Driving a 5900% increase in traffic for a household name in the travel industry

A great content marketing strategy can take you places

Travel Magazine has been around for decades. In the 90s, you’ve probably seen a copy or two floating around your local dentist office or, more fittingly, at most travel agencies in the US.

But somewhere between dial-up internet and the first iPhone, the magazine lost its footing in the physical world. A shift to digital content was necessary but never fully realized. Travel Magazine never managed to capture the readership it had in its glory days, but in 2019, the call was made that it was now or never. Management decided to give Travel Magazine one more go.

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Interviewing content marketing agencies

If the magazine was going to relive its glory days, one thing was certain. The platform needed to connect great content with an audience of younger, discerning travelers. To do this, the team at Travel Magazine looked to an outside content marketing agency for support.

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The meeting

We first met with Lyndsey North, President of Travel Magazine in October of 2019. She was interviewing multiple agencies, trying to find the right fit for the successful, nationally recognized publication to help it fully transition to an online platform. We provided work examples and discussed a digital strategy that we believed would accelerate readership, brand recognition, and revenue at Travel Magazine. After our meeting, we heard back from Lyndsey and began working together shortly thereafter.

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Defining a new content marketing strategy

Developing a new content strategy for a publication like Travel Magazine was no small feat. We analyzed past campaigns and performance, surveyed the brand’s existing audience, and built a plan to target new readers and advertisers. We revamped the website, placed a large emphasis on search engine optimization (SEO), and took on the role of Editor of Travel Magazine.

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The work begins

As the acting Editor, we wrote, edited, and solicited contributor articles from travel writers around the globe.

We set up a content calendar that was informed by in-depth SEO research, established a publishing cadence for both our in-house and contributor teams, built a custom CMS for authors, developed design templates, distribution channels, a paid promotion strategy for social media, and reporting metrics so we could stay on target.

Our team’s tasks have expanded to manage the Travel Magazine newsletter, social media channels, and to embark on Travel Magazine’s biggest rebrand in company history.

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The rebrand

After successfully demonstrating our growth capabilities, Travel Magazine trusted Something Great to conduct a complete rebrand in November, 2023. We surveyed Travel Magazine’s existing audience, met with key stakeholders at the company, and designed a website, logo, and brand package to clearly demonstrate that Travel Magazine is here to help you go boldly.

The project wrapped in 45 days with the launch of the new website.

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The return

To date, we’ve published over 1,000 pieces of content for Travel Magazine and counting, and our SEO strategy has paid dividends for the brand.

The website has gone from roughly 5,000 visitors per month to over 300,000 visitors per month, with a list of advertising partners secured over six months in advance. We’ve helped Travel Magazine grow from a small digital publication to a sustainable, profitable business with a carefully laid out and well-executed content strategy.

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Now that’s something great.

When you’re ready for your next trip, head to Travel Magazine and give one of our guides a read. Tell them Something Great sent you.