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Mancation 101: Planning an Awesome Influencer Trip

Picture of Kristina Zelisko Kristina Zelisko : May 12, 2014

I was lucky enough to host six amazing and vastly different guys on a recent influencer trip to a truly special place (that I’m also proud to call a client) - Travaasa Austin. #ManSkills was the name of the game, and I, well, I was lacking in that department. However, my #WomanSkills did come in handy, which, along with the help of a wonderful team, allowed me to plan the Ultimate Mancation. Here a few tips for planning and hosting your next influencer trip:

Do Your Research

Handpicking the group you want to take on a trip is very important. Not only should you fully look into the content they create, the audience they speak to and their levels of engagement, you should also have a feel for their personalities from the way they present themselves and other brands on their blog and social channels. The group on this trip instantly bonded, which allowed great camaraderie throughout the trip. When I arrived, they were already on the terrace tasting whiskey and eating a delicious meal. Yes, bromances were formed.

Organization is Key

There are a lot of moving parts when planning a group trip, from the property’s involvement to planning everyone’s travel to the trip itinerary to all of the minor and major details from the agency’s side. Every detail matters, and it will show in the end with a seamless execution of the trip.

Engage with the Influencers

Before, during and after. You invited them to share a wonderful experience with their audience, so share it with your audience as well. If you create a hashtag, make sure you actually use it and engage with it. One fabulous dude on the trip said so many brands create hashtags, and then he never sees them engage with it. So how is that helping your brand? A hashtag is not always required; you don't need to create one for the sake of having one. Make sure there is strategy behind it.

Diversity is a Wonderful Thing

Every guy I met was inspirational and unique, and each had so many stories to tell about where he have traveled, what he's seen, whom he's met and everything in between. There were a lot of laughs, a lot of crazy moments and the booze was definitely flowing. The greatest part was everyone was so willing to try everything throughout the trip, and they each brought different levels of expertise and knowledge to share with the group. All in all, I’d say my first influencer trip was a success. Crazy adventures, cooking classes, tequila tastings, challenge courses and of course time at the spa. Sounds like a pretty great Mancation to me! If you want to see for yourself, you can follow along as these six guys hone their #ManSkills during #ManMonth (June) on Travaasa Austin’s social channels. I promise it will leave you wanting to take a Mancation. - Kristina Zelisko ( @kzelisko)

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