Influencer marketing as a sub-discipline of hotel online marketing primarily pursues goals related to brand awareness and image in hotel marketing. The selection of the right cooperation partner is crucial for the success of an influencer campaign (see ADDITIVE article "Key Figures, Criteria and Relevant Factors in Selecting Influencers").

ABOUT THE GERMAN INFLUENCER AWARD

In 2020, the German Influencer Award GIA will be presented for the first time as an independent award for national influencers and digital creators of different sizes. In addition to the general nominations "Influencer of the Year" and "Rising Star", influencers from 20 different subject areas will be honored. Until now, the only awards in the German-speaking countries were the About You Award of the fashion online store of the same name, which was introduced in 2017, and the Swiss Influencer Award, which has been presented in 2019.

The 2022 Travel category winners relevant to hotel marketing or hotel social media:

Mega Influencer (1 million+ followers): Gerda Lewis (IG: @gerdalewis).

Macro Influencer (226,000+ followers): Jolie Janine (IG: @joliejanine).

Micro-influencers (89,200+ followers): Muriel & Julius (IG: @twoandavan).

For 2021, the GIA has been expanded to include the entire German-speaking region. Entrants from Germany, Switzerland and Austria who have a social media presence on Facebook, Twitch, Instagram, YouTube or TikTok can apply. Additional categories such as "News & Politics", "Technology", "Science & Education" and "LGBTQ" have also been introduced.

The establishment of such events suggests a professionalization of the industry in hotel social media marketing. On the one hand, the influencer profession that has emerged in recent years is gaining recognition, and industry events are creating visibility and credibility outside of social networks. In addition, standards and benchmarks for influencer marketing are being set to measure the performance and success of online opinion leaders.

MACRO, MICRO AND NANO INFLUENCERS FOR HOTELS

This development shows that working with influencers in the hotel social media space is still relevant and has great potential for hotel marketing. Here are nine influencers (in alphabetical order) whose online presence appeals to a very specific target group in the travel industry.

IG: coconut_sports 29,100 followers.
Franziska Reichel travels the world as a flight attendant. Since she loves outdoor activities such as skiing, hiking and surfing, she reports not only from big cities, but also from nature.

IG: formgestalter 226,000 followers
André Alexander has a special eye for the beauty and mysticism of nature. The passionate photographer inspires his followers with his atmospheric images of scenic gems.

IG: fraeulein.draussen 30,300 followers
Kathrin Heckmann feels particularly at home in nature. In her authentic images, the outdoor enthusiast takes her followers into a world far away from luxury and glamour, but very close to animals, plants, mountains and lots of adventure.

IG: kitkat_ch 284,000 followers
The most prominent candidate on this list, Martina Bisaz has been working full-time as an influencer and independent photographer since 2017. Trained as a scientific illustrator, she won the Swiss Influencer Award in the travel category last year.

IG: mexxnoir 2,486 followers
Whether in front of the Brandenburg Gate or on alpine passes - the micro-influencer from Berlin, known only by his first name Max, prefers to pose on his KTM 1290 Super Duke R in black motorcycling gear and with the Versier folded down, thus not only creating a very clear and recognizable visual language, but also appealing to a select fan base.

IG: planethibbel 7,849 Followers
Planet Hibbel is run by Nadine Lessenich, a mother of two sons and an enthusiastic travel blogger. She is passionate about traveling with her family and about sustainability in everyday life and travel.

IG: reisehappen 11.300 Followers
Nina Soentgerath, a full-time blogger and graphic designer, has already visited 64 countries. She not only spoils her followers with pictures of exotic places, but also posts culinary highlights and typical recipes from each trip.

IG: wheeliewanderlust 9,100 followers
Kim Lumelius travels the world on two wheels. Not on a motorcycle or bicycle, but in a wheelchair, encouraging people with physical disabilities not to let that stop them from visiting special places. Destinations and tourism service providers with barrier-free offers become the focus of this target group.

The need to select the right influencers for a successful collaboration in hotel online marketing is now widespread: Quality trumps quantity. Accordingly, it is not the number of followers that matters, but the interaction rate and the congruence between the influencer's followers and the target group of the cooperating company. The more precisely a hotel determines its Unique Selling Point (USP), the more specifically it can reach potential new guests through hotel marketing social media by consciously selecting influencers and thus strive for great campaign success with minimal wastage in hotel marketing.