Leading digital travel experience provider GetYourGuide is building up its social media presence by hiring a full-time TikTok Content Creator dedicated to the platform. The move underscores the company’s belief that a robust TikTok strategy is key to boosting brand engagement, particularly among younger travelers.

Travel Giant GetYourGuide Bets Big On TikTok Despite Potential U.S. Ban

“We’re on the hunt for a US-based, TikTok-savvy content creator. Someone who’s just as comfortable in front of the camera as they are behind the scenes producing on-brand, TikTok-first content that entertains, inspires, and maybe goes a lil bit viral,” GetYourGuide posted on LinkedIn.

The decision comes as companies across industries await the outcome of the recently voted U.S. bill that could ban TikTok over national security concerns. While GetYourGuide did not respond to questions about the controversial legislation, Chief Marketing Officer Emil Martinsek shed light on the rationale behind the new role.

“TikTok is very much [an] entertainment channel,” Martinsek told PhocusWire. “You need someone who really understands that [to be] working with you very closely, both to help guide your creator community but also [to help] guide you internally on how to think about that and leverage that.”

The TikTok Content Creator is part of GetYourGuide’s multifaceted approach to social media marketing, which also includes managing an 8,000-member proprietary creator community and working with influencers like Corporate Natalie and Matt James.

Madeline List, Senior Research Analyst at Phocuswright, a travel market research company, sees potential in the move, noting that 35% of travelers aged 18 to 34 use TikTok to help decide what activities to partake in during their journeys. 

“A TikTok specialist on a content creation team is likely expected to have a close ear to the ground on understanding content tastes of Gen Z or younger millennials,” List said.

However, she pointed out that the immediate return on investment (ROI) might be limited given the $84,000 to $93,000 salary range for the role. “In the near term, do I think the ROI of the TikTok content will justify the salary of the role? Probably not … but the company is likely viewing it in the context of a broader marketing strategy.”

As noted by Brennen Bliss, CEO of travel-focused digital marketing agency Propellic, tracking the ROI of influencer marketing remains “incredibly hard, if not impossible.” Still, he recognized the potential long-term impact of such efforts, given traveling’s “visual purchasing journey” aspect.

GetYourGuide’s social media presence is already well-established, with over 444,000 followers on Instagram and 35,800 on TikTok. The newest addition is expected to bridge the company’s creator community management team and its organic social media team, assuming the role of a “phenomenal storyteller” who can effectively manage GetYourGuide’s TikTok community.

Martinsek emphasized the importance of having an in-house expert who deeply understands the company’s customers and experiences. “It’s hard for an agency to represent you as a brand effectively. … They don’t know our customer and our experience operators as well as we do.”

While GetYourGuide currently produces most of its content in-house, Martinsek acknowledged the need for specialized expertise on TikTok. “What do we know about creating TikTok videos? We know a little bit, but we figured there are a lot of really creative people out there who know more.”