Press Trips 102
Hi crew! It’s not Tuesday and I missed this week’s 101 post because I was running late on some book edits that came back.
So, we’re going to do something totally wacky and dive deeper into an existing topic I already covered on Wednesday in a 102 post, instead!
This week’s post is inspired by the recent press trip opportunity I shared, and pushback I got as to the meaning of a travel writer on a Threads post.
So let’s break down press trips a little further. Who goes on them? Who recruits for them? What is provided? What is expected?
For reference, you can read my Press Trips 101 post here.
Paid v. Unpaid Press Trips
The recent press trip opportunity I shared is by a representative for a PR agency. Past opportunities she shared had influencers commenting, irritated that the opportunity was unpaid. So in this post, she made clear to preempt those comments:
“Content creators are welcome on a trade basis. This is for US media only and is not a paid opportunity - this is a PRESS TRIP.”
Let’s break that down!
This particular agency is known for representing clients and hosting press trips all over the world at fantastic destinations.
The catch?
They don’t usually pay influencers. They focus on earned media, which you know per my 101 post that means traditional travel journalists with a record of being published in top-tier publications.
Travel journalists are usually paid by the media outlet, not the brand or destination that is the client of the PR firm.
This is why the post emphasized — “this is a PRESS TRIP.” Because traditionally, press trips are for members of the press, writing for digital or print magazines or newspapers.
As lines have blurred, and spots on press trips remain open, they have begun to consider content creators and bloggers who agree to the same terms — to be fully hosted in exchange for providing coverage on their site and/or channels. The PR rep then sells/likens the influencer’s reach to the reach of traditional media in lobbying to include them on the trip.
The term “press trip” can be used interchangeably with brand trip or sponsored trip — it means you’re hosted, fully or partially, and possibly paid (provided you’re an influencer or blogger, there is a budget for sponsored media, and you negotiate for payment).
Most full-time influencers, those over a certain follower count, or those with seniority and expertise in the field, require payment for contracted deliverables and usage rights. We talked about this and how payment is calculated in Pricing Your Influencer Services 101.
This is why, when they see a press trip opportunity, they get upset that it’s unpaid.
The fact is, different trips are appropriate for different people at different stages of their career for different reasons.
Ultimately, whether it’s a company policy or because the hands of a PR firm/destination/brand are tied because a budget has just not been allocated, there will still be creators interested in attending.
As someone who has been brought in as a ringer for last minute press trips more than once, the trip is going forward either way. Agencies/brands/destinations want the trip to be full to get the most bang and coverage for their hosting bucks.
It helps as a creator to know which PR agencies don’t usually have budget, which you get a feel for once you converse with a few.
What about bloggers?
Bloggers are a middle ground. They can consider themselves travel writers or influencers.
If they’re likening themselves to a travel journalist, then their blog should have enough traffic to rival the circulation of small and medium publications. They are an independent publishing outlet.
If they liken themselves to an influencer, they would use their blog metrics to support payment for sponsored blog posts, usually with set messaging and disclosures required. It’s up to the blogger the level of commercialization and monetization methods they want to use on their site.
How do you know if a destination works with bloggers, influencers, or journalists?
On their media contact page, you can tell by the language used.
For instance, if they say they’re open to hosting writers with confirmed assignments, you know they’re looking for journalists and earned media.
If they say they’re open to partnering with influencers, they’re looking for content creators and bloggers usually fall into this category as well. You might be paid or hosted, again depending on the budget.
If the money isn’t there, there’s not much you can do as a creator. Some places haven’t allocated money towards influencer marketing yet. They’re behind, of course, but everyone sees the value in a traditional magazine feature. Not everyone sees the value in an Instagram reel.
How can you stand out?
Your job is to 1) be clear on what you offer. If you can offer both traditional media coverage and coverage on your own site/channels/blogs, even better. You’re more in demand because you can offer coverage across multiple platforms.
And 2) convey the value in what you’re offering. If you’re pitching yourself as a writer, convey the value in hosting you even if you don’t have a confirmed assignment, because you have a stellar track record of placing articles and great relationships with editors.
If you’re pitching yourself as an influencer, convey the value in your platform and how it goes beyond a mention in passing to a series of dedicated content across platforms with proven reach and conversions. The benefit of running your own accounts is you have access to all that data.
I hope this provides more clarity around press trips! If you have questions, I’m hosting a free, live webinar next Friday, September 12th called “Press Trips and Beyond: How to Build a Profitable Travel Writer Career.”
Join us to get all your press trips answered and learn how to grow beyond hosted trips to a paid travel writing empire.