Foxhills and the Power of Influencer Partnerships

By Josh Abbott, Director of Marketing, Foxhills

Influencer Marketing has been part of the Marketer’s toolkit for a few years now. To a large extent it is the current version of journalists’ Fam Trips, but it will always attract some scepticism that these influencers are just chancers trying to get a free hotel stay!

The other side of the argument is that ‘independent’ photos, videos and reviews of your hotel are considered more credible to today’s savvy traveller.

The Manor House, Foxhills

Should Influencers be part of your Marketing Strategy?

Below, read the view of Josh Abbott the Director of Marketing at Foxhills and an advocate of influencer partnerships.

The Context of Influencer Marketing

As influencers continue to be questioned, I am still a big advocate… as long as they are complementing your other marketing activity. Here at Foxhills, we believe in a rounded approach to marketing with each campaign including elements of organic social media, paid social media, PR, influencer marketing, as well as print advertising.

In today’s digital age, social media has become a pivotal marketing tool for hotels and influencer collaborations are a key part of our strategy. However, not all influencer visits translate into commercial success. At Foxhills, we take a strategic and data-driven approach to evaluating influencer partnerships to ensure they align with our brand values and deliver real results.

User Generated Content (UGC) is king at the moment! People relate to people! Influencer videos are far more engaged and interacted with than slick professional videos. People want to see your venue from other’s perspective and see their authentic experience. They give credibility and trust – their followers listen to their opinion and their endorsement can prove invaluable. We’re seeing much better performance from third-party storytelling rather than promotional posts and have therefore shifted our organic social strategy to ‘create desire’ and our PPC to ‘close the deal’.

Influencers can create content that can be shared/repurposed across other marketing platforms and channels. With the growth of short-form content across all platforms, influencers can be a great way to capture short videos that showcase your property which is suited for TikTok, Instagram and even Facebook.

Influencers introduce Foxhills to new (and sometimes niche) audiences, increasing visibility and brand recognition. They are great for storytelling and highlighting/showcasing unique aspects that we may not be able to get across in other advertising.

We split influencers into the different areas of the business – golf, wellness (spa/yoga), fitness (gym), hotel (travel), afternoon tea/restaurant (foodie/dining). This allows for more precise targeting than traditional advertising methods. Try to get specific influencers for each area rather than them trying to do too much in their visit! Influencers are a great way to build hype around a new offering/service! New spa treatments, new restaurant concept etc.

Influencer events are a fantastic way to create immersive content and then a steady stream of ‘hype’ after the event. Host an intimate FAM trip of around six to eight influencers all with specific theme in mind – ‘wellness weekend’ etc. Getting influencers together also encourages better content as they help each other with ideas and shooting.

Influencers can be a cost-effective marketing strategy if you get it right. These collaborations often provide higher engagement and brand awareness than traditional advertising at little to no cost. Ultimately, influencer marketing in hospitality is an evolving landscape. By taking a strategic, thoughtful approach, hotels can leverage influencers effectively to enhance brand visibility and drive tangible business results.

Platforms

Instagram continues to lead the way for us although we have now launched TikTok as we couldn’t ignore the stat that 60% of Gen-Z’s use TikTok as their preferred choice of search engine. Instagram remains a powerful platform for aspirational travel/lifestyle content and storytelling, particularly through high-quality imagery, reels and stories. TikTok, on the other hand, has skyrocketed in influence, with short-form authentic video content driving huge engagement and organic reach. We also see value in LinkedIn for engaging with corporate audiences and have been dabbling in CGC (Colleague Generated Content) which I am expecting to be a huge trend in 2025.

Setting expectations and KPIs 

When assessing whether an influencer visit would benefit Foxhills, we look at a mix of quantitative and qualitative metrics. Engagement rates, audience demographics, past collaborations and the overall authenticity of an influencer’s content are all factors we weigh up carefully. A high follower count alone is not enough - genuine interaction with their audience is what truly drives impact.

While follower count is a useful baseline, it’s not the ultimate deciding factor. We typically look for influencers with at least 10,000 followers for niche or micro-influencers and significantly higher for those with broader appeal. However, engagement rates (ideally 3-5% or higher), content quality and audience alignment with our target market (luxury travellers, wellness seekers and golf enthusiasts) are just as important.

It's not just about numbers, creative output is equally valuable. A smaller influencer with a highly engaged, loyal audience can be more impactful than someone with a massive following but little interaction. Content quality, storytelling ability and the potential for a long-term relationship are all key factors. A beautifully crafted video can have a longer shelf life than a single Instagram post, making creativity a crucial consideration.

Make sure that you do your research to ensure:

A) They are suitable for your brand and align with your values and how you want to be perceived

B) Don’t just look at followers! Followers can be bought – deep-dive into engagement – comments and likes

Set clear expectations and deliverables. Your product is valuable! If you’re giving out free stays etc, work out what this would get you in paid media spend! Probably a lot! Make sure you’re getting the value of your stay in return. Whether you give them a specific number of stories, reels or grid posts during their stay, make sure they deliver on what was agreed. It’s always fun to set a challenge/KPI with them too. How many likes do they think they can get? Etc. Establish contracts that outline content requirements and timelines so each party knows exactly what to expect.

A concern many businesses have is the potential lack of control over content messaging. My tip is to give the influencers everything you can to avoid this! Provide them with key messages, brand guidelines and desired hashtags, but make sure you still encourage authentic storytelling and allow them the creative freedom to put together content that resonates! They know their followers better than anyone so trust them to deliver – it benefits them too!

Measuring influencer impact 

Monitor and measure! Work with the influencer to keep track of their analytics such as engagement rates. Keep an eye on follower growth, a spike in bookings/enquiries and website hit growth during the period that the content is published. It’s important that you can monitor the success of the campaign. Also, make sure you are gathering feedback from the influencers so you can adjust accordingly for future campaigns, particularly if the content doesn’t take off as you hoped.

Influencer marketing is very much a brand-building exercise. It’s hard to measure ROI as they don’t always have a direct link to sales, however, we always see significant growth in social media following and engagement after a successful influencer visit.

Opportunistic influencers

There is a challenge of distinguishing genuine partnerships from opportunistic requests…

We are fortunate in our industry that we quite often don’t have to pay influencers – as we can offer them a luxury experience in return. We try and push this as much as possible although are prepared to pay for the right opportunity if their audience is aligned with our target market and their content matches our brand aesthetic. Make sure that the influencer campaigns are helping you achieve an overall business/marketing objective. Whether you’re looking for more couples or families to visit the hotel or boost afternoon tea bookings – make sure that the influencer you choose to work with has the right target audience/demographics and previous content that aligns.

Be proactive, not reactive! If you’re an ‘Instagrammable’ or luxury property then you’ll be inundated with requests from people that consider themselves influencers, some not for the right reasons! Seek out partnerships that benefit both parties rather than freebies!

Like many hotels, we do receive opportunistic influencers looking for complimentary stays or experiences without offering substantial value in return. It’s important to vet requests carefully and look beyond surface-level metrics. If an influencer can’t demonstrate a history of meaningful engagement or a clear case for ROI, it’s unlikely to be a worthwhile collaboration.

Micro or Macro?

We have become more selective in our approach to influencer collaborations. We now prioritise micro-influencers and content creators who match our aesthetic and audience rather than simply chasing large followings. The trend is shifting towards deeper, more meaningful partnerships that emphasise quality over quantity.

We do, however, still have a blended approach between micro influencers and macro influencers – both are important! It’s important that you have a regular consistent flow, as you would with any other type of content strategy. Keep the excitement building! Big influencers to launch the campaign and then micro-influencers to re-enforce the messaging. We tend to aim for three to four influencer visits per month.

One of the best things we have done is foster long-term relationships with our influencers. An ongoing partnership and relationship not only leads to better content but also creates sustained brand advocacy as they become ambassadors – and even more passionate about your property. We regularly engage with a number of influencers by giving them exclusive offers, invites to events and first-to-know information! Make them feel valued and part of the team!

Conclusions

Influencer Marketing can be a valuable promotional tool, but to produce benefits that outweigh the time and indirect cost involved, some basic principles of Marketing need to be followed, such as clarification of your potential target audience, the segments for which you wish to drive business, the brand values that need reflecting & the results you expect to produce. And just as you would expertly analyse which media to use, so you should carefully investigate which influencers are ‘best fit’ for your business.

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