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Mission Control / Digital Marketing

4 User-Generated Content Campaigns We Love

Harness the content your visitors are already creating. Bonus: It’s candid, insightful and free.

A woman with long blonde hair and a red cap sits in a white kayak on a serene blue lake, facing away and stretching her arms behind her head. Majestic, tree-covered mountains with steep peaks rise in the background under a clear sky.

Your visitors want an authentic view of your experiences. They don’t want you to tell them that your summer bonfires are perfect for stargazing, or that your Moscow mule is the best in the city. Why? They want real people to show them what’s really possible in your city or your hotel.

And that’s why user-generated content — whether words, images or videos — works. Hotels, brands and CVBs can harness the content visitors are already posting on social media with a dedicated hashtag or media management tools. These genuine glimpses into your property or destination are candid, insightful and free.

It’s one less social media or blog post your team has to write. Instead, it’s up to you to curate the best of the best (which is usually more fun anyway). Below, see a few of our favorite UGC campaigns — and why they work.


1. The Ritz-Carlton: #RCmemories

Why it works: The Ritz-Carlton’s user-sourced photos are front and center on its Journey into The Ritz-Carlton homepage. But what’s especially cool: The content hub dynamically leverages visitor images for its separate categories. Food & Drink filters in sexy cocktail shots and fresh food photography straight from the source, while Real Weddings provides inspirational imagery that further establish its properties as desirable wedding destinations.


2. Airbnb: Things to Do

Why it works: Airbnb has turned some of its most popular city pages into content hubs — and they aren’t writing any of the content. For example, Boston visitors can browse user-recommended restaurants, bars, museums, parks and more (with a convenient searchable map), which are all pulled from hosts’ guidebooks. Users are planning their trip (a Google search of “Things to do in Boston” lands Airbnb’s guide on the first page), then booking accommodations.


3. Explore Minnesota: #onlyinMN

Why it works: The Only in Minnesota campaign is a multi-sensory experience. Site visitors first can easily categories the site by season — always a smart move for CVBs — then scroll through an engaging mix of photos, videos and gifs. But the content marketing magic happens when you click on an image (we’re partial to this cute Bernedoodle, obviously), and you’re served up a relevant article: 6 Minnesota Hikes and Breweries You and Your Dog Will Love. A+ curation.

A collage of eight wedding images shows various ceremonies and decorations. Scenes include beachfront setups, garden ceremonies, indoor receptions, and couples posing. The text "#RCMEMORIES" is overlayed on the left side.
Screenshot of an Airbnb search page for "Boston - Things to do." Listed are three recommendations: 1. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, with a description and 286 locals say it’s good. 2. Fenway Park, with a description and 289 locals say it’s good. 3. Boston Common with a description.
A black, white, and brown dog with a blue collar and tag sits on a rocky shore. In the background, there's a body of water and a lighthouse perched on a cliff, surrounded by greenery. The sky is overcast.

4. Camp Wandawega: Instagram

Why it works: Camp Wandawega has become a hot spot for vacationers, brands and entertainers alike. And who better to populate the Wisconsin getaway’s Instagram than professional photographers? Camp Wandawega’s bio says it best: “This feed is fueled by the creative community we share it with.” Scroll through the camp’s social media to see curated images from Free People, Anthropologie, The Land of Nod, Trunk Club, Ural Motorcycles and more.

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