A new study from Expedia Media Solutions, the advertising sales division of Expedia, Inc., tracks content consumption and sharing patterns before, during and after a trip is booked to help marketers understand how, when and where travelers are seeking and sharing digital content, both travel and non-travel related. Among the findings:
Online travel spending and mobile travel content consumption is rising, but not replacing the PC, creating more opportunity for marketers to engage with travelers.
- Online content consumption is growing at a rapid pace, as consumers are spending 93% more time with online content than they did three years ago.
- Online travel spending is up 8% year-over-year (YoY).
- Total mobile travel minutes have increased by 45% YoY and PC travel minutes have increased by 2% YoY.
Content is available and being accessed by consumers across more platforms and channels than ever before and online travel agencies are an important source across all platforms and throughout all stages of the booking process.
- During the booking process, 26% of travel buyers were exposed to travel-related content on Facebook, with 23% exposed to paid content and nine percent exposed to organic.
- 28% of total travel minutes are consumed on mobile devices and 24% of travelers access travel content exclusively on their mobile devices.
- Online travel agencies are visited by 80% of travelers during the booking process and the average number of OTA visits during each phase exceeds that of any other category.
Different types of content resonate with and will be shared by consumers at specific points and on specific platforms throughout the content journey.
- 55% of travelers seek hotel and accommodation information, and it is the most commonly sought content across all decision stages when taking PC and mobile consumption into account. Information about weather/climate, airfare and activities follow at 46%, 45% and 42% respectively.
- Weather and climate information, followed by restaurant reviews, are most likely to be accessed on mobile, at 46% and 44%, respectively.
- Image content is used 37% of the time during the travel decision process, which is more than twice as much as videos, at only 18%.
- Upon return, 45% of travelers will post travel-related content on social media or write reviews.
- At 64%, social media photos are most likely to be published from a laptop, followed by smartphones at 45% and tablets at 16%.
“Rather than a linear path to purchase, the research and booking process of today’s traveler looks like an ongoing and multi-directional flight map, with each stop providing an opportunity for brands to reach and engage with travelers,” said Noah Tratt, global vice president of media solutions at Expedia, Inc. “At Expedia, we work with our partners to make sure they have the necessary knowledge and tools to develop effective marketing and advertising strategies that maps back to their business goals.”
To view the full study please visit: http://bit.ly/17fgWar.