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How To Work with Travel Journalists and Get Media Coverage
with award-winning freelance travel journalist Ali Wunderman
Josiah Mackenzie
August 23, 2023
Good morning. Do you want more media coverage? Today we're learning from an award-winning travel writer featured everywhere from Forbes to the Michelin Guide about what you should know about working with journalists like her.
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How to work with travel journalists (and get media coverage)
with Ali Wunderman
Ali Wunderman
Ali Wunderman is an award-winning travel journalist who has been featured in publications ranging from Forbes to the Michelin Guide. A few excerpts from our conversation today:
Don’t confuse travel journalists with influencers
Ali was quick to point out that there's an important distinction between travel journalists and travel influencers. “Travel journalists and travel influencers are not the same thing,” she said.
While influencers may be paid to promote a particular destination or property, journalists are still journalists. Their job is to uncover the truth.
The biggest misconception is that journalists can be bought and controlled. If you want to control a story, you need to buy an ad.
Create something that stands out
Travel writers like Ali need something newsworthy to cover, highlighting the need to create something worth talking about.
I love when hotels can identify what makes them special. It makes my life a lot easier.
The importance of passion
Passion for hospitality is key to creating something that stands out. Ali has seen that boutique properties often have an advantage in this regard, as they are small enough to allow for a more personalized experience - but they aren’t the only ones that can provide this.
I think great hospitality comes from a strong staff culture. You're going to have a better experience as a guest when you're greeted by people who are genuinely excited to be greeting you.
Build long-term relationships
It’s important to understand that journalists are there to explore a story, not just transcribe your press release. Those that have figured out the humanity of working with writers are the best collaborators, Ali says.
It's important to understand the value of travel journalism and that there's more value that comes from us actually having interacted with the product.
In our podcast today, Ali gave a masterclass on how to effectively work with journalists like her and earn media attention that will propel your business forward. I highly encourage you to listen to the whole conversation now.
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