Travel Influencers Magazine August 2019

murad & nataly osmann | doyoutravel | book on in | explorerssaurus | and more!

shaping the social media world Hotel De La Coupole - MGallery, Sapa

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

www.theinfluencersmagazine.com

Hotel De La Coupole - MGallery, Sapa

influencers M AGAZINE Publisher Kevin Rolfe Editor Siddharth Thaker Designers Mike Gibas Mark Askam Editorial Team Ana Strack Christopher O’Toole Rebecca Cohen Phil Blizzard Photography Mark Hakansson Ben Roberts Anjjelo San Buenaventura

Business Development Chris Frost Sion Rapson Mike Sawicki Chris Frost Production Team Nadeem George Denis Halilaj Tracy Rolfe Content Management Soraya Benbada Rina van Staden Online George Cooke

Influencers Magazine is published by The Influencers Magazine Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square, London, W1J 6BD, United Kingdom T: +44 (0) 20 7925 0000 M: +44 (0) 7792965550 E: sid.thaker@worldig.com www.theinfluencersmagazine.com The use of our Website and Digital Magazine are all subject to the following: All rights reserved. No part of Influencers Magazine may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from The Influencers Magazine. Whilst every effort has been made to check the information contained in this issue of Influencers Magazine, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions. The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of Influencers Magazine. Unless otherwise stated, the copyright of the individual contribution is that of the contributors.

Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders of images. We apologise in advance for any unintentional omissions and would be pleased to insert the appropriate acknowledgment in any subsequent publication.

© 2019 The Influencers Magazine

What comes to mind when you think of luxury travel?

Exotic locations, decadent meals morning, noon and night, and comfortable, exquisite hotels, right?

travelinfluencers.s While the world of luxury travel might be out of reach for the average person, it’s still possible to experience it vicariously. Get to know some of the top luxury travel influencers and you’ll soon feel as if you’re spending your days at some beautiful destination rather than stuck in the office.

Travel brands and travel influencers are a match made in heaven.

Influencer marketing is all the rage these days, but there are few industries as well suited for it as the travel sector.

When done right, influencer campaigns can be an extremely effective way to reach new audiences.

If they do their job well, travel influencers are essentially providing their audiences with rave reviews that get people engaged with your brand and excited about what you have to offer.

Working with influencers is a wonderful way to reach new

audiences on a personal level and convey a relatable, authentic point of view. With the advent of new tools like Instagram Stories, Facebook Live, SnapChat and TikTok, we are able to leverage influencer relationships to share realtime moments, giving audiences a peek at what the experience is truly like.

The influencer market was estimated to be worth $2 billion in 2017 and is set to reach $10 billion by 2020!

We’ve put together a list of some truly inspirational Travel Influencers and hope that you check out some of their social media accounts!

social

www.travelinfluencers.social

social media awards

Hotel de la Coupole - MGallery to host the World Travel Influencers Awards World Travel Influencers Awards The World Travel Influencers Awards celebrate the very best Travel Social Media Contributors and reward the Influencers, Companies and Organisations that are using online platforms to communicate in fresh and innovative ways, engaging with their audience. Open to all corporate, creative, design, digital, marketing, advertising, media and public relation organisations based globally, the awards are a chance to meet the top 100 of the World's Most Famous Travel Influencers under one roof.

The Venue Hotel de la Coupole - MGallery by Sofitel is a Bill Bensley masterpiece designed by fusing the local culture, French history and vibrant modern ambiance of Sapa into one impressive property. Boasting incomparable views of the Sapa valley and the famous rice fields, the Hotel De La Coupole Sapa with 249 rooms, will become the new benchmark of luxury in this up-andcoming destination and will change its perception across the region.

With an air of nostalgia of the French Indochina era, Hotel de la Coupole fuses high fashion glamour and colourful hill tribe style.

Featuring 249 luxurious rooms, dining venues, a spa and meeting venues, the hotel is an ideal hideaway for vacations.

The Event The event is the perfect opportunity to network and celebrate your achievements amongst your peers, friends and colleagues in the industry - an event not to be missed.

It will begin with a Cocktail Reception, followed by a Gala Dinner and Ceremony. The event will then be rounded off with a “Meet The Influencers” After Party.

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social media awards

Voting The Awards will celebrate exceptional Travel Influencers, Campaigns and Talent in many categories. The final Nominees shortlist is determined by the public submissions, advisory board, creative and consistent content, engagement and growth rates. Winners are then crowned as examples of excellence in their respective categories at the Ceremony..

The importance of Social Media Influencers in the Travel Industry Social media plays a major role in influencing people’s travel choices.

The power of platforms like Instagram is highly influential when it comes to molding travel preferences, but the power of social media influencers has even greater implications. Their opinions and advice are greatly valued by their followers, many of whom are travel enthusiasts. And so, travel industry influencers can benefit hospitality businesses immensely.

Why Attend the World Travel Influencers Awards?

Influencers on social media are a trusted voice and have the most authentic and active relationships with their followers.

Brands are now recognising and encouraging collaborations. The Awards serve to honour the hard work of the Influencers and put a spotlight on many of the niches in the industry.

www.travelinfluencers.social

“SOCIAL MEDIA PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN INFLUENCING PEOPLE’S TRAVEL CHOICES. THE POWER OF PLATFORMS LIKE INSTAGRAM IS HIGHLY INFLUENTIAL WHEN IT COMES TO MOLDING TRAVEL PREFERENCES,

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12 October ASIA & OCEANIA GALA CEREMONY

28 November GRAND FINAL GALA CEREMONY

Vinpearl Resort & Spa, Phu Quoc, Vietnam

Royal Opera House, Muscat, Oman

THE WORLD 2019 GRAN World Travel Awards™ was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. Today, the World Travel Awards™ brand is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence.

In 2019, World Travel Awards™ celebrates its 26th anniversary year.

Its annual programme is renowned as the most prestigious and comprehensive in the global industry.

Each year World Travel Awards™ covers the globe with its Grand Tour –

a series of regional gala ceremonies to recognise excellence within each continent, culminating in a Grand Final at the end of the year.

World Travel Awards™ gala ceremonies are regarded as milestone events in the industry calendar, attended by the industry's key decision makers and figure heads, as well as key trade and consumer media. The programme, its winners and its sponsors are represented globally on social media, with fresh daily content on multiple platforms.

worldtravelawards.com

D TRAVEL AWARDS D TOUR CONTINUES...

21 October WORLD SPA AWARDS

28-30 October WORLD GOLF AWARDS

22-24 November WORLD SKI AWARDS

Armani Hotel Dubai, UAE

The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi

A-ROSA, Kitzbühel, Austria

worldspaawards.com

worldgolfawards.com

worldskiawards.com

social media news

What’s new in the world of social media for travel influencers?

The following pages offer a round-up of the latest news and developments

Incredible growth of social media influencers Market to Grow at +39% CAGR by 2025.

A social media influencer has access to a large audience and can persuade others by virtue of their authenticity and reach.

Growing the pool of influencers brands use may in fact be a necessity for the future of influencer marketing, as another trend experts predict is that influencers will limit the number of brands they represent and enter into more long-term relationships.

Social Media Influencer can reach your target audience, build trust, and drive engagement.

10th annual VidCon This month marked the 10th annual VidCon, a digital content conference in Anaheim. VidCon caters to online creators, their fans and the brand marketers and entertainment companies that want to leverage their influence. The conference drew 75,000+ attendees last year (we’d guess it was even bigger this year!), with teens and tweens flying in from around the globe to meet their favourite online stars.

push the industry in exciting new directions! @Oculus_Dev www.oculus.com/blog/introducingthe-2018-oculus-launch-padscholarship-recipients/

TikTok to get Instagramlike user interface

Oculus scholarship recipients

TikTok is on a spree of testing new features inspired by rival Instagram.

App researcher Jane Manchun Wong who likes to fiddle with beta version of apps to report new features and updates revealed a ton of possible additions to the app.

Introducing the 2018 Oculus Launch Pad Scholarship Recipients: Learn how these up-and-coming developers are bringing diverse perspectives to VR and helping to

Based on her tweets, TikTok is working on a grid feed layout, similar to Instagram's Explore tab. A dedicated Discover tab is also expected to be in the works.

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Other features which may release to the public include Suggested Users in search page, Like and download count on videos, Send To option in Share UI for WhatsApp sharing, account switcher, and more.

Tik Tok hits 500 million global monthly active users as China social media video craze continues Tik Tok, the popular short video app developed by Chinese tech firm Beijing Bytedance, said on Tuesday that the number of its global monthly active users has hit 500 million.

Tik Tok, known as Douyin in mainland China and launched in 2016, is a short video sharing platform where users can watch and produce quick videos using music, stickers and animations as effects. Last month Douyin said on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like social media, that it had accumulated more than 300 million monthly active users in mainland China alone.

Although messaging remains the dominant activity on mobile, users have more than tripled the amount of time they spend watching short videos in the last year, according to the China Internet Report co-authored by the South China Morning Post, Abacus and 500 Startups. The number of monthly active users for short video apps in China doubled in 2017 to 414 million, according to the report.

Now mobile users in other countries are also embracing the format, making short-video apps the latest export from China's internet giants.

Tik Tok, Douyin’s overseas version, was the most downloaded non-

game app in the Apple app store globally in the first quarter of 2018, reaching 45.8 million downloads, according to Sensor Tower, the San-Francisco-based mobile app research firm.

Bytedance is also the operator of China’s largest news aggregator Jinri Toutiao, which employs artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to recommend different news stories to different groups of news readers based on their own interests. Toutiao was first launched in 2012.

Douyin competes with Tencent, operator of China’s biggest social media app WeChat and backer of rival live-streaming video platform Kuaishou, in earning user loyalty or “stickiness”.

TikTok launches #YehMeraIndia campaign to showcase India’s most exciting travel destinations TikTok, the world's leading platform for short-form mobile videos, announced the India edition of its global in-app travel campaign, #TikTokTravel. The local in-app campaign #YehMeraIndia showcases India as a key global travel destination by inviting TikTok users to share their travel moments with the world.

As part of the campaign, Kerala Tourism (@KeralaTourism) launched their official account on TikTok and will be leveraging the platform to promote the state’s tourism.

The following pages offer a roundup of the latest destinations after discovering and sharing these TikTok videos,” P. Bala Kiran IAS, Director of Kerala Tourism.

Travel with TikTok TikTok has become increasingly popular for showcasing authentic travel moments, with over 400,000 videos under the #travel hashtag and a total of over 1.7 billion views.

These videos range from creators interacting with nature in various ways, to immersing themselves in different cultures such as tasting street food, to trying their hand at uniquely local experiences. In India, some of the top viewed Indian travel destinations are: #TajMahal - 79.2mn views #GoldenTemple - 67.6mn views #Himalaya - 22.6mn views #redfort - 13.6mn views #GateWayofIndia - 9.0mn views “We are thrilled to roll out our TikTok Travel campaign in India which aims to bring to life the beautiful landscape, colourful culture and unforgettable experiences and moments that the country has to offer to travellers.

We hope it will encourage more and more people to pack their bags and explore this wonderful country, not only to know it better but also to broaden their own mental horizons,” said Sachin Sharma, Director of Sales and Partnerships, TikTok (India). “Embracing the spirit of TikTok, the #TikTokTravel campaign transcends all boundaries and celebrates diversity. Through this campaign, we are looking forward to TikTok becoming the goto destination for the various travel moments, as seen and experienced by our community of over 200 million users in India.”

TikTok empowers users to capture their favourite travel moments by equipping them with cutting-edge technology and easy-to-use tools accessible from their mobile devices. TikTok’s intelligent discovery process and tailored user preference assist in unveiling and

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rediscovering the beauty a country has to offer. Recently, TikTok once again secured the top spot as the No.1 top free app on iOS and as the top free app in the social category on the Google Play Store.

5 tools to stay organised and get paid Freelancing isn't the quick-fix, worry-free, vacation-filled lifestyle that some folks assume it is — it takes an impressive level of selfstarting determination, the time and stamina to build solid connections, and a suite of helpful organizational tools to make it work.

security departments around the world and is ideal for business banking. transferwise.evyy.net/xjxKx 3. Kalo If you are doing freelance work for a business, it can be beneficial to use a freelance management platform like Kalo. While Kalo works on the business side of things to onboard and manage freelancers, freelancers also benefit from this tool because it functions as a task manager and invoice creator. kalohq.com

1. Harvest Harvest is a tool that was developed to help businesses track the time it takes to complete different projects.

If you are getting paid by the minute, or if you're paying somebody else, Harvest helps keep track of how long it takes to complete specific assignments and makes it easier to manage your time more efficiently.

4. Grammarly Grammarly is a great tool for freelancers who specialize in freelance writing, but it's also useful for any freelancer who needs to communicate concisely and professionally. Grammarly can be used as a browser tool for emails and social media, but it is also available as a desktop tool. Within the desktop application, you can upload any Word document and Grammarly will check for common spelling and grammar mistakes. Grammarly offers suggestions for proper sentence structure and word choice, and it also catches comma splices.

www.getharvest.com

www.grammarly.com

2. TransferWise TransferWise is a modern miracle that we can transfer money remotely and without paper, but that miracle is often too good to be true. Most of the time problems arise, such as transfers not working for certain countries or currencies, taking too long to feed into a bank account or credit card, and requiring egregious external processing fees.

With TransferWise, you can transfer money across currencies with a guaranteed friendly exchange rate and low cost. It' also safe, since it's heavily regulated by financial

5. QuickBooks If you need a better way to track business expenses for your taxes, use QuickBooks Self-Employed.

With this tool, you can track your business mileage automatically, as well as keep track of expenses by importing them from your bank account. You can also scan and save receipts within QuickBooks for easy storage, simple invoice creation and monitoring, and organized quarterly or year-end taxes.

Instead of filling your desktop with spreadsheets and sticky notes, here are a few organizational apps to try.

Explore the next big influencer platforms for 2019

quickbooks.intuit.com

Explore key market trends in social media engagement and how new emerging platforms are addressing those trends Short-form video platform TikTok Formerly known as Musical.ly, TikTok is ‘a destination for shortform mobile videos’. TikTok makes it easy for users to create and share videos with special effects filters, stickers, and more. Content on TikTok has an unpolished, authentic look that makes it highly engaging for a younger audience.

Video content continues to grow According to a recent study by Cisco, by 2020, an estimated 80 per cent of global internet traffic will be attributed to videos. Both marketers and consumers are tapping into video content: 87 per cent of marketers are using video in their campaigns and 90 per cent of customers say video helps them make buying decisions, via Mobile Monkey.

Social media platform meets messaging with Kik Kik is a cross-platform mobile app used for instant messaging, similar to Facebook Messenger and Snapchat. Users can message individual friends as well as groups, and Kik’s main differentiator is privacy. Unlike other messaging apps, it doesn’t require a phone number to register. Instead, users can maintain anonymity by registering with a username or email.

Following the rise of messaging apps According to Business Insider, in 2018, the combined total monthly active users of the top four messaging apps grew to 4.1bn

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(including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and WeChat).

EMarketer estimates that those users are also spending more time on the apps. The average daily time each user spends on a messaging app is expected to be 12 minutes in 2019.

Shifting your focus to Generation Z According to research from Bloomberg, Gen Z is set to surpass Millennials in 2019 as the largest generation, making up about 32 per cent of the total population. They are also making a big impact on purchasing decisions. According to a report from Nielsen, Millennial buying power is an estimated $65bn, while Gen Z has already exceeded that with an estimated $100bn in purchasing power.

How do influencers deal with their new social media fame?

In our modern online world, anyone, any brand, any thing can go viral for any reason. It could be a brand new account or someone who has been active on social media for years.

Then, boom! Overnight, they’re a global phenomenon. Some brands would kill for this type of social media fame. Some people have no interest in this popularity online.

Whether it happens for all the right reasons, or for reasons we’d rather didn’t happen, the potential for social media fame is out there for everyone.

The big problem is usually what happens after the frenzy hits. How does a brand respond? How do they posture themselves for success?

How do they mitigate risks?

Most brands and people are not prepared for this kind of moment in the spotlight.

Has anyone ever sat down with them and explained the benefits, pitfalls, and risks of social media as a “celebrity”? Do they understand how something they tweeted 3 years ago could come back to haunt them in the media tomorrow? Are they exposing their personal details and information to potentially millions of people? Are those old Instagram photos going to embarrass them, or their future sponsors?

And furthermore, what do they do with this new found audience?

What if they’ve rarely used Twitter before their medal-winning performance? Should they start now? What should they do?

Are they prepared to deal with the massive influx of requests coming their way from businesses and brands eager to capitalize on them as “influencers”? Do they understand the FTC regulations for sponsored posts and promoted content?

The rules of business and marketing now apply directly to them.

Ingenious hacks from travel influencers 1. Locals know best Locals will always be your best resource, so don't be afraid to strike up a conversation with anyone you meet. Ask questions of your Uber driver, your waiter and your barista. Every local is going to have their own opinion, so it helps to ask specific questions and tell them a little about what you're interested in.

2. Pack like a pro Packing can be a nightmare.

Making sure you have everything you need for every possible

occasion is enough to drive anyone crazy. Getting organised and thoughtful about your luggage can make a world of difference when you're a world away from home.

3. Book in advance Tthere are a few tricks to help you get the best deal. Know which reservations you need to make ahead of time and which you can make while you're there. Airfare and hotels are best booked weeks in advance, to ensure you get a good deal. Certain tours or activities can also fill up ahead of time, so be sure to keep an eye on what you want to do.

4. Safety Take a picture of important documents and save it to the cloud for easy access, Double check your credit card policies to ensure what the best for exchanges is if you are making purchases with it internationally. At the same time, keep your loved ones informed of your movements.

5. Don't move with the herd If you want to take your experience to the next level, and come home with some truly unique memories, you have to be willing to go the extra distance. Try to avoid the touristic highlights or try to visit them as early as possible. Don't let your experience gets ruined by the amount of people that are visiting the exact same spot.

6) Photos don't come first Whether you consider yourself a photographer or a professional traveler, remember that the memories you make along the way are the most important. Don't travel for the photos, but take photos of your travels.

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2019 Instagram Trends 1. Instagram Story Ads Brands and Influencers, keep the focus of your ads or collaboration on authenticity, organic, less filtered images. Remember stories most users are used to seeing are stories by their friends, so your content should be strategically curated to capture your intended audience’s attention.

2. Shopping on IG gets better We’re hoping that soon influencers will be able to tag the shoppable function in their posts! This feature however will likely be similar to the Instagram paid partnership feature, where brands can approve of certain influencers.

3. Offline events and activations designed for Instagram Events and experiences are going to dominate this year. We will see brands begin to create experiential marketing events, for users and social media influencers to engage with the brand and their products on a more meaningful level.

4. Filter for life R and VR are slowly becoming a larger part of social platforms than ever before, and this is just the beginning for influencer marketing.

Instagram’s introduction of the cute face filters are actually a great example of how AR can fit into our social lives and be fun!

5. Vertical video is making a comeback Vertical video is now accepted and will likely be the biggest video trend in 2019. This trend first started with Stories, Instagram Live and now IGTV and it’s only going to become more trendy!

Tips for working with influencers If you’re starting out, it is recommended that you use "micro influencers" because they will often have the greatest engagement rate. Do not fall for the rookie error of going for the person with the largest number of followers.

On your own social media pages, make sure you have a link to the best page on your website (statistically the most visited page is usually your rooms page). This will help reduce the drop-off rate.

For maximum credibility and the best results, ask influencers for four or fewer images, not to take selfies, to post original images (think creatively!), to take photos with children or relatives (this increases authenticity) and to stick to the brand values of your property.

Regularly interact with your followers. Let them know about any events you’re holding and other special offers. This helps with cementing their loyalty to your brand.

Hotel brands that are best using influencers Influencer marketing for hotels has been the latest trend in digital marketing for the top hotel brands.

Several chains have leveraged the tech-savvy, social, and relatively star-struck generation of travelers to combine all three into influencer marketing campaigns.

Get a glimpse into influencer marketing for hotels and how they are using key influencers to leverage their brands effectively.

1. Starwood Resorts Starwood Resorts has been making Instagram their own since it first advertised there in 2014, especially internationally. Its latest campaign has involved five travel-related Instagram influencers.

These influencers were used to help promote two new properties in Paris, Le Metropolitan and Le Dokhan. Each influencer would post photos and content about their experiences at the hotels, and to increase bookings, a link to LiketoKnow.it (a European eshopping site) was included in the description. When a post was “liked,” that user would get an email from that website with booking information, or the user could book directly through the influencer’s post.

What are the results of this campaign? Starwood now has more than 500,000 followers and earned thousands more with the help of the influencer.

2. Marriott Marriott is no stranger to influencer marketing campaigns.

Namely, their campaign for its own brand using influencers on Snapchat.

Recently, Marriot created a campaign around its Moxy brand, working closely with comedienne Taryn Southern. Together, they produced a series of “Do Not Disturb” videos that have made the social media rounds and put Moxy on the map with their Snapchat followers.

Marriott enacted full-on Snapchat takeovers this summer and relinquished control to four social influencers. Jen Levinson, Sara Hopkins, Tom Jauncey, and Diipa Khosla each created a weeklong video journal of trips toBerlin, Seoul, Dubai, and New York.

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Marriott encouraged them to share the stories with their followers through the Marriott Snapchat and their individual Snapchat accounts to promote their Marriott Rewards program.

If giving up your social media account to an influencer scares you slightly, we hear you. It’s a good idea to vet your influencer to know th 3. Hilton Hotels Hilton Hotels has tapped into a younger generation of travelers with its Hilton@Play initiative. The initiative produces live music events at various Hilton properties across America and in the United Kingdom.

But it’s not geared towards just anyone: it’s an exclusive group of guests. The event was open only to HHonors Rewards members who had a certain number of points.

Hilton added a level of access to artists like Nick Jonas, complete with live streams on Periscope. So even if you weren’t a HHonors member, it provided an incentive for fans to visit Hilton properties for travel so they can be invited to the next Live Nation-sponsored event.

4. The Ritz Carlton Can you imagine your social feed being looked at by a major resort brand, then getting an invite to visit one of its properties for free? And all you have to do is post one or two photos per day during your visit to promote the brand to your followers?

The Ritz Carlton is one of several luxury brands that has taken on this initiative. Instead of posting stock photography, the marketing team looks for social influencers with followers in the thousands and active engagement. Then, they’ll

invite them to visit one of their properties. Best of all, they’ll comp up to a week’s stay including airfare in order to reach those followers.

Influencer marketing for hotels is a growing tool for various hotel chains. Especially since being active on social has become vitally important. Being proactive with influential social media entities are driving engagement and loyalty for a whole new generation of travellers.

How much do Instagram likes influence millennials' choice of travel destinations?

Instagram has created a wave of social media-fueled tourism among the millennials.

According to a recent survey conducted by Schofields, more than 40% of those under 33 prioritize ‘Instagrammability’ when choosing their next holiday spot.

The picture-worthiness of a particular place beats other factors such as cost, local cuisine, and whether or not alcohol is freely available at a low cost. Interestingly enough, sightseeing opportunities scored as the lowest priority on the millennials’ list.

For some, plenty of Instagram likes are an indication that a destination is simply visually pleasing and desirable. For example, if someone who isn’t a travel writer or professional photographer gets plenty of likes on their Instagram photos of a destination, that’s a pretty good indicator that they’re in a pretty spectacular spot.

The best camera for travel in 2019 One of the best souvenirs you can bring home from your travels is photographs. As the old saying goes, pictures are worth a thousand words, and nothing brings back the excitement and thrill of holiday memories quite like looking back at your photos.

If you’re the kind of person that would like to walk away from your vacation with amazing images, then you’re going to need to get the best travel camera.

Here is our list for the best travel cameras: iPhone XS – $1225 GoPro HERO7 Black – $399 Canon SX740HS – $379 Sony RX100vi – $1198 Canon G7X Mark II – $598 Sony A6300 – $1096 Sony A7iii – $1998 DJI Mavic 2 Pro – $1628 GoPro Fusion – $598

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travel videos from around the world

social media glossary

The A-Z of Social Media Social Media is full of terms and phrases that can leave the unititiated scratching their heads.

To help you along, we have put together this descriptive selection.

Above the line Above the line (ATL) Marketing means that the advertising is going to be directed towards the mass market, not focusing on a specific target group. ATL strategies help companies reach a larger audience and create brand visibility.

Accounts Reached The number of unique accounts who viewed a content.

Activation A marketing initiative where the brand generates consumer interest through brand interaction and experiences.

Actual Impressions Rate Impressions divided by total number of followers.

AddThis A web-tracking technology company that collects personal

information in the form of an email address when the service to share via email is requested. It also provides publishers with increased traffic and in-depth analytics.

AďŹƒliate Marketing A type of performance-based marketing in which a brand pays compensation to third-party publishers to generate traffic or leads to the company's website.

Algorithm A detailed series of rules, instructions and computer codes for carrying out an operation and delivering a result. Algorithms are used in social media to deliver content to the users. These algorithms are managed by dedicated teams of software engineers, data scientists, content strategists, and more, so nothing you see is an accident.

Always On (Program) An ongoing, non-campaign approach that aims to create remarkable brand experiences at scale through systematic optimization, i.e. websites running 24/7, content available on-demand.

AMA An acronym for “Ask Me Anything� which originated in a popular subreddit where people use the term to prompt questions from other users.

Ambassador An advocate of a particular company's products and services who represents the brand in a positive light and by doing so helps increase brand awareness and sales.

Amplify To drive additional distribution through optimized content.

API

Audience Insights

An acronym for “Application Programming Interface”. API is a documented interface that allows an application to extract information from a piece of software and use that information in their own application, or sometimes for data analysis.

The different characteristics that define the audience of an influencer. These might be age, gender, location, occupation, nationality, etc. This information is interesting for brands or advertisers who are interested in partnering with influencers whose audience matches their target customers.

Audience People or market segment at whom an advertising message or campaign is aimed. An audience can also refer to a group of social media users who follow and engage with an influencer. An influencer’s audience is their most valuable asset.

Audience-First The practice of reverse-engineering the selection of talent based on who their audience is, to insure that the right audience is reached in a campaign.

Avatar An icon that represents a person online. Avatars are commonly used in multiplayer gaming, online communities, and Web forums.

metric for the ranking of a website.

A site with a lot of backlinks tended to rank higher on search engines.

Benchmarking The process of measuring a business's performance against a point of reference considered to be the best in the industry, aka “best in class”, to determine success or failure.

Bio Audience’s first impression of a user or a brand.

Bitly Backlinks “Incoming” or “inbound” links to a webpage or the entire website.

When a webpage links to any other website, it’s called a backlink. In the past, backlinks were a significant

A free URL shortening service that provides statistics for the links users share online. Bitly is popularly used to condense long URLs to make them easier to share on social networks such as Twitter.

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social media glossary

Blog

Bounce Rate

A word that was created from two words: “web log.” It is a platform maintained by a writer or a group of writers where they share regular entries of content on a specific topic. "Blog" can also be used as a verb.

A metric used in web traffic analysis that measures the percentage of visitors who land on a website but leave quickly without clicking or interacting with any section of the webpage. For instance, if 100 people visit a site, and 50 of them quickly leave, the website has a bounce rate of 50%. Websites intend to have as low of a bounce rate as possible.

Blog Talk Radio The world's largest online talk radio hosting platform. It is a free web application that allows users to create live and on-demand talk content.

BoardReader A free search engine that aggregates data from social media networks.

Bookmarking A Web browser feature used to save a web page’s URL address for future reference.

meets the brand’s standards and is able to generate optimum engagement.

Call to action (CTA) A button, or simply a text link message that leads the visitor to pursue a certain action. It refers to the next step a marketer wants its audience to take.

Brand Awareness

Campaign

The level of consumer recognition of a brand. Ideally, awareness of the brand may include the qualities that distinguish the product from its competition.

Tactical execution of a particular marketing strategy to promote a product or service.

Brief A written document that clearly outlines the campaign goals, guidelines, CTA, dedicated landing page and deliverables. Briefs guide influencers to ensure their content

Canva A simplified graphic-design tool with easy-to-use features and userfriendly templates that adhere to the required dimensions for sharable social images on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Caption

Content Approval

A piece of text introducing a post.

Each social platform has different types of caption parameters: Twitter for example allows up to 280 characters, while Instagram’s limit is at 2,200.

The content produced by the influencers must first be approved by the brand or their partner.

Clickbait A hyperlink or a thumbnail link used to attract attention on a web page to lure visitors into clicking on deceptive and misleading content.

Clickthrough Rate (CTR) The ratio of users who click on a certain link to the number of total users who visit a page, post or advertisement. The higher the CTR percentage, the more people went through.

Collaboration The relationship between a brand and an influencer where the influencer produces content for the brand in exchange for compensation.

Collective Intelligence A kind of wisdom and knowledge that grows out of a group when working together, in order to achieve goals that an individual, even the most gifted, would not be able to accomplish alone. It appears in consensus decision-making on social media.

Community Manager A person who builds and grows a brand’s online presence and seizes opportunities to interact with the audience in order to increase brand awareness and loyalty.

Connections A term used on LinkedIn to describe professional contacts. It is the equivalent of “Friends” on Facebook.

Content Marketing The strategy of consistently producing high-quality content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.

Consideration The extent to which consumers consider a brand for a given purchase occasion.

Conversion The proportion of people visiting a website or viewing an ad and completing a desired action.

Conversion is measured by influencers using tracking links or promo codes. The percentage of total visitors that convert is called your conversion rate.

Cost-per-Acquisition (CPA) The metric that measures the cost to acquire one paying customer on a campaign or channel level. It is calculated by dividing the total media investment by number of acquisitions. E.g. $100,000 media budget / 1,000 sales = $100 CostPer-Acquisition.

Cost-per-Click (CPC) The metric that measures the cost of one customer clicking on an advertisement or link and landing on the company’s website. E.g. $100,000 media budget / 100,000 clicks = $1.00 Cost-Per-Click.

Cost-per-Engagement (CPE) The cost that is associated with each engagement or interaction. An engagement can be anything from pausing or muting a video to submitting contact details. The cost per engagement is calculated by dividing the cost of the specific

content by the total engagements it generates. E.g. $100,000 media budget / 200,000 engagements = $0.50 Cost-Per-Engagement.

Cost-per-Mille (CPM) or Costper-Thousand (CPT) Refers to the cost per one thousand units. The unit is typically clicks, views, followers, or impressions.

Craigslist A classified advertisements website used to sell a variety of products and services.

Creative Commons A non-profit organization that provides free copyright licenses for digital work.

Crowdsourcing Similar to outsourcing, crowdsourcing refers to the act of soliciting a large group of people for their skills, ideas and participation to generate content, typically in an online setting. It is powered by new technologies, social media and web 2.0.

Deliverables The expected results to be produced by the influencers. It can be raising brand awareness, increasing sales, reaching new market segments, etc.

Digg A social networking website that aggregates news allowing users to vote for web content.

Disclosure A document clearly stating the purpose of a collaboration between the influencer and the brand.

Disqus A blog comment hosting service and moderation tool.

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social media glossary

Distribution Channel

Engagement Rate

Follower

A platform used to share content on.

A metric that determines the level of engagement and interactions the content generates. The formula is generally total engagement divided by total Gross Reach or Follower Count.

A user who subscribes to an account to stay up-to-date with its content.

Earned Media Forrester defines earned media as “when customers become the channel.” Your brand earns media when people start talking about you (usually in a good way). According to Nilsen, earned media is the most trusted form of advertising out there.

Eventbrite

An online discussion site where people exchange ideas and discuss issues.

An event management platform that allows anyone to create, share, find and attend events.

Connections one has on Facebook.

Earned Media Value

Exclusivity Clause A specific right or restriction a brand or an agency might enact during the collaboration with an influencer.

The value of social media exposure gained through word-of-mouth, recommendations, or conversations about the brand.

Facebook

Ebook A book made available in a digital form

eCommerce Refers to the commercial transactions conducted online and the transfer of money and data to execute these transactions.

Employee Advocacy When employees use their own social presence to promote the company they work for.

Endorsement Celebrity endorsements use the fame of a celebrity to get people excited about a brand or a product.

An endorsement on LinkedIn refers to an instance in which another LinkedIn user recognizes you for one of the skills you have listed on your profile.

Engagement A term used in social media and influencer marketing to describe the long term commitment of users towards a brand or an influencer.

Forum

A social networking platform, created by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004, to connect people with friends, family, and businesses from all over the world.

Fans Users who like your Facebook page.

Featured Snippet An instant summary of an answer to a user’s query that Google draws from a website and places right into search results.

Friends Full Commercial Content Usage The negotiated and secured terms to the right to use influencergenerated content. This means that brands have the right to use the content produced by influencers across their channels, but do not own the content.

GaggleAMP A cloud-based employee advocacy tool that allows marketers to send requests to employees to digitally carry out promotional actions in a variety of ways.

Generation Z

The platform interface where users view the content that is published by the people and influencers they’re following.

The demographic cohort following generation Y. It is the first generation of true digital natives born from the mid-1990s through the second decade of this century, within the technological age.

Generation Z will be setting the pace for social innovation from here on out.

Flat Lay

Geotagging

An image or a style of photograph, usually taken from a bird’s-eye view to showcase a group of items laid out on a flat.

The process of adding geographical metadata to media such as websites, images, videos, and various other data types and sources. The data usually consists of coordinates like latitude, longitude and street addresses.

Feed

Flickr An image and video hosting service that allows users to store then share photos with others.

Geo-targeting

Hashtag

IGTV

Also known as local PPC, Geotargeting is the method of determining a website visitor’s geolocation, and delivering different content to that visitor based on their location. Geo-targeting is used to customize an advertisement for a product or service to a specific market based on the geographic location of potential buyers. This includes country, region/state, city, metro code/zip code, organization, IP address, ISP or other criteria.

A word or phrase preceded by a hash sign (#), used on social media and websites to identify content on a specific topic. They are searchable keywords, for example #relatable.

A standalone vertical video application launched by Instagram.

Whereas Instagram allows the publication of videos of up to 60 seconds, the new app has space for videos of up to one hour. Each user’s page is named "channel".

Haul When an influencer unboxes recently purchased items and shares them with his or her community.

Impressions The number of times a specific content has been displayed on a screen.

GIF Stands for “Graphics Interchange Format.” It is an often animated raster graphics file containing a number of images or frames in a single file.

Google Chrome A free Internet browser for accessing the World Wide Web and running Web-based applications.

Google Documents A free Web-based application for creating and editing private and public, word processing and spreadsheet documents.

Guest Post When a website invites another writer to publish content on their website.

Handle @username

Hard Bounce An e-mail message which has been returned to the sender because the recipient’s address is wrong or invalid. A hard bounce may occur because the domain name does not exist or because the recipient is unknown, misspelled, or blocked.

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social media glossary

Inbound Marketing

Influencer Representation

A strategy that focuses on attracting potential customers, convert them into leads, customers, and advocates, and analyze the process along the way, via content marketing, SEO, social media marketing, branding, surveys, personalization, and CRM.

Influencers who have agents and management teams who manage them with collaborations, deals and contracts with brands and agencies.

Influencer A creative content creator that has the ability to influence the behavior or perception of others thanks to the position or relationship they have with their audience.

Influencer Marketing

Instagram A social networking service owned

by Facebook, Inc, allowing users to share photo and video content with their communities.

Instagram Bots A computer software programmed to perform actions such as likes, comments and follows of other accounts, through automation.

The practice of targeting key industry leaders to drive brand message and awareness to a specific market segment in order to help the brand achieve marketing objectives.

Instagram Business Account

Influencer Rate Card

Instagram Stories

An outline of an influencer's service costs, which generally reflects the cost of content integrations and sponsored posts.

The type of Instagram account that provides businesses with essential data and deeper insights of audience behavior and and how their posts perform.

An Instagram feature that allows users to capture and post related images and video content in a

slideshow format on their profile.

The content expires within 24 hours, unless highlighted on the account profile page.

Instagram Takeover The process of taking responsibility for a brand's Instagram account for a short period of time, to share content with the brand’s audience, from an influencer’s perspective. Instagram takeovers are an interesting way for brands, individuals and influencers to collaborate and cross-promote content.

Integrated Marketing A strategic approach to creating a unified, seamless, and multidimensional brand experience, targeting defined audiences and individuals, by coordinating all aspects of marketing of a brand including paid media, earned media and owned media.

Interaction Rate Likes and comments divided by impressions.

See ‘Engagement Rate’.

Interruption Marketing

Landing Page

Macro Influencer

When an advertiser pays money to interrupt a viewer’s attention to generate interest about a certain product of service.

A standalone web page a user lands on in response to clicking on a search engine optimized result, online ad or through email marketing, created for the purpose of lead generation.

An influencer with a large following on major social networks.

Key Performance Indicator (KPI) The trackable and quantifiable metric that demonstrates how effectively a company is achieving key business objectives.

Organizations use KPIs to evaluate their success at reaching targets.

Keyword Advertising An online advertising form in which a brand pays to have an ad appear in the results listing when a user types a particular word or phrase to search for information on a Web search engine.

Advertisers typically bid on highly relevant keywords for a costeffective online marketing campaign. I.e. “Buy boots” is a short keyword, whereas “Looking to purchase shoes from a boutique” is a long tail keyword.

Keyword Stuffing The practice of inserting a large number of keywords into Web content in the attempt to manipulate a page's ranking in search results and drive more traffic to the site. Search engines can tell when keywords are abnormally distributed throughout the text or in a website’s meta tags. Websites are then penalized and appear lower down in search results.

Klout Klout was a website and mobile application that indicated how influential an account is, based on its social media analytics.

Mapping Networks

A prospective customer in the sales funnels who shows interest in a product or service.

A process used to visualize physical and virtual connectivity of networks.

A Network Map is one tool to provide network users, managers, administrators, and IT teams with a better understanding of network performance.

Licensing Acquiring

Mashup

The right to use the influencergenerated content based on permissions or usage rights.

A content mash-up refers to the act of creating a new content by combining various content sources.

Lead

Lifestreaming

Media Kit (for influencers)

The practice of documenting an online user’s disjointed social presence in one central location or site.

A digital document containing information about the influencer’s channels, rates, followers, audience profiles, previous collaborations, etc.

Influencers use the media kit as a promotional tool when reaching out to brands for collaborations.

Link Building Exchanging links with other websites in order to increase the number and quality of inbound links to another website in hopes of improving its search engine ranking.

Link in Bio A CTA influencers use on Instagram to invite their audience to check out their biography, which contains a URL that leads to an external website.

LinkedIn A social network geared towards professionals. It allows users to grow their networks and advance their careers.

Live Streaming Broadcasting to an audience over the internet in real-time.

Lurker A social media lurker is a user who passively observes content and does not participate.

Media Spend The budget invested by a marketing department in a campaign.

Optimizing spend entails bringing more leads into the marketing funnel for the lowest cost.

Meerkat Meerkat was a mobile app that allowed users to live stream through their mobile device.

Meme A funny or interesting thought, idea, joke, or concept that is virallytransmitted. It is typically a captioned photo, video or verbal expression.

Mention When a user references or “mentions” another user or brand by including their @username.

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Metadata

Newsjacking

Owned Media

Basic information about a certain item's content, including titles, descriptions, tags and captions.

The practice of capitalizing on the popularity of a current event in an attempt to generate media attention and boost the brand's exposure or generate sales.

Communication channels that a company exercises full control over and complete ownership of.

According to McKinsey, owned media includes brand’s website, email newsletter, social media profiles, and catalogs.

Micro Inuencer An influencer with a small number of followers and expert in a particular niche. These smaller, more focused niche experts connect on a deeper level with their audiences and generate greater engagement.

Niche A small but profitable segment of a market with unique and very specific characteristics or needs.

Millennials

O Brand

Also known as Generation Y or the Net Generation, are the demographic cohort that directly follows Generation X, with birth years ranging from the early 1980s to the early 1990s.

When content lacks alignment with established brand guidelines: look, feel, messaging, tone of voice, etc.

Moblogging Posting content to a blog using a mobile phone.

Monetize The process of converting nonrevenue-generating assets into a stream of revenue. Monetization happens for influencers when they are able to earn money from created content on their social media accounts or blogs.

Multi Channel Network (MCN) Third-party service providers that offer assistance to multiple channels and content creators in areas such as product, programming, funding, cross-promotion, partner management, monetization/sales or audience development, in exchange for a slice of their income.

On Brand When content is consistent with established brand guidelines.

Organic vs. Paid Content Organic content is permissionbased marketing, using interesting and creative posts to drive engagement. Paid content is bought rather than earned and often closer to interruption marketing. Brands voluntarily boost the reach by using one-time or ongoing payments. These posts can be targeted towards specific demographics and reach a much larger audience than organic content. Paid content is a great way to quickly build brand recognition but it has a high upfront cost.

Optimize To make the best or most effective use. In influencer marketing, optimization refers to maximizing the desired campaign outcomes.

Native Advertising

Outreach

A form of paid advertising that blends into the natural form and function of the platform upon which it appears.

Influencer outreach is the practice of reaching out to influencers who share interest in what your company has to offer.

Page Views The metric used to track the number of views a page on a website got during a specific period of time. On average, a visitor will look at about 2.5 pages per website.

Each individual page a visitor views is tracked as a page view.

Paid Reach The number of impressions, earned through a paid model, a post got.

Pandora A free peer-to-peer social online radio station that allows users to create stations based on their favorite artists and types of music.

Permalink A permanent URL referring to a particular blog post or article.

Periscope Live streaming video mobile app purchased by Twitter in February 2015, that allows users to share and experience live video streams direct from their smartphones or tablets.

Permission Marketing A form of advertising where the intended audience receives marketing and other promotional offers upon their consent, rather than being pushed to them.

Pinterest A photo sharing social network, allowing users to share visual content and finding creative ideas

PPC PPC stands for “Pay Per Click.” It is an online advertising model in which an advertiser pays every time a visitor clicks on an ad. PPC campaigns drive traffic to websites.

Product Placement Placing a brand’s specific product within an influencer’s content, through explicitly introducing and mentioning it. The influencer is compensated accordingly for placing the product.

Public Domain A content that is not protected by any copyright law or other restriction. A work in the public domain can be freely used in any way, including commercial uses.

Qualification When assessing influencers for a specific campaign, some brands may have some prerequisites, so a qualification process has to be done.

Quantcast Delivers detailed statistical information about website traffic statistics, audience insights and measurement.

like recipes, home and style inspiration, and more.

publication, page or app, and even organize them for research.

Plandid

Podcast

A portmanteau of “planned” and “candid.” A photo that is supposed to look candid and casual, but is actually strategically planned out.

An episodic series of digital audio or video files delivered via an RSS feed and stored in a digital form, that users can download and playback using a computer or a mobile device.

Pocket Previously known as “Read It Later,” Pocket is a free app that allows users to save or download articles, videos and stories from any

Poll Interaction Rate The share of an audience interacting with the vote feature on Instagram Stories. Votes divided by views.

Reach The total number of users who view a content.

Real-time Marketing A strategy that requires marketers to publish content focused on current, relevant trends and immediate feedback from customers. Oreo’s real-time marketing during the 35-minute power outage at the Super Bowl created a whirlwind of social media activity, casting a spotlight on the brand.

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Real-time Search Indexing live results from social networks into search engine results.

Reddit A social news aggregation website where content is socially curated and promoted by site members through voting and discussions.

Retargeting Also known as Remarketing. It is a display advertising technique that allows marketers to display ads to bounced traffic after they leave a website.

Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI) A profitability measure that evaluates the overall effectiveness of a marketing campaign to help marketers make better decisions about allocating future investments.

RSS An acronym for “Really Simple Syndication” or “Rich Site Summary.” It a form of web coding that delivers the most recent content to subscribers.

Selfie A self-portrait photograph taken by oneself using the reverse camera screen on a smartphone or a selfie stick.

SEM An acronym for "Search Engine Marketing." It is a type of internetbased marketing that involves buying PPC ads that display on a search engine results page, to promote websites by increasing their visibility.

SEO An acronym for "Search Engine Optimization." It is the practice of optimizing a website, enabling it to rank higher on a search engine results page, through organic search engine results. The higher the ranking, the more traffic it generates.

SERP An acronym for "Search Engine Results Page." SERP are web pages served to users when a search query is executed.

Sentiment Analysis Also known as “Opinion Mining” or “Emotion AI,” is a computational process that identifies opinions and analyzes a subject’s attitude or emotional reaction towards a specific topic or brand. By using sentiment analysis companies can not only monitor what people say about their brand, but they can deliver what consumers want.

Skype VoIP service, allowing people to make and receive free voice and video calls online.

Slug A portion of a URL which identifies a particular page on a website in an easy to read form.

Snapchat A mobile application which allows users to share chronological content that will only be available for 24 hours.

Social Media Monitoring The process of using social media to track and identify what is being said about a brand online.

discover unique and interesting content across the Web. Moved to Mix.

Swipe up The feature on Instagram Stories and Snapchat that allows users to swipe up on the screen to land on a website.

Social Proof A psychological phenomenon in which people assume a behavior is more correct in a given situation to the degree that they see others performing it. The idea is that since so many people behave in a certain way, it must be the correct behavior.

In social media, social proof can be identified by users recommending products and services based on their experiences with a brand.

Social Selling A sales concept in which representatives leverage the power of social communication to interact directly with their prospects and provide them with value.

Spam: a broad term that covers inappropriate commercial messages of extremely low value.

Spider Sometimes also referred to as a “bot” or a “crawler,” is an automated program that visits websites and reads their pages and other information in order to create entries for a search engine index, often showing in Google Analytics as junk traffic.

Streaming Media Unlike downloadable podcasts, streaming media refers to video or audio that can be watched or listened to online but not stored permanently.

StumbleUpon StumbleUpon was a free webbrowser extension that helped users

Tag A mention in a post or comment to link another user’s profile on the platform.

Tag Cloud A logical arrangement of keywords within a textual content that describe online content.

Target Audience The intended group of people within the target market to which a message or marketing campaign is aimed.

Terms of Service (TOS) Also known as terms of use and terms and conditions, are the rules a person or organization must agree to abide in order to use a product or a service.

Through the Line (TTL) 360-degree advertising where both ATL and BTL strategies are combined. TTL advertising refers to campaigns that build brands visibility and drive conversions at the same time.

Title Tag An HTML element that describes the topic of a web page. This title can be found in the browser title bar, as well as in the search engine results pages (SERP).

Trendjacking Capitalizing on a viral or buzzworthy topic to boost a brand's exposure.

Total Accounts Reached The total unique accounts that viewed a content.

Total Content Engagement The total number of shares, likes, and comments.

Total Digital Audience The total number of an influencer's potential reach across active social media platforms.

Tracking Links URLs Tracking links are used to direct traffic to a landing page from somewhere other than a call-toaction on a website. Tracking links help measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.

Trending Topic The most discussed topics on a social media network. These commonly appear on networks like Twitter accompanied by hashtags that allow users to join the conversation or simply browse the related content.

Troll A person who is known for creating conflicts and starting quarrels by reposting inflammatory or off-topic messages in an online community.

Tumblr A micro-blogging platform allowing users to post content to a shortform blog.

Tweepi A social media management tool that allows users to analyze and manage Twitter followers effectively.

Twitter A social media platform launched in 2006 where people communicate in short messages called tweets.

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social media glossary

Tweetdeck

View-Through Rate

A social media dashboard application that allows users to view multiple timelines in one easy interface.

The number of users who completed a skippable ad divided by the number of impressions served.

Twitterverse Also referred to as the Twittersphere. It is a social media term used to describe Twitter users and their habits.

Unboxing The act of opening packaged products from a box and reviewing them while filming the process. In a haul video, the influencers have purchased the products themselves and share the reviews of the items they bought.

User Experience (UX) The quality of a customer’s perceptions and responses resulting from using a product or a service.

User-Generated Content (UGC) Digital content created and published organically by end users.

User-Interface (UI) The human-machine interaction point to complete tasks.

Vine Vine was a social media platform where users shared six-second-long, looping video clips.

Viral When a content spreads widely through its frequent sharing on the internet.

Virtual World An online computer-simulated environment populated by an online community who can interact with one another.

Visual Content Image, video content and infographics that help a brand’s messages stand out and reach a wider audience. According to Business2community, “40% of online users will provide a more favorable response to visual content than plain textual content.”

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP)

Unique Visitor (UI)

The transmission of voice communications over the Internet without having to pay international phone charges.

The number of distinct individuals who have visited a website at least once during a specific period of time.

Webinar

A blog that contains a set of videos

Is an online conference, seminar, presentation or workshop hosted by an individual, allowing participants in different locations to listen and participate.

Views

WeChat

The number of users who have watched a content.

China’s most popular messaging app released in January 2011.

Users can play games, make mobile payments, video calls, order food,

Videoblog (Vlog)

read the news, and even book a doctor.

Weibo A Chinese social media platform; the equivalent of Twitter or Facebook.

Whatsapp The world's biggest messaging app, owned by Facebook. It allows users to send text and voice messages, make voice and video calls, and share images, documents, user locations, and other media.

White Hat A term of ethical digital marketers who completely follow search engine rules and policies and don’t participate in spammy behavior, buying backlinks or any other form of “gaming” search engines.

Widget An element of a Graphical User Interface that displays information or provides a specific way for a user to interact with the operating system or an application.

Word-of-Mouth (WoM) Marketing The marketing strategy that relies on generating natural recommendations and discussions about a product or company, from satisfied customers with their personal communities.

Xenial In influencer marketing, it describes a healthy, working relationship between an influencer and a brand.

Yammer A social networking tool that allows employees to connect and communicate across their organization.

Zapier A web-based service that allows end users to connect the applications and software to automate tasks.

301 Redirect A method of redirecting a user from one URL to another. Used for permanent redirects.

302 Redirect A method of redirecting a user from one URL to another web page, utilized for temporary situations only. For permanent redirects, 301 is used to redirect.

404 Error An error message that means a web page a user is trying to load does not exist in the server.

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A magazine to tantalise your senses, a place to think and be luxurious, published daily, weekly and monthly. Luxury is much more than expensive things. It is about appreciation, the experience and time. Luxury is a state of mind and a lifestyle choice.

LUXURY REDEFINED.

www.worldluxurymedia.com

influencers

Brian Kelly Kelly figured out how to game the credit card points and frequent flyer mile systems while living life on the road as a recruiter for Morgan Stanley a decade ago. In 2010, he posted his first blog as The Points Guy, and began doling out tips, tricks and deals. By 2016, his following was such that Chase hired him to launch their newest card, paying upwards of seven figures for the campaign. The 34-year-old leads a team of 20 from his New York base.

instagram.com/thepointsguy facebook.com/thepointsguy twitter.com/thepointsguy

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Kiersten Rich At 22, having tried her hand at corporate wealth management, Rich booked a flight across the world on a whim. "I had saved very little money and I had no idea what I was doing," she said. She started blogging what turned into a grand tour of Australia, New Zealand, and southeast Asia and The Blonde Abroad was born. Today, her success is such that she'll co-host a blogging retreat in Bali this summer (cost: $4,200-$4,500). instagram.com/theblondeabroad facebook.com/theblondeabroad twitter.com/theblondeabroad

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Murad and Nataly Osmann The story has started on our first trip together to Barcelona. We were very young, very much in love, and absolutely carefree. We were strolling along sunny narrow streets, chatting, laughing, and, of course, taking lots of photos. All of a sudden Natasha looked away and pulled Murad forward, and that was the moment when he caught ‘that shot’!

Taking a fancy to each other, more and more, we were falling in love with travelling together.

It has become our little tradition to bring a ‘post card’ to our friends from every country we went together. An idea of the image in all of them was the same: a girl taking a young man’s hand and leading him to the most iconic places on Earth.

It didn’t take long for the overseas media to start talking about the project. And after some articles in Reddit, Daily Mail, and BuzzFeed the obsession took over the whole world. instagram.com/followmeto/ facebook.com/followmeproject/

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

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Murad and Nataly Osmann We were on fire and work A LOT (really, really a lot!). Art Basel exhibitions and shows in Time Square; collaborations with Google, Macy’s, and Samsung; special projects with National Geographic and NBC Channel. Even found time to finish writing two books!

And here we go. One more very important step. This time we proudly present to you our new online project!

FollowMeTo.travel is our own map of the world.

We are sharing with you our stories about some of the world’s most unknown and unrecognizable landmarks and showing you how a travel to a destination you always dreamt about could become a reality. And it doesn’t matter what language you speak, or how much you earn.

With you in mind we created detailed guides tracing #FollowMeTo, adding to them a pinch of secret and very useful instructions from locals, and a dash of our own recommendations.

Only here you could literally ‘get inside our heads’ and find out all we think about different countries, airlines, hotels, how to pack your suitcase, and other little things, which when summed up create a whole big picture of a great journey. instagram.com/followmeto/ facebook.com/followmeproject/ https://followmeto.travel

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

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Eric Stoen Stoen had always traveled with his kids and shared photos with family and friends, but after winning Conde Nast Traveler's Photo of the Year award in 2012 he decided to move beyond his small circle.

He started blogging in early 2014; shortly thereafter, he left his healthcare career of 18 years to share his tips and reviews with his TravelBabbo community full-time. instagram.com/travelbabbo facebook.com/travelbabbo twitter.com/travelbabbo

Damon and Jo American Damon Dominique and Brazilian Jo Franco met as college freshmen and bonded over their linguistic abilities (they speak five languages apiece).

When they began filming their travels, they were broke, crossing continents on a dime; today, the twentysomething YouTubers have scored partnerships with brands like Toyota, MTV and Greyhound on the back of their quirky, witty travelogues. instagram.com/damonandjo facebook.com/DamonAndJo twitter.com/damonandjo

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

The Planet D Fortysomething husband and wife team Dave Bouskill and Debra Corbeil launched their website in 2007 when they took part in the 7,500-mile Tour d'Afrique cycling adventure from Cairo to Capetown. The Toronto film industry veterans soon began traveling all winter, when work was slow, blogging along the way. Today, they run a fully-fledged media company, partnering with the likes of American Express and Cathay Pacific. instagram.com/theplanetd facebook.com/ThePlanetD twitter.com/theplanetd

Louis Cole British-born Cole started vlogging in 2012, when he took a road trip around the UK on a double-decker bus. Then a DJ, he worked with charities along the way, allowing at-risk youth access to a music studio on board. In the years since, he's amassed almost 2 million subscribers on his 'Fun For Louis' YouTube travel channel and has partnered with Land Rover, Sony, and tourism brands worldwide, among others. instagram.com/funforlouis facebook.com/FunForLouis twitter.com/funforlouis

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Johnny Jet The travel guru (real name: John DiScala) used to loathe flying, and was even reluctant to leave his house at one point.

Once he conquered his fears, he became addicted to exploring the world and started accruing miles and points, starting a newsletter in 1995 and a website in 1999. The original travel influencer has partnered with brands including RitzCarlton, Marriott and Avis. instagram.com/johnnyjet facebook.com/JohnnyJet747 twitter.com/JohnnyJet

Kate McCulley The blogger known as 'Adventurous Kate' started her first site in 2002 as a college freshman, but launched its current incarnation in 2010. Her niche and area of expertise: female solo travel. Her fans trust her on topics ranging from the best accommodation in Paris to traveling with a sibling; she regularly collaborates with tourist boards in locations as diverse as Finland and Malta. instagram.com/adventurouskate facebook.com/AdventurousKate twitter.com/adventurouskate

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Jay Alvarrez This social media star has gained a massive following on Instagram and continues to attract a lot of people.

He is an extreme sports enthusiast and an active skydiver and surfer. He travels all around the world with his girlfriend, Alexis Ren, who also has a big Instagram audience, and shares pictures and videos of their adventures together. His primary audience is girls in their late teens.

His most recent sponsors on Instagram include Islandview Hawai’i, Lokai, and Hyundai. instagram.com/jayalvarrez facebook.com/jayalvarrezoďŹƒcial twitter.com/jayalvarrez

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social media trends Jessica Debrah Travelport.com

How social media has impacted the travel industry The infiltration of technology, especially social media, has turned us into an on-demand society. We now demand fast, simple and personal experiences and social media has allowed this. The impact of social media in all industries has been phenomenal, especially in the travel industry. It has changed the way people choose where they want to go, who they look to for recommendations and how we interact with brands without an intermediary.

Travel recommendations and decisions are easier due to social media We all love a holiday, but not everyone knows how to plan their perfect trip. With an abundance of choices and brands promoting their offers of where to travel, it is increasingly difficult to decide which source to trust. Thanks to the rise of travel bloggers and YouTubers, choosing a source is now simplified.

Why? Unlike brands, we trust bloggers recommendations as we deem them to have an impartial view and therefore we feel they are more honest. As a result, 70% of consumers are influenced by bloggers or digital influencers when making a purchase decision. With the rise of social video, YouTube is

now the second largest search engine after Google. People spend on average 15-25 minutes per day on this channel, so no wonder consumers would turn to YouTube when making decisions on where to travel. Influencer marketing generates twice as many sales than paid advertising and these customers have a 37% higher retention rate. Not surprisingly brands work with major travel bloggers and digital influencers such as Nomadic Matt and Fun for Louis.

However, it isn’t only bloggers who are influential. Our own personal networks on social media can have a major impact on our purchase decisions. According to AD week, 52% of Facebook users were influenced by their friends’ holiday photos.

Consumers have greater control, thanks to social media Social media has allowed the consumer to hold power over brands and is frequently utilized as a customer service channel. With brands utilizing channels such as Facebook and Twitter to communicate to their end users directly, it has removed the need for intermediaries which makes communication faster and at times more effective. Utilizing social

media as a customer service channel has significant benefits, not only does it create a more personal brand experience but it also allows for an open and transparent dialogue between the brand and customer. For example, Heathrow airport has an award winning Twitter account. They cleverly create and curate user-generated content from their customers. In addition, the company regularly and efficiently answers customer queries within 15 minutes and makes sure to add a personal and polite touch when responding. All of this creates a relationship with their audience.

So what does the future hold for social media in the travel industry...

Overall, it is evident that social media is very powerful within the travel industry. However, we cannot conclusively determine the overall effect social will have on the travel industry. It is increasingly evident that as a brand, social media must be used in an effective way to communicate with your audience in order to create deeper and meaningful connections and strong brand presence.

ACCORDING TO AD WEEK, 52% OF FACEBOOK USERS WERE INFLUENCED

BY THEIR FRIENDS’ HOLIDAY PHOTOS.

BLOGGER FUN FOR LOUIS

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social media trends Kristen Matthews Convince&convert.com

How to match the perfect Travel Influencers to your brand

Let’s say your product is ideal for travel—hiking boots, maybe, or one of those folding toothbrushes, a pair of awesome hiking pants, or the most durable suitcase in the world.

You want everyone to see it in action, watch it hit the road, and get honest and genuine feedback from the influencers using and showcasing it.

In short, you need travel influencers.

Who better to tell your brand’s story than an influential traveling power couple who can write, take great photos, and showcase that toothbrush to thousands of followers that have grown to trust them? Good news: These people do exist.

Travel Bloggers With Lots to Share

Choosing Products for Authentic Fit

Meet Hannah and Adam from gettingstamped.com, two thirtysomethings that busted out of the corporate world and decided to travel the globe, all while writing about and photographing everything they see, do, and use.

Over 100,000 people see where they go, what they pack, and how they use it every day.

As with all types of influencer marketing, being authentic and complementary to your brand are key components. If it isn’t something your audience would use, forget it. Unless a blogger is a true brand fan, it’s not a post that would do your brand any good, anyways. Always use authentic brand fits as your first filter when vetting.

If you’re a smart marketer, you’re probably craving a chance to showcase your brand in such an authentic and organic experience.

We recently talked to Adam of Getting Stamped, and he told us exactly how to do it.

Adam says, “Brand and blog mismatches are one of the biggest causes of failure with influencer campaigns. Many bloggers don’t see the downsides and take the projects anyways. This can cause blogs to lose credibility and brands to waste marketing dollars. It’s a lose/lose.” (highlight to tweet)

“WE ALWAYS TRY TO GIVE SOME REAL INSPIRATION ON WHY SOMEONE WOULD WANT OR NEED A PRODUCT BY TALKING ABOUT IT IN CONTEXT OR WEARING/USING IT IN SOME GREAT PHOTOS.”

HANNAH FROM GETTINGSTAMPED.COM

Adam from gettingstamped.com

In short, don’t stretch. The blogger will feel uncomfortable trying to include the product, and the audience will sniff that out. If another influencer can better integrate your product into their lifestyle, it’s a better choice—even if they have fewer followers!

Adam explains it like this: “We always try to give some real inspiration on why someone would want or need a product by talking about it in context or wearing/using it in some great photos.”

Following that train of thought, it makes sense to have, say, your new toothbrush in a list of must-haves, rather than an individual review.

Featuring one item on its own can seem a bit forced. If you include it in a list, or a kit of travel essentials, it has context, and its utility is much more obvious—and it will almost certainly get more clicks. If you want interactive feedback and engagement with the consumer, it’s sometimes best to be a part of one of these lists.

Really getting to know the influencers is one of the more overlooked aspects of this type of marketing. Notice on their blog that they’re heading to the Maldives?

Maybe hold off on shipping them the flannel shirts, and send the bikinis instead; it’s much more likely to be appreciated and, most importantly, used and reviewed.

Relationship Building

One of Adam’s favorite campaigns did just that.

“If I had to pick just one memorable successful project, it would probably be the ‘7-day Stretch‘ Campaign with PrAna. We had to wear their pants for seven days and take Instagram pictures and share our experience.

We took the pants on a road trip full of hiking and outdoor activities that paired well with the brand and our style. It felt natural and unforced, and we got plenty of great shots and a bunch of comments on the clothing in the pictures and posts.”

Likewise, thinking through their travel plans and sending something versatile that is likely to be used every day would make that campaign that much more effective.

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World Ski News is where you can ďŹ nd the latest and most up to date content on skiing around the globe. Available through the google+ platform, content is added every day from around the world with strong imagery and video wherever possible. News on the best places to ski, the best places to stay, the races, the stars and the ever changing and developing equipment can all be found in an easily digestible format.

www.worldskinews.co

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Foster Huntington After quitting his job as a designer for Ralph Lauren in 2011, Foster has travelled all over the country with his VW van, publishing numerous photo books and posting pictures and videos. In 2014, he decided that his nomadic life was enough and it was time to settle‌ in a treehouse!

He documented the building process of “The Cinder Cone� and posted pictures and videos of it on Instagram and even wrote a book about it.

His Instagram feed is filled with beautiful scenic shots and his treehouse, that includes a hot tub and a skateboarding rink. He also shares his favorite books and camera equipments.

instagram.com/fosterhunting facebook.com/foster.huntington twitter.com/fosterhunting

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Chris Burkard Chris travels all around the world and takes amazing, awe-inspiring pictures that look like they could be your computer’s preset wallpapers. He has worked on global campaigns with Fortune 500 brands, given a TED talk, developed specialty product lines, held workshops to teach photography, and published many books. He has won many awards, including most recently the PMDA Visionary Photography Award in 2016. Most recently on his Instagram, he has posted pictures of Denali National Park, the Westfjords of Iceland and promoted the sailboats that tour that region as well, and the Yellowstone National Park. instagram.com/chrisburkard facebook.com/ChrisBurkardPhotography twitter.com/chrisburkard

Alex Strohl Alex is a Madrid born, French photographer, who attempts to capture the most authentic moments of nature.

His Instagram feed is filled with calm, serene pictures that makes you appreciate nature. He lives in Whitefish, Montana, but travels on the road with his wife Andrea Dabene, who also has a great Instagram following, to the farthest places in the world. He has been featured in many prestigious publications such as Forbes, Vanity Fair, and Gentleman’s Journal and has many noteworthy clients like Apple, Canon, and Microsoft. instagram.com/alexstrohl facebook.com/alexstrohl twitter.com/alexstrohl

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Jared Chambers Jared is an LA-based photographer who documents his travels with pictures of people, nature, and cars. His pictures are simplistic and minimal but very aesthetic and beautiful and thus have attracted a lot of people to follow him on Instagram.

Many young people seem to like his approach as his primary audience is people from ages 17 to 24. He has worked with companies such as Lincoln Motor Company, iGNANT, and Front Runner Outfitters.

instagram.com/jaredchambers twitter.com/jaredchambers

Zach Glassman Zach is a passionate explorer and shares his experiences with authentic and interesting pictures on his Instagram. All his pictures are very different and tell a story of their own. He is the founder of the Passion Passport, which is an organization of travelers and storytellers that seek to inspire people to travel. He has traveled to Lord Howe Island in New South Wales; Matera, Italy; Chengdu, China; and many more! instagram.com/zachspassport twitter.com/zachspassport

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Matthew Karsten Matthew is a full-time adventure travel blogger and photographer who has been traveling and exploring the world for over 5 years, after leaving his job and close friends and family when he was 29.

He takes incredible pictures of people, animals, buildings, and scenic views to share his journey with the world. His primary audience is people in their thirties who share his taste for medieval buildings, exotic animals, and beautiful landscape. instagram.com/expertvagabond facebook.com/ExpertVagabond twitter.com/ExpertVagabond

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Eelco Roos Eelco is a Dutch photographer that travels to many places in the world and takes portraits of animals, as well as grandiose scenic shots. His feed is filled with pictures from all over the world including Uganda, Canada, and the United States. And while his captions are brief, they have a lot to say and give a glimpse into his witty personality. One of his most liked picture is a shot of the Boreal Prairies and it is absolutely stunning. instagram.com/croyable facebook.com/OnceinaLifetimeHD twitter.com/eelcoroos

Kirsten Alana Kirsten is a professional photographer that specializes in travel and lifestyle. She lives in New York City and when she is not traveling, she explores and takes pictures of her home city. She has tested camera and smartphone technology for Microsoft, Google, Nokia, Sony, Lensbaby, and Leica, and continues to be an ideal influencer for many brands due to her passion and reputation. instagram.com/kirstenalana facebook.com/kirstenalanatravels twitter.com/KirstenAlana

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Gary Arndt After selling his house in 2007, Gary has been traveling, blogging, and photographing all around the world in over 180 countries. He is a self taught travel photographer who was named Travel Photographer of the Year by both the Society of American Travel Writers and the North American Travel Journalists Association. He mostly works with travel agencies such as G Adventures, Adventure Travel Trade Association, and most recently, TravelAlaska. instagram.com/everythingeverywhere facebook.com/EverythingEverywhere twitter.com/EverywhereTrip

Steffi Crivellaro A travel photographer who has produced content for clients ranging from Benefit to Air BnB and Mashable, Steffi is probably best known for her stunning photos on Instagram. With over 75,000 followers, she has built herself a power account and is recognised as a powerful influencer on UK travel. instagram.com/steďŹƒ_daydreame facebook.com/steďŹƒdaydreamerpage twitter.com/stef_daydreamer

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Elon Musk South African born Elon Musk is the renowned entrepreneur and innovator behind PayPal, SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity. Musk wants to save our planet; he wants to send citizens into space, to form a colony on Mars; he wants to make money while doing these things; and he wants us all to know about it. He is the real-life inspiration for the Iron Man series of films starring Robert Downey Junior.

He started a pair of huge dot-com successes, including PayPal, which eBay acquired for $1.5 billion in 2002. Musk was forced out as CEO and so began his lost years in which he decided to go it alone and baffled friends by investing his fortune in rockets and electric cars. Meanwhile Musk’s marriage disintegrated as his technological obsessions took over his life. instagram.com/elonmusk twitter.com/elonmusk

Alex Hunter 2016 has been a huge year for Alex, winning numerous awards thanks to his breathtakingly successful YouTube channel Attache Travel. This is most definitely one to watch in 2017, as he will undoubtedly soon by gracing our televisions. instagram.com/cubedweller twitter.com/cubedweller

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Paul Johnson Paul brought the world the illustrious blog called A Luxury Travel Blog, which gains over 150,000 unique visitors per month.

The blog has gone on to win numerous awards and is often considered to be in the top 10 travel blogs in the world. instagram.com/paulhjohnson facebook.com/luxurytravel twitter.com/luxury__travel

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Jack and Finn Harries Twin brothers Jack and Finn were taking a gap year back in 2012 and wanted to record all of their favourite moments, saving it to their YouTube channel. They certainly didn’t expect such an enthusiastic and addicted audience. The channel now has over 4 million subscribers, while their videos have been watched over 190 million times, not bad for a couple of guys taking a break before University! instagram.com/ďŹ nnharries twitter.com/jackharries

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

William Gray World renowned both for his writing and for his photography, William has released a number of books and was also the presenter on the BBC show Holiday. His work has been featured almost everywhere, including the Guardian, National Geographic and The Times. facebook.com/william.gray twitter.com/William_D_Gray

Mark Hodson Mark is the co-founder of 101 Holidays and has written for a number of other publications, including the FT and the Telegraph. instagram.com/HuPost facebook.com/101holidays 101holidays.co.uk/twitter-comp/

Jini Reddy If you’re into nature and responsible travel then Jini Reddy is your go-to guide. She released a book in October, titled Wild Times, which offers her input on how to experience the natural beauty we have here in the UK. twitter.com/@Jini_Reddy

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Nigel Tisdall If you’ve found yourself reading an article on the Telegraph travel section, there is a fair chance you have been reading an article by this Eloquent writer. It all started for Nigel with a trip to Hong Kong in 1985 and since then he has been addicted to the travel industry. facebook.com/TELEGRAPH.CO.UK twitter.com/telegraphnews

Brian Jackman One of the most decorated travel writers Britain has to offer, Brian has been a key travel influencer for over 30 years, having won travel writer of the year back in 1982.

Whether it’s the BBC wildlife magazine or Travel Africa, he is an ever-present within travel publications. What draws me to Brian is his constant battle to protect threatened wildlife in Africa. info@brian-jackman.co.uk

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Philip Bloom Philip has become famous for his filmmaking, often with a travel focus, producing content for the likes of the BBC, CNN, ITV, Canon, Sky, and the list goes on. An influencer both for travellers and for budding videographers, Philip’s blog receives over a million visitors per month. He now has over 130,000 followers on Twitter and has 125,000 subscribers on YouTube. instagram.com/philipbloom facebook.com/philipbloom twitter.com/PhilipBloom

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www.breakingtravelnews.com

influencers

The Travel Mob Originally founded by Urban Travel Blog, The Travel Mob are an umbrella collective of some of the most influential travel bloggers in the world, mostly based in the UK, but with contacts around Europe and North America as well.

If you’re looking for a ready-made team to take part in press trips or to undertake content and social media campaigns for your brand or destination, get in contact – or check the website for examples of our work. We’ve worked with Visit Ljubljana, Valencia Tourism and the Spanish Tourist Board (in Menorca, Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias, Galicia and Murcia) typically reaching over a million people per campaign, and in doing so delivering between 100,000-250,000 USD of advertising value for a fraction of the cost.

facebook.com/TheTravelMob/ twitter.com/SimonCalder

Simon Calder If you work in the travel industry then you’ve undoubtedly heard his name before. Simon has been featured on numerous BBC shows over the past decade, while he is currently the senior travel editor at The Independent, having started with the newspaper back in 1994. facebook.com/simon.calder.58 twitter.com/SimonCalder

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Richard Branson An inventor, philanthropist, entrepreneur, adventure seeker… there aren’t enough words to describe this man. Having setup Virgin Records back in 1972, his empire grows with every passing day, with an estimated net worth of 4.25 billion pounds. We’re now all waiting for the new fast flights from London to New York, which should only take three and a half hours.

instagram.com/richardbranson/ facebook.com/RichardBranson/ twitter.com/richardbranson influencers MAGAZINE

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David Attenborough An absolute national treasure, David Attenborough’s BBC series of Planet Earth 2 has kept audiences eyes glued to the screen. The Iguana vs snake scene is now recognised as one of the greatest moments in TV history and went viral around the world. His voice is one of the most recognised in the world and he creates travel lust like no other. instagram.com/bbcearth facebook.com/bbcearth twitter.com/bbcearth

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Selena and Jacob According to Instagram, the couple that travels together, stays together. Los Angeles natives, Selena and Jacob, left their lives in California to travel and document their exotic getaways. We'll warn you, checking out their feed will likely result in some major travel envy.

instagram.com/finduslost facebook.com/finduslost twitter.com/finduslost

Loïc Lagarde Loic Lagarde’s photography is otherworldly, literally. His photography skills truly shine in his collection of gorgeous images from his explorations all over the world– and you can follow each and every one of them, from Paris to Patagonia, via his account. instagram.com/loic80l facebook.com/loiclagardephoto

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Jack Morris It’s hard not to get lost in Jack Morris’ feed of impressive photos from around the globe. He’s currently living in Bali but spends most of his time photographing and exploring the world with his other half, @gypsea_lust, and their feeds are the definition of #relationshipgoals and #travelgoals. instagram.com/doyoutravel facebook.com/doyoutravelphoto twitter.com/doyoutravel

Lauren Bullen From the sand dunes in Abu Dabi to ethereal ocean views in Greece, Lauren Bullen’s photos make us wanting to book our trip to wherever she is immediately–and look as good in the bikinis she sports while doing it. instagram.com/gypsea_lust

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Kelly Lack Kelly Lack, an alum at some of the top lifestyle companies such as Martha Stewart, One King's Lane, and Spot, delights her Instagram followers with beautifully curated images of her favorite spots (pun not intended) from her latest journeys. When you're traveling to California, hit up her Instagram account for hidden gems–she's based in San Francisco and knows the best in the West. instagram.com/kellyalack/

Gigi Hopkins Gigi Hopkins' feed is a free city guide to the places we want to go to now.

She left her corporate job to live life on the road, and is sharing her favorite finds to her loyal audience.

From the Catskills in Upstate New York to Orpheus Island in Australia, you can trust her to guide you to all of the hottest spots and hidden gems–especially when she's chatting about her hometown of Melbourne, or contributing her best tips to BAZAAR.com as one of our contributing travel editors. instagram.com/_itsbeautifulhere twitter.com/sobeautifulhere

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hoteltv.tube

hotel videos from around the world

social media trends Andy Black The Drum Network

Rules of engagement: the modern day travel influencer

Travel bloggers have fast become more influential than review websites for those looking to escape to dreamy beaches and buzzing cities. The Drum Network asked some of our members and some travel industry marketers: how can marketers tap into the vast array of high profile bloggers without discrediting their authenticity with sponsored content?

Will Weeks head of content, Contiki Credibility is based on how bloggers engage with and are perceived by their audiences, so how marketers research and evaluate during outreach is vital. You need to ask yourself, does your product legitimately fit within their brand and travel behaviour, and how does their audience trust and engage

with branded content? When it comes to money and credibility, you have to trust your product. Pay for the experience, don’t pay for the endorsement. We’re increasingly seeing value in the advocacy driven by micro-influencers, particularly their impact across dark social. It’s a great, scalable way to combine influence and authenticity.

the first place. If customers are at the heart of what you do then you will ascertain the real value to them of consuming that content before you associate your brand with it. If the content is valuable, easy to consume and most importantly ‘personally relevant’ then most customers probably couldn’t care less whether it’s sponsored or not.

Brad Smith commercial director, Sagittarius

Michaela MacIntyre business development director, Gravity Thinking

Marketers need to ask one simple question regarding any content they choose to tap into. How does this content actually benefit my audience? Put simply if the content provides no real value or benefit or feels like irrelevant sponsored content you risk losing the credible reputation, trust and respect that you no doubt worked hard to gain in

Controversially, I don’t think the introduction of disclosure by influencers is a problem. It really shouldn’t be, if you’re doing influencer marketing right. An influencer worth their salt has painstakingly built an audience through authenticity and wouldn’t dream of promoting a brand (travel or otherwise) that they don’t like.

“MARKETERS NEED TO ASK ONE SIMPLE QUESTION REGARDING ANY CONTENT THEY CHOOSE TO TAP INTO. HOW DOES THIS CONTENT ACTUALLY BENEFIT MY AUDIENCE?”

PAUL JOHNSON A LUXURY TRAVEL BLOG

Brad Smith of Sagittarius

The good ones know that if they do this, they’ll damage their ability to earn in the long run. So, even if you are paying for the relationship, you can bet that if they’ve agreed to work with you, they genuinely like your product.

Most good influencers will begin their relationship with you with an honest discussion (especially if they’ve not heard of you before) stating that they might choose to not work with you once they’ve reviewed your brand and objectives.

Stop worrying about getting around disclosure, marketers. Rather, spend more time up front finding influencers who have genuine affinity with what your brand stands for.

Bob D’Mello head of campaigns, Roast I’d say there are two things key to

strong influencer marketing in the travel vertical. It’s important to identify and work with influencers relevant to your brand – finding the right fit is half the battle. Identify creative and skillful influencers who reflect your brand, rather than concentrating on the size of their following or engagement numbers.

And when working with influencers in the past, the more collaborative the approach, the more likely you are to see genuine, authentic content that reflects not just how you see your brand, but how real people see it, use it or interact with it.

Steve Wilkins head of content strategy, BWP Group The key for marketers is to build relationships with bloggers and identify key messages early on. At BWP Group, we find high profile bloggers via a tried and tested social

media outreach programme and then meet with them face to face or through video conference calls to share our content strategy, and look for possibilities that will provide a win-win partnership. This approach enables us to identify if the blogger will be able to utilise their everyday experience with the products the brand sells or services they offer and provide authentic and engaging content that will resonate with the brands audience.

As somewhat of a self-confessed foodie who loves nothing better to cook and more importantly eat, in my spare time I am always looking for inspiration for new dishes from far and wide which is why my favourite travel bloggers are the Travel Eaters, JB and Renée, who travel the globe and document the vast array of different food and delicacies as they do it.

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Tala Byrne senior channel manager, Dog Great travel blogs are built on being aspirational, or useful to their audience (or sometimes both). To tap into the power of travel bloggers without it becoming forced, marketers should give the blogger freedom to create content, which still resonates with audiences in this way. Insisting on ‘must use’ taglines, imagery or talking points to be used in the content aren’t a good idea – authentic content needs to represent that blogger’s voice and their take on the brand or product.

Ambassador partnerships with just a few bloggers are becoming more prominent and are often the best way to achieve this. My favourite travel blogger would have to be The Blonde Abroad. Not only does she have a killer Instagram feed full of colourful, aspirational shots, but her website itself has some great information – she adds value to aspiring travellers with detailed destination guides accessed via an interactive map and travel tips from solo travelling to exploring on a budget. Her partnerships with brands are always relevant to her readers and fit her personal brand and style as well, which is key.

Chris Nurko global chairman, FutureBrand Paid-for reviews, blogs and marketing, like travel agents, are seen as useful but biased. Holiday researchers want to hear from visitors like them, who paid the same and were treated the same, not given the special attention of a reviewer. Interesting to note, that on sites such as TripAdvisor and its specialist sister Cruise Critic, more than 80% of reviews are positive. In a sector all about creating joy and memories, this underscores the importance people place on sharing the ‘good news’ of where they have

been and enjoyed themselves. We all value having our ‘expertise’ rewarded, and are happy to share the ‘secrets’ of a good holiday.

Rich Wand head of UX and planning Hugo & Cat As people start to dream about their next trip, destination marketing organisations need to raise their game in how they inspire and lure these potential visitors.

This needs a shift from traditional marketing of idealised images and controlled narrative. Travel bloggers have managed to bottle the desired ‘realness’ in a way that inspires and captivates. Hugo & Cat clients are already seeing the value in collaborating with influential bloggers, but understand the terms of engagement ensures what creates the connection with bloggers’ audiences isn’t compromised. Vis-a-vis, clients need to be a little bit brave; give bloggers the freedom to tell their stories to their audience without being censored or filtered. The moment their authenticity strays, the credibility on both fronts is lost.

Done well, this is proven to be a potent tool for engaging the motivations and emotional needs of travellers.

Carolyn Spencer Brown editor, Cruise Critic Reviews by travellers are vital and carry more weight than paid-for or paid-by bloggers because the reviews are honest, real and often are related to the aspects of travel that the ‘average person’ wants to know. The details and things to consider that an experienced traveller such as a blogger might take for granted.

Billy Leonard senior account executive, Harvest Digital They key to tapping into the network that travel bloggers have is realising why travel bloggers are so influential. People want to romanticise and realise the trips that we see travel bloggers experience. Consumers want to see personalised, authentic reviews from people they can trust – not heavily branded content. Sending travel bloggers on holiday is an easy way to get them to give unbiased reviews. Don’t try and control the messaging, remember that making sure that you still retain authenticity is the key here. And avoid branded hashtags. Nothing screams #ad more than a branded hashtag.

One of my favourite travel bloggers is Emily Luxton. I’ve worked with her previously and I really admire her work ethic and integrity. I encounter so many bloggers that are only in it for the money, so I really admire that about her. Plus her Instagram is literally #travelgoals.

Cat Birch marketing manager, Koozai Influencer marketing has fast become a vitally important strategy within the marketing mix for every industry, but especially so in travel.

Blogging, vlogging and social influencing is now an established career and we need to get over the fear of paying for these services.

Work with bloggers rather than buying links. Collaborate as you would with a freelancer, create relevant content and campaigns and only work with influencers who naturally fit with your brand. The more natural and fitting the partnership, the less focus there is on sponsoring.

JACK MORRIS DO YOU TRAVEL

“TRAVEL BLOGGERS HAVE MANAGED TO BOTTLE THE DESIRED ‘REALNESS’ IN A WAY THAT INSPIRES AND CAPTIVATES.” Rich Wand of Hugo & Cat

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Kris Boorman digital marketing executive, Sagittarius

Theresa Santos account director Immediate Future

Grant Owens chief strategy officer Critical Mass

I’ve seen content creators give their brutally honest thoughts on sponsored content many times, so when a positive review is given, their audience knows that it’s their genuine opinion. I believe that this trust between content creators and their audience is so strong that discrediting authenticity is not a concern. Instead, marketers need to understand that bloggers and YouTubers must always be authentic to keep their audience, ensure that the risk of an online thrashing is kept minimal by carefully assessing their chosen content creator’s suitability, and make sure their service offerings are airtight.

Travel bloggers are ten-a-penny, but the ones with cut through are those who look at the world from a different angle – they show places in a way that brands simply can’t.

Choose bloggers who fit with your audience and have a slightly quirky take on travel, then let them put their own spin on the content they produce for you. By slackening the reins on creative control, you’ll ensure the blogger’s contribution is authentic and in the process, they’ll lend some of their cachet to your own brand.

For the Marriott Hotels site, the brand opted for a ‘quality over quantity’ strategy. Instead of publishing content about hotel properties or travel destinations at great frequency, it is seeking out high-minded topics (eg ‘entrepreneurship’ and ‘curiosity’) penned by well-known authors and cultural authorities. The end product is a high-quality, quarterly digital magazine that lives on the Marriott site. The focus on special, quarterly topics, rather than traditional brand-promotion, ensures that both the authors and brand retain their authenticity, which is vital for connecting with the core audience.

My favourite travel blog is more of an Instagram account – I love @Paperboyo’s take on the world – he transforms famous views and landmarks into something completely different and makes me want to visit all of them in the process.

“ON’T LOOK AT IT AS A ‘TAPPING INTO’ EXERCISE. LOOK AT IT AS AN INVITATION FOR GENUINE CRITICISM AND/OR PRAISE.”

Loïc LEGARDE

Robert Philbin of Latitude Digital

Joanna Arnold chief executive officer Vuelio The ‘authentic’ and ‘relatable’ image that has made superstars of bloggers and other digital influencers makes it little surprise that most will react violently against anything that threatens that image.

This doesn’t necessarily preclude ‘sponsored content’, provided no one’s insisting it appears in disguise, but a better approach (certainly for the influencer) involves some level of co-creation. Co-creation is a broad church.

Some influencers are happy to take direction, others will run from any pre or proscription, while most will be willing to negotiate finer points within a framework of mutually beneficial agreed outcomes. When brands identify the influencers they want to work with, considerations should be as much about how they work as what they produce.

And of course, brands need to understand the risks – even when remunerated, bloggers can and will describe any experience, no matter how purportedly luxurious, just as they find it. My favourite travel blog is ‘A Luxury Travel Blog,’ there is a plethora of content and has a great balance of captivating copy and images.

Robert Philbin head of creative Latitude Digital Don’t look at it as a ‘tapping into’ exercise. Look at it as an invitation for genuine criticism and/or praise.

Offer a free stay at your hotel.

Quality bloggers will Instagram their experience. You don’t need to force it as a condition of the agreement.

They might even write a blog, produce a video, record a podcast.

It’s their prerogative. If your hotel is excellent, their word-of-mouth recommendations alone are going to cover the cost. If it isn’t, their criticism might be just as valuable,

too. If they ask for payment, don’t be offended. This is their life, not a hobby.

Nico Sarti head of digital strategy, TVC Group Be clear: outline your goals from the start and be open about the reasons why you are connecting with bloggers to support your brand message. Collaborate first: treat their platforms as a playground, you are on their turf, so to a certain extent you need to follow their rules.

You are trying to promote your brand as much as they are trying to make a living out of this. It has to be a fair exchange where they create and the advertiser curates.

Exclusivity: allow these individuals to have access to exclusive experiences to make sure their content stands out, it’s newsworthy and breaks through the noise of common travel reviews.

influencers MAGAZINE

World Economic News Daily posts focusing on the economic structure of countries across the globe, highlighting the trending topics from all the ďŹ nancial capitals. Highlighting the economic climate and ensuring that all these trending economic issues are made available across our platforms.

www.facebook.com/World-Economic-NewsSocial-1663390230585814/ www.instagram.com/economicnews365/

twitter.com/EconomicNews365

TOTAL FOLLOWERS:

28,663

Social Media Stars Bringing you content on the issues that are shaping the future of social media, the platforms and how they perform, the stars of social media, the key inuencers that are using whatever platform in the best way to get their messages out.

www.facebook.com/socialmediastars365/

www.instagram.com/365socialmediastars/

twitter.com/365SMSTARS

TOTAL FOLLOWERS:

107,734

influencers

Beautiful Destinations A hub of drop-dead amazing travel photos is what's garnered this key Instagram influencer community almost 9 million followers–and that's just for this account. Beautiful Destinations is one of seven accounts that chronicle the worlds most beautiful things, from hotels to apparel to cuisine– and puts them all at your fingertips to lust over. instagram.com/beautifuldestinations/ facebook.com/BeautifulDestinations/ twitter.com/beautifuldestinations

Tara Milk Tea Aside from being the master of food (especially sweets!) photos and breathtaking self-portraits, Tara’s feed also includes images of jaw dropping destinations from her recent adventures to lust-worthy destinations like Chiang Mai, Shibuya, Jaipur and Finland. Her feed comes complete with perfectly styled shots, the best hotels to spend the night in and some of the best secret spots to indulge in dessert along the way. instagram.com/taramilktea facebook.com/taramilktea

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Rosie Clayton Rosie Clayton, the brainchild behind this colorful account, works with a team of equally well-traveled editors to find and share all of the best public art from all over the world. instagram.com/rclayton

influencers MAGAZINE

influencers

Callum Snape Leave it to a professional photographer and filmmaker to capture parts of the world in the most stunning and unexpected ways. Callum Snape is based in Vancouver, and so expect loads of breathtaking views of snow-capped mountains, arctic wonders and dreamy lakes. instagram.com/calsnape twitter.com/CalSnape

Pretty Little London Planning a trip to lovely London? Then you must follow this account immediately. It has photos of where you can find all the wisteria when it's in bloom, the quaintest spots for tea and a look at one of the world's best cities from every angle. instagram.com/prettylittlelondon facebook.com/prettylittlelondon twitter.com/pllondon2016

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Wonderful Places There’s a reason why this account has over 8 million(!) followers. This account is more of a community than an Insta-feed; the #wonderful_places hashtag generates over 5 million user generated photos of magical places all around the globe, all of which are curated to create the account's content.

Trust–you'll want to go to every single place on their feed. instagram.com/wonderful_places

Pretty Cities For the traveler that loves pink, girly findings and flowers, this is the feed for you. There are endless photos of lush florals found in various cities across the globe as well as shots taken in must-go cafes and all the quaint streets in-between. instagram.com/theprettycities

influencers MAGAZINE

influencers

Jamie Beck One of our favorite photographers, Jamie Beck, has been capturing stunning fashion images paired with her adventures around the world for years, but her recent move to the South of France with her husband and collaborator, Kevin Burg, has her landing a spot on this list. We've been turning to Jamie for all things French as of late, and her riffs on classic French art spotted at the various musĂŠes she frequents in her studio as well as her obsession with haute cuisine consistently have us coming back for more.

instagram.com/annstreetstudio facebook.com/AnnStreetStudio twitter.com/AnnStreetStudio

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Polina Here, constant traveler and food, fashion and flowers lover, Polina, fills her feed with luscious and vibrant images of her latest eats, discoveries, and experiences with her equally nomadic and sartorial friends. instagram.com/polabur facebook.com/instarguide

Ella Dvornik There is no better gift in life then the gift of exploration, the hunger for adventure and understanding of the world. I have set off to see the world and most of it I share here. I am a hedonist.

When I am not travelling, I’m eating, and I am eating a lot. instagram.com/elladvornik facebook.com/elladvornik twitter.com/elladvornik

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See the figures updated daily and live links to social media, for e.g. Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah:

Step

Step

1

2

Visit worldsocialmedia.directory

Search for a brand

Step

Step

3

4

See the brand’s social media engagement across all networks and their overall total and ranking globally!

Click the specific links to take you direct to each of the brand’s social networks

Explore the biggest brands on social media http://worldsocialmedia.directory

sporttv.tube

sport videos from around the world

social media trends Clare Chamberlain digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk

Social Media is the dominant form of travel and attraction recommendations.

Or is it?

In a digital environment where nearly everything is shared on social media, long trips and weekend getaways are not to be excluded.

Travel, tourism and hospitality brands have latched on to this trend for marketing purposes, but the question is, is it working?

Although social media should be part of the marketing mix its influence is less than expected. The fact is social media has a long way to go to become the dominant form of recommendation for travel and tourism destinations.

A new research study by customer experience agency Network Research looked into the influence of positive and negative endorsements within the travel and tourism industry. The study exposed that trust in recommendations

made on social media lag significantly behind those from family and friends, TripAdvisor and other traditional media in influencing holiday and leisure choices.

Where are travellers actively looking for advice?

Of course, as a high involvement purchase decision, consumers like to research travel destinations and attractions to seek advice and recommendations. So these brands are using social media to reach their consumers. But the fact is that less than a quarter of consumers actively consult Facebook for holiday recommendations, followed by 11% on Twitter and 9% for Instagram. However, for younger consumers aged 18-24, social media recommendations are more

commonly sought after, with 40% stating they would consult Facebook, 23% for Twitter, and 28% for Instagram.

Of course, travel brands should never turn their heads from social media as its sheer presence and reach offer reward. Around 80% of people claim to have some social media interaction – and 15% even claim to post daily. The predictable age skews are present, but perhaps not as marked as you might expect – nearly three quarters of those aged 55+ claim to use social media – albeit at a lower frequency than their younger peers. So, whilst its dominance overall is perhaps less than expected, it’s clearly a channel on the rise with great impact especially on younger consumers.

PAUL JOHNSON A LUXURY TRAVEL BLOG

influencers MAGAZINE

social media trends IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE WHO’S DOING THE TALKING. TRAVELLERS TEND TO TRUST PEOPLE THEY KNOW OVER CELEBRITIES. Who do consumers trust the most with their holiday planning?

Overall respondents are less likely to trust recommendations made on social media compared to almost all channels surveyed. Of social media, Facebook is seen as the most trustworthy, with a third of respondents claiming to trust recommendations on Facebook, whereas only 20% of respondents claim to trust Twitter and Instagram. However, Millennial trust in these channels is significantly Facebook, 31% for Twitter, and 38% for Instagram.

So what’s the good news for travel brands?

PR activities by travel companies still appear to have a positive influence on holiday goers with around two in five claiming to trust newspaper articles.

Other sources are also still hanging strong with four out of five holiday goers trusting recommendations from friends and family and twothirds of respondents trusting review sites such as Trip Advisor.

In addition to the source, it makes a difference who’s doing the talking.

Travellers tend to trust people they know over celebrities. In fact, three in four consumers state that friends and family have a positive influence on holiday and attraction bookings, whilst six in 10 state that endorsements by celebrities have no influence at all on holiday or attraction bookings.

IN FACT, THREE IN FOUR CONSUMERS STATE THAT FRIENDS AND FAMILY HAVE A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON HOLIDAY AND ATTRACTION BOOKINGS, WHILST SIX IN 10 STATE THAT ENDORSEMENTS BY CELEBRITIES HAVE NO INFLUENCE AT ALL ON HOLIDAY OR ATTRACTION BOOKINGS.

Bad-mouthing has consequences – what’s the solution?

The ease of digital word of mouth has meant that bad reviews, whether on a rating site such as Trip Advisor or on social media, have more exposure than ever before.

The good news is that despite what we may think the most common motivator for posting on social media or TripAdvisor is sharing a great experience, with around half posting for this reason. On the other hand, bad experiences still drive a third of people to share negative reviews – and this certainly has its consequences. If consumers read a negative review on social media, it will lead 23% of people on Facebook, and 19% on Twitter, to avoid the holiday destination or attraction. Comparatively, around a third of consumers will avoid a destination from a bad TripAdvisor or newspaper article review.

So when eluding all negative experience isn’t possible, how can brands manage these consequences?

The solution is to address the complaint head on. If a company fails to respond to a complaint, or denies the complaint, more than half of consumers are less likely to consider the destination or attraction. On the other hand, if the company in question leaves a full apology almost three in five would be more likely to still consider the attraction or destination.

What does this mean for travel and leisure brands?

This research points to massive opportunities for leisure and tourism brands, big and small, to engage with customers more, and get them talking about their experiences. It’s clear that recommendations and reviews from personal contacts trump many other influences, so those companies that deliver great experiences and encourage customers to talk about them, in whatever forum, will be more likely to succeed. The role of social media is definitely growing but it hasn’t taken over, even amongst the young.

LAUREN BULLEN GYPSEA LUST

influencers MAGAZINE

influencers

Mark Murphy One of the travel industry’s most successful entrepreneurs, Mark is always at the forefront when it comes to industry news and insights. Trusted among many, Mark provides professional commentary for both consumer and business travellers, he is also a frequent travel expert and travel analyst on many major networks and news stations including: The Today Show, CNN, FOX Business, FOX News and many more. A bestselling author, he has also written a variety of books such as ‘Travel Forward’, an exploration of how you can enlighten yourself through travel, and ‘Travel Unscripted’, a chronicle of his own experiences travelling the world. facebook.com/LeadershipIQ twitter.com/LeadershipIQ

Brian D Evans Definitely one to keep an eye on, Brian D Evans is always eager to help the next aspiring business reach new heights online. Brian has helped hundreds of start-ups find their feet, even creating ‘Influencive’, his very own marketing outlet for millennials and entrepreneurs to share their stories and inspire others. His advertising and consulting agency, BDE Ventures, ranked #172 on the Inc. 500 list for the fastest growing private companies in America. In addition to this, he is also a frequent contributor on Forbes, Business Insider, Inc. and Entrepreneur.com, offering regular insights for businesses to achieve success online. instagram.com/briandevans facebook.com/briandevansofficial twitter.com/briandevans

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Nomadic Matt

Love and Road

New York Times best-selling author of How to Travel the World on $50 a Day and founder of this site. Each month over 1,000,000 people use my advice to travel better, cheaper, and longer.

Robson Cadore and Natalie Deduck founded Love and Road through their passion for travel in April 2014. Ever since, they have been blogging travel tips, guides, stories, curiosities and some misadventures for their readers. Their blend of useful information and personal experience attracts new readers every day. Their mission is simply to inspire people to travel more, and better.

instagram.com/nomadicmatt facebook.com/nomadicmatt twitter.com/nomadicmatt

instagram.com/loveandroad facebook.com/loveandroad twitter.com/loveandroad

influencers MAGAZINE

influencers fifty-one to one hundred

Travel Fashion Girl

Jade Broadus

There are more women travelling solo than ever before, so why not engage with them? Travel Fashion Girl is the number 1 blog for female travellers. Managed by Alex Jimenez, the blog curates the best travel packing tips for practical and stylish travellers. She also provides eBooks containing additional tips and advice, as well as beauty tips. Over 500,000 women read her blog every month, making her one of the top influencers to follow online.

Jade Broadus is the Social Media Manager and writer at Travel Mindset. She is also one part of the blogging duo at Vagabond3. Much of her work focuses on road trips, animal encounters, and quirky getaways; she is constantly on the hunt for the best taco in the world.

instagram.com/travelfashiongirl facebook.com/TravelFashionGirl twitter.com/TravlFashnGirl

instagram.com/vagabond3 facebook.com/Vagabond3 twitter.com/vagabond3live

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Lee Abbamonte Lee Abbamonte is the youngest American to visit every country in the world. He's visited 307 total countries and is one of the world’s most-traveled people. Lee is a travel writer, travel expert, travel television personality and global adventurer. Lee appears regularly on Fox News Channel and has appeared on the Travel Channel, NBC, CBS, CNN, BBC, ESPN, Yahoo Screen and many others. He has also been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, Bloomberg, Discovery Channel, Sky Scanner, Travel Zoo, Smart Money, Slate, OK! Magazine, Peter Greenberg radio and many others. Lee is an active member of the Travelers Century Club, a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and a member of the Circumnavigators Club. He's also a sports fanatic and loves the New York Yankees. instagram.com/leeabbamonte/ facebook.com/leeabbamonte twitter.com/leeabbamonte

Corinne Edmiston Five feet of bubbly enthusiasm and cheesy jokes, Corinne is always up for trying awesome food and visiting new travel destinations. Next on her travel wish list is backpacking Europe and seeing the Northern Lights. instagram.com/c_edmiston twitter.com/c_edmiston1

influencers MAGAZINE

influencers

Jennifer Chong

Christie Kanani

Designer and photographer Jennifer Chong has a big heart (and stomach) for all things food! A Georgia native now living in Long Beach, CA she also writes a lifestyle blog focused on travel, food and design – blog.jchongstudio.com. When she isn't working, she can be found playing beach volleyball, continent hopping (four so far!) or searching for some delightful treats to devour!

San Francisco-based Christie is a world traveler known for bright and bold photography style. She hasn't been everywhere, but it's on her list. instagram.com/ckanani facebook.com/ckanani twitter.com/ckanani

instagram.com/jchongstudio facebook.com/jchongstudio twitter.com/jchongstudio

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Aida Mollenkamp

Bret Love

Salt & Wind is a food and travel lifestyle site created by food and travel expert, Aida Mollenkamp. We're the sister site of Salt & Wind Travel. We're here to help you travel in good taste!

We realized the healing power of nature very early on in our relationship. When we took our first big trip together to Hawaii’s Big Island in early 2009, Bret had just lost his beloved grandmother and Mary was coming out of a painful divorce. Spending a week together swimming with Sea Turtles, watching breaching Whales, hiking Volcanoes National Park, and sailing to see lava reach the boiling sea cemented our love, both of each other and of travel.

And we’ve been living, working and traveling together constantly ever since.

instagram.com/saltandwind facebook.com/saltandwind twitter.com/saltandwind

instagram.com/green_global_travel facebook.com/GreenGlobalTravel twitter.com/greenglobaltrvl

influencers MAGAZINE

W O R L D

G O L

L F

World Golf News aims to gather all the news on golf across the world and share this with golfers and fans of the great game under one site. Our content, posted every day, covers all the tournaments, the greatest players, their coaches, and the specialist equipment that supports them. Supported with strong imagery and video footage, we are here to provide you with all the golďŹ ng news in an easily digestible format through the google+ platform..

www.worldgolfnews.com

N E W S

influencers

Dave Thompson

Kristin Luna

Over the past 20+ years our core focus has been promoting experiential travel; our readers are actively interested in a wide range of travel & lifestyle experiences across a variety of budgets. I began Dave’s Travel Corner in late 1996 as a result of of a life-changing trip to Nepal in which I trekked near Everest Base Camp. I began writing a journal while I was on the trip and it was the notes from this journal that became the foundation for Dave’s Travel Corner.

I’m a Nashville-based writer and live very close to where I was born; I have held court at this corner of the Internet since 2007, which I’m pretty sure makes me a senior citizen in blogging years. In case you’re brand new to these parts, let me give you a little bit of a rundown on the past decade from C&C’s conception to the present instagram.com/lunaticatlarge/ facebook.com/camelsandchocolate

instagram.com/davedtc/ facebook.com/davestravelcorner twitter.com/DaveDTC

twitter.com/lunaticatlarge

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Pete Halvorsenn

Broderick Smylie

Pete Halvorsen is a cutting edge creative advisor and content producer who has evolved with technology to create his own niche. Utilizing over 15 years of onsite experience in film, television, technology and advertising, Pete not only captures assets for brands but has become a creative asset himself. Past clients such as GAP, TOMS, Microsoft, The Getty Museum, Virgin Hotels, The Dorchester Collection and Toyota have trusted Pete with their brand's story and allowed him to execute campaigns on their behalf.

There are two things that have been constants throughout my life and those would be good food and cameras. My mother and cooked meals pretty much every day growing up and I inherited her love of good food and travel. On the photography front, my mother’s many brothers and sisters operated a large photography studio in their home country of Jamaica. Dozens of cameras and flashes would go off at any large gathering. I’ve had a variety of cameras growing up in Ohio, and I learned to develop film in middle school. I was very involved in publications in high school.

instagram.com/petehalvorsen/ twitter.com/petehalvorsen

instagram.com/savoryexposure/

influencers MAGAZINE

influencers

Manon Isabella Manon Isabella was born in a small town in The Netherlands. Traveling is in her veins as she has been traveling to a lot of different places as a child with her parents and brother. In 2012, she decided to pursue her lifelong dream of traveling the entire world and visiting all seven continents. She is a worldly ambitious woman with a deep understanding of different places and cultures, from The Middle East, to Africa, to Asia, Europe, Australia and America. She currently lives between the most luxurious places in the world, Monaco & Dubai. In the past years she has visited over 200 hotels and resorts, and she has partnered with the biggest International luxury brands and leading hotels of the world. Marriott International, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Clarins, Laura Mercier and Maison Laduree to name a few. instagram.com/manon.isabella www.manonisabella.com

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Lindsay Ferrier I work as a blogger, freelance writer, and on-air talent and specialize in the topics of travel, parenting, lifestyle and humor. I recently hosted and co-wrote the Emmy Award-winning travel TV show, Tout Your Town. Before that, I covered the presidential election for CafeMom and Headline News and hosted and wrote the viral hit I’ll Take That Dare for YouTube. I’ve earned two Emmy Awards and been featured on the Today show as well as in major publications like The Washington Post and USA Today. And I’ve been nominated as one of Nashville’s Best Local Bloggers in The Tennessean’s 2017 Readers’ Choice Awards. instagram.com/suburbanturmoil facebook.com/SuburbanTurmoil twitter.com/SuburbanTurmoil

influencers MAGAZINE

influencers

Spencer Spellman I was fortunate enough to start traveling at a young age, thanks to a flight attendant sister and history teacher father who believed the only way to travel was by pop-up camper. It was the best of both worlds. I’d be lying though, if I didn’t say I was eating up having my own personal flight attendant when I flew by myself for the first time at age 7 (naturally with a notebook and disposable camera in hand). It was about that time, too, that I started drinking—Coca Cola that is. The first essay I ever remember writing was a submission for a competition to win a year’s supply of Coca-Cola.

My essay: An account of how I beat Michael Jordan at a game of H-O-R-S-E in my backyard.

instagram.com/spencerspellman facebook.com/spencerspellman0213 twitter.com/spencerspellman

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Keryn Means If you are an active parent ready to bring your kids on your travel adventures, you have come to the right place. We don’t believe parenting means giving up your passions, especially when you travel. Here you will find inspiration to get you out the door while keeping your sanity. We bring you restaurant recommendations, favorite shops, hotel reviews, packing lists, plus activities, cultural events and more that everyone in the family (not just the kids!) will enjoy. Thanks for joining us and don’t be a stranger.

instagram.com/walkingontravels facebook.com/walkingontravels twitter.com/walkingontravel

influencers MAGAZINE

socialtv.tube

social videos from around the world

social media kit

The best Phones and Cameras to use for Influencers’ posts You may use your smartphone to take pictures if your blog is only for personal use. However, if you want businesses and followers to notice you, you should invest in a high quality camera.

While it’s true that there are websites that allow people to edit their photos and videos online, they are not enough. If you want to produce professional-looking content, you have to take your own photos and videos. Do not even try to use stock photography.

Aim to be unique.

Qualities of a Good Phone or Camera Your device has to be versatile.

Since you are aspiring to be social media influencer, you have to be on various platforms.

You have to upload content on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest among others. So, your phone or camera should be able to produce high quality pictures and videos.

It should be versatile enough to meet the demands of these social media platforms.

Your device should also have built-in Wi-Fi. This way, you can easily connect to the Internet right away.

The Best Phones and Cameras to Use for Influencers’ Posts If your camera does not come with this feature, you have to extract photos from your memory card to a computer.

This can be quite a hassle, especially if you are pressed for time.

You should also check out camera lens.

If you want to focus on portrait or product photography, you should get a lens with wider aperture so that it can let in more light.

If you prefer to specialize in landscape or urban photography, get a lens with narrow aperture so that you can capture sharper images.

influencers MAGAZINE

social media kit

Recommended Phones and Cameras for Social Media Content If you are on a budget, use a smartphone to take photos and videos. The best ones include:

Live by Vsmart https://vsmart.net/vn-en/live/ Discover how far you can go with Live’s triple camera: The first one captures impressive images thanks to its 48MP. The second creates a depth map that generates the bokeh effect, blurring the background and highlighting the faces with spectacular results, even at night.

The third captures panoramic images that you will want to frame, thanks to its super wideangle lens. Three cameras for a professional result.

Reinventing the night mode Get incredible pictures in any environment, even at night. The main camera combines a f/1.7 aperture with the pixel binning technology and the pixel size of 1.6 um, managing to capture sharp images with a high level of detail.

Super Night mode technology achieves the best results after dark: capture and merge several snapshots automatically, to conquer the night.

HUAWEI P30 PRO https://consumer.huawei.com/en /support/phones/p30-pro/ The Photography Pioneer Dare to impress. The Leica Quad Camera System accommodates your photography to help see the world in its entirety. This unmatched super camera system includes a SuperZoom Lens, a 40 MP Super Sensing Camera, a 20 MP Ultra Wide Angle Lens, and a HUAWEI TOF Camera, giving you the freedom to capture your incredible moments.

The new periscope telephoto lens allows more optical zooming capabilities to be tucked in a compact body without losing image quality.

Together with the colour saturation provided by the 40 MP main camera, and stability of OIS, the SuperZoom Lens offers 10x hybrid zoom1 to see the never-before-seen with great resolution and rich detail. Additionally, it can bring the moon right before your eyes with up to 50x zoom.

The Light Evolution The colour sensing rule has been rewritten by HUAWEI from RGGB to RYYB for more light in all your images. The established cooperation among the HUAWEI SuperSpectrum sensor which contributes 40% increased light,2 ISP of Kirin 980 and the self-developed algorithm, provides a clear preservation of your memories during the day or night.

Reveal Your Radiance The 32MP front camera on the HUAWEI P30 Pro will intelligently recognise you to produce expert selfies by contouring your face with accurate brightness and sharpness. Your selfies will glow with stunning detail, even in overexposed backlight or during a night party.

influencers MAGAZINE

social media kit

Samsung S10 iPhone XS Google Pixel 2 Even though you can already have pretty good images and videos using these devices, you may still want to download and install certain apps to further enhance your content.

There are tons of apps you can use to edit photos and videos. For instance, you may use Adobe Lightroom CC, VSCO, and Snapseed. These apps will let you add filters, enhance coloUrs, and crop images.

If you are using an iPhone, you may also get Moment Lenses to have a telephoto or wide angle lens on your phone. This can significantly improve your Instagram photos and stories.

Battle of the Phones Huawei sold over 58 million phones in the past 3 months – but Samsung, which sold 77 million, remains world #1 Huawei might have toppled Apple to become the world’s secondbiggest smartphone maker last year, but it still has a way to go before it can challenge reigning champion Samsung.

The South Korean brand shipped 76.9 million units between April and June this year, a 7 per cent increase from last year, according to statistics published by tech analysis firm Canalys on Wednesday (July 31).

Meanwhile, competitor Huawei shipped 58.7 million units – about three-quarters of Samsung’s figures.

Canalys said the Chinese giant suffered a “significant loss of momentum” in overseas markets due to the US’ blacklist in May, causing overseas shipments to fall by 17 per cent – or 21.4 million units.

While its overall shipments still grew 8 per cent, this figure was much lower than in previous quarters and primarily propped up by sales in China, where shipments grew 31 per cent.

Canalys Senior Analyst Ben Stanton said that the US blacklist had spooked concerns over the phones’ security and lifespan

among mobile operators and customers.

However, it added that major operators seemed willing to make an exception, and were delaying procurement decisions – which are typically made at least six months in advance – to monitor developments.

Meanwhile, Samsung – which had “struggled to reassert its position” against rising Chinese brands – got a sales boost thanks to its competitively priced A Series devices, which helped it win back business in Europe and Asia.

Canalys Research Director Rushabh Doshi said sales of the A Series phone accounted for more than half of Samsung’s shipments, and were expected to drive its growth for the rest of the year.

“Samsung has been slow to respond to the threat from Huawei, Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi, but it is now primed to win back market share and give the Chinese vendors a run for their money,” he added.

As for Apple, the US brand suffered a 13 per cent fall in shipments in the second quarter, which Canalys attributed to the iPhone XR, XS and XS Max not being differentiated enough to tempt customers to upgrade.

Rounding out the top five were Xiaomi and Oppo, which shipped 32.1 million and 30.6 million phones respectively.

In all, the the global smartphone market fell 2 per cent year on year to 331.8 million units, Canalys said.

influencers MAGAZINE

foodtv.tube

food videos from around the world

social media kit

What equipment do YouTubers use?

Here’s a round up of some of the top kit used by YouTubers in the creation of their content.

Cameras Top left: Canon EOS 80D Above: Canon EOS 70D Left: Sony a7S II

Cameras Lenses Right: Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Bottom right: Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 Below: Sony FE 16-35mm F4

influencers MAGAZINE

social media kit

Vlog Cameras Top left: Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II Above: Canon PowerShot G7 X Left: Sony RX100 V

Cameras Microphones Above: Rode VideoMic Pro Above left: Rode Videomic Rycote Left: Rode VideoMicro Compact

Video Editing Software Top: Final Cut Pro Middle: Adobe Premiere Pro Bottom: Sony Vegas Pro

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influencers

Fresh Off The Grid At the time, the couple were preparing to embark on a year-long road trip, but found themselves struggling to reconcile their love for cooking with a life outdoors. Most home recipes were too complicated to be made at a campsite, while most camping recipes were too unhealthy to eat for anything more than a few days. So they started documenting theirs attempts to make healthy, nutritious meals under the constraints of a camping environment.

instagram.com/freshoffthegrid

facebook.com/FreshOffTheGrid

twitter.com/FreshOffTheGrid

Monique Volz I won Nordic Ware’s Bundts Across America recipe contest, Fage’s recipe contest, appeared in a cook-off in Washington D.C., hung alongside Bobby Flay, shared my recipes on the Food Network’s HealthyEats.com and have been featured on numerous cooking sites such as the Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Today.com and Cup of Jo. In less than 3 years, I was able to quit my full time corporate job to work on Ambitious Kitchen full time..

instagram.com/ambitiouskit

facebook.com/ambitiouskitchen

twitter.com/ambitiouskitch

Rachel Rudwall Rachel has had countless global adventures, ranging from TV hosting for HLN's Vacation Chasers and ABC's FABLife, to digital hosting for Travel Channel and Mashable, and from brand influencing for BMW and Chase Bank, to producing shows like Ice Road Truckers and Ax Men. To top it off, Rachel shares global inspiration through Speaking, Keynote Addresses and Conference Workshops.

instagram.com/rachelroams

facebook.com/RachelRoams

twitter.com/RachelRoams

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Lindsey Tramuta I am a Paris-based journalist and author who moved to Paris from Philadelphia nearly 11 years ago. Since beginning this site in 2009, I’ve covered some not-so-clichÊ topics, uncovered new trends, shared my travels, and introduced you to an inspiring group of Francophiles.

instagram.com/LostNCheeseland/

facebook.com/lostincheeseland

twitter.com/LostNCheeseland

Michelle Yam Having grown up in a multi-cultural surrounding, Michelle Yam developed her love for ethnic food and international travel at a young age. Her true appreciation for travel came when she studied abroad in Italy for a year and backpacked all throughout Europe by herself. Michelle has been featured as one of the top photographers on Instagram and regularly works with brands and destinations on social campaigns.

instagram.com/michelleyam

facebook.com/michelleyamphoto

twitter.com/michelleyam

Lauren Monitz Bitten by the travel bug early and often, from becoming a certified Viking in Iceland to eating her way around Thailand, Lauren "Lo" is intent on seeing all 50 states and 50 countries by the age of 50. You can follow her (mis)adventures on The DownLO.

instagram.com/lmonitz

facebook.com/lmonitz

twitter.com/laurenmonitz influencers MAGAZINE

influencers

Kristy Bernardo I started my food blog five years ago as a fun outlet for myself and – amazingly – it’s grown into something that has become much more than just my much-loved hobby. Food has become my “accidental career” – I call it that because until I had my first child ten years ago, the only things I knew how to cook were my leftovers on reheat (head over here to see my original “about” page and get more on that story). But as with anything in life, nothing is ever really accidental. I’ve had to work long hours to bring my blogging and chef career to where it is today. And I finally understand that old saying “If you find a job that you love, you’ll never work another day in your life”. instagram.com/thewickednoodle

facebook.com/thewickednoodle

twitter.com/thewickednoodle

Jessica Quirk Jessica Quirk has been interested in style since she first learned how to sew in grade school. Dressing to look and feel her best was a skill that led Quirk to a career in fashion design, and ultimately to building her personal style blog, What I Wore.

instagram.com/whatiwore

facebook.com/WhatIWoreOfficial

twitter.com/whatiwore

JD Andrews A video producer for more than twenty years, exploring the globe (96 countries across all 7 continents), capturing, shooting and editing travel/tourism videos for various companies, cruise lines, airlines, DMO's and tourist boards.

instagram.com/earthxplorer

facebook.com/earthXplorerMedia

twitter.com/earthXplorer

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Scott Eddy After a life changing event in high school, I was left feeling unmotivated and lost. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life but a few months later I was accepted into an investment training program. I excelled and went on to be a stockbroker for the next 10 years. In 1999, I was chatting with a friend who lived in Thailand and decided to visit. The firm I was working at had just been sold, so it was a perfect time for me to resign and relocate. I loved being abroad so much, I continued to live in Europe and Asia for the next 17 years.

instagram.com/mrscotteddy

facebook.com/MrScottEddyPage

twitter.com/mrscotteddy

Megan Claire Adrenalin junkies, and incredibly active travelers, we are Meg & Mike Jerrard, and have been blogging since 2007 to bring you the best in adventure travel from all over the globe! (We’ve even won a few awards for being a top adventure travel blog!)

instagram.com/mappingmegan

facebook.com/mappingmegan

twitter.com/mappingmegan

Justin Carmack Originally from Colorado, USA, Justin Carmack left home to travel the world. His first stop was to get PADI Open Water certified on Mozambique, which changed his life forever. Around that time he started the popular scuba travel blog, TrueNomads.com, where he documents all the places in the world he explores underwater.

instagram.com/truenomads

facebook.com/PADI influencers MAGAZINE

influencers

Ann Tran Authentically and carefully she has built a highly engaged audience, purposefully cultivating a genuine connection with her readers through storytelling and video. Ann has had the privilege to become a speaker in demand for corporate and other industry-related events as a result of her work as a travel writer and social media influencer.

twitter.com/anntran

Yasmin At Luxury Travel Diary we blog about the best luxury accommodation, and the most exclusive transport for your travels. Additional features hi-light essential style & fashion items, required for luxury travel. We also host our own online auctions, allowing users to bid on a dream holiday or luxury item for as little as ÂŁ0.99 GBP. Great new items are added all the time. Take a look at the fantastic bargains available in our auctions.

instagram.com/luxurytraveldiary

facebook.com/luxurytraveldiary

twitter.com/LuxTravelDiary

Jeane Beena Happiness is ... a little Surf and a lot of Sunshine. A blog about travel, family, weddings, southern california beach living, crafts, cooking, fashion and entertainment!

instagram.com/jeanatravels

facebook.com/SurfandSunshine

twitter.com/SurfnSunshine

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Urban Travel Blog Urban Travel Blog is a collective blog of expert travel writers, headed up by experienced travel journalist and editor Duncan Rhodes, who report on trends, experiences, festivals and nocturnal adventures in cities around Europe and the world.

instagram.com/UrbanTravelBlog

facebook.com/UrbanTravelBlog

twitter.com/UrbanTravelBlog

Emily Luxton Travels I grew up in Weymouth, a small seaside town on the South Coast of England, but for as long as I can remember I wanted to travel. It took a long time for me to actually realise that dream, but ever since I did, there’s been no stopping me! While I’m still based in the UK, these days Me SquareI’m almost constantly travelling – so much so that right now I have no fixed address.

instagram.com/em_luxton

facebook.com/EmilyLuxtonTravelBlog

twitter.com/em_luxton

Savoir There Sorry to say blood in the first sentence like that. If you’re queasy, so sorry. Well I have already said sorry twice so that tells you I’m British. Of course my manners could equally make me Canadian, so you won’t be surprised to learn that I spent 4 years living in Vancouver. I have always been inspired to travel by my family; my English mother (of Norwegian descent) moved to Beirut as a young woman with my Egyptian father who himself has lived in places as varied as London and Libya as well as another of the most polite nations on the planet, Denmark.

instagram.com/SavoirThere

facebook.com/SavoirThere

twitter.com/SavoirThere influencers MAGAZINE

influencers

Hand Luggage Only As a hare-brained challenge at University… Just kidding!!! Hand Luggage Only was born back in April 2014 on a surprisingly warm afternoon in Yaya’s college room at University of Cambridge. In what seemed like an oasis of calm between assignments, Yaya and Lloyd (that’s us!) were talking about sharing our travel stories and photos with others like-minded travellers on the internet. We’d already been doing this for a while and (almost competitively) sharing our stories on Facebook but what we really wanted was to connect with other travellers across the globe and have a two-way conversation about travel. instagram.com/HandLuggageOnly

facebook.com/HandLuggageOnly

twitter.com/HLOBlog

Mallory On Travel It is probably about time I told people a little about myself, being mysterious is only  interestting for so long.

Time to explain a little about why I believe this site has something worth reading, my definition of adventure and what qualities me to write about it.

instagram.com/malloryontravel

facebook.com/MalloryOnTravel?ref=ts&fref=ts

twitter.com/MalloryOnTravel

Beyond Blighty Welcome to Beyond Blighty! I started my blog back in 2011 in the run up to a seven-month trip in South America, and I never could have anticipated the way this decision would change my life.

instagram.com/beyondblighty

facebook.com/BeyondBlighty

twitter.com/BeyondBlighty

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Kristina Makeeva Spectacular photgraphy is what distinguishes Kristina from many of her social media cpntemporaries. Colourful, surreal and full of wit and invention this is travel photography as high art.

instagram.com/hobopeeba

facebook.com/hobopeeba

Leonie Hanne ohhcouture.com was founded in the beginning of 2014 by former strategy consultant and passionated shopper Leonie Hanne. After being named one of the most promising talents of the textile industry by German textile journal „Textilwirtschaft“, Leonie decided to quit the corporate career in order to fulfill her dream of working independently on her own fashion and lifestyle blog.

instagram.com/ohhcouture

facebook.com/ohhcouture

twitter.com/ohhcouture

Nicola Easterby I started Polkadot Passport as a source of travel inspiration and information for adventurous souls. By sharing unique, bucket-list experiences, destination guides, travel photography tips and endless adventures, Polkadot Passport simple goal is to inspire everyone to go out and explore this beautiful world we live in. I am living proof that you don’t to have a full-time career under your belt or an overflowing bank account in order to explore the world. A life of adventure is possible for anyone who is willing to chase after it!

instagram.com/polkadotpassport

facebook.com/polkadotpassport

twitter.com/polkadotpp influencers MAGAZINE

influencers

Girls Born to Travel Girls Born to Travel is a community of female travellers sharing their trips and stories online. Our goal is to empower others to travel a road of their choosing and provide courage and inspiration to dream big, going out their comfort zones and be fearless.

instagram.com/girlsborntotravel

facebook.com/girlsborntotravel

twitter.com/girlsborntravel

Ketevan Giorgadze Taking a glamorous and inventive look at her travels, Russian blogger Ketevan has explored places from Indonesia to France, Turkey to Malta.

instagram.com/katie.one

facebook.com/onelittletrip/

Luxury Columnist If you have a taste for the finer things in life then our luxury blog should be right up your street.I’m Suze, aka Luxury Columnist and with my husband Paul, we aim to help everyone experience a little luxury in their lives. More than just a luxury travel blog, we’re also a luxury fashion blog and London blog rolled into one. You’ll discover some of our favourite hidden gems in cities like Paris and Rome and secret London hotspots. We’ll reveal quirky and original experiences like our first hot air balloon flight and first time at London Fashion Week.

instagram.com/luxurycolumnist

facebook.com/LuxuryColumnist

twitter.com/luxurycolumnist

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

The Travel Hack The Travel Hack Travel bloggers with a love for stylish adventure travel. Proving stylish travel can be affordable and adventure travel can have a luxury twist!

instagram.com/thetravelhack

facebook.com/TheTravelHack

twitter.com/TheTravelHack

Globalhelpswap We started globalhelpswap to show the world that responsible travel can be easy, comfortable and very special. We’re on a mission to hunt down the most magical, responsible experiences on this wonderful planet of ours so that we can share them with you. We want to share our stories so as to inspire you to create your own.

instagram.com/globalhelpswap

facebook.com/globalhelpswap

twitter.com/globalhelpswap

This Battered Suitcase This Battered Suitcase is not only about the where and the how of travel, it's about the who and the why. Originally from Canada, all I've ever wanted to do is travel. After eleven years of solo travel and over 90 countries, I'm currently living in London and fulfilling my other dream of becoming a writer. If I'm not travelling, I'm writing about it, either for my blog, my job, or my book. I firmly believe there is adventure everywhere, so long as you keep your eyes (and your mind, and your heart) open. Join me as I continue to look for these adventures. Hopefully you'll find your own, too.

instagram.com/thisbatteredsuitcase

facebook.com/ThisBatteredSuitcase

twitter.com/SuitcaseBrenna influencers MAGAZINE

A magazine to tantalise your senses, a place to think and be luxurious.

Luxury is much more than expensive things. It is about appreciation, the experience and time. Luxury is a state of mind and a lifestyle choice.

When travelling always choose the Best in Travel as your guide to the world’s most luxurious destinations.

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social media advice Nancy Huang traveltripper.com

How to use social influencers successfully to market your hotel Influencer marketing has received quite a lot of buzz in recent years and was even rated the fastestgrowing online customer acquisition method. Hotel brands are lavishing freebies to Instagram and YouTube stars in return for posts or videos.

And this year, nearly 50% of US marketers will increase their influencer marketing budgets this year.

Essentially the digital age’s version of a celebrity endorsement, influencer marketing is a powerful way to connect with larger audiences. Producing a successful campaign is easier said than done, however, as hotels need to take influencer selection, compensation, and ROI into account.

Influencer marketing for hotels has the potential to be an effective channel, but as long as it’s built on a solid multi-channel marketing and

conversion-optimized foundation.

That said, influencer marketing is especially valuable for lifestyle and boutique hotels aiming to define and build their identity, all while casting a wider net across their target guest segments.

Identifying Influencers: Who to choose There are multiple social media tools that you can use to discover influencers and their key metrics, including their social platform of choice, number of followers, level of engagement, and more. Tools vary in price and complexity, but if you are just starting out, you can dabble in one of these seven free influencer marketing tools.

In recent times, a wave of new startups have started offering travel brands an opportunity to discover a

world of potential influencers, from social media celebrities to adventurous everyday travelers who showcase a high degree of creative talent.

For instance, Crowdriff enables travel brands to source inspiring visuals from user-generated content, providing a potential opening to connect with content creators. Meanwhile, Tinflur helps travel and tourism marketers find influential bloggers while seeing their number of social followers by different platforms.

In addition, specialist agencies such as Media Kix help brands connect with major influencers on channels such as Instagram, YouTube, and Vine. In a recent example, Media Kix helped Fairmont Hotels and Resorts find four influencers who visited and promoted Fairmont properties around the world.

JACK & FINN HARRIES

IF YOU FIND A POPULAR BLOGGER POSTING CONTENT ALIGNED WITH YOUR BRAND, YOU’LL HAVE A GREAT STARTING POINT TO GET IN TOUCH.

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social media trends

When selecting your influencers, consider some of the following factors:

Followers vs. Engagement The first step, and one which is often under emphasized, is identifying which influencers are best to target. While follower counts might be an obvious criteria, sheer numbers alone are not enough, as actual engagement needs to be analyzed as well.

A smaller but more buzzing audience can potentially be more useful than a larger inactive one, since the latter will drive awareness, but not necessarily action. As such, its influence might only be short term and potentially unsustainable.

These influencers have substantial audiences but may not be as passionate as actual brand advocates, merely producing social media coverage for the sake of garnering freebies.

“Niche” social influencers Finding a social media influencer who’s an especially close fit with your brand is beneficial for a couple of reasons. First, they’ll be more likely to want to partner with you in the first place. Second, when they do promote your brand, their whole message will feel far more authentic.

So how do you find a niche influencer? Start by using hashtags that are specific to your brand as possible. For instance on Instagram, a luxury hotel could search for a term such as “#luxurytravelblogger” to find the most suitable prospects, then check their popularity by likes and followers. The same hashtag approach can also be used on Facebook and Twitter.

Alternatively, look for existing followers on your hotel’s social media platforms who have significant followings of their own. If you find a potential candidate, scour their posts to see if they’re publishing travel-related content that feels in step with your brand.

Google is another great place to start your search. Again, to carry out a niche search, you could use a term like “family friendly travel bloggers,” or a combination of “travel blogger + your destination” to find local influencers in your area.

If you find a popular blogger posting content aligned with your brand, you’ll have a great starting point to get in touch.

The best platforms for influencers Connecting with the right influencer on the right social media platform can help your hotel accomplish a range of goals, from building brand exposure and credibility to driving direct bookings. Depending on your marketing goals and target audience, the following three platforms their own unique set of benefits.

Facebook With close to nearly 2 billion monthly users, Facebook reigns supreme when it comes to global reach. A huge 1.28 billion use the platform every day, so connecting with the right kind of influencer can be a great way of reaching audiences throughout the travel journey.

It’s also a platform with a highly diverse demographic. While commonly assumed to be dominated by younger audiences,

Facebook is used by 79% of 30 to 49-year-olds, and 56% of those aged 65 and over.

And with the ability to add a “Book Now” button on a Facebook Page, partnering with an influencer means that their followers can be more easily encouraged to book with your hotel through the same platform rather than being directed to your hotel website.

Instagram Instagram recently exceeded 600 million global users and its most popular influencers often have a celebrity-like status, lending incredible weight to their opinions and brand-sponsored endorsements.

It’s also driven by visuals more than any other social media platform, which is especially beneficial to hotels looking to promote their property, experiences, and destination.

But Instagram isn’t just about building exposure. Last year, Starwood Hotels & Resorts partnered with five Instagram influencers and featured a booking feature within their photos, posted while staying at two of Starwood’s new Parisian hotels.

Used creatively, Instagram influencers now offer the possibility of driving direct bookings.

PRETTY LITTLE LONDON

WITH CLOSE TO NEARLY 2 BILLION MONTHLY USERS, FACEBOOK REIGNS SUPREME WHEN IT COMES TO GLOBAL REACH.

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social media trends

Snapchat Instead of building commercial relationships with influencers, Snapchat prefers to encourage its social media icons to spontaneously share content like an everyday user.

Not that it isn’t effective for influencer marketing. A huge 85% of its audience are aged between 18 and 34, making it a great platform to reach younger audiences.

To reach this demographic, Marriott partnered with four social media influencers as part of their “6 days 7 nights” campaign, shot in various global destinations. The first threeminute long video showed fussy food eater, Jen Levinson, sampling new dishes in Berlin before heading back to the comfort of her Moxy hotel.

By understanding its conventions and the right creative treatment, Marriott’s campaign demonstrates the potential of partnering with Snapchat’s younger social media starlets.

Audiences and Brand Alignment Additional factors that need to be considered are the influencer’s type of audience and brand alignment.

The audience should match both the hotel’s distinct personality and its target market.

Starwood has recognized the importance of taking into account whether influencers can help tell the brand’s story, as they can provide an inside look at the property and the little details that build its brand.

The influencer’s audience then notices these unique, eye-catching elements, ultimately driving bookings and not merely providing

free publicity for the hotel.

It should be noted that influencers don’t necessarily need to be social media celebs, but simply users with significant followings who are representative of a target market, like a social-savvy corporate traveler for a business hotel. Followers will more likely be able to relate to these down-to-earth personalities.

and content seem much less organic and authentic.

Take for example, the Refinery Hotel in New York, which offered up a free night and complimentary meals to the writers of Taste the Style.

Measuring Success: Looking beyond the Addressing Compensation: booking Free or not too free Numbers-driven hotel managers How should hotels compensate social media influencers for their posts and content? This is often a tricky system to navigate, as oftentimes agreements between hotel and influencer are ambiguous.

In many cases, hotels provide social influencers with complimentary stays and services, with the expectation that they will post at least a few times from the property.

However, because no payment exchanges hands, the hotel has no control over the content or the number of posts received. In such cases, using an intermediary such as a PR agency can be a great help in establishing implicit and explicit expectations.

Hotels that want greater control of the messaging, content, and quantity of influencer posts can consider paying for it. In such cases, a proper contract between the influencer and hotel is necessary and should outline specific terms.

Social media agencies such as Laundry Service can help hotels navigate these types of agreements.

Whether your hotel decides on paid or unpaid compensation, one thing is for sure: editorial style should always be left up to the influencer.

These social media gurus have an established voice and style that has made them popular, so attempting to change this will make their posts

often have trouble quantifying the success of influencer marketing.

After all, how many likes equals a booking? How much revenue is generated per social influencer?

It seems sensible to be cautious about the amount spent on influencer marketing. That said, studies have shown influencer marketing helps with brand building.

A recent study by Rhythm One found that for every $1 spent on influencer marketing, $2.26 in earned media value was returned.

This study offers a useful reference point for hotels to compare their own ROI to this industry’s average as well as others. Factors to consider include engagement (number of likes, comments, replies), virality (how often the content is re-posted or shared), and reach (how many people saw the post).

Other factors to consider include traffic to your hotel website, number of new followers on your social media page, and your hotel’s occupancy rates and ADR over time.

Ultimately you’ll want to see a positive relationship between the success of your influencer marketing and the long-term trends in your hotel’s performance.

POLINA FROM POLABUR

A HUGE 85% OF SNAPCHAT’S AUDIENCE ARE AGED BETWEEN 18 AND 34, MAKING IT A GREAT PLATFORM TO REACH YOUNGER AUDIENCES.

influencers MAGAZINE

adventure travel influencers

Paul Nicklen Paul Nicklen is a Canadian photographer, filmmaker, and marine biologist who has documented the beauty and the plight of our planet for over twenty years. As an assignment photographer for National Geographic magazine, Nicklen captures the imagination of a global audience.

Nicklen is uniquely qualified to create his brand of documentary photography which informs and creates an emotional connection with wild subjects in extreme conditions. His work delivers audiences to an underwater realm witnessed by few. Nicklen’s sensitive and evocative imagery has garnered over 30 of the highest awards given to any photographer in his field, including the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year and the prestigious World Press Photo for Photojournalism.

He is equally recognized by the conservation community for his outspoken work, and has been awarded the Natural Resources Defense Council BioGems Visionary Award. Most recently, Nicklen was bestowed an honorary PhD at the University of Victoria, for the impact his photography has had on climate change. instagram.com/paulnicklen paulnicklen.com/ig

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Chris Burkard Chris Burkard is an accomplished explorer, photographer, creative director, speaker, and author. Traveling throughout the year to pursue the farthest expanses of Earth, Burkard works to capture stories that inspire humans to consider their relationship with nature, while promoting the preservation of wild places everywhere.

His visionary perspective has earned him opportunities to work on global, prominent campaigns with Fortune 500 clients, speak on the TED stage, design product lines, educate, and publish a growing collection of books. Along with his team, Burkard is based out of his production studio and art gallery in the Central Coast of California.

Layered by outdoor, travel, adventure, surf, and lifestyle subjects, Burkard is known for images that are punctuated by untamed, powerful landscapes. Through social media chris strives to share his vision of wild places with millions of people, and to inspire them to explore for themselves.

At the age of 32, Burkard has established himself as a global presence and influencer.

He is happiest with his wife Breanne raising their two sons Jeremiah and Forrest in his hometown of Pismo Beach, California. instagram.com/chrisburkard www.chrisburkard.com

influencers MAGAZINE

adventure travel influencers

Steve McCurry Steve McCurry has been one of the most iconic voices in contemporary photography for more than 30 years, with scores of magazine and book covers, over a dozen books, and countless exhibitions around the world to his name.

Born in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; McCurry studied film at Pennsylvania State University, before going on to work for a local newspaper. After several years of freelance work, McCurry made his first of what would become many trips to India. Traveling with little more than a bag of clothes and another of film, he made his way across the subcontinent, exploring the country with his camera.

It was after several months of travel that he found himself crossing the border into Pakistan. There, he met a group of refugees from Afghanistan, who smuggled him across the border into their country, just as the Russian Invasion was closing the country to all western journalists.

Emerging in traditional dress, with full beard and weather-worn features after weeks embedded with the Mujahideen, McCurry brought the world the first images of the conflict in Afghanistan, putting a human face to the issue on every masthead.

Since then, McCurry has gone on to create stunning images over six continents and countless countries. His work spans conflicts, vanishing cultures, ancient traditions and contemporary culture alike – yet always retains the human element that made his celebrated image of the Afghan Girl so powerful.

McCurry has been recognized with some of the most prestigious awards in the industry, including the Robert Capa Gold Medal, National Press Photographers Award, and an unprecedented four first prize awards from the World Press Photo contest, to name but a few. instagram.com/stevemccurryoďŹƒcial stevemccurry.com

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Keith Ladzinski Born in New York, raised in Colorado, Keith’s love of photography started after buying a beat up camera from a pawnshop. His early subjects mirrored his polarized passions, skateboarding in the city and exploring the quiet mountains of Colorado.

Today, Keith’s work primarily focuses on natural history, climate change, extreme sports and advertising, sending him to the furthest reaches of the seven continents multiple times over. Keith is a contributing photographer at National Geographic, a founding member of the Sea Legacy Collective and has worked for clients globally including The New York Times, Nikon, Toyota, Adidas, Apple, Red Bull, The North Face and Nike.

In 2010 Keith began working as a director and director of photography and has made films, advertising and television content on all 7 continents for National Geographic TV, Discovery, Oprah, Nikon, Dell, Adidas, Apple, ABC, The Weather Channel and Red Bull TV.

instagram.com/Ladzinski www.ladzinski.com

influencers MAGAZINE

adventure travel influencers

Cristina Goettsch Mittermeier Cristina Goettsch Mittermeier was born in Mexico City in 1966 and grew up in nearby Cuernavaca, in the sunny state of Morelos. She is a photographer and marine biologist who for the past 25 years has been working as a writer, conservationist and photographer. In 2005 she founded the prestigious International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP) to provide a platform for photographers working on environmental issues. In 2015 she co-founded Sea Legacy, a non-profit dedicated to protecting the ocean, with her partner, Canadian photographer Paul Nicklen.

Cristina’s work has been published in hundreds of publications, including National Geographic Magazine, McLean’s and TIME.

In 2010 Mittermeier was awarded the Mission Award from the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) and the Smithsonian Conservation Photographer of the Year Award. In 2016 she received the Imaging Award for Photographers who Give Back.

She is a member of the World Photographic Academy.

Cristina is a Sony Artisan of Imagery, is recognized as one of the World’s top 40 Most Influential Outdoor Photographers by Outdoor Magazine and was named one of National Geographic’s 2018 Adventurers of the Year. instagram.com/cristinamittermeier www.cristinamittermeier.com

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Daniel Kordan I have been fascinated by the possibilities of photography since my early childhood. I grew up at beautiful lake region under Moscow exploring wild nature, spending most of my free time in the nature. I graduated the art painting school when I was a kid.

Mix art, nature, constant activities and you’ll receive a summary – art of Landscape photography. Life started swirling me, pushing me into the rush. University, hard work on my quantum physics thesis, family and friends… But there is always a pleasure in the pathless woods: places I always returned and always admired.

Nature is my inspiration, with all the beauty and variety of colors and compositions. instagram.com/danielkordan www.danielkordan.com

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adventure travel influencers

Michael Yamashita Photographer Michael Yamashita has been shooting for the National Geographic magazine for over 30 years, combining his dual passions of photography and travel. After graduating from Wesleyan University with a degree in Asian studies, he spent seven years in Asia, which became his photographic area of specialty. Upon returning to the US, Yamashita began shooting for the National Geographic as well as other American and international magazines and clients.

In addition to Yamashita’s focus on Asia, his work has taken him to six continents. As a third-generation Japanese-American, he is fluent in Japanese, and has covered the length of Japan, from Hokkaido to Kyushu.

Yamashita’s particular specialty is in retracing the paths of famous travelers, resulting in stories on Marco Polo, the Japanese poet Basho, and the Chinese explorer Zheng He. instagram.com/yamashitaphoto www.michaelyamashita.com

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Ami Vitale Nikon Ambassador and National Geographic magazine photographer Ami Vitale has traveled to more than 100 countries, bearing witness not only to violence and conflict, but also to surreal beauty and the enduring power of the human spirit. Throughout the years, Ami has lived in mud huts and war zones, contracted malaria, and donned a panda suit— keeping true to her belief in the importance of “living the story.” In 2009, after shooting a powerful story on the transport and release of one the world’s last white rhinos, Ami shifted her focus to today’s most compelling wildlife and environmental stories. instagram.com/amivitale amivitale.com

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adventure travel influencers

Thomas P. Peschak Thomas P. Peschak is an assignment photographer for National Geographic Magazine. He is a Founding/Associate Director of the Manta Trust, and a senior fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers. He has been named as one of the 40 most influential nature photographers in the world.

Originally trained as a marine biologist specializing in human–wildlife conflict, he retired from science fieldwork in 2004. He became an wildlife photojournalist after realizing that he could have a greater conservation impact through photographs than statistics. His work focuses on some of the most critical marine conservation issues of our time.

Thomas has written and photographed five books: Currents of Contrast, Great White Shark, Wild Seas Secret Shores and Lost

World. His latest book Sharks and People was released in 2013 and chronicles the relationship between people and sharks around the world.

He is a multiple winner in the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards and received World Press Photo Awards for his work in2011 and 2013. In 2015, he gave a TED talk, Dive into an ocean photographer’s world, aboard Mission Blue II, hosted by TED Prize winner Sylvia Earle.

Thomas is a speaker for the National Geographic Live! Series and presented his talk, Wild Seas, Secret Shores in Australia and Singapore. instagram.com/thomaspeschak www.thomaspeschak.com

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Jacob Riglin Jacob is a photographer and videographer from London living in Bali (what a contrast!), teaching all he knows about photography, along with Instagram tips & tricks, camera reviews and much more! instagram.com/Jacob www.jacobmedia.com

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expo videos from around the world

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fashion travel influencers

Camila Coelho Camila Coelho rose to internet fame on a trail of to-die-for makeup looks that she regularly creates for her fans on YouTube. Hundreds of videos (and millions of views) later, she’s firmly established herself among the top vloggers in the industry. Here, she’s revealing her secrets to looking gorgeous all summer—plus, the products she always has in her purse and makeup bag for quick beach trips. instagram.com/camilacoelho rvlv.me/camilacoelho

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Julie Sariñana Julie Sariñana founded Sincerely, Jules in February 2009. It initially started as a creative outlet, where she compiled all of her daily inspiration, thoughts, and photos of her personal style. Over the years Sincerely, Jules has developed into a top destination for style inspiration, signifying Julie as a top international fashion and lifestyle influencer. Julie is also the owner and Creative Director of the clothing line Shop Sincerely Jules.

Julie strives to create beautiful content to inspire and help her readers achieve their goals. She lives by the motto ‘Dream , Believe, Achieve’ and encourages everyone to do so as well. Julie strongly believes that if you put your mind and your effort into everything you do you are destined for success. instagram.com/Sincerelyjules sincerelyjules.com

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fashion travel influencers

Leonie Hanne ohhcouture.com was founded in the beginning of 2014 by former strategy consultant and passionated shopper Leonie Hanne. After being named one of the most promising talents of the textile industry

by German textile journal “Textilwirtschaft�, Leonie decided to quit the corporate career in order to fulfill her dream of working independently on her own fashion and lifestyle blog.

Leonie is now working as a blogger, stylist, model and social media consultant and has already cooperated with brands such as Cartier, Bulgari, Tommy Hilfiger, Tory Burch, Lancome and Net-APorter. Traveling around the world with her partner in crime, Leonie creates visual stories for fashion, beauty and travel brands and shares her passion for lifestyle and wanderlust with her followers around the world.

instagram.com/leoniehanne www.ohhcouture.com

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Rocky Barnes I like to think of my style as a sexy, modern take on classic pieces. I’d say ‘boho luxe’ describes me best. For me, there’s nothing better than a good statement piece, embellishment, pop of color and, of course, any piece that has a story behind it.

I’m a work hard, play hard type of girl. I love getting ready and as much as I always want to look good, I also love to be comfortable. You want your outfit to be a statement, but you want to make sure it’s the right statement. I think knowing what is appropriate for the situation is always first, and then have a bit of fun!

I find inspiration for my style from anywhere you can imagine, whether it’s from a vintage movie I watched growing up, or street style from LA and New York (my second home).

Through my modeling career, I have been fortunate enough to combine my love of fashion and travel, discovering beautiful, new cities which are continually inspiring me to share my adventures. instagram.com/rocky_barnes www.rockybarnesblog.com

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fashion travel influencers

Golden Barbie Jasmine Sanders, better known as Golden Barbie, is a successful model, actor, and Instagram Star. She is a sensation on Instagram with over 2.7 million followers and is being followed by 113K people on Twitter. The ‘School Dance’ fame girl was dubbed as British makeup artist Pat McGrath’s muse.

Jasmine came up with her handle name Golden Barbie by combining her childhood nicknames of Goldilocks and Barbie. Her teacher used to call her Goldilocks because of her curly hair. Her friends too told her that she was like a life-sized Barbie.

When it comes to photographs, the model tries to keep them ‘as honest as possible’ and personally likes to avoid filters on Instagram. instagram.com/Golden_barbie

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Xenia Overdose Xenia Adonts, otherwise known as Xenia Overdose, is a German model, blogger, and author popularly known for her engaging and chic rendition blog topics on all the latest fashion.

She is a highly recognized model when it comes to representing high-end brands. Xenia has a passion for traveling and accepting all sorts of challenges that come her way. Her fan base is exceptionally large on social media with more than 1 million followers on Instagram and more than 200k followers on Facebook. instagram.com/xeniaadonts

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fashion travel influencers

Caro Daur I am from a tiny village near Hamburg in Germany. I remember back in the days when I was a kid after finishing my homework, I would be head deep in my mom’s wardrobe playing dress up. This habit has never stopped, leading to the start of my blog 3 years ago. At the moment I am constantly on the run. I travel around the world and engage in many great opportunities in the fashion world. I am incredibly grateful to have been working with brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Dior, Valentino, OffWhite, Adidas, Roger Vivier, Cartier, Levis, to name a few. I’ve also had the honour to collaborate in global campaigns with the brands Mac, APM and Dolce & Gabbana. Not to mention, my favourite print and online publications including Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, Grazia, Who What Wear, Refinery 29 and more have featured me and my street styles in their magazines and websites. My pictures allow me to tell an ongoing story of my personality and style.

My style philosophy is having fun and being confident in my clothes. I always say I am a “chameleon”. Sometimes I like to dress like a princess and another day I feel more a super androgyn vibe. I like to create casual high fashion looks that you can wear everyday and offer style inspirations to my community. I’m a little goofball and love to share my personality on social media. I look forward to continuing to share my passion with you – and hope to inspire you to live your personal dream. instagram.com/carodaur carodaur.com

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Jessica Kahawaty Jessica Kahawaty is the ultimate example of the “Slashie” generation – a Lebanese Australian lawyer, TV host, beauty queen, model, charity worker, and most recently the big name opening and closing the KOOKAÏ runway.

Basically, the 29-year-old is an overachiever with both brains and beauty, which for someone as switched on and thoughtful as her, we don’t begrudge.

It’s part of her story, which Kahawaty believes gives a model like her, career longevity. instagram.com/jessicakahawaty

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fashion travel influencers

Collage Vintage Sara Escudero, better known under the name Collage Vintage, is a fashion lover and globe trotter. instagram.com/collagevintage www.collagevintage.com

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Camilla Milja Hailing from Finland, Camilla Milja describes herself as a full time lifeenjoyer. instagram.com/camillamilja

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World Luxury News, has one aim, to bring you the latest luxury news from around the globe from the world's leading brands and luxury service providers.

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Working across a multitude of social media platforms, delivering content in an easily digestible image lead format in English, Arabic, Hindi, Chinese and Russian, we engage with those that live and experience a luxury lifestyle each and every day.

Delivering the best news on this exciting and ever changing market and working in conjunction with the leading world luxury events.

www.luxnews.co

lovetv.tube

love videos from around the world

luxury travel influencers

Lyss Boss Lyss Boss - real name Alyssa - is from New York and has always had a sincere passion for reading and writing, but recently took an interest in social networking and blogging.

Gaining some recognition for her clean food recipes and wellness advice has helped her discover a love for helping others succeed; wanting to help people become not only physically strong, but also mentally strong as well.

She believes that being happy and confident, and believing in yourself and what you are capable of is by far the most important part of this entire transformation process. If you are looking to become a more active, fit and healthy you, the most important thing you need to do before anything else is to love who you are already. ‘Be happy, love your body, love who you are and don’t set crazy expectations for yourself like I did. There is no reason to stress and hurt yourself in the process of wanting to better yourself. You just need a little patience and determination, and you will most definitely reach all of your goals in life.’

instagram.com/Lyss

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Gypsea Lust Lauren Bullen, better known as Gypsea Lust, is 25 years old, and originally hails from Northern New South Wales, Australia.

Now based in Bali, Indonesia, she indulges her deep passion for travelling & creating imagery by permanently travelling the world with her partner Jack Morris (@doyoutravel ).

She taught herself how to take photographs over the past couple of years, and is now lucky enough to be able to use this skill and work with many different clients to create unique content around the world.

Her work ranges from Travel, Fashion & Lifestyle. instagram.com/gypsea_lust www.gypsealust.com

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luxury travel influencers

doyoutravel Jack Morris - partner of Lauren Bullen (Gypsea Lust) - is well known under his doyoutravel moniker on Instagram.

Paired up, the couple are possibly responsible for every whimsical holiday snap seen on your instagram feed. Jack and Lauren now travel the world for free thanks to their dreamy holiday shots!

instagram.com/Doyoutravel

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Tara Milk Tea Tara Whiteman is a Creative from Sydney, Australia. Her work is dedicated to documenting her daily lifestyle as Tara Milk Tea. This mostly includes her latest travel adventures, showcased through food, places and people. Her images are usually portrayed through a kaleidoscope of colour, as she seeks out the most beautiful and brightest places around the world.

Tara has spent the past four years completing her degree, whilst growing her career in the digital space. Currently 24 years old, she recently completed her Honours degree in Design from The University of New South Wales, all while travelling and working full time on projects with clients, as well as managing her lifestyle blog and Instagram.

She has a particular interest in the travel, food and lifestyle genres and can be found working with clients from a wide range of fields from Canon to Tiffany & Co. She has also been a member of Qantas’ exclusive Q Collective team since 2016.

Tara’s goal has always been about living life to the fullest, and creating her own happiness, which is why she has pursued entrepreneurial roles, and chased what she loves doing from a young age. Having grown her online audience to over one million people, she hopes to inspire others to do the same instagram.com/taramilktea taramilktea.co

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luxury travel influencers

Debi Flue Debi Flßgge, the German blogger and globetrotter who founded her eponymous blog, Debi Flue, originally started blogging as a hobby in 2013 to share her travels with friends and family and it grew from there. She has now amassed over 1 million Instagram followers and number is growing. instagram.com/debiue debiue-keeevsch.com

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Anyuta Rai Anyuta Rai was born in Russia on June 21, 1990. She never talks about her family in front of the media, which shows she loves to keep her personal life to herself.

Now 28, Rai has the body of an angel, and is adored by more than 2.8 Million Instagram followers. She is blessed with a natural tan and a slim figure.

The secret behind her toned body is a nutritious, balanced diet and exercise. instagram.com/anyuta_rai ru.sergeykbn-anyuta-rai.com

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luxury travel influencers

Dotz Soh Dotz Soh is a Singapore based photographer who posts beautiful and magical edits of the destinations she visits. Her feed often comprises of shots from Asia and beyond. instagram.com/dotzsoh facebook.com/dotzsohphotography

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Pilot Madeleine Since October 2015, Madeleine, from Munich, Germany, has been blogging about the beautiful things in life. You can find travel tips, recipes, workouts, outfit posts and much more on her Instagram, and she’s always open for your ideas and comments. instagram.com/pilotmadeleine

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luxury travel influencers

Book on in Naomi-Jane Adams spent 4 years living between Greece and England, advising tourism companies on their web & social media strategies and managing Luxury Villa bookings.

During this time she also worked closely with the Visit Greece Tourism Board writing various blogs for their site. Then, in early 2017, Naomi left her career at DMGT (Daily Mail and General Trust) to focus primarily on bookonin after the demand became to much to keep up her corporate job and give her full attention to her passion of Luxury Travel, Fashion & Lifestyle.

Soon after, Travel + Leisure named @bookonin the Top 8 Luxury Travel Instagram Page of 2017.

So far, Naomi has visited over 40 counties. She is asked by travel companies, hotels, tourism boards to take press trips where she is paid for social media marketing and producing content for Social first.

Naomi also works with fashion and lifestyle brands to produce content for various campaigns that she thinks fit in with her lifestyle and travels.

Naomi works with a team of highly talented professionals to provide assistance on various concepts such as Social Media Strategy, Brand Development, Digital Storytelling, Social First Photography Content and Engaging Videos. instagram.com/bookonin www.bookonin.co.uk

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Ana Paula Siebert Ana Paula Siebert Justus is a Brazilian Instagram star who usually posts modelling and travel photos to her account. She has gained over 1 million followers on her Instagram. instagram.com/anapaulasiebert

influencers MAGAZINE

IKEPOD

THE REBIRTH OF A LEGEND In 1997 there was an uproar in the watch market that extended into the fashion and design world.

IKEPOD had a new approach to watch design; the cases were circular with rounded edges and instead of the usual lugs, the strap is inserted into the Pod. These very limited edition unique artisanal watches became an instant legend.

Unfortunately, economic challenges and quality issues forced the celebrated newcomer to fold. Since then, IKEPOD fans have had to scour the niche collector’s markets for these rare timepieces.

Now, the vintage watch from the future is back and this time the focus is on affordability and reliability.

Two passionate French men set out to revive the brand that inspired many with its creativity and disruptiveness. They retained the original design and removed the details that had caused some to doubt the practicality of the watch. Quality issues have been eliminated with simplified mechanics and composition, and the focus of the new line is affordability and reliability.

Emmanuel Gueit, a Swiss design superstar, developed the new Ikepod dials. The new cases, which of course retain their Pod design with the unique rounded edges and inset bands can now be opened on the bottom for serviceability. The use of this feature will likely be minimal as the quartz movement from Miyota is known for its quality.

Before launching the new line, the savvy businessmen tested their product on Kickstarter and met with big success.

More than 700 buyers were quick to preorder the new, more reliable and more affordable version of the iconic design.

THE NEW IKEPOD OFFERS TWO MODELS: THE DUOPOD AND THE CHRONOPOD

DUOPOD This two-hand model is a direct descendant of the essential original IKEPOD Horizon collection. It now comes in 42mm keeping in line with our times. Same as its big brother the Chronopod, this minimalistic model is powered by a famously reliable Miyota quartz movement. A smart decision of the design team was to forego the second hand to increase the appeal to lovers of mechanic timepieces. The case measures 42mm across but it wears like a smaller watch because there are no lugs and no edges. The rubber strap further enhances the wearing comfort.

The excitement about IKEPOD watches is in the detail. The dials come in options from semi-glossy white to brushed metal to black bubbles. All have that extra something that sets them apart, all without being flashy or attention-seeking.

The Duopod is a watch for all occasions at a great price point $ 690.

CHRONOPOD The Duopod's big brother is a chronograph with a 24-hour dial. Straight from the Hemipode line, the watch retains its original 44mm size, but it feels more like 42 mm on the wrist because of its high comfort rating.

The dial has the typical IKEPOD minimalistic optics that manage to arrange the various functional displays with plenty of space for easy readability: a seconds register at six o'clock, the 30-minute totalizer at nine o'clock, and a 24-hour dial at three o'clock.

The best thing is its price point.

The unique look and improved quality is now affordable at $825.

For more information visit www.ikepod.com

JW Marriott Phu Quoc EMErald Bay Discover the five-star luxury, unique style and unbeatable location of JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa. Set on the pristine beach of Phu Quoc, a hidden gem off of Vietnam's south coast, our hotel blends oceanfront tranquility and elegance with a quirky, fun atmosphere. https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=spWYKW53S4u

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Virtual World Internet – bringing you the most detailed virtual tours ever!

Get in touch with us today and make your hotel stand out from the crowd.

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travel couples influencers

Marie Fe and Jake Snow We are Marie and Jake, and we come from opposite sides of the world (Germany and Australia). We met while on holiday in Thailand and fell in love. In a world where we are spoilt for choice we chose happiness and each other.

Together we decided that love and happiness was more important than any security a job or money could offer!

Combining our love for travel and photography we set out on a journey across the world in pursuit of our dreams.

We travel the world creating content that inspires wanderlust and encourages people to chase their dreams. Behind the photos, behind the instagram is a story that is real. We started out from nothing, we fought through uncertainty and stayed true to our dreams. We want this blog to be the balance between what is real and the highlight reel we have on instagram.

We have been taking life head on ever since we met, striving only for adventure, growth and happiness. We know for a fact that choosing happiness above all is easier said than done, what about security? What about money?

What about comfort? We have made mistakes and we have had ups and downs. Whenever we needed a source of inspiration to encourage us to keep choosing happiness, we found one.

Whether this was a moment in time, a special place, a book, a photo or words written by inspirational people we admire. instagram.com/mariefeandjakesnow mariefeandjakesnow.com

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Explorerssaurus Raquel and Miguel, also known as explorerssaurus, are a young Portuguese couple with a passion for travelling, photography and film making.

While Raquel was studying biomedical engineering in Spain and Miguel was working as a business manager at a construction company in Portugal, they decided to meet each other in different countries. And that’s how their adventure started!

They were conquering and discovering the world one short trip at a time.

They explored Marrakech, Barcelona, Venice, Milan, Frankfurt and Paris, where they captured amazing memories and epic experiences to share as they went along.

On January 2019, they left their corporate jobs and bought a one way ticket to India. They hope to let their photos do the talking, to inspire and motivate those who crave pursuing the life of their dreams. instagram.com/explorerssaurus_ explorerssaurus.com

influencers MAGAZINE

travel couples influencers

TwoTrends Sebastian and Espe run TwoTrends, a Lifestyle, travel and fashion blog targeted for both men and women. Having met in Miami, Florida, Sebastian and Espe found they had both always shared a love for fashion, experiencing the world and living life to the fullest. They began documenting their everyday lives on social media with emphasis to couple related content, which then led them to establish a fanbase of over 500,000 across all social media platforms.

Coming from Architectural and Journalist backgrounds, Sebastian & Espe add a unique perspective in the influencer space in undoubtedly more than one way. Not only do they both hold professional careers, but they come from a diverse Latin background, making their content relevant to a broader audience.

Currently, Sebastian and Espe continue to share their passion as lifestyle influencers in the industry for gentlemen, ladies and loving couples around the globe.

instagram.com/twotrends www.twotrends.com

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Jovi Travel We are a couple from Germany who always loved to travel and to discover new places together. Tired of our 9-to-5 jobs and curious about what great adventures the world has to offer we finally decided to leave everything behind an start exploring the world together.

I’m pretty sure that’s more or less what you read in every travel blog... why having a travel blog otherwise?!

But really, aren't you ever wondering what life is all about? What are the essential things in life? Is it having a safe job and building your own house? Is this really all life is about? For us it is pretty clear there must be something more.

instagram.com/jovi_travel www.jovi-travel.com

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travel couples influencers

Katerin and Yinon We were born and grew up in small countries (Bulgaria and Israel) but life brought us together in the big city of New York. We met by chance, waiting in line for a salad and our lives have completely changed since. We both had the travel bug for as long as we could remember but it was only after we found the love of our lives and built a strong relationship that we were able to take it to the next level and turn it into our own business.

With our backgrounds, we were only able to get where we are through hard work and making the impossible possible, and we think anyone else can do it too. So we started this blog to help others

not only “believe� in their dreams, but work hard to make them possible like we did.

Traveling around the world to open your mind, discover different cultures and add new perspectives is one of the best things you could do, but sharing it with your other half is even better! instagram.com/katerinandyinon stayclosetravelfar.com

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Backpack Diariez Camille and Jean started Backpack Diaries a couple of years ago when they interrupted their corporate careers in London for a five-month backpacking trip across Latin America. Their blog started off as something small, with the purpose of keeping their friends and family updated and sharing a couple of travel tips to fellow travellers. That trip was arguably one of the most life changing things they ever did and they both got instantly hooked. instagram.com/backpackdiariez backpackdiariez.com

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travel couples influencers

XK Fly Away Living out of a suitcase since January, anyone following the epic journeys of Xkflyaway’s Xavier and Katie Ritzi have watched as the two travel through a myriad of places – including Greece, Sri Lanka, Bali, Japan, Thailand, Egypt, India, Morocco, Bahamas.

Capturing it all on Instagram along the way, it’s a feed full of bucket list places to visit and endless dreamy images. instagram.com/xkflyaway

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Passport in one hand We are Laura & Nicolas, a couple travelling the world while working for fashion brands and luxury hotels!

On our blog you will find hotel reviews, travel guides, fashion inspiration, tips and our signature presets! instagram.com/passportinonehand www.passportinonehand.com

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travel couples influencers

OneWayTickeTrip Carina and Ivo are the creators of OneWayTickeTrip. They were born and raised in Portugal in nearby small villages, but for 20 years didn’t know of each other’s existence. They eventually met and fell in love in Porto while taking their degrees.

Carina worked in the fashion industry and at the same time started sharing her passion for making trends in simple daily wear looks, travels and lifestyle on her Instagram account. Ivo was always passionate about entrepreneurship and travel-in-style, documenting the day-to-

day episodes of his journey in his personal channels.

As their passion for travel grew, so did the amount of opportunities to bring their passions for Travel, Fashion, and Photography together into a collaborative Lifestyle project. Currently based in Porto, Portugal, they travel the world and create content for brands, hotels & resorts, and experiences. instagram.com/onewayticketrip

fitness travel influencers

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Jen Selter Jen Selter, the social media innovator widely known for mainstreaming fitness influencers, started her fitness journey in high school while working at the front desk at a local gym.

Overwhelmed with post-graduation plans and personal challenges, Jen used fitness as an outlet for relieving her stress.

Surrounded by seasoned gym goers, Jen felt she needed motivation to encourage herself to keep trying, and created an Instagram account to build a community of supportive, likeminded individuals. What started as a hobby turned into a social media empire, capturing the hearts of millions of supporters worldwide.

As a pioneer of the digital age, Jen widely became known for popularizing the “belfie” and her signature “Seltering” poses. Radical, different and totally relatable, Jen proved that fitness comes in all shapes and sizes and can be illustrated in any and all places.

Jen's goal is to inspire everyone to try. With a sincere passion for others, Jen is deeply dedicated to keeping her page filled with inspiration and motivation with a strict "no-negativity allowed" policy. Featured by Vanity Fair, Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health, The New York Post, Elite Daily, amongst countless others, her mission is as clear as ever: to help others become the best version of themselves. instagram.com/jenselter www.jenselter.com

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fitness travel influencers

Kayla Itsines Throughout my many years of personal training, I’ve educated and supported millions of women in their health and fitness journeys!

I’m recognised as one of the most influential trainers in the world and I’ve made it my personal mission to help as many women as possible to achieve their ideal level of fitness and to feel more confident and happy! Using my Bikini Body Guides (BBG) and my best-selling books, women around the world have been able to make permanent and sustainable changes to both their mindset and lifestyle.

My programs are flexible, so you can choose whether you want to work out at home or in the gym! You’ll learn how to train to increase your fitness and strength through regular workouts. My programs also grow with you, so you’ll always be progressing.

Both BBG and BBG Stronger now include audio cues, warm-ups and new challenges so you can train with me when and how you want!

It doesn’t matter whether you’re an absolute beginner or working out is second nature for you, my programs can help you reach your next fitness goals and feel the confidence you deserve.

With more women joining every day, the BBG Community is a fantastic source of extra support and encouragement throughout your fitness journey. Join us and make your health and fitness goals a reality. instagram.com/kayla_itsines www.kaylaitsines.com

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Sjana Elise Sjana, (pronounced "See - ah - nah") but my friends call me SJ. I'm 24 years young and I’m just your typical Aussie girl! I'm a sunshine seeking, happy being, yoga doing, hug giving, ocean loving, travel enthusiast!

I have grown up on the East Coast of Australia my entire life in a place called Newcastle in NSW. Personally, I think Newcastle is the worlds best kept secret!

Quiet but not boring, we have the best sunrises and our town is full of surf and beach culture! I have the best memories from my childhood here... My two older brothers (Josh and Sam) and I running around like giggling monkeys! Always up to some sort of mischief together haha!

For me, good health is all about the balance between body, mind and soul. Yoga found me at a time when I feel I needed it the most, and it has become very much a part of who I am and a way of life. I want to help women to feel confident in their bodies, and to feel empowered by what they can do. Even if you’ve never done yoga before, it is an amazing way to strengthen your body and to calm your mind. It has helped me grow through some of life’s biggest challenges, and I hope my experiences can help you too! instagram.com/sjanaelise www.sjana.com.au

fitness travel influencers

Earthy Andy My name is Andrea Hannemann, some of you may know me as @earthyandy on Instagram. I have two rambunctious little boys and an incredible husband.

We live on the North Shore of Oahu. I moved here as a teenager from the plains of Saskatchewan, Canada.

My heart always belonged in the tropics!

Soon after I moved here I met Shem and we fell in love. We actually never went on one date, he hadn't even spent a dollar on me (in fact I don't think he had $1 dollar to his name!). Long story short he proposed after a week and almost 10 years later we have two little blonde babes living a simple, yet beautiful life with the beach as our playground. instagram.com/earthyandy www.earthyandy.com

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Pamela RF I’m a 20 y/o German girl with lots of love for fitness, fashion, beauty, my family and everything else that makes life beautiful.

I’ve been an Instagrammer for about 4 years now and let’s just say, Instagram is amaaazing! I always wanted to be so many things.. a photographer, a model, a make up artist, a stylist, a business manager blablabla. But I never really had THE one dream job in mind. I finished school with the best possible grades, but instead of studying medicine or something, I decided to take a year off in order to find out what I really like to do in life. That’s when I had the time to realize how meaningful Instagram and my daily supporters are to me as a person. Being able to be yourself while getting over 2 million followers posting heartwarming comments, and being one of Germany’s biggest influencers is seriously the best thing ever. instagram.com/pamela_rf aboutpam.com/about

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The latest spa tourism news on the most significant developments in the wellness and spa tourism industry.

Find stunning photos, videos and interactive discussions with our group members.

www.spatravelnews.com

city travel influencers

Misshatten Misshattan blends her love for aerial perspectives and exciting destinations with an inspiring sensory experience. After leaving her corporate job in finance to pursue her passion for photography, Misshattan consistently creates inspiring imagery.

When it comes to her work, one can expect an intense desire for travel and experiences fused with an essence of serenity amongst adrenalineinducing perspectives.

The Misshattan brand not only provides magnetizing photography; it serves as a mantra for those who have the audacity to pursue their dreams. instagram.com/misshattan www.misshattan.com

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

I’m the jam Josh Alvarez is a highly creative and talented freelance photographer based out of NYC. He has managed to build a following of over 250,000 people on his social media accounts @imthejam. Josh Alvarez has worked with clients such as Audi, Maserati, Jordan, Budlight, Pepsi, Dewars, plus many more. instagram.com/imthejam thejamphotography.com

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city travel influencers

Alen Palander Alen Palander is a Toronto-based Creative Director and Photographer.

Throughout his education and work life in Urban Design and Architecture, Alen dabbled in photography and filmmaking as a hobby, with no formal training in the field. Amassing a fan base in the hundreds of thousands worldwide, Alen's brand and social media platforms grew, new and exciting opportunities began to unfold, and he quickly realized that his hobby had become his livelihood. Alen now works with some of the world’s largest brands, including Mercedes-Benz, Nike, Air Canada, Canon and more.

Alen draws much of his inspiration for his visual pieces from architecture, design, and travel to distant locales. With the propensity to pick up the camera and capture the world at a moment's notice, his lust for creating propels his perspective and represents something much bigger as he continues to seek the extraordinary in the ordinary. instagram.com/alenpalander alenpalander.com

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Puanindya Putri Anindya is a freelance photographer based in Indonesia photography and travel are her passion so she mixed them into her works.

Putri has worked for several companies and brands including New Zealand Tourism Board, Visit Gold Coast, Visit Brussels, Visit Dubai, ComeSeeTurkey, Wonderful Indonesia, Catalunya Experience, Langly

Ambassador, Matoa Watch Ambassador, Qualcomm, Fiat, Mazda, Four Seasons Paris, Ritz Carlton, St Regis, Toms, Converse, Beringer Wine, Jagermeister, Redbull, HP, and Galaxy Samsung. instagram.com/puanindya puanindya.com

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city travel influencers

NYC Loves NYC Noel Y. Calingasan, Neuroscience researcher, came to New York City from the Philippines in 2001. He got himself a camera to start documenting his experiences in New York City so he could share them with family and friends back home. When he started uploading his photos to a photography blog, a friend suggested he create an Instagram account to share his photos with New Yorkers and other photographers. He did and his following took off!

Noel named his account NYClovesNYC because his initials are actually N-Y-C and he loves photographing New York City. Through Instagram he has met many friends and other photographers.

Noel attributes his success and large amount of followers—over 75,000—to ABC7NY. After using the hashtag #ABC7NY, Noel's work was featured on ABC7NY's Instagram account. After that, he received thousands of followers and continues to share his beautiful photos with the world. instagram.com/nyclovesnyc

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Mindz.eye My name is Michael Sidofsky and I'm a professional photographer from Toronto, specializing in elevated travel photography. Being an avid traveler and photographer, my goal is to capture the essence of a destination through the use of advanced techniques in photography and postprocessing. I believe this is what sets my images apart from other photographers. My images aim to portray a unique perspective of places or things that may seem commonplace to the everyday eye, but which trigger some sort of emotional reaction. Whether I'm shooting landscapes, cityscapes, streets or architecture, my goal is to always create a connection between the subject and the viewer. instagram.com/mindz.eye mindzeyephotography.com

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airline travel influencers

Pilot Elton This Portuguese 27 year old is, as his name suggests, an airline pilot.

He is based in Porto, Portugal. instagram.com/pilotelton

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Pilot Patrick My name is Patrick Biedenkapp and I am a commercial pilot living in Berlin. On www.pilotpatrick.com and Instagram (@pilotpatrick) I already take you on my journey and flights. Now on YouTube I publish more about aviation, travel and my lifestyle. I hope I can inspire you in many differents ways. I am looking forward to flying with you!

Positive mind, positive life and happy landings! instagram.com/pilotpatrick www.pilotpatrick.com/impressum

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airline travel influencers

Flying Limburg Flying.limburg is the Instagram account of Pilot Ben Limburg. All photographs are taken during non-critical flight phases and with at least one pilot on the controls. Safety first!! instagram.com/ying.limburg

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

French Flyer Little is known about this French pilot, but his Instagram posts, and mass of followers, speak for themselves. instagram.com/french.flyer

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airline travel influencers

Guillaume Laffon Aged 34, I've been an airline pilot for 12 years. My tenacity, my creativity and my desire to achieve a global perspective of our world have allowed me to fulfill my nomad dream. For many years, I've been creating videos, in an endlessly quest for beauty. Finding key words, brainstorming and creating stories to captivate your emotion is my passion. Sharing my dream with my 300,000 followers is my number one goal. instagram.com/guillaume.laon www.guillaumelaon.com/formation

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Qass Mehdi Qass Medhi is a 737 pilot and gym fanatic. instagram.com/qass_mehdi

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spatv.tube

spa videos from around the world

H O T E L T R A V E L N E W S

Hotel Travel News helps guide you through the minefield of choice. We report each day on what’s new, what’s relaunched, and showcase the great and the good; from resorts to boutique properties and the advancment of AirBNB and its effect for us all

Working across a multitude of social media platforms, delivering content in an easily digestible image lead format, we engage with those that live and experience a luxury lifestyle each and every day.

www.hoteltravelnews.com

youtube travel influencers

The Bucket List Family We are the Gee family, just your “average” family working from all around the world as Family Travel Journalists! Our story began on the 15th of August, 2015 when we decided to sell everything and leave home for a journey around the world together. We started an Instagram and a YouTube channel called, The Bucket List Family.

It was a difficult decision to reset our lives and sell everything but we’re grateful everyday that we took that chance and were brave. We’re grateful to all our followers for being a part of this journey and we hope you’ll keep with us as our little family and this big adventure continue to grow! youtube.com/thebucketlistfamily thebucketlistfamily.com

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Sailing La Vagabonde We are an Australian couple with the dream of circumnavigating the globe by sail boat‌ initially having no clue of how to sail. We have now sailed over 60,000nm each across many oceans. Through our videos we hope to inspire others to explore alternative options of living and to spread ocean awareness. With YOUR support we can keep these movies coming every Monday/Tuesday (depending on your timezone). youtube.com/sailinglavagabonde

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youtube travel influencers

Lost LeBlanc Lost LeBlanc is the story of Christian LeBlanc, a man who quit his job to travel the world and unconditionally pursue his passion for filmmaking and travel. youtube.com/lostleblanc instagram.com/lostleblanc

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Taha Essou youtube.com/channel/UCqUO3O-XAiM6vpC5qScVjww instagram.com/tahaessou tahaessou.com

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youtube travel influencers

Sorelle Amore I'm just a girl...standing in front of the world...asking if I can love it to the max! And I do!

I'm houseless and travel full time (aka live out of a backpack), I have strongly embraced the remote revolution and whenever there is a wifi connection, I'm ready to work.

I produce videos 2 times weekly and feed you pretty photos daily via my Instagram.

I'm all about travel, photography and human optimisation. What breaks my heart the most is seeing people waste their life away, so everything I do is to inspire you to live your dream life.

I believe everything is achievable if you put in the hard, smart work and never give up. youtube.com/sorelleamore

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Fun For Louis My name is Louis Cole. I make a Daily Vlog of my life!

I enjoy travelling the world with friends, having fun and inspiring others! youtube.com/channel/UCVrvnobbNGGMsS5n2mJwfOg

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youtube travel influencers

Vaga Brothers We're Alex and Marko. We LIVE to TRAVEL. Our journey of CULTURAL and CULINARY DISCOVERY takes us to some of the MOST INTERESTING PLACES in the WORLD.

Stay curious, keep exploring, and we will see you on the road! youtube.com/vagabrothers

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Tourist2townie Travel Deeper with Gareth Leonard on his quest to travel like a local and go from Tourist to Townie, one mission at a time; to truly understand foreign communities through the people and culture that define them.

youtube.com/tourist2townie instagram.com/tourist2townie www.tourist2townie.com

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youtube travel influencers

Drew Binsky My name is Drew Binsky and I make daily travel videos to millions of viewers on FB + YT, aiming to inspire young adults to travel, while shattering stereotypes that the world is unsafe. I've been to 169 countries since 2012, and I am planning to visit every country by May 2020.

My videos are 3-5 minute minidocumentaries, telling unique stories about the people, food, culture and anything else I find interesting on the road. You will also find tons of travel tips, hacks and advice.

In my non-video making life, I'm a travel blogger, scratch golfer, people-person, and I hold two Guinness World Records! youtube.com/thehungrypartier www.drewbinsky.com

TOP TRAVEL INFLUENCERS

Mr Ben Brown Film maker & photographer from London, uploading daily vlogs which are sometimes late due to projects, travel & life! I do my best to make my vlogs the best they can be. youtube.com/channel/UCAkP51BEzkKimJh7KDflx_g instagram.com/mrbenbrown

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influencers Hotel De La Coupole - MGallery, Sapa