Local and Niche Outlets for Travel and Hospitality: Growing Both Sides of a Marketplace

A travel marketplace has two audiences to win at once: the people who book, and the people who list. They care about different things, and they are rarely reached by the same message. This is how one campaign used two kinds of outlets to speak to both.

The situation

Hipcamp started as a booking platform for campsites. In the early 2020s, the company set out to expand into lodging. That meant two goals at the same time:

• Bring new travelers onto the platform
• Recruit hosts to list their lodging accommodations

Their team got in touch with Greater Wave to run campaigns across both local outlets and niche outlets.

Two kinds of outlets, two jobs

We split the work by what each type of outlet does best.

Why the combination worked

Niche outlets gave the campaign scale with the right kind of person: someone who follows cabin and travel content is already in the market for a place to stay. Giveaways gave that audience a reason to engage and to check out the platform.

Local outlets added something niche outlets can’t. A traveler is more likely to act on a getaway a short drive from home. A property owner is more likely to consider listing when the message is about their own area. Localized messaging made the same campaign feel personal on both sides of the marketplace.

The takeaway: interest and location are not an either-or choice. Niche outlets find the people who care. Local outlets make the message feel like it was written for them.

Is your brand a fit?

This approach tends to work best for travel and hospitality brands when:

• You need to reach both guests and hosts, or both customers and suppliers
• Your offering is tied to places people can picture themselves going
• You have something worth giving away: a stay, a credit, a first booking offer

If that sounds like your brand, reach out and we’ll put together outlet options for your markets and interests.