Andrea LaRayne Etzel

08/08/2024

It’s National Lighthouse Day!

I thought it would be fun to create a nautical color palette using has inspiration.

Do you have a favorite lighthouse? A couple of my favorites are in Tybee Island & St. Augustine.

08/01/2024

NEW BLOG POST (Link in Comments)

Elevate Your Travel and Hospitality Brand with Professional Photography: A Guide to Solving Common Visual Challenges

Learn how brand photography can enhance your brand's identity, increase engagement, and convert your audience into more bookings and customer loyalty.

Pain points touched on in this blog

1. Inconsistent Visual Identity
2. Not owning your photography
3. Lack of Unique Content
4. Ineffective Use of Photography in Marketing
5. Difficulty in Capturing Authentic Guest Experiences
6. Time and Resource Constraints

Which of these points does your business feel the most?

Bonus! The Benefits of Travel & Hospitality Brand Photography

Investing in professional brand photography offers numerous benefits beyond addressing these pain points. High-quality visuals can:

- Enhance Brand Perception: Professionally taken photos convey a sense of quality and reliability, positively influencing how potential customers perceive your brand.

- Increase Engagement: Visually appealing content is more likely to be shared and engaged with on social media, extending your reach and attracting new customers.

- Boost SEO: Well-optimized images can improve your website's SEO, making it easier for potential clients to find your business online.

07/30/2024

We all need a support system beyond our family. Friends are people we've chosen to bring into our lives. They are our biggest cheerleaders, our ride-or-die, they know where all the bodies are buried, and keep us humble.

Even in business, you need friends. A core group of people who understand what you're going through. You build each other up, brainstorm, and sometimes (okay often) commiserate together about the challenges and frustrations.

Which makes celebrating each other's successes all that much sweeter.

If you're seeing this post, thank you for being a part of my crew.

Who is your person? Tag them below.

07/29/2024

Hi, I'm Andrea...

For the last 15 years, I've honed a well-rounded career in the travel and hospitality industry.

My start in tourism began working in the reservations office of a boutique hotel, and from there I went into the museum world. Then about a decade ago, I found my dream job - as a creative professional for a destination marketing organization. In this position, I've had the opportunity to utilize and grow my passion for photography, design, and publishing.

Now, I'm sharing what I've learned and paying forward what this industry continues to give me.

While much of the content I'll be sharing is specific to DMOs, restaurants, hotels, and other travel brands - it can be applied to other niches as well.

07/27/2024

Okay, where did July go? Better question, where did the summer go?

August begins next week, which means it's time to start planning, batching and scheduling content. I thought it would be helpful to give travel + hospitality brands some ideas to get the inspiration gears turning.

Four things not to miss in August:

1. August is Wellness Month - Wellness is a great theme and continues to trend high. Think about how you can use this topic in your content. One idea is to create a "Take Wellness Journey in (insert your destination." Include spas, retreat centers, quiet spots for meditation, yoga programs, and other wellness events.

2. Back to School - As summer draws to a close, families are looking for one last adventure. Create an end-of-summer itinerary for families with school-aged children.

4. Chef Appreciation Day | August 17 - Craft a thank you reel to local chefs in your community. If you're a restaurant, make a reel of team members thanking their chef.

4. World Photography Day | August 19 - A perfect opportunity to post a reel with your favorite photos of your destination. Don't forget to tag photographers. Another idea is to create a carousel post highlighting local photographers or photographers you work with.

Did you find this post helpful? Would you like to see one each month? If you use any of these ideas, I'd love to see the finished product - tag me or send me a DM.

02/01/2024

This is for Kansas communities! Kansas Department of Commerce just announced a grant for rural downtown buildings at risk of demolition or collapse.

I'm an advocate for saving and using our older buildings, versus letting them decay. A strong downtown is vital to a community's economic health & its citizens' quality of life.

$500,000 is being made available under the Emergency Response Historic Economic Asset Lifeline (Emergency HEAL) program to turn the tide on rural downtown buildings likely to face demolition or collapse.

Learn more here ➡️ https://bit.ly/3vZMHZ5