOW HOW TO ADAPT TO THE NEW TRAVELER

Travelers increasingly use their devices to explore , research and purchases related with trips. It is estimated that in 2020, the 90% of the whole Internet traffic will correspond to videos. Taking into account the new aspects in the current market, we decided to boost the video strategy with Youtube so as to achieve, in consumers, the remembrance of brand goal . The strategy had a reinforcement search campaign, with which one close the brand’s searches and terms directly related with the campaign’s content. It also had a programmatic part focused on the target.

Media campaign’s success lied in and exhaustive organisation with a high detailed segmentation and the implementation of new Youtube tools, like Brand Lift Survey , which allowed to control the brand’s impact overlapping and to increase its remember . To foster the fame part, we chose to use awareness formats.

Do you want your company to become a successful case?

Results in record time.

The 80% of the impacts were achieved via mobile devices , which represent the best way to reach travel consumers (as an Ipsos’ study in 2016 for Google says) with a scarce overlapping (16.2%) segmented in the market and shocking the user only in its favourite media.

In this way, Reach’s maximum possible spreading was achieved in the most efficient way. Those users that have seen the ad remember it better than the average 27%. Also, a 13%, confirms planning to visit Galicia after watching the ad.

CAMPAIGN RESULTS

Increase of the ad’s remember, increase in considering galicia as travel destination, of ctr in search.

¿Qué empresa trata sus datos?

ELOGIA MEDIA SL

¿Por qué tratamos los datos que le pedimos?

Tratamos sus datos para poder prestarle nuestros servicios y enviarle información sobre nuestros productos y servicios.

¿Cuál es la legitimación para este tratamiento de sus datos?

Estos datos son necesarios para llevar a cabo la prestación de los servicios que haya solicitado a través del Sitio Web.

¿Se van a hacer cesiones o transferencias con sus datos?

No, sus datos no serán objeto de cesiones a terceras empresas.

¿Se utilizarán sus datos para hacer perfilados o segmentaciones?

ELOGIA MEDIA SL podrá utilizar técnicas de profiling para poder ofrecerle publicidad acorde con sus intereses.

¿Tiene dudas?

Tanto si tiene alguna, o sugerencia, como si quiere darse de baja póngase en contacto con nosotros enviando un email a la siguiente dirección: [email protected]

Nos gusta hacer bien las cosas ¡y nuestros avisos legales no iban a ser menos! Siguiendo la ley al pie de la letra (y pese a que sabemos que este banner es un tanto molesto ) queremos informarte de que usamos cookies propias y de terceros con fines estadísticos, para analizar hábitos de navegación y para personalizar publi. Si todavía piensas que las cookies solo son galletas en inglés quizás deberías leer nuestra Política de Privacidad para enterarte mejor 😉. Si aceptas su uso y pulsas el siguiente botón prometemos que jamás volverás a ver este aviso . Puedes consultar toda la información en nuestra Política de cookies .

... but the law means we have to tell you we use first and third-party cookies for statistical purposes, to analyse your browsing habits, and to show you relevant personalised adverts. If you continue to use the website, we assume you accept and are ok with it. If not, you can always stop browsing and forget you ever saw this message! And if you still think that cookies are a delicious snack then maybe you should read our Cookie Policy to learn more about them. 😉

+44 1158 242 212

Travel & Tourism Case Studies

Trusted by the world's most exciting and ambitious travel brands.

Browse digital marketing case studies from our travel and tourism clients. Like the results that you see? Get in touch today to discuss how we can help you achieve your unique business goals.

Integrated digital strategy achieves 600% increase in sales for new Airline

Analytics, CRO, Digital PR, Paid Media, SEO, Strategy

YouTube traffic campaigns achieve 43% reduction in cost-per-session

Paid Media, Strategy

184.9% increase in revenue over 5-year partnership

Analytics, Digital PR, Paid Media, SEO, Strategy

Automotive, Travel

Sequential messaging on YouTube drives 217% increase in brand searches

Optimised landing page design results in 17% increase in bookings

Optimised design drives 106% boost in conversions

236+ links helps travel brand boost visibility in UK market

Drop us an email

[email protected]

• Impression on facebook
• Impression on twitter
• Impression on linkedin
• Impression on youtube
• Impression on instagram

© 2024 Impression Digital Limited. Registered in England and Wales No. 08284662. VAT Reg GB186363774. Impression Digital® and Impression® are registered trademarks.

• Our Policies
• Terms & Conditions

5 Case Studies of Successful Digital Marketing Campaigns

Hold onto your hats, marketers!

Did you know digital marketing spending is set to explode, reaching a mind-boggling $ 786 billion by 2026 ? And with social media ad spend hitting over $70 billion in the US alone , there’s no denying the power of a killer online campaign.

But here’s the thing: it’s not just about throwing money at ads. Successful campaigns in 2024 are a strategic dance – they blend social media with a whole symphony of channels for a knockout customer experience.

Think of it like this: Personalizing your message? That’s the move that turns casual shoppers into loyal fans.

Ready to see how top brands are doing a successful digital marketing campaign? I’m dissecting 5 real-world campaigns that nailed this formula and reaped the rewards. Get ready for digital marketing strategies – inspiration and a blueprint for your own marketing success await.

• Beyond the Love Fest: Slack's Winning Formula

Ideas to Adapt This Digital Advertising Strategy

Tips to steal for your business, ideas for your business, lessons for your business, case study #1. slack.

Slack’s meteoric rise in the competitive business communication space can be largely attributed to their genius understanding of a simple concept: customers love to talk about products they adore. Here’s how they turned this digital marketing campaign into marketing gold:

• The “Wall of Love” Campaign: This brilliant tactic involved a dedicated Twitter account (@SlackLoveTweets) that amplified positive user testimonials. This effortless social proof machine did wonders for brand reputation and encouraged even more glowing commentary.
• Easy Sharing = Participation: Using X (formerly Twitter), a platform already beloved by users, removed any participation hurdles.
• Feedback Loop: Praise wasn’t just for show – the team used those rave reviews to refine their product and deliver what users really needed.
• The Power of Visuals: Tweets with included images got more traction and showcased how Slack integrates into people’s work lives.

Beyond the Love Fest: Slack’s Winning Formula

Slack’s success goes beyond a single campaign. Here’s why they continue to compete with giants like Microsoft Teams:

• Relentless Focus on User Experience: From its inception, Slack was built with the user in mind. Easy setup, intuitive design…it removes the tech friction that bogs down other platforms.
• Real-Time = Real Connection: In a world demanding instant communication, Slack delivers. This keeps teams on the same page and fosters a sense of camaraderie.
• Customizable and Integrations-Friendly: Slack’s open approach lets it play nicely with countless other tools, creating a tailored work hub. This flexibility is invaluable to businesses.

The Bottom Line: Slack proved that listening to customers and showing that they matter is the recipe for building not just a loyal user base, but passionate brand advocates.

Want to implement aspects of this for your own business? Here are some ideas:

• Run a testimonial campaign: It doesn’t need to be as fancy as “The Wall of Love.” A simple social media hashtag or even a dedicated landing page can get people talking.
• Turn glowing testimonials into visuals: Tweets, infographics…make that praise eye-catching.
• Pay attention to even the smallest bits of feedback. That’s where your next big feature idea might be hiding.

Case Study #2. UNIQLO

UNIQLO knew that to get people excited about their HEATTECH line, they needed to go beyond standard ads. Hence, an ingenious omnichannel experience was born:

• The Hook: Eye-catching digital billboards across Australia, plus videos online, dared people to snap photos of unique codes. This gamified the promotion, making it fun.
• The Reward: Codes unlocked either free t-shirts (who doesn’t love free stuff?) or tempting e-commerce discounts. Plus, a gentle push toward signing up for the newsletter for future deals.
• The Viral Touch: The experience was shareable on social media, letting satisfied customers spread the word and get their friends involved.

Why This Was Marketing Magic

• The Power of “Free”: Giveaways always pique interest, and those t-shirts were a brilliant way to get people to try the product.
• Bridging Online and Offline: The billboards drove people to the digital campaign, and the campaign funneled real-world shoppers into their online ecosystem.
• Beyond Just a Sale: While the initial goal was sales, UNIQLO also used this to build their email list, ensuring those new customers could be nurtured later.

The Impressive Results: 1.3 million video views, 25K new email subscribers, and a whopping 35K new customers speak for themselves.

• Gamifying the experience: Can you add a code-finding element, or a contest, to your campaigns?
• Freebies are your friend: It doesn’t have to be t-shirts; a free sample or exclusive content could work just as well.
• Think about the share factor: How can you encourage participants to organically spread the word?

Case Study #3. Airbnb

Airbnb understood that to stand out, they couldn’t just offer rooms – they had to sell the feeling of travel. Here’s how they did it:

“Made Possible By Hosts” Campaign: This heartwarming video used real guest photos and a nostalgic soundtrack to evoke that “remember that epic trip?” sensation. It subtly showcased great properties while focusing on the emotional benefits of those getaways. ( Watch Here )

“Belong Anywhere” Campaign: This was about ditching the cookie-cutter hotel experience and immersing yourself in a destination. Airbnb positioned itself as the key to local adventures, belonging, and transformation through travel. ( Watch Here )

Key Takeaways

• Video is KING: They invested in both short, shareable how-to videos and longer, emotionally impactful ones.
• UGC is Your Goldmine: User photos and stories provided powerful, free content while also building that vital trust factor.
• Sentiment Sells: Airbnb didn’t bog down ads with facts; they used music, imagery, and storytelling to tap into that wanderlust in viewers.

The Success: These campaigns weren’t just pretty to look at; those 17M views for “Made Possible by Hosts” and the global reach of “Belong Anywhere” translated into real bookings.

Why It Matters: Airbnb disrupted an entire industry by understanding that:

• Experience Matters More Than Specs: They sell adventures, memories, and that feeling of connection, not just a place to crash.
• Authenticity Wins: User-generated content is relatable and trustworthy, which is key in the travel industry.
• Don’t just show the product, show the FEELING: How will your product or service transform a customer’s life?
• Run Contests for UGC: Get those customer photos rolling in. Offer a prize for the most “adventurous” or “heartwarming” shot.
• Showcase Your Brand Personality: Was Airbnb’s tone all serious? Nope. They were fun, sentimental, and a little cheeky, which fit their brand image.

Could You Partner with Airbnb? This case study also begs the question: for businesses in the travel or hospitality space, an Airbnb collaboration could be marketing magic.

Case Study #4. Lyft

Lyft realized they already had a killer product – their challenge was getting MORE people to try it. Enter the power of referrals:

• The Hook: Simple referral codes were sharable via the app, email, or even text. This made it a snap for riders to spread the word.
• The Reward: Free or discounted rides. This wasn’t a measly $5 off; it was significant enough to make riders really want to tell their friends.
• The Viral Loop: Refer a friend, get a discount. Friend uses Lyft, they get a discount…you see where this is going.

Why This Was Smart

• Low-Cost, High-Yield: Traditional advertising is pricey. Referrals are fueled by happy customers, which is way cheaper.
• The Trust Factor: People trust recommendations from people they know infinitely more than some billboard.
• Scalability: This successful digital marketing strategy grows with their user base – the more satisfied riders, the more potential advocates.

The Bottom Line: Lyft didn’t just make a clever campaign; they built a referral system into the core of their app, ensuring growth wouldn’t be a one-time thing.

• What’s Your Incentive?: Freebies, discounts, exclusive content – what will actually make your customers want to share?
• Make It EASY: Don’t make them jump through hoops. One-click sharing options are essential.
• Track and Reward: Who are your top referrers? They deserve some extra love (maybe even a tiered rewards program).

Case Study #5. Sephora

Sephora understood a key weakness of e-commerce: you can’t try on a lipstick through a screen. That’s why they went all-in on innovative tech:

• The App as a Virtual Dressing Room: AI and AR are game-changers. Their app lets customers try on makeup from anywhere, boosting confidence in online purchases.
• Closing the Loop: Smart, eh? The app connects right to their e-store; a few taps and that virtual lipstick is in your real-world cart.
• Personalized to the Max: Using shopper data, the app tailors the experience, offering tailored recommendations that increase the chance of buying.

Why This Isn’t Just Cool, It’s Genius

• Overcoming Obstacles: They addressed a key pain point of buying cosmetics online. Less hesitation = more sales.
• Omnichannel FTW: They don’t just exist online; there’s an in-store connection too. That app? It helps you there as well.
• It’s about the EXPERIENCE: Sephora knows beauty is fun, and their digital strategy reflects that with virtual try-ons, quizzes, etc.
• Solve a problem: Don’t just add tech for the sake of it. Find a pain point in your customer journey and see if there’s a tech solution.
• The “Experience” Factor: Can you add interactive elements, gamification, or a personalized touch to your digital presence?
• Data Is Your Friend: If you’re collecting it, USE it. Tailored offers, recommendations…these keep customers coming back for more.

Final Thought on These Successful Digital Marketing Campaigns

These case studies showcase the importance of being adaptable, customer-focused, and not afraid to try new things. The digital marketing landscape is constantly evolving, but by understanding the core principles of what makes people tick, your business can craft truly impactful online marketing campaigns.

The Power of Emotion & Experience

• Best marketing campaigns aren’t just about features; they tap into feelings . Airbnb evokes the thrill of travel, Slack reminds us of the joy of smooth team communication, and Sephora makes buying makeup playful.
• Ask yourself: What does my product/service let customers feel and how can my content marketing capture that?

User-Generated Content is Marketing Gold

• The campaign featured like Slack’s “Wall of Love” and Airbnb’s focus on guest photos prove that real-world stories beat slick ads every time.
• This builds trust and provides endless free content.
• How to get started? Contests, easy-to-use “review” features on your site, and incentivizing social media platforms’ shares.

Omnichannel is the Future

• Both Sephora and UNIQLO masterfully blurred the lines between online and offline experiences.
• The target audience wants to engage with brands on their terms . Be present on social, have a mobile-friendly site, and if possible, find ways to integrate the in-store experience.

Word-of-Mouth Still Reigns Supreme

• Lyft’s referral program is a reminder that happy customers are your best salespeople.
• Don’t focus solely on gaining new customers; ensure your current ones feel so valued they can’t help but spread the word.
• Tips: Loyalty programs, excellent customer service that goes the extra mile, referral incentives

Tech is Your Tool, Not Your Master

• Sephora’s AI and AR try-ons are impressive, but the core goal is solving a problem for customers.
• Avoid using tech just to be trendy. Focus on how it can truly enhance your customer’s journey.

Related Content:

• Niche Website Builder: Your Profitable Niche Site From Scratch
• The Dark Side of Digital: 6 Worst Social Media Platforms In 2024 [Exposed]
• 10 Best Digital Marketing Niches in 2024 & 100 Profitable Sub-Niche Ideas
• How to Grow Your Business Online in 2024 (Entrepreneur Guide)
• 10 Best Facebook Niches: Goldmines for Unmatched ROI and Growth

Don't Forget To Share This Article!

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Privacy Overview

Digital Marketing Case Studies: 35 Examples for Online Success

Please enable JavaScript

How would you like to read the best digital marketing case studies ever published?

More importantly, how would you like to copy the best practices for online marketing that are based on real-world examples and not just theory.

If that sounds, good then you’ll get a lot of value out of this post.

Below, you’ll find a list of the top 35 online marketing case studies along with the results and key findings from each example. There are 5 sections in total covering the different aspects of digital marketing, including content marketing, SEO, PPC, social media, email, video, and affiliate. Within each section is also a link to find even more expert insights and data examples on that particular topic.

By studying these Internet marketing case study examples and applying the lessons learned in your own digital campaigns, you can hopefully achieve similar results to speed up your online success.

Table of Contents

Digital Marketing Case Studies

Content marketing case studies, appsumo grew organic traffic 843% & revenue 340%  – omniscient digital marketing case study.

In this digital marketing case study, you’ll find out how Omniscient Digital used a four-part approach to grow AppSumo’s organic website traffic by 843% and the revenue from that traffic by 340$. Includes details on the research process, strategy development, content production, and building links to those web pages.

From 0 to 100,000 Visitors Per Month  – Optimist Digital Marketing Case Study

This online marketing case study example shows you how Optimist took a startup called College Raptor from 0 to 100,000 organic sessions per month. It focuses on the big-picture strategy that was used to achieve that result and explains why it worked. This is a good case study example that demonstrates what successful content creation and promotion look like for startup businesses.

American Kennel Club Increased Online Traffic by 30%  – Contently Digital Marketing Case Study

If you’re in the animal niche and looking for good Internet marketing case studies that can help you grow your website with content creation, then this article by Contently can help. Inside, you’ll learn how the company used a digital content strategy to increase website traffic by 30% for the American Kennel Club. This method attracted both new puppy owners and seasoned dog lovers and resulted in $26.6 million in content value.

3,532 New Beta Users for alwaysAI  – Beacons Point Digital Marketing Case Study

Beacons Point is a digital marketing agency that partners with B2B companies in software and technology to execute results-driven online campaigns. In this case study example, you’ll learn how Beacons Point discerned the right market for alwaysAI, a software company, to target prospects with the content they wanted, and transform the audience into an avid user base using a well-researched Internet strategy and content planning process. As a result, alwaysAI gained 3,532 new beta users, 20,000 monthly website sessions, and a 2,021% increase in traffic within just 10 months.

Online Marketing Strategy Drives 452% Increase In Organic Traffic  – Top Rank Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll learn how Top Rank Marketing used a combination of several digital marketing resources (e.g., content, SEO, social media, and influencers) to help Introhive get more organic traffic to its site to create a higher demand for its SaaS product and improve the brand’s overall digital visibility. This online marketing campaign increased organic search traffic by 452% and raised the average session duration by 155%.

Check out the full list of 15+ Content Marketing Case Studies here .

SEO Marketing Case Studies

How i increased my organic traffic 652% in 7 days  – backlinko digital marketing case study.

Learn how Brian Dean from Backlinko used the “Skyscraper Technique 2.0” to increase his organic SEO traffic to one of his web pages by 652%. It’s also the same approach that helped a brand new post hit the #1 spot on Google within a few weeks. This online marketing case study example is full of screenshots, key findings, and guided steps for you to follow.

From 126 to 121,883 Unique Visitors In Under 6 Months  – Ahrefs Digital Marketing Case Study

This digital marketing case study example focuses on Northmill, a Fintech company founded in Stockholm. It reveals how you can analyze your top business competitors to develop higher-quality SEO content that can gain a large amount of traffic and convert those readers into customers. Read this case study to find out exactly what Northmill did during the search engine optimization campaign to go from 126 unique visitors to 121,883 in under 6 months.

From 0 to 75,000 Visits A Year  – Ryan Darani Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll get complete details on the challenges, limits, budgets, and timeframes for a client in the property industry that went from 0 clicks per day to 300-400 on average with only 60 pieces of content on the website. This is a good SEO marketing case study for any business that’s on a tight budget.

How We 4x’d Traffic and Doubled Revenue in E-Commerce  – Diggity Marketing Case Study

This is one of the best digital marketing case studies for e-commerce using SEO. Inside, you’ll learn how an e-commerce client grew its traffic by 417% in 8 months. You’ll get the exact SEO strategies deployed, content improvements, and backlink marketing tactics. The results speak for themselves: an extra $48,000 in additional monthly revenue was achieved for a total of 112% increase in overall revenue using a strategic online marketing strategy.

6-Step Process That Generated 150,732 Visits  – Robbie Richards Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll learn a repeatable 6-step process that one digital marketer used to get his client to #1 in Google using SEO. This strategy helped him outrank major digital media brands like Mashable, and increase organic website traffic by 11,065% in just 6 months.

Check out the full list of 25+ SEO Case Studies here .

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Marketing Case Studies

32% increase in return on internet marketing ad spend  – adshark case study.

Learn how Adshark helped dogIDS, an e-commerce manufacturer and retailer of personalized dog collars and tags, achieve a high return on investment (ROI) for their pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns by analyzing historical search terms, categories, and product performance. This case study example demonstrates how Adshark segmented dogIDs Google Shopping campaigns in a way that allowed for better online bid and budget management.

49% Decrease In CPA  – Captivate Search Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll find out how Captivate Search, an Internet marketing agency, helped the Women’s Institute for Health (WIFH) in Atlanta, Georgia, decrease their cost per acquisition (CPA) from $98 to $50 with a strategic PPC optimization in Google Adwords.

20% Increase In Subscribers for Forbes  – Adventure Media Digital Marketing Case Study

Forbes Magazine has been in circulation for over 100 years; however, with print subscriptions on the decline, the company had to get strategic about bringing in new digital customers. The top goals for this online marketing case study were to increase the number of paid subscriptions. In addition to PPC optimization to attract a broad range of ages, income levels, and genders, Adventure Media also used a strategic video marketing campaign to bring in a new wave of college graduates.

139% ROI for a UK Clothing Brand  – Click Consult Digital Marketing Case Study

Boohoo is a British online fashion retailer that has been recognized by top consumer titles like Reveal, Heat, and Cosmopolitan magazines. When Boohoo came to Click Consult, the retailer had been running its own paid digital marketing campaigns for 18 months and seeing poor results (PPC revenue had fallen by 26% YOY). In this example case study, you’ll learn how Click Consult achieved a 139% ROI on online ad spend and a 431% increase in UK non-branded PPC revenue.

ROAS Up 3,197% for Natural Nutrients  – PPC Geeks Digital Marketing Case Study

Discover how PPC Geeks improved the Google Ads campaigns for Natural Nutrients and achieved a dramatic increase in revenue (5,789%) and ROAS (3,197%) year over year. Example paid marketing strategies include granular campaign extension, single keyword ad groups, ad copy A/B testing, KPI-focused ROAS, conversion rate optimization, and more.

Check out the full list of 20+ PPC Case Studies here .

Social Media Marketing Case Studies

793,500+ impressions for semrush on twitter – walker sands digital marketing case study.

Semrush is a global leader in digital marketing software; however, the company needed a strategic partner to help distinguish its brand from competitors, drive a higher engagement rate among its target audience, and build brand loyalty. In this case study, you’ll find out how Walker Sands implemented a premium Twitter microcontent program for Semrush that focused on three things: using humor, embedding the brand in trending conversations, and focusing on the audience’s interests over marketing messages. The result was an increase of more than 793,500 impressions, 34,800 engagements, and a 4.4% average engagement rate.

Viral Oreo Super Bowl Tweet – Digiday Digital Marketing Case Study

During Super Bowl XLVII, the lights went out in the stadium and the Oreo brand went viral with a single tweet that said “Power out? No problem. You can still dunk in the dark.” Read the historical account of that famous digital marketing moment from the people who lived through it so you can gather insights on how to be better prepared for your future online marketing campaigns that you can take advantage of in real-time.

Facebook Posting Strategy That Lead to 3X Reach & Engagement – Buffer Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll find out how Buffer cut its Facebook posting frequency by 50% but increased the average weekly reach and engagement by 3X. Hint: The strategy had to do with creating fewer, better-quality posts, that were aimed at gaining higher engagement.

Achieving a 9 Million Audience by Automating Pinterest SEO – Digital Marketing Case Study

This is a good digital marketing case study example for marketers who use Pinterest. Discover how Chillital went from 0 to 9 million engaged audience members and 268 million impressions. You’ll learn about the step-by-step research process of finding where your audience lives and breathes content, get a detailed analysis of how the author used Pinterest to generate brand awareness, and learn about using community-driven content promotion to scale online results.

5X Increase In App Installs – Bumble Digital Marketing Case Study

Find out how Bumble, a dating app, used TikTok more effectively for social media marketing by following the mantra, “Don’t Make Ads, Make TikToks”. This case study in digital marketing resulted in a 5X increase in app installs and a 64% decrease in cost-per-registration.

Check out the full list of 20+ Social Media Case Studies here .

Email Marketing Case Studies

Collecting 100,000 emails in one week  – tim ferris show digital marketing case study.

This digital marketing case study on email has it all: tips, templates, and code to create a successful email campaign. Discover how Harry’s, a men’s grooming brand, launched its brand online and how it collected nearly 100,000 email addresses in one week. You’ll learn everything they did using the marketing power of the Internet and email so you can try to replicate the results.

The Science Behind Obama’s Campaign Emails  – Bloomberg Digital Marketing Case Study

President Obama’s election has been cited as one of the best digital marketing campaigns in history. And a big part of that success was from strategic email campaigns. Most of the $690 million dollars Obama raised online came from fundraising emails. In this case study example, you’ll learn about the rigorous experimentation conducted by a large team of analysts and the strategies that made this Internet campaign so successful.

Increasing Open Rates from 20% to 29%  – Pipedrive Digital Marketing Case Study

This is one of the best digital marketing case studies on email that any business can learn from no matter the size of the email list. Inside, you’ll find out how Pipedrive used one simple tactic to increase open rates from 20% to 29% that can work with any email software.

25% Reduction In Churn for Peacock  – Braze Digital Marketing Case Study

This is one of the top online marketing case studies that prove why you shouldn’t send out a one-size-fits-all message to your mailing list. It’s a great case study to read about using a year-in-review email campaign to increase user consumption. As a result, Peacock experienced a 25% reduction in customer churn over 30 days, 6% free-to-paid upgrade rates, and a two-point lift in return rate when it came to returning to the service to view content.

The Amazon Email Experience  – Vero Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study example by Vero, you’ll get a complete analysis of Amazon’s email experience for the user. It takes you from the initial subscriber welcome message to email receipts, shipping updates, thank you content, invites, Black Friday deals, the review email, and more. There are loads of data in this case study and useful tips you can gain and use for your own email campaigns to have better success.

Check out the full list of 15+ Email Marketing Case Studies here .

Video Marketing Case Studies

8,000 video views on linkedin – biteable digital marketing case study.

During the rise of #OpenToWork movement that hit the world during the COVID layoff, one digital marketer named Katie got creative to make herself stand out from the crowd for potential employers. Find out how Katie approached video in digital marketing to amass 800 video views, 54 comments, and 100 new connections. This case study includes simple tips you can also use to get noticed on LinkedIn with the power of video.

163 Million Views On YouTube – Dove Digital Marketing Case Study

Dove launched an online marketing campaign called “Dove Real Beauty Sketches”, which was a three-minute YouTube film about how women view themselves. The goal was to ignite a global conversation about the definition of beauty, and this case study proves how video in Internet marketing helped Dove reach their goal. During its launch, the video received 163 million global views, topped the Cannes YouTube Ads Leaderboard, and won the Titanium Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Find out how a combination of great content, YouTube Brand Channels, YouTube Ads, and Google Ads led to this beautiful success.

Dollar Shave Club Viral Video – Making a Video Marketer Case Study

The ultra-famous Dollar Shave Club was a club that no one had heard about before the release of a single video. And within 72 hours, the brand went insanely viral and had more than 12,000 orders for its product. In this case study, you’ll get a complete analysis of the video that made the Dollar Shave Club one of the most talked about companies in Internet marketing that profits from selling $1 razors.

How Artists and Songs Go Viral – EDMProd Digital Marketing Case Study

Although it’s impossible to guarantee that a musical artist or song will go viral, there is a lot to be learned from examples that have gone viral. In this case study, you’ll discover the common threads in every viral music marketing campaign so you can try to use the same strategies for your own music or apply them to an online business.

10X Increase In Video Views – Vireo Video Digital Marketing Case Study

In this example, you’ll find out how Vireo Video helped the “We Are The Davises” YouTube channel 10X its video views. The digital marketing strategy and execution succeeded in driving over 1.2 million subscribers and over 60 million monthly views within 4 months. Inside, you’ll learn about the initial challenges, strategy solutions, and results.

Affiliate Marketing Case Studies

Going from zero to $10k in monthly revenue  – contentellect digital marketing case study.

Follow the steps Contentellect has taken to grow an affiliate marketing website from $0 to $10k a month in under 24 months. Includes a breakdown of the monthly costs, income, and traffic.

Zero to $20k/month In a Year  – Side Hustle Nation Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll learn how the owners of Finvsfin.com scaled their affiliate website from $0 to $20,0000 per month in one year. Includes strategies on keyword research, how to structure content, ways to attract backlinks, optimization tactics to grow traffic, and more.

How I Made $16,433 With One Product  – BloggersPassion Digital Marketing Case Study

This case study example explains how the site owner made $16,433 from a single affiliate product. The information and steps revealed in this digital marketing case study can be applied to any niche.

Amazon Site Earns $2,000/Month with 100 Articles  – Fat Stacks Digital Marketing Case Study

This is one of the best online marketing case studies for affiliate marketers. Dom Wells from Human Proof Designs posted complete details on the Fat Stacks Blog with example content types, content timelines, link types, and link timelines to help other affiliates improve their sites to make more money on the Internet.

Amazon Site Grows from $0 to $4500+ In 4 Months  – NichePie Digital Marketing Case Study

In this case study, you’ll learn how NichePie took a famous affiliate marketing website called 10Beasts to $4,500 in monthly earnings in just 4 months. The site then went on to make $40,000 by month 8 and kept growing. Luqman Khan, the owner, eventually sold the affiliate site for over half-a-million dollars. Inside this Internet marketing case study example, you’ll get important insights into the keyword research process, site structure, content setup, SEO, and link building process. This article also includes a lot of screenshots to help you follow along with the online journey to success.

Check out the full list of 10+ Affiliate Marketing Case Studies here .

What Is a Digital Marketing Case Study?

A digital marketing case study is an in-depth study of digital marketing in a real-world context. It can focus on one digital marketing tactic or a group of strategies to find out what works in online marketing to provide quantifiable results on the Internet.

Are Case Studies Good for Digital Marketing?

Case studies are good for digital marketing because you can learn about how to do digital marketing in an effective way. Instead of just studying the theory of digital marketing, you can learn from real examples that applied online methods to achieve success.

Digital Marketing Case Study Examples Summary

I hope you enjoyed this list of the best digital marketing case studies that are based on real-world results and not just theory.

As you discovered, the digital marketing case study examples above demonstrated many different ways to implement an effective online strategy. By studying the key findings from these Internet marketing examples, and applying the methods learned to your own business, you can hopefully achieve the same positive outcome.

New online marketing case studies are being published every month and I’ll continue to update this list as they become available. So keep checking back to read the current sources of information on digital marketing.

SEO Chatter is dedicated to teaching the fundamentals of search engine marketing to help marketers understand how to increase organic website traffic and improve search engine rankings.

Boost SEO With Google Stacking! Learn how to use free Google assets to climb the SERPs.

33+ Best Digital Marketing Case Studies [2021 Update]

• June 16, 2020

Looking for some inspiration for your digital marketing?

The best thing you can do is read up some real-life, practical digital marketing case studies.

But see, good case studies are few and far in-between…

...Which is why we compiled this mega-list of the BEST digital marketing case studies in 2021.

Whether you’re looking for SEO, Content Marketing, PPC, or whatever else, we included it in this guide.

So, let’s dive right into it.

Ready, set, go!

33+ Digital Marketing Case Studies [All Channels]

Looking for a specific digital marketing channel you want to read up on?

Feel free to skip ahead:

SEO Case Studies

Content marketing case studies, facebook ads case studies, google ads case studies, influencer marketing case studies, other digital marketing case studies, 1. apollo digital - 0 to 200k monthly organic traffic.

• 0 to 200,000 monthly organic traffic in 2 years.
• Ranked #1-3 for extremely high CPC keywords (20$ CPC+).

Case Study Summary:

Apollo Digital helped set up an SEO strategy for a client (business process management software) that brought in 200K+ monthly organic traffic in just 2 years.

• Apollo Digital (that’s us!) completely revamped a SaaS company’s content strategy.
• We pin-pointed issues with existing blog posts (mainly, keyword cannibalization ), and proposed improvements
• Did keyword research to identify and prioritize top keywords for the company.
• Implemented content outlines to make sure the content that writers were writing was on-point for SEO.
• Used superior content UX to make the blog extremely easy to read.

You can find the full SEO case study here.

2. Backlinko - 652% Organic Traffic Increase in 7 days

• Increased organic traffic to one of their webpages by 652% in 7 days.
• Ranking went from the middle of the second page on Google to #5.

Backlinko implemented the Skyscraper Technique 2.0. Here’s what they did...

• Created a mobile SEO checklist blog post which cracked the top 10 results for the target keyword, got a huge spike in traffic in its first week, but soon dropped to the middle of the second page.
• Realized the post was getting buried because it didn’t satisfy user intent for that keyword.
• Analyzed first page results to figure out user search intent for extremely competitive keywords (“mobile SEO”).
• Changed blog post format from case study to an actual checklist to satisfy the intent, and optimized for user experience by making the text easier to read.

Check out the detailed steps for the Skyscraper Technique 2.0 here.

3. Ahrefs - Using the Skyscraper Technique to Obtain 15 Links With a 6.5% Success Rate

• Sent out 232 emails and obtained 15 backlinks, at a 6.5% success rate.

Dale Cudmore tested the SEO skyscraper technique for his brand new site (an online cv builder).

• Picked a topic that was very relevant to his niche. Since he was trying to build a resume builder, the topic was “how to write a resume.”
• Followed the skyscraper technique and created even better content than what was ranking at the time.
• Then, he reached out to people who had already linked to the specific content he was improving upon. Since they had already linked to a similar article, they were more likely to link to content that’s better.
• Dale sent out 232 emails and obtained 15 links to his article. Though his rankings didn’t change significantly (extremely competitive niche), the technique proved to be a success for generating backlinks.

Want to learn more about the technique Dale used? Check out Backlinko’s write-up on the skyscraper technique here.

Looking to read the complete case study? Go here .

4. GotchSEO - Squeeze Page That Converts at 74.5%

• Set up a squeeze page that converted at 74.5%.

Natchan Gotch set up a high-converting squeeze page that used a lot of trust signals to get the visitors to opt-in for the content.

• Created a well-structured landing page & ran retargeting ads to it.
• Presented his offer through a benefit-driven headline.
• He used distinct trust signals (a recognizable logo, GDPR compliance, copyright notice) to mitigate any trust risks and maximize the chances of the prospect taking action.

You can check out the complete case study here .

5. Online Ownership - Winning in Local SEO for a Competitive Industry

• Ranked #1 for competitive taxi-related keywords ($1.38 CPC+) with local SEO .

Online Ownership, an SEO agency, helped a taxi company dominate local search rankings.

• Created in-city location guide on how to get to/from the local airports which has been viewed over 170,000 times by now. ..
• Mentioned info on long-term airport parking companies, got them to share the content once it was live.
• The company was at the end of one county, and the beginning of another, which hurt their location-based search queries when the county was specified. So he changed the local NAP (name, address, phone number), and corrected the PIN marker to correctly account for the business location.
• The business started appearing within the local pack for almost all main search queries within the city.

Check out the full case study here.

6. Kaiserthesage - The Definitive Guide to Enterprise Link Building

• Drove almost 5 million organic visits in 2 years through authority content. Focused 80% of the campaign promotion on acquiring high-quality backlinks.

Jason of Kaiserthesage wanted to create a process for generating high-quality backlinks. In this case study, he details his process outreach process:

• Identified tactics they could effectively use for link acquisition campaigns (broken/resource link building and link reclamation).
• Compiled list of high-authority brands that were likely to link back to them.
• Conducted large-scale outreach campaigns, and followed up at least 3 times per prospect.
• Tried out different content types for link building, including practical guides/tutorials, original research studies, case studies, infographics, and more.
• Tracked results every step of the way, optimized relevant site pages (write for us, recommended list pages, etc.), and tested more outreach tactics.

You can find the full enterprise link building case study here.

7. Growth Machine - 0 to 150,000 Monthly Organic Visitors in 8 Months

• Generated 150,000 monthly organic visitors in 8 months for a brand new blog project.
• The site grew from a tiny blog to one of the most popular tea blogs on the internet.

Nat Eliason (founder of Growth Machine), grew a tea blog to 150,000 monthly searches in order to use it as a case study for his agency.

• Nat chose a topic area he knew a lot about (tea) and knew there was an audience for.
• Researched keywords with the perfect mix of low difficulty and high volume and arranged everything in a spreadsheet.
• Started publishing high quality content surrounding the topic at a rate of four blog posts per week, every week, for 8 months.
• Used Reddit, Facebook groups, and Pinterest to promote the content and drive traffic. inked back to the new content from owned websites, and mentioned it in interviews and guest posts.

You can find the full case study here.

8. Robbie Richards - 6-Step SEO Process That Generated 150,732 Visits

• Increased organic traffic by 11,065% in just 6 months and generated 20,314 organic pageviews with a single post.
• Captured 2,335 emails.

Robbie Richards details the 6-step SEO process he used to grow his client’s drone site:

• Found a topic (drones) with solid monthly search volume and a lot of secondary keyword targets.
• Created the best online guide on how to fly a quadcopter - more in-depth and high-quality than other articles at the time.
• Optimized the blog post for on-page SEO, included plenty of external/internal links, improved page speed, and made the content more UX friendly.
• Inserted a pop-up and lead-box to start generating subscribers from the blog post.
• Promoted content on Quora and relevant online forums.
• Set up social automation to share content automatically
• Submitted content on to relevant scoop.it pages.
• Used 4 different outreach strategies to build high-quality backlinks.

Need help with your SEO?

Let's skyrocket your traffic together.

9. Apollo Digital - $25,000+ From A Single Blog Post

• Content piece went viral, generating $25,000 revenue in business from a single blog post.
• 20+ leads, and over 11,000+ in page views over the first month.

Apollo Digital created and promoted epic content, which went viral and brought in over $25K in revenue (and growing).

• Researched a topic that dealt with major pain points for SaaS founders.
• Created a super in-depth 14,000+ words blog post full of actionable tips and tactics on SaaS marketing , all based on their unique perspective and experience.
• Provided better content UX, used a ton of on-page visual elements, and a Smart Content Filter plugin to make the guide easier to digest.
• Promoted on 12 different marketing channels, including Reddit, Hacker News, and Facebook groups
• Ran ads on Quora, Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter.

Check out the full content marketing case study here.

10. Content Mavericks - This Content Distribution Strategy Got 87,591 Visits To One Blog Post

• Used a content distribution strategy to get 87,591 visits to one blog post in 60 days.

Chris Von Wilpert of Content Mavericks created a giant article that completely breaks down HubSpot’s marketing strategy. In this case study, he talks about the content promotion strategy he used to get the article to go viral.

• Created keystone content on HubSpot’s growth strategy.
• Promoted it to his fans: inner circle, social circle, and outer circle.
• Used free traffic multipliers: email, push notification, Facebook messenger, and outreach lists to distribute content.
• Used paid traffic multipliers to manufacture virality. Reached thousands of new fans by running retargeting ads on Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Outbrain

Check out the full content distribution strategy case study here.

11. OptiMonk - How iSpionage Increased Blog Referral Traffic by 58% in 1 Month Using Onsite Retargeting

• Increased blog referral traffic by 58.09%.
• Achieved a 5.47% CTR for blog redirect popup.

iSpionage was publishing new blog posts regularly, but their blog wasn’t redirecting a whole lot of referral traffic to their product page. Here’s what they did to fix that....

• They used an OptiMonk exit-intent popup to entice users to check out their main homepage.
• To redirect only interested visitors,the popup would only appear for readers who had spent a minimum of 10 seconds on the blog. And for better visitor experience, they set up the popup to appear a maximum number of 5 times per visitor, with at least 1 day between appearances.

Check out the full iSpionage case study by OptiMonk here.

12. SEO Travel UK - 11K Website Views in 2 Weeks From Infographic Marketing

• 11,304 website visits in 2 weeks.
• 245% increased in referral traffic compared to the same period of last year.
• More than 100 new high-quality domains linking to the site.

During the peak Game of Thrones popularity, SEO Travel UK went viral by creating infographic based on the popular show.

• Researched the best/most popular Game of Thrones content on the web to make sure that their project was worth pursuing.
• Created an infographic of all the real-life locations where the TV show was filmed.
• Reached out to people who had shared similar content in the past and asked if they’d like to feature the infographic as an exclusive.
• Promoted infographic on GoT fandom and other ‘geek’ sites and forums.

Check out the full content marketing strategy used and the case study here.

13. YesOptimist - Scaled a Startup From 0 to 100K Visitors/Mo In About One Year

• Scaled College Raptor from 0 to 100K organic sessions per month in about one year.
• Generated 1M+ visitors to the website.

YesOptimist used a content marketing strategy that combined evergreen, social/viral and link-earning content.

• Used public data and visualcontent (infographics, maps, rankings, etc.) to score early wins and backlinks from high-quality domain websites.
• Created a giant resource with rankings for overlooked colleges. Then, they reached out to the said colleges, and asked for a share. Overall, just this netted them around 250,000+ visitors in just one week.
• Published 200+ articles over a few months to achieve explosive growth.

14. CanIRank - How Fieldwire Scaled Marketing Without Losing Their Focus on Product

• Achieved top 3 rankings for nearly all of their primary keywords in 6 months.
• The traffic (if they’d advertised on the keywords) would cost them more than $10,000 a year.

CanIRank helped Fieldwire (web and mobile collaboration platform) boost their rankings for all primary keywords in their domain, beating out larger and more established companies.

• Used CanIRank’s “Improve My Ranking” tool to identify high potential pages with keywords that were ranking, but too low to get much traffic.
• Used data-driven on-page optimization for high potential pages.
• Revised content strategy and identified additional content topics that offered a good balance of value and ranking difficulty.
• Reached out to relevant media outlets and pitched founder interviews and other relevant stories.

You can see the full Fieldwire content marketing case study here.

15. BuzzSumo - How BuzzSumo Achieved $2.5m Annual Revenue in its First Year: Case Study in SaaS Growth

• Gained over 160K freemium subscribers and more than 2K paying customers in their first year.
• Gained 2.5M annual revenue total.

In 2014, as the use of AdBlock was growing, businesses were starting to rely on content more than ever. Here’s how BuzzSumo capitalized on the content marketing frenzy.

• Spent most of their budget on their content marketing tool, which generated more awareness, sharing, and advocacy than any marketing expenditures.
• Gained the support of important influencers (Larry Kim, Rand Fishkin, Neil Patel, etc.).
• Focused on making the product sticky and reducing churn rate.
• Created unique content based on data, gave away everything they knew, and started growing steadily over the year.

See the full case study of how BuzzSumo achieved 2.5M in annual revenue here.

16. GrooveHQ - Behind the Scenes: How We’ve Built a $5M/Year Business in 3 Years With Content Marketing

• Achieved $5M/Year in annual recurring revenue and gained over 250,000 readers each month in over 3 years.

GrooveHQ wanted to rebuild their content marketing strategy with a focus on their target market's challenges and goals. Here’s how they accomplished that:.

• Redesigned their content marketing strategy to be more transparent and focus on their own business challenges and goals.
• Asked new email subscribers about their business struggles, and answered those questions in the form of blog posts.
• Reached out to influencers, and asked for their thoughts and feedback on blog posts (Instead of begging them for shares).
• Ran A/B tests on narrative-based storytelling blog posts to see which ones performed better.

Find the full GrooveHQ $5M content marketing case study here.

17. Zest - Generate MQLs for 15x less? Yes, please. How Whatagraph crushed it

• Lowered Whatagraph’s cost per marketing qualified lead (MQL) by 15x - from $60 to just $4.
• Of all the users who signed up for a free trial as a result of the campaign, 9% were sales qualified leads (SQLs) that converted at a cost 4x less than Whatagraph’s usual paid advertising per-lead cost.

Whatagraph wanted to promote their annual marketing report template to the right audience without breaking their budget. Here’s how they did this:

• Whatagraph partnered with Zest to extend their web presence and promote their marketing annual report template.
• Paid $400 for a content boost strategy to promote their template on the Zest Content Stream and in their newsletter.
• The campaign started just before Christmas and continued through January 23, 2020, which lowered Whatagraph’s cost per MQL by 15x.

Blog post not ranking?

Grab our free checklist and discover why.

18. AdEspresso - Facebook Ads Case Study: The Million Dollar Indiegogo Campaign

• Secured pre-orders from over 76 countries, with over 2,000 backers on Indiegogo.
• Achieved over $900K in funding.

BionicGym wanted to promote their Indiegogo page for an increase in sales and site visits. Here’s how they did this:

• Set up one campaign per country ads and set the objective to ‘Conversions’.
• Split-tested up to 252 ads and used the auto-optimization feature to relocate funding across the different ads, depending on how they performed.
• Set up retargeting campaigns and split test to everyone who visited the Indiegogo page and watched the Facebook video ad.
• Created lookalike audiences for the best-performing audiences.
• Reached a 9x ROI for some of the campaigns.

Check out the full Facebook Ads million-dollar Indiegogo campaign case study here.

19. Andrew Hubbard - $36,449 In Revenue From a $4,159 Ad Spend

• Generated $36,449 in revenue from $4,159 ad spend,
• Gained 769 new email subscribers and 128 new Facebook page likes.

Andrew Hubbard helped the client (Navid Moazzez) advertise his flagship course through Facebook ads.

• Ran ads a week before the course opened to get email newsletter opt-ins.
• Targeted warm traffic (Facebook fans, email list) first to an opt-in page.
• Ran ads for cold traffic, directing them to an un-gated (no-opt in) blog post. Once people had read the blog post, they were retargeted with ads promoting a relevant lead magnet.
• Created ads focusing on urgency and scarcity when bonus packages were starting to expire.

You can see the full Facebook Ads case study here.

19. Sugatan - Step-by-step Ecommerce Scaling from 50k/Mo to 520k/Mo with Facebook Ads

• $520K+ in monthly sales with 3.79x ROAS through the funnel.
• 2.35x ROAS at top-of-funnel, spending $100k+/monthly.

Sugatan (eCommerce growth-hacking agency) scaled their client using Facebook Ads and by testing different kinds of creatives. Here’s what, exactly, they did:

• Installed HotJar on the client’s eCommerce site to get insights on how customers behaved. Tested different video creative types, different ad ratio sizes, copy, thumbnails, and buttons to see what converted best.
• Killed off smaller ad-sets with the same audiences to prepare for scaling. Increased budget 20-30% twice per day for 2-3 days.
• Increased budget 1 month before Christmas and Black Friday sales, and launched a Facebook Messenger & email collection campaign 1 week before the sale started. Created VIP discounts for people who gave them their email addresses or subscribed to their messenger list.
• Starting running ads for the whole week before Black Friday - giving 10% off to everyone tracked via Facebook Pixel and 20% for VIP sales which were on for 24h.

Check out the full agency eCommerce business Facebook ad case study here.

20. Mark Brinker - How I Improved My Facebook Advertising By 400% In Just 4 Weeks

• Decreased cost per subscriber from $11.43 to $2.40 (79% reduction) in 4 weeks.
• Increased number of weekly subscribers from 10 to 51 (400% increase).

Mark Brinker (consultant) increased his weekly subscribers at a cheaper cost through Facebook Ads by promoting his e-book.

• Tested 6 different ad headlines and 3 ad images.
• Let all the 18 variations of the ads run for 1 week, and then eliminated the ones that were performing poorly.
• Deleted 3 more ads with headlines that were not resonating with the audience after that week.
• Found the winning combination by end of week 4 and continued running that ad.

You can see the full Facebook advertising case study here.

21. Leadpages - From 4% to 40% conversion

• Conversion rate shot up from 4% to 40% - a 10x increase from similar campaigns in the past.

Jenny Berk used Leadpage’s ad builder to promote her coaching services and optimize her micro funnel.

• Queued up $50 budget, created a custom audience from her email database (.CSV file), and layered a lookalike audience on top of that.
• Sent traffic to a targeted landing page, and created consistent ad copy and images throughout the whole funnel.
• Ran Facebook Ads for her warm leads and lookalike audiences, based on her email subscribers.

Check out Jenny’s full Facebook ads case study here.

22. Brian Downard - $194 in Facebook Ads into $100K in Sales

• Generated $106,496 in patio furniture sales from $194 in Facebook ads.

Brian Downard helped high-end patio furniture store client drive more sales and bring in more people into their local store;

• Built a warm audience using the content the furniture store had been previously sharing (blog posts, eBooks, infographics, guides, and more).
• Incentivized people to go visit the showroom in person by offering a 50% discount in the ads.
• Redirected people to a landing page from the ad, which showed a variety of products to appeal to different target audiences.
• Included a clear CTA for them to get in touch with the sales team.

You can find the full Facebook ad case study here.

23. Reinis Fischer - Spending $4 Per Day On Facebook Ads - Case Study

• Top ads gathered 1,000+ likes and shares for a budget of $8.
• Gained 50-200+ clicks per day back to the website and acquired 600+ new followers on Facebook.

Reinis Fischer grew his Facebook page about his tourism services through Facebook Ad campaigns promoting his article:

• Targeted other countries for his blog articles about tourism activities in Georgia to build brand recognition and grow his Facebook page.
• Spent $4 per day on Facebook ads and promoted only the best possible articles related to his audience.
• Promoted 1 article for 2 days with an 8$ budget for 30 days.
• Once each campaign was over, manually invited everyone who liked the posts to follow the Facebook page as well.

Check out the full spending $4 per day on Facebook ads case study here.

22. Paid Insights - AdWords Case Study: How $520 Turned Into $6,120

• Spent $520 and acquired 6 new clients for local mental health counselors.
• Gained $6,120 in revenue over 3 months.

Ross Kaplan of Paid Insights helped mental health counselor client gain new clients by running a local AdWords campaign:

• Built a new website for the client & optimized it for conversions.
• Used modified broad match keywords so that people would still get the ad even if they searched for it in a different order.
• Targeted only local zip codes surrounding the client’s office so the drive time for her customers would be under 10 minutes

Check out the full AdWords case study here.

23. Daisy-ree Quaker - PPC Case Study: How We Cut AdWords Costs by 67% With a Simple Tweak

• Costs dropped by $10,000 while conversions remained the same.
• The cost per conversion dropped from $87 to $16.
• Impressions dropped by 72% while CTR went up 103%.
• The conversion rate rose from 6% to 18%.

Daisy (online marketer) helped her SaaS client rethink their ad bidding strategy.

• SaaS company client wanted to cut back on ad spend because constantly bidding for first place was becoming too expensive.
• Realized most web users are trained to scroll past ads and decided to start bidding on 3rd position on Google as a test.
• Saw campaign results start increasing over the course of 3 months. Lowering AdWords rank helped get more views on their ads, and widened the pool of people that could see the ads because of a closer association with natural listings.

You can find the full PPC case study here.

24. Exposure Ninja - How We Increased PPC Leads by 325% in 60 Days for a Dental Clinic

• Increased conversions by 252.94% (from 17 to 60).
• Decreased cost per conversion from £154.28 to just £34.37.

Exposure Ninja helped a dental clinic, based in a competitive area for PPC ads, generate more customers.

• Installed Hotjar to understand where users were dropping off on the landing page and which areas were acting as conversion blockers. Found that visitors weren’t able to find the information they needed about the client's top service.
• Created a new landing page focusing on their priority, high-profit services.
• Because the client was running a Google Ads campaign before, they could use historical data to experiment with advanced bidding strategies.
• Introduced the new landing pages and tweaked the campaigns to maximize the client’s budget.

You can find the full increased dental PPC leads case study here.

25. ColaDigital - How We Increased Sales by 30% in 30-days Using Optimized Google Ads For a Local Business

• Increased year over year sales for local business by 30% in 30-days

ColaDigital helped a client set up their Google Ads account campaign from the ground up after they had an unpleasant experience with another agency.

• Created unique ad groups and ads for the client's most profitable keywords.
• Set up a hyper-targeted campaign using 1 unique ad group and 3 different match types for each ad group keyword.
• Set up negative keywords and turned on audience demographics in Google Analytics

You can find the full google ads local business case study here.

26. BoxCrush - AdWords Success Story

Helped an industrial client who had a lot of impressions but very little clicks:

• Increase CTR from 2.41% to 3.89%
• Decrease CPC from $2.24 to $2.17 in 1 month.

BoxCrush helped an industrial client improve their AdWords campaign when their click-through rate had fallen.

• Rebuilt customer’s AdWords account from the ground up, splitting it into meaningful campaigns that targeted specific demographics.
• Built Ad Groups within each campaign and created ads targeting audiences with each group.
• Once they saw an increase in performance, they expanded the client’s campaign from three Ad groups to six.
• Made the ads relate more to specific keywords, which caused the clickthrough rate to increase.
• Refined and re-optimized the process over time, causing the results to grow even further after the 1st month.

27. Sumo - How Noah Kagan Grew A Website To 10K Visitors In A Month

• Grew website from 0 to 10K visitors in a month.
• Grew email list from 173 to 2,322 in 3 days.

Noah Kagan took on an apprentice (Julien Marion) and helped him grow his brand new blog about sleep from scratch, with no prior connections or budget.

• Created a simple landing page to capture emails before the site was live.
• Set realistic and SMART traffic goals of 10,000 visitors in 30 days.
• Created a quant-based marketing approach strategy to build the plan, thus working backward from the 10K visitors goal.
• Reached out to relevant companies to participate in a viral giveaway that he would then promote to the site’s audience through their newsletter.
• Reached out to niche influencers for interviews to drive referral traffic.
• Tracked daily results and goals to stay accountable.

See the full marketing plan and the whole growing website case study here.

28. HubSpot - How PureVPN Increased Website Traffic by 289% Through Storytelling

• Gained a 289% increase in new visitors’ traffic site year over year.
• Helped raise awareness on cyberstalking and attracted people who wanted to add to the conversation.

PureVPN wanted to tell the stories of cyberstalking victims and raise awareness on the subject. Here's how they did it:

• Designed a buyer’s journey centered around raising awareness on cyberstalking and its effects on society.
• Researched reading habits of their buyer persona, used keyword research tools for idea generation, and searched for topics on Quora based on questions real people were asking.Gathered statistical data of past and recent cyberstalking incidents. Identified and reached out to influencers who were associated with cyberstalking awareness campaigns and victims or people who could tell their stories.
• Interviewed influencers and turned the interviews into blog posts. Experienced a significant spike in website traffic through influencers sharing the content.

See how PureVPN increased website traffic through storytelling and influencer marketing tactics here.

29. Beeketing - How Gymshark Grew by 200%+ Year On Year and Hit £41M in Sales

• Grew by 200% year on year and hit £41M in sales in nearly 7 years.
• Achieved a cult-like following.

Ben Francis (founder of GymShark) disrupted the gym apparels market using social media and influencer marketing.

• Only selected specific influencers with strong Instagram engagement and following to gain credibility.
• Sponsored various fitness Instagrammers, YouTubers, and bloggers and organized meet-ups.
• Partnered with fitness and lifestyle influencers on TikTok.
• Announced the "66 Days" fitness challenge on their site and other social media platforms to drive user-generated content.
• Built long-lasting relationships with fans on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Spotify, and other social media channels.

Check out the full Gymshark influencer growth story here.

30. Leadfeeder - How ConvertKit Grew from $98k to $625k MRR by Doing 150 Webinars in 1 Year

• Grew monthly revenue from $98K to $625K in 12 months.
• Hosted more than 150 webinars in the first year, saw a 637% growth in monthly revenue.

Founders of ConvertKit (email marketing platform) wanted to grow their brand and generate revenue with a low budget. They decided to focus on webinars.

• Focused on one marketing strategy (webinars) that didn’t require a lot of money and they could use to build a community around a relatively new product.
• Maintained a wide-open affiliate program and started doing webinars with any affiliate partner, no matter how small their audience was.
• Gave away tons of free information in 20-30 webinars per month, while asking for nothing in return.
• Maintained a narrow target audience (blogging community), and kept the technology simple (minimal tech issues).

You can find the full webinar marketing case study by ConvertKit here.

31. Buffer - The Simple Facebook Posting Strategy That Helped us 3x Our Reach and Engagement

• Tripled reach from 44,000 to 150,000+ people per week on Facebook.
• Increased average daily engagement from ~500 to 1,000+.
• Posts started reaching between 5,000-20,000 people

Buffer noticed their Facebook reach and engagement were decreasing for their posts over time. Here's what they did:

• Noticed that the more they posted on Facebook, the less reach they received with each post.
• Started posting only entertaining and educational content.
• Posted only once or twice on Facebook and curated content to increase engagement.
• Created a few brand awareness and engagement-focused posts to build an active Facebook audience.
• Boosted posts that were already performing well to amplify the reach.

You can find Buffer’s complete Facebook posting strategy here.

32. SEMRush - Raise Your Game: A Step-By-Step Guide To Gamification Marketing

• More than 9,300 users took part in their game.
• Received 8+ million impressions on Twitter.

SEMRush wanted to educate their users on their different product features and stand out while doing so. For this, they used gamification marketing..

• Customers were finding it hard to stay up to date with all the novelties the SEMRush tool offered. SEMRush wanted to increase their awareness of their platform’s wide functionality and increase the number of tools people used.
• Aligned campaign with a global event (Easter).
• Made it so that the Egg Hunt game looked good and felt satisfying from a gamification perspective. Those who found all 15 eggs were awarded a list of the 10,000 most searched keywords for 10 countries.
• Created a special hashtag for Twitter (#semrushegghunt), which picked up and went viral, and made sure the customer support and social media teams were ready in case users needed any help.

Check out the full step-by-step guide to gamification marketing case study here.

33. Hootsuite - How the British Museum Increased Social Media Engagement by 126%

• Gained 2M+ new followers on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
• Gained 126% more tweet responses, increasing customer engagement.
• Over 1,300 tweets tagged and analyzed to uncover actionable insights.

The British Museum turned to Hootsuite to set up a better social media campaign strategy and engage more frequently and more effectively with its audience.

• Set a three key goal strategy to increase online reach and engagement, deliver digital-first customer service, and identify opportunities for income and revenue generation.
• Identified opportunities to develop channel-specific content to make the best of each social media channel.
• Used Hootsuite to adapt to the new social media strategy and to track and analyze results.

See the full British Museum social media case study here.

34. Saashacker - 19 SaaS Marketing Strategies That Bootstrapped Ahrefs To $40m ARR

• Grew from 15 to 50 employees and over $40M in annual recurring revenue while being 100% bootstrapped.

Ahrefs used a mix of different SaaS marketing strategies to grow their brand.

• Rejected conventional SaaS marketing wisdom, focused on product quality driving word of mouth marketing and boosted their exposure at the world’s biggest SEO event. Went semi-viral on Twitter by adding nerdy SEO data to the coffee cups at the conference and giving them away to attendees..
• Produced a lot of content on how their SEO tool solved specific problems and used blog posts as ads.
• Created and gave away courses on blogging for businesses for free, used word of mouth marketing to promote it, and pushed employee images to the front to gain readers’ trust.
• Did 20 podcasts in 4 months, posted content a lot on Reddit, YouTube, their own blog, and other channels.
• ...And a LOT more.

See the full case study here.

And that’s a wrap!

Ready to 10x your business through digital marketing now?

We hope the above case studies were helpful and you can use them as inspiration to drive amazing results.

For more industry-leading digital marketing content and tips, be sure to check out our blog .

Did we miss a case study? Have YOU done something interesting that deserves a mention in this list?

Let us know down in the comments, we’d love to hear from you!

Don't forget to share!

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

We promise to only send 1 email a month with our very best content.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Some of Our Top Content Picks

What Is a Growth Manager & How to Hire One [in 2024]

Interior Design SEO Case Study - Ranking #1 & 30 Leads/Month

Sign up for our newsletter. we promise you're going to love it.

✔️ 1-2 emails per month MAX ✔️ Only the best stuff we'll write

Expedia Group Media Solutions

How to attract travelers with data-driven tourism marketing.

By Expedia Group Media Solutions

June 5, 2024

Did you know that 60% of travelers start planning their trip without a specific destination in mind? 1 Data like this can change how and when you communicate with travelers. By understanding travelers’ buying journeys from looking to booking and the latest travel trends, destination marketers can attract travelers and even shape destination decisions. 

Travel data and trends can help you understand and appeal to your target audience better. The ability to attract travelers could get more complicated as third-party cookies are phased out, which is why leveraging our robust first-party data can provide the audience insights you need. Keep reading to learn how data in the Path to Purchase report and our Unpack ’24 travel trends study can give you the competitive advantage you need to create data-driven destination marketing campaigns that resonate with travelers.  

Travel marketing along the path to purchase

As a destination marketer, you can use Path to Purchase insights to inform your strategy and get your message across clearly to your intended audience in the fragmented travel and tourism industry.   

Destination indecisiveness is high

Nearly three in five travelers surveyed didn’t have a specific destination in mind or considered multiple destinations when they first decided to take a trip. More than 80% of travelers from Mexico and 62% of travelers from the U.K. were undecided on their destination, indicating that these travelers may be even more open to destination inspiration. 2   

What this means for destinations

Location indecisiveness in the early stage of travel planning creates opportunities for destination marketers to determine destination decisions. Targeting travelers while they’re still in the inspiration phase is the key to building awareness for your brand and showing what makes your destination unlike any other. 

To appeal to travelers’ wanderlust and keeping costs in mind in this phase and throughout the purchasing journey, travel advertisers should consider showing breathtaking locations and interesting experiences along with compelling deals and clear calls to action to drive travelers to conversion. It’s also important to know how long people spend looking for vacation inspiration, so you know when to launch your campaign to attract more visitors.  

Travelers spend 33 days looking for inspiration for travel destinations  

We know that advertisers want to have a clear view of travelers’ buying journeys and the potential touch points they can have with travelers. That first moment, when travelers look for inspiration, is a key opportunity to influence travelers’ choices, and the window to reach people is 33 days long on average. 3  

Your current strategy might be to advertise to an audience that already showed an interest in your location, but the data is clear that there’s a large opportunity to create impactful ads that drive those looking for inspiration to consider new destinations — including yours. 

It’s also important to note that two-thirds of travelers were influenced by an ad during the inspiration phase of their journey. 4  

What this means for destinations:

Inspiration can come from many sources, like family recommendations or advertisements, so destinations need to ensure that they have a multi-channel approach to appeal to travelers during this stage. All our solutions help get your destination in front of our motivated travel audience.  

If you’re looking to take your budget further, you could consider a co-op campaign . These campaigns are cost-effective and help marketers meet collective goals, and we do the heavy lifting to connect complementary destinations, hotels, airlines, and more to engage jointly with travelers and drive demand. 

When it comes to connecting with travelers across channels, destination marketing organizations (DMOs) see over 80% higher engagement with our native display ads compared to standard display ads. 5 Our native advertising solution uses contextually relevant, non-disruptive ads seamlessly integrated across our 200+ travel websites and apps. These experiential ads allow you to highlight multiple features and images with a single placement and create a pleasing experience for travelers when they’re looking for inspiration or ready to book.   

VisitScotland used native advertising to engage travelers with immersive and informative ad placements across prominent homepages and hotel search results pages. By implementing native advertising, the marketing campaign generated an above average click-through rate (CTR) and an 80:1 return on ad spend (ROAS). The campaign’s success elevated the visibility of VisitScotland and effectively engaged qualified travelers, resulting in increased bookings. 

You can also leverage in-app ads as part of our native advertising solution to gain a competitive advantage. Did you know that on average, in-app ads drive 150% more conversions than mobile web ads? 6 This is one more lever you can pull to execute a successful marketing strategy.  

Travelers use social media the most for inspiration 

Social media is where people seek authentic travel experiences and reviews when considering hotels, activities, or destinations. For travelers considering what to book, 65% of them use social media for inspiration. 7  

For those in destination marketing, tapping into social media as part of your mobile marketing strategy is an effective way to get travelers to consider your destination. You could add a human touch to your mobile marketing campaigns by utilizing influencer marketing at this stage. If you’re working for a convention and visitors bureau, you can engage travelers on social media by highlighting what they could expect if they choose your destination by using captivating images and copy that highlight authentic experiences.  

Discover the latest travel marketing trends 

Let’s look at a few more trends that can help you learn how to promote a destination by implementing specific insights into travelers’ behaviors in your campaigns. Our Unpack ’24 study is a glimpse into eight predicted trends we see shaping the travel and tourism industry this year. Based on extensive data and a global survey of 20,000 travelers, the report highlights the growing popularity of alternatives to well-known vacation spots, traveling to see a concert, and booking a trip because of a movie or TV show. You can find more trends in the full study, and you can dive even deeper with our quarterly insights and research .

We’ve pulled trend takeaways to help shape your marketing campaigns and get your destination in front of our global audience of high-value travelers who are coming to dream about, research, and book travel on our trusted brands.   

Travelers are booking destination dupes 

Destination dupes are budget-friendly alternatives to popular travel spots that offer similar experiences, usually without the hefty price tag or crowds. Think of it as the travel equivalent of finding a high-quality, affordable alternative to a luxury brand. For example, travelers might choose Pattaya over Bangkok or Perth instead of Sydney to enjoy a comparable vibe and attractions at a fraction of the cost. One in three travelers polled said they’ve booked a destination dupe. 8  

What this means for destinations  

If you think your location could be a dupe, it’s time to position yourself as an alternative. You know what your destination has to offer, and we can help you tell that story to potential travelers. Does it have something in common with a higher-profile location? Try turning that into an advantage and highlight the elements your destination has in common with more well-known places. To take it a step further, you could showcase promotions or deals in your advertising that could appeal to cost-conscious travelers. 

Concerts are driving tourism 

Tour tourism is a popular emerging area of leisure travel. This trend sees concertgoers looking beyond their local venues to catch a show, with 40% of travelers saying they would travel for a concert as an excuse to visit a new place, while 30% would travel because tickets were cheaper elsewhere. 9  

When Taylor Swift’s 2024 tour schedule was announced for Asia and Australia, travel searches increased by over 250% year over year for the corresponding tour cities. Similarly, when the 2024 European tour dates were announced, travel searches for May to August 2024 increased by nearly 65% for cities with corresponding tour stops. 10 To reach travelers venturing out of town for a concert, you could target certain search windows, lean into influencer marketing, or create packages with local establishments to provide more value for potential attendees.  

Our data-driven audience extension solution can help you reach customized audience segments, like those traveling during a certain time, to make sure your destination is in front of the right people, at the right time, and with the right message using targeted marketing. 

Set-jetting could be your untapped travel marketing trend

Set-jetting, planning trips inspired by TV shows and movies, is more popular than ever. More than half of travelers say they’ve researched or booked a trip to a destination after seeing it on a TV show or in a movie. In fact, travelers say TV shows influence their travel decisions more than Instagram, TikTok, and podcasts. 11  

You can lean into this source of travel inspiration where people want to book because they were inspired by a particular location. We helped one of our partners, Brand USA , create an immersive and interactive experience and debuted this innovative approach to travel booking with a shoppable streaming platform that delivers unique video content to replicate what travelers would experience at a destination. 

Our Media Studio team concepted and built this unique approach to destination exploration that allows travelers to quickly and easily book their trip as they immerse themselves in what the destination has to offer. Brand USA is the first partner to use this trailblazing solution, and we’re excited to roll out this approach for other destinations across the globe. 

Reach your goals with the leading travel media network  

We know it can be difficult to act on emerging market trends. That’s why we’re here to help you understand consumer behavior and travel trends to ensure your destination stands out from the rest using our expertise, innovative technology, and powerful platform. All our advertising solutions focus on helping DMOs stand out in a crowded marketplace and drive tourism, and we can help you find the perfect combination for your specific needs.  

To learn more about the array of advertising solutions we provide and how your destination can leverage data, contact one of our experts today. 

Expedia Group Media Solutions is the world's leading travel media network. We connect advertisers with hundreds of millions of travelers across the globe. Our exclusive first-party data on traveler trends, search behavior, and booking data provides travel marketers with unique insights to inform their strategies. We offer a full-funnel suite of solutions to help you convert travelers, and our digital experts can help you create advertising campaigns that deliver.

Recommended for you

destination marketing

Destination organizations: Supporting the tourism industry, sustainable travel, and more

products and solutions

Connect with travelers on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Travel Tuesday

Atout France, CRT Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur launch multi-million euros campaign

Why destination video marketing works

Digital Marketing Case Studies

In-depth studies of some of the world's most innovative brands.

Showing 1-24 of 38

Great Digital Brands

• View Courses
• Change Password

Get the latest digital marketing data, insights and toolkits from DMI

How to Create a Social Media Marketing Strategy in 9 Easy Steps [Free Template]

Creating your social media marketing strategy doesn’t need to be painful. Create an effective plan for your business in 9 simple steps.

A social media marketing strategy is a summary of everything you plan to do and hope to achieve on social media. It guides your actions and lets you know whether you’re succeeding or failing.

The more specific your plan is, the more effective it will be. Keep it concise. Don’t make it so lofty and broad that it’s unattainable or impossible to measure.

In this post, we’ll walk you through a nine-step plan to create a winning social media strategy of your own. We’ve even got expert insights from Amanda Wood, Hootsuite’s Senior Manager of Social Marketing.

How to create a social media strategy:

Bonus: Get a free social media strategy template   to quickly and easily plan your own strategy. Also use it to track results and present the plan to your boss, teammates, and clients.

What is a social media marketing strategy?

A social media strategy is a document outlining your social media goals, the tactics you will use to achieve them and the metrics you will track to measure your progress.

Your social media marketing strategy should also list all of your existing and planned social media accounts along with goals specific to each platform you’re active on. These goals should align with your business’s larger digital marketing strategy.

Finally, a good social media plan should define the roles and responsibilities within your team and outline your reporting cadence.

Create. Schedule. Publish. Engage. Measure. Win.

Creating your own social media marketing strategy (video guide)

No time to read the whole article? Let Amanda, Hootsuite’s own Senior Manager of Social Media Marketing, guide you through our free social media marketing strategy template in less than 10 minutes:

How to create a social media marketing strategy in 9 steps

Step 1. choose goals that align to business objectives, set s.m.a.r.t. goals.

The first step to creating a winning social media strategy is to establish clear objectives and goals. Without goals, you have no way to measure success and return on investment (ROI) .

Each of your social media marketing goals should be SMART : s pecific, m easurable, a ttainable, r elevant and t ime-bound.

Psst: Need help getting started? We’ve got social strategy guides for small businesses , financial services , government , higher education , healthcare , real estate , law firms , and non-profits .

Oh, and if you need examples of smart social media goals , we’ve got you covered there too.

Once you’ve decided on your goals, track them in a social media strategy doc — grab our free template if you don’t have one already.

Track meaningful metrics

Vanity metrics like number of followers and likes are easy to track, but it’s hard to prove their real value. Instead, focus on things like engagement, click-through, and conversion rates.

For inspiration, take a look at these 19 essential social media metrics .

You may want to track different goals for different social media networks, or even different uses for each network.

For example, if you use LinkedIn to drive traffic to your website, you would measure click-throughs. If Instagram is for brand awareness, you might track the number of Instagram Story views. And if you advertise on Facebook, cost-per-click (CPC) is a common success metric.

Social media goals should align with your overall marketing objectives. This makes it easier to show the value of your work and secure buy-in from your boss.

Start developing a successful social media marketing plan by writing down at least three goals for social media.

“ It’s easy to get overwhelmed by deciding what to post and which metrics to track, but you need to focus on what you want to get out of social media to begin with,” says Amanda Wood, Hootsuite’s Senior Manager of Social Marketing. “Don’t just start posting and tracking everything: match your goals to your business, and your metrics to your goals.”

Step 2. Learn everything you can about your audience

Get to know your fans, followers, and customers as real people with real wants and needs, and you will know how to target and engage them on social media.

When it comes to your ideal customer, you should know things like:

• Average income
• Typical job title or industry

Here’s a simple guide and template for creating audience/buyer personas .

Don’t forget to document this information in your strategy doc!

Social media analytics can also provide a ton of valuable information about who your followers are, where they live, and how they interact with your brand on social media. These insights allow you to refine your strategy and better target your audience.

Jugnoo, an Uber-like service for auto-rickshaws in India, used Facebook Analytics to learn that 90% of their users who referred other customers were between 18- and 34-years-old, and 65% of that group was using Android. They used that information to target their ads, resulting in a 40% lower cost per referral.

Check out our guide to using social media analytics and the tools you need to track them .

Step 3. Get to know your competition

Odds are your competitors are already using social media, and that means you can learn from what they’re doing.

Conduct a competitive analysis

A competitive analysis allows you to understand who the competition is and what they’re doing well (and not so well). You’ll get a good sense of what’s expected in your industry, which will help you set social media targets of your own.

It will also help you spot opportunities and weaknesses you can document in your social strategy doc.

Maybe one of your competitors is dominant on Facebook, for example, but has put little effort into X (Twitter) or Instagram. You might want to focus on the social media platforms where your audience is underserved, rather than trying to win fans away from a dominant player.

Use social media listening

Social listening is another way to keep an eye on your competitors.

Do searches of the competition’s company name, account handles, and other relevant keywords on social media. Find out what they’re sharing and what other people are saying about them. If they’re using influencer marketing, how much engagement do those campaigns earn them?

Pro tip : Use Hootsuite Streams to monitor relevant keywords, hashtags and accounts in real-time.

Try Hootsuite for free. You can cancel anytime.

As you track, you may notice shifts in how your competitors and industry leaders are using social media. You may come across new, exciting trends. You might even spot specific social content or a campaign that really hits the mark—or totally bombs.

Use this kind of intel to optimize and inform your own social media marketing strategy.

Just don’t go overboard on the spy tactics, Amanda advises. “ Make sure you aren’t ALWAYS comparing yourself to the competition — it can be a distraction. I’d say checking in on a monthly basis is healthy. Otherwise, focus on your own strategy and results.”

Step 4. Do a social media audit

If you’re already using social media, take stock of your efforts so far. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What’s working, and what’s not?
• Who is engaging with you?
• What are your most valuable partnerships?
• Which networks does your target audience use?
• How does your social media presence compare to the competition?

Once you collect that information, you’ll be ready to start thinking about ways to improve.

We’ve created an easy-to-follow social media audit guide and template to walk you through each step of this process.

Your audit should give you a clear picture of what purpose each of your social accounts serves. If the purpose of an account isn’t clear, think about whether it’s worth keeping.

To help you decide, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is my audience here?
• If so, how are they using this platform?
• Can I use this account to help achieve my goals?

Asking these tough questions will keep your social media strategy focused.

Look for impostor accounts

During the audit, you may discover fake accounts using your business name or the names of your products.

These imposters can be harmful to your brand—never mind that they’re capturing followers that should be yours.

You may want to get your accounts verified too to ensure your fans know they are dealing with the real you.

Here’s how to get verified on:

• X (Twitter)

Step 5. Set up accounts and improve profiles

Decide which networks to use.

As you decide which social networks to use, you will also need to define your strategy for each.

Benefit Cosmetics’ social media manager, Angela Purcaro, told eMarketer : “For our makeup tutorials … we’re all about Snapchat and Instagram Stories. [X], on the other hand, is designated for customer service.”

Hootsuite’s own social team even designates different purposes for formats within networks. On Instagram, for example, they use the feed to post high-quality educational infographics and product announcements and Stories to cover live events or quick social media updates.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hootsuite 🦉 (@hootsuite)

Pro tip : Write out a mission statement for each network. A one-sentence declaration to keep you focused on a specific goal.

Example: “We will use X for customer support to keep email and call volumes down.”

Or: “We will use LinkedIn for promoting and sharing our company culture to help with recruitment and employee advocacy.”

One more: “We will use Instagram to highlight new products and repost quality content from influencers.”

If you can’t create a solid mission statement for a particular social media channel, you may want to ask yourself if it’s worth it.

Note : While larger businesses can and do tackle every platform, small businesses may not be able to — and that’s ok! Prioritize social platforms that will have the most impact on your business and make sure your marketing team has the resources to handle content for those networks. If you need help focusing your efforts, check out our 18-minute social media plan .

Set up your profiles

Once you’ve decided which networks to focus on, it’s time to create your profiles. Or improve existing ones so they align with your strategy.

• Make sure you fill out all profile fields
• Include keywords people would use to search for your business
• Use consistent branding (logos, images, etc.) across networks so your profiles are easily recognizable

Pro tip : Use high-quality images that follow the recommended dimensions for each network. Check out our always-up-to-date social media image size cheat sheet for quick reference.

We’ve also got step-by-step guides for each network to walk you through the process:

• Create a Facebook business page
• Create an Instagram business account
• Create a TikTok account
• Create a X (Twitter) business account
• Create a Snapchat account
• Create a LinkedIn Company Page
• Create a Pinterest business account
• Create a YouTube channel

Don’t let this list overwhelm you. Remember, it’s better to use fewer channels well than to stretch yourself thin trying to maintain a presence on every network.

Optimize your profiles (and content) for search

Never heard of social SEO ? It’s time to learn.

44% of Gen Z consumers use social platforms to research their purchase decisions, which means it’s extra critical that your channels are optimized for social search.

That means making sure your profile names are clear and descriptive, you’re including relevant hashtags and keywords in your bio and on every post, and you’re using features like alt text and captions to include your target keywords as naturally as possible.

Step 6. Find inspiration

While it’s important that your brand be unique, you can still draw inspiration from other businesses that are great on social.

“ I consider it my job to stay active on social: to know what’s trending, which campaigns are winning, what’s new with the platforms, who’s going above and beyond,” says Amanda. “This might be the most fun step for you, or the hardest one, but it’s just as crucial as the rest of them.”

Social media success stories

You can usually find these on the business section of the social network’s website. ( Here’s Facebook’s , for example.)

Case studies can offer valuable insights that you can apply to your own social media plan.

Award-winning accounts and campaigns

You could also check out the winners of The Facebook Awards or The Shorty Awards for examples of brands that are at the top of their social media game.

For learning and a laugh, check out Fridge-Worthy, Hootsuite’s bi-weekly awards show highlighting brands doing smart and clever things on social media.

Your favorite brands on social media

Who do you enjoy following on social media? What do they do that compels people to engage and share their content?

National Geographic, for example, is one of the best on Instagram, combining stunning visuals with compelling captions.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo)

Then there’s Shopify. The ecommerce brand uses Facebook to sell themselves by showcasing customer stories and case studies.

And Lush Cosmetics is a great example of superior customer service on X. They use their 280 characters to answer questions and solve problems in an extremely charming and on-brand way.

Source: lushcosmetics on X

Notice that each of these accounts has a consistent voice, tone, and style. That’s key to letting people know what to expect from your feed. That is, why should they follow you? What’s in it for them?

Consistency also helps keep your content on-brand even if you have multiple people on your social media team.

For more on this, read our guide on establishing a compelling brand voice on social media .

Ask your followers

Consumers can also offer social media inspiration.

What are your target customers talking about online? What can you learn about their wants and needs?

If you have existing social channels, you could also ask your followers what they want from you. Just make sure that you follow through and deliver what they ask for.

Step 7. Create a social media content calendar

Sharing great content is essential, of course, but it’s equally important to have a plan in place for when you’ll share content to get the maximum impact.

Your social media content calendar also needs to account for the time you spend interacting with the audience (although you need to allow for some spontaneous engagement as well).

Set your posting schedule

Your social media content calendar lists the dates and times at which you will publish types of content on each channel. It’s the perfect place to plan all of your social media activities—from images, link sharing, and re-shares of user-generated content to blog posts and videos. It includes both your day-to-day posting and content for social media campaigns.

Your calendar also ensures your posts are spaced out appropriately and published at the best times to post .

Pro tip: You can plan your whole content calendar and get recommended best times to post on every network based on your past engagement rate, impressions, or link click data in Hootsuite.

Hootsuite’s Best Time to Publish feature

Determine the right content mix

Make sure your content strategy and calendar reflect the mission statement you’ve assigned to each social profile, so that everything you post is working to support your business goals.

(We know, it’s tempting to jump on every meme, but there should always be a strategy behind your social media marketing efforts!)

You might decide that:

• 50% of content will drive traffic back to your website
• 25% of content will be curated from other sources
• 20% of content will support lead-generation goals (newsletter sign-ups, ebook downloads, etc.)
• 5% of content will be about your company culture

Placing these different post types in your content calendar will ensure you maintain the right mix.

If you’re starting from scratch and you’re not sure what types of content to post, try the 80-20 rule :

• 80% of your posts should inform, educate, or entertain your audience
• 20% can directly promote your brand.

You could also try the social media content marketing rule of thirds :

• One-third of your content promotes your business, converts readers, and generates profit.
• One-third of your content shares ideas and stories from thought leaders in your industry or like-minded businesses.
• One-third of your content is personal interactions with your audience

Whatever you decide on, be sure to document it in your strategy doc.

Don’t post too much or too little

If you’re starting a social media marketing strategy from scratch, you may not have figured out how often to post to each network for maximum engagement yet.

Post too frequently and you risk annoying your audience. But, if you post too little, you risk looking like you’re not worth following.

Start with these posting frequency recommendations:

• Instagram (feed): 3-7 times per week
• TikTok: 3-5 times per week
• Facebook: 1-2 times per day
• X (Twitter): 1-5 times per day
• LinkedIn: 1-5 times per day

Pro tip : Once you have your social media content calendar planned out, use a scheduling tool to prepare messages in advance rather than updating constantly throughout the day.

We might be biased, but we think Hootsuite is the best social media management tool. You can schedule social media posts to every network and the intuitive calendar view gives you a full picture of all your social activity each week.

Try It Free

Step 8. Create compelling content

Remember those mission statements you created for each channel in Step 5? Well, it’s time to go a bit deeper, a.k.a. provide some examples of the type of content you’ll post to fulfill your mission on each network.

If you’re not sure what to post, here’s a long list of social media content ideas to get you started. Or (to make it even easier) you can use an AI tool like OwlyWriter to generate on-brand content in a flash.

The idea here is to:

• Keep your content aligned with the purpose of each network;
• Show other stakeholders (if applicable) what kind of content they can expect to see on each network.

This last point especially will help you avoid any tension when your colleagues want to know why you haven’t posted their case study/whitepaper/blog post to TikTok yet. It’s not in the strategy, Linda!

Ideally, you will generate content types that are both suited to the network and the purpose you’ve set out for that network.

For example, you wouldn’t want to waste time posting brand awareness tweets if you’ve designated X/Twitter for primarily customer support. And you wouldn’t want to post super polished corporate video ads to TikTok, as users expect to see short, unpolished videos on that platform.

It might take some testing over time to figure out which type of content works best on which type of network, so prepare to update this section frequently.

We won’t lie: content creation isn’t as easy as everyone not on the social team seems to think. But if you’re struggling, Amanda suggests going back to basics.

The first question to ask is: is there cohesion between your content types? Is your content providing value? Do you have a good mix of entertaining, or educational content? What does it offer that makes a person stop and spend time? Creating a few different content pillars or categories that encompass different aspects of storytelling for your brand, and what you can offer your audience is a good start.

This brings us to Step 9.

Step 9. Track performance and make adjustments

Your social media marketing strategy is a hugely important document for your business, and you can’t assume you’ll get it exactly right on the first try.

As you start to implement your plan and track your results, you may find that some strategies don’t work as well as you’d anticipated, while others are working even better than expected.

That’s why it’s important to document your progress along the way.

Look at performance metrics

In addition to the analytics within each social network (see Step 2), you can use UTM parameters to track social visitors as they move through your website, so you can see exactly which social posts drive the most traffic to your website.

Benchmark your results

You’ve got your numbers, but how do they stack up to the competition in your industry? Industry benchmarks are a great way to evaluate your performance against other businesses in your category.

If you’ve got Hootsuite Analytics , you can use our built-in social media benchmarking tool to compare the performance of your social accounts against the average of brands in your industry with just a couple of clicks.

You can set up custom timeframes, switch between networks — Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and TikTok — and look up benchmarks for metrics like followers, audience growth rate, engagement rate, clicks, shares, and much more.

You’ll also find resources to improve your performance  right in the summary section:

Re-evaluate, test, and do it all again

Once this data starts coming in, use it to re-evaluate your strategy regularly. You can also use this information to test different posts, social marketing campaigns, and strategies against one another. Constant testing allows you to understand what works and what doesn’t, so you can refine your social media marketing strategy in real time.

You’ll want to check the performance of all your channels at least once a week and get to know the basics of social media reporting so you can track your growth over time.

Pro tip: If you use Hootsuite, you can review the performance of all your posts on every network in one place. Once you get the hang of checking your analytics, you may even want to customize different reports to show specific metrics over a variety of different time periods.

Surveys can also be a great way to find out how well your social media strategy is working. Ask your followers, email list, and website visitors whether you’re meeting their needs and expectations, and what they’d like to see more of. Then make sure to deliver on what they tell you.

Finalizing your social media strategy

Spoiler alert: nothing is final.

Social media moves fast. New networks emerge, others go through demographic shifts.

Your business will go through periods of change as well.

All of this means that your social media marketing strategy should be a living document that you review and adjust as needed. Refer to it often to stay on track, but don’t be afraid to make changes so that it better reflects new goals, tools, or plans.

When you update your social strategy, make sure to watch our 5-step video on how to updating your social media strategy for 2024:

Social media strategy template

Ready to start documenting? Grab your free social media strategy template below!

What’s next? When you’re ready to put your plan into action, we’re here to help…

Save time managing your social media marketing strategy with Hootsuite. From a single dashboard you can easily:

• Plan, create, and schedule posts to every network
• Track relevant keywords, topics, and accounts
• Stay on top of engagement with a universal inbox
• Get easy-to-understand performance reports and improve your strategy as needed

Try Hootsuite for Free

With files from Shannon Tien .

Do it better with Hootsuite , the all-in-one social media tool. Stay on top of things, grow, and beat the competition.

Become a better social marketer.

Get expert social media advice delivered straight to your inbox.

Christina Newberry is an award-winning writer and editor whose greatest passions include food, travel, urban gardening, and the Oxford comma—not necessarily in that order.

Amanda Wood is a senior social marketing professional who combines analytical and creative thinking to build brands.

As head of social at Hootsuite, Amanda oversees the global social strategy encompassing organic and paid social on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and LinkedIn, a social engagement and listening strategy, and an employee advocacy program.

As the leader of a high-performing social team, she has extensive experience collaborating with creatives to bring campaigns to life on social and drive business results.

Related Articles

How To Set and Exceed Social Media Goals [9 Examples]

Struggling with structuring your efforts on social? Set yourself up for success with our guide to setting and achieving smarter social media goals.

How to Run the Easiest Social Media Audit [FREE TEMPLATE]

A social media audit is the best way to review and improve any social marketing strategy. Check in on your efforts with this free template.

How to Create a Social Media Calendar and Stay Organized

Social media content calendars are the best way to plan and organize your content. Build one in 4 easy steps or use our free templates.

Social Media Marketing Tools: The Complete Guide

Automate your work, save time, and build better relationships with your audience by using the right social media marketing tools.

• Deutschland
• Asia, Australia & New Zealand
• Europe, Middle East & Africa
• United States & Canada
• Latinoamérica

Insights. Ideas. Inspiration.

Take your marketing further with Google. Think with Google.

Feature of the week

Confident consumers do more than buy. They lift metrics that matter

What drives consumer confidence in a world of infinite choices? Dive into our new purchase behavior study to find out how to ensure your brand makes the consideration set.

Consumer Insights

Understand customer mindsets to make every holiday connection count, the 2024 retail guide: put google ai to work to drive profitable growth for your business, lean into ai to engage and convert customers across the funnel, connect with customers throughout their increasingly complex journeys, marketing strategies & innovations, ads creativity and performance at scale with google ai, 3 ways viewer behaviors are influencing video culture on youtube, meet the instacart cmo using ai to transform retail, 5 key questions to ask your media agency, stream big: unify your streaming media to scale your ctv performance, cmo aude gandon reveals the secret recipe for transforming nestlé into a digital marketing powerhouse, 12 learnings from google’s own media experts for 2024, how fandom’s evolution on youtube is reshaping marketing, in-depth reading, focus on canada.

Keep up with the latest trends shaping Canada’s marketing landscape, from shifts in consumer habits to best-in-class customer case studies.

Big Thinkers

Think big with Canada’s thought leaders, as they share their perspectives on topics that are top-of-mind for marketers.

Back to Basics

Explore digital best practices with Google experts to ensure your marketing fundamentals are strong and effective.

AI in Marketing

Dig into the latest research and learn how leading marketers are putting Google’s AI-powered tools and solutions to use.

Inclusive Marketing

Perspectives, insights, and resources for expanding diversity, equity, and inclusion in our work and beyond.

Video Library

Explore our video library to get perspectives from industry luminaries, learn new marketing techniques, find creative inspiration, and more.

Marketing on YouTube

Every day, millions of viewers go deep on YouTube content and creators. Get the latest in creative insights, trends, and strategies.

Creativity grabs attention and inspires action. Discover how data at the intersection art and technology can connect with audiences.

Insights Finder

Go beyond demographics to find who matters most to your business.

Google Trends

Gauge consumer search behavior with real-time search trends.

Grow My Store

Assess your retail website’s customer experience—and improve it.

Market Finder

Get data and insights to identify your next global markets.

You're visiting our United States & Canada website.

Based on your location, we recommend you check out this version of the page instead:

Your cart is empty.

Sorry, there is insufficient stock for your cart.

Remove a Product

Without this product, applied coupon or promotion code cannot be redeemed. Are you sure to remove this product?

Privacy Policy

Tick this box to proceed to Samsung.com.

Samsung.com Services and marketing information, new product and service announcements as well as special offers, events and newsletters.

Check Preferences

Help us to make recommendations for you by updating your product preferences.

What are you looking for?

No suggestions, suggested searches, popular keyword, search history, recommended search.

Samsung for Business

Transforming businesses. Empowering owners.

Find the right solutions and exclusive benefits for businesses of all sizes.

See how Samsung makes an impact

Samsung's devices and solutions create tangible results.

Schneider needed a provider that could integrate its proprietary software with relevant third-party applications for connected fleets.

Duty Free Americas

Duty Free Americas, the largest duty-free retailer in the Americas, began its digital transformation a few years ago.

Lucid Motors

The design team at Lucid Motors was looking for a new, state-of-the-art display to take their design process to the next level.

Take the next step

Get connected today with volume discount offers on employee smartphones, monitors, displays, digital signage, appliances and more.

Stay in the know

* By submitting your email, you agree to receive periodic emails from Samsung on exclusive discounts, new product announcements, our latest technology insights, special events and more. Please consult our Privacy Policy to understand how we protect your privacy

Contact a sales expert

Get in touch with our sales team to discuss tailored solutions for your business. You can call (866) 726-4249 to talk to an expert now, or use the form below to submit your requests.

Get product support

Find manuals, downloads, warranty information and more. We also offer FAQs and demos to help with business product questions.

We will help you find the right solution for your business.

Sales Enquiries

Technical support, you are entering.

By selecting CONTINUE, you will be entering a website of

website is governed by its own privacy policy, level of security and terms of use

Your enquiry has been successfully submitted. We will get back to you shortly.

The Importance of Digital Marketing in Hospitality: The Case of Hotel Fafense

• Conference paper
• First Online: 15 March 2024
• Cite this conference paper

• Catarina Mota   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-8267-9739 8 ,
• Isabel Borges   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4183-475X 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ,
• José Luís Braga   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-7668-5200 7 , 8 , 11 , 12 &
• Sandra Brás   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2938-7467 7 , 8  

Part of the book series: Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies ((SIST,volume 384))

Included in the following conference series:

• International Conference on Tourism, Technology and Systems

126 Accesses

Currently, digital marketing is widely used in all sectors of activity, worldwide, with the aim of promoting, in a more agile way, any type of business. Although the concept of digital marketing emerged some years ago, it was during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic that companies, for the most part, began to bet on this concept, as a way of being able to carry on with their sales. With regard to the tourism sector, in particular the hotel industry, this type of marketing enables it to publicize the accommodation units, causing the number of reservations to increase considerably. It should also be noted that if a good marketing strategy is applied to the destination where the hotel unit is situated, all local actors will benefit from the arrival of tourists. Regarding the aim of the present paper, it is intended to present a case study, with the purpose of analyzing the impact of digital marketing in the Hotel Fafense , located in the city of Fafe. Firstly, the need to invest in technologies is explained, taking into account the importance of digital marketing. The methodology employed consists of a case study, based on a qualitative research approach. The data collection instrument used is the semi-structured interview. It should also be noted that the study presents a main starting question and five secondary research questions. Regarding the results of this study, the use of technologies has had a positive effect on the promotion of the hotel object of study. Thus, it can be concluded that the commitment toward digital marketing becomes an added value for the hotel sector. However, it has more or less impact, depending on where the unit is located.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

• Available as PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Durable hardcover edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Daronco, E.: Gestão de marketing. Unijuí, Ijuí (2008)

Google Scholar  

Cruz, A.: Marketing Electrónico para PYMES, Cómo Vender, Promocionar y Posicionarse en Internet, 1st edn. Alfaomega – RAMA, Paracuellos de Jarama, Espanha (2009)

Fierro, I., Cardona, D., Gavilanez, J.: Digital marketing: a new tool for international education. Rev. Cient. Pensamiento Gestión 43 , 116–149 (2017). https://doi.org/10.14482/pege.41.9704

Borges, I.: O Enoturismo na Região Demarcada do Douro: a Festa das Vindimas como produto turístico [Doctoral dissertation, University of Coimbra]. Repositório institucional da Universidade de Coimbra (2017). Retrieved from: https://estudogeral.uc.pt/handle/10316/32184

Baker, B.: Destination Branding for Small Cities. Creative Leap Books, Portland (2007)

Charters, S., Ali-knight, J.: Who is the wine tourist? Tour. Manage. 23 (3), 311–319 (2002)

García-Machado, E., León-Santos, M.: ¿Evolución o expansión? Del Marketing tradicional al Marketing Digital 10 (26), 37–52 (2021). Retrieved from: http://scielo.sld.cu/pdf/ralc/v10n26/2411-9970-ralc-10-26-37.pdf

Kotler, P., Kartajaya, H., Setiawan, I.: Marketing 4.0: moving form traditional to digital. John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, NJ (2017)

de Araújo, R.M., Ernesto Filho, I.E.: Meios de hospedagem: um estudo sobre marcas no contexto da inovação. Rev. Iberoamericana Turismo 4 (1) (2014). Retrieved from: http://www.seer.ufal.br/index.php/ritur/article/view/1234

Azevedo, E.A., Barros Neto, J.J.: Os novos cenários turísticos: inovação, planejamento e as megatendências. A Barriguda: Rev. Cient. 7 (2), 220–239 (2017). Retrieved from: http://www.abarriguda.org.br/revista/index.php/revistaabarrigudaarepb/article/view/38

Jayawardena, C.: What are the key innovative strategies needed for future tourism in the world? Worldwide Hospitality and Tour. Themes 11 (2), 235–247 (2019). Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-01-2019-0001

Yin, D., Ming, X., & Zhang, X. (2020). Sustainable and smart product innovation ecosystem: an integrative status review and future perspectives. J. Clean. Prod. 274 (1). Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123005

Kokotovich, A.E., Kuzma, J., Cummings, C.L., et al.: Responsible innovation definitions, practices and motivations from nanotechnology researchers in food and agriculture. NanoEthics 15 , 229–243 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11569-021-00404-9

Article   Google Scholar  

Filippopoulos, N., Fotopoulos, G.: Innovation in economically developed and lagging European regions: a configurational analysis. Res. Policy 51 , 1–16 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2021.104424

Pushpananthan, G., Elmquist, M.: Joining forces to create value: the emergence of an innovation ecosystem. Technovation 115 , 1–15 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2021.102453

Schumpeter, J.A.: Teoria do Desenvolvimento Econômico. Editora Nova Cultural, São Paulo (1997)

Aires, J.D.M.: A inovação na perspectiva de diretores de hotéis em Aveiro – Portugal. Turismo - Visão e Ação 19 (3), 487 (2017). Retrieved from: http://www.each.usp.br/turismo/publicacoesdeturismo/ref.php?id=29256

Buhalis, D., Sinarta, Y.: Real-time co-creation and nowness service: lessons from tourism and hospitality. J. Travel Res. 58 (8), 1368–1384 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287518816423

Xiang, Z., Gretzel, U.: Big data analytics in tourism and hospitality: a literature review. J. Travel Res. 57 (3), 1–23 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287517696162

Xiang, Z., Du, Q., Ma, Y.: Cultural value and tourism experience: the impact of destination image on residents’ perception of cultural heritage tourism. Tour. Manage. 58 , 21–29 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2016.10.011

Gouveia, M.: Marketing digital no Turismo (2023) Retrieved from: https://www.marcogouveia.pt/marketing-digital-turismo

Kotler, P.: Marketing turístico. Prentice Hall, New Jersey (2011)

Serra, D., Morais, E.P., Cunha, C.R.: A importância do marketing digital na hotelaria: caso de estudo do Hotel Turismo São Lázaro. Rev. Ibérica de Sistemas e Tecnologias de Informação (E34), 463–475 (2020). Retrieved from: https://www.proquest.com/openview/8d965b8c754de2dea7ea421cd0d33be6/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=1006393

Cunha, L.: Introdução ao Turismo, 4ª ed. Editorial Verbo, Lisboa (2009)

García, C.O.: Marketing Turístico. Ediciones Paraninfo, Madrid (2012)

Castelli, G.: Administração Hoteleira, 9ª ed. EDUCS, Caxias do Sul (2003)

Xiang, Z., Du, Q., Ma, Y., Fan, W.: A comparative analysis of major online reviews platforms: implications for social media analytics in hospitality and tourism. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Qianzhou-Du-2/publication/309344417_A_comparative_analysis_of_major_online_review_platforms_Implications_for_social_media_analytics_in_hospitality_and_tourism/

Leite, R.A., Azevedo, A.: The role of digital marketing: a perspective from Porto Hotels’ managers. Int. J. Market., Commun. New Media (2017). Retrieved from: http://u3isjournal.isvouga.pt/index.php/ijmcnm/article/view/240

Zu, X., Diao, X., Meng, Z.: The impact of social media input intensity on firm performance: evidence from Sina Weibo. Phys. A: Stat. Mech. Its Appl. (2019). Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378437119314621

Melkert, M., Vos, K.: A comparison of quantitative and qualitative approaches. In: Richards, G., Munsters, W. (eds.) Cultural Tourism Research Methods, pp. 33–40. CAB International, Wallingford, UK (2010)

Chapter   Google Scholar  

Beenton, S.: The case study in tourism research: a multi-method case study approach. In: Ritchie, B.W., Burns, P., Palmer, C. (eds.) Tourism Research Methods: Integrating Theory with Practice. CAB International, Wallingford, UK (2005)

Yin, R.: Applications of Case Study Research. Sage Publishing, Beverly Hills (1993)

Yin, R.: Estudo de Caso. Planejamento e Métodos. Bookman, Porto Alegre (2005)

Stake, R.E.: Investigación con estudio de casos. Morata, Madrid (1999)

Rodríguez, G.G., Flores, J.G., Jiménez, E.G.: Metodología de la investigación cualitativa. Ediciones Aljibe, Málaga (1999)

Fontana, A., Frey, J.H.: Interviewing: the art of science. In: Denzin, N., Lincoln, Y. (eds.) Handbook of Qualitative Research, pp. 361–376. Sage, Newsbury Park, CA (1994)

Finn, M., Elliott-White, M., Walton, M.: Tourism & Leisure Research Methods: Data Collection, Analysis and Interpretation. Pearson Education Limited, Harlow, UK (2000)

Bernard, H.R.: Research Methods in Anthropology: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. AltaMira Press, Lanham, USA (2006)

Kvale, S.: Doing Interviews. Sage Publications Ltd., London (2011)

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

European Institute of Higher Studies (IEES), Fafe, Portugal

Isabel Borges, José Luís Braga & Sandra Brás

Center for Research, Development and Innovation (CIDI-IEES), Fafe, Portugal

Catarina Mota, Isabel Borges, José Luís Braga & Sandra Brás

Centre of Studies in Geography and Spatial Planning, Coimbra University, Coimbra, Portugal

Isabel Borges

Research On Economics, Management and Information Technologies, Portucalense University, Porto, Portugal

CiTUR—Centre for Tourism Research, Development and Innovation, Polytechnic of Leiria, Leiria, Portugal

José Luís Braga

Techn&Art—Technology, Restoration and Art Enhancement Center, Polytechnic Institute of Tomar, Tomar, Portugal

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Catarina Mota .

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

Inst of Accounting and Admin of Porto, Polytechnic of Porto, São Mamede de Infesta, Portugal

João Vidal Carvalho

ISCAP Porto, S. Mamede de Infesta, Portugal

António Abreu

School of Hospitality and Tourism, Polytechnic of Porto, Vila do Conde, Portugal

Dália Liberato

Faculty of Tourism and Gastronomy, Universidad Anáhuac, Cancún Quintana Roo. C.P., Mexico

José Angel Díaz Rebolledo

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this paper

Cite this paper.

Mota, C., Borges, I., Braga, J.L., Brás, S. (2024). The Importance of Digital Marketing in Hospitality: The Case of Hotel Fafense . In: Carvalho, J.V., Abreu, A., Liberato, D., Rebolledo, J.A.D. (eds) Advances in Tourism, Technology and Systems. ICOTTS 2023. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol 384. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-9758-9_42

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-9758-9_42

Published : 15 March 2024

Publisher Name : Springer, Singapore

Print ISBN : 978-981-99-9882-1

Online ISBN : 978-981-99-9758-9

eBook Packages : Intelligent Technologies and Robotics Intelligent Technologies and Robotics (R0)

Share this paper

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

• College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management
• Location Location
• Contact Contact
• Colleges and Schools
• 2024 News Archive

Preserving paradise: USC students learn about sustainable hospitality in the Galápagos

The Galápagos Islands: the name alone conjures images of tropical beauty and natural treasures. Spanish Captain Diego de Rivadeneira called them "Las Islas Encantadas" on his first visit in 1546, and that nickname lingers still. Charles Darwin's studies there in 1835 played a big part in the development of his theory of evolution. Now, University of South Carolina students follow in his scholarly footsteps.

Through a partnership with USC's Education Abroad Office and the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management students have a variety of opportunities to live and learn in one of the most exclusive tourism and natural heritage destinations in the world. Semester-long experiences are available as well as three-week Maymester excursions.

This May, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Instructor Kevin Ayres led an Economically Sustainable Hospitality Operations class, exploring the challenges of keeping hospitality and tourism businesses sustainable while remaining profitable.

Ayres and USFQ Professor Paola Torres led the students on visits to three businesses on the trip, beginning with Hotel Indigo, an IHG property on San Cristóbal Island. The class met with the hotel management team and took a full tour of the operation. Each student then wrote a paper with recommendations for possible improvements in hotel operations with a focus on sustainability.

The second visit was to the Metropolitan Cruise Lines expedition ship La Pinta. There too, the students observed and asked questions while touring and meeting with the crew. They also wrote papers with operations suggestions.

"We learned about sustainability and the huge difference between learning about sustainability in Columbia, South Carolina, versus learning about sustainability in the Galápagos," said Ava Jackson, a retailing student who took the class to conclude her freshman year.

The last business visit was to Ranti Coffee. "It’s a Galápagos-only company. They have their own tree, roasting room and showroom, all on San Cristóbal," Ayres says. The students took a close look at every part of the operation, again discussing and questioning and offering their suggestions for operational improvements.

The hospitality and tourism industry is by far the largest economic driver in the Galápagos, employing 40 percent of residents. With 97 percent of the islands set aside as a national park, it is an ideal setting for studying sustainable hospitality and tourism, a topic of critical importance in South Carolina. USC’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management has produced many of the current leaders of those industries, and the next generation is learning through experiences like these.

Study abroad experiences are not all work, of course. Students also have a chance to explore new cultures, meet new people, and have a lot of fun.

"My favorite part of the trip was getting to stay with my host family," Jackson says, adding that she joined the family in attending a soccer game while there. "Being able to stay with them gave me the opportunity to see San Cristóbal through the eyes of locals. This is something I wouldn’t have gotten to experience if I wasn’t able to stay with a host family. I appreciate USC setting me up with such a caring family."

As all USC trips do, the most recent Maymester excursion offered many chances for students to explore, including nature hikes, snorkeling at spots including the world-famous Kicker Rock, scuba diving (students can earn certification through USC, and College of HRSM professor and certified instructor Richard Southall teaches a class on sustainability, eco-tourism, and the diving industry in the Galápagos) and of course plenty of time to enjoy some of the world’s most beautiful beaches.

Asked what will stick with her in the future, Jackson says, "How amazing our world is. We had opportunities to see such a variety of animals (marine iguanas, Galápagos tortoises, blue footed boobies) that only exist in the Galápagos. I also learned from the other classes, it was truly a multidisciplinary program."

For those unsure whether to study abroad, Jackson's advice is simple and emphatic: "Do it, take in every experience you can. It’s something you’ll look back on the rest of your life and be so grateful that you did. You get to meet so many people that you wouldn’t have without studying abroad and seeing the world. Totally immerse yourself, go on all of the excursions. You will have experiences and memories that you will treasure. I learned so much and had a blast!"

Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.