Introduction to advertising and press with Great Zimbabwe Guide Travel Blog

• Background: Great Zimbabwe Guide is an independent travel blog based in the UK, giving practical information and inspiration about Zimbabwe travel. The website was founded by Beth, who was raised in Zimbabwe, now lives in the UK, and is a regular Zim visitor. There are also some fantastic guest writers who contribute to the site. The website (and the associated social media pages) is a passion project, to provide honest information on this often misunderstood country.
• Audience: The majority of readers of the Great Zimbabwe Guide website are in the UK. The majority of our social followers are in Zimbabwe. Our primary audiences are in the UK, Zimbabwe, USA, South Africa and Australia.
• Interests: Great Zimbabwe Guide is aimed at people interested in Zimbabwe travel; both international visitors and Zimbabwean locals. The brand has a long-standing and loyal base of readers with an active interest in safaris, family travel, wildlife, adventure travel and culture.
• Collaborations: We do not receive external investment, or have stakeholders to cover our time or technical expenses. We do not use irrelevant and annoying pop-up ads. However, we do work with carefully chosen brands in order to contribute towards the costs of running of the website.
• Ethos: We are transparent about collaborations. We insist on being independent and ethical so that our readers continue to see GZG as a trustworthy source of information on Zimbabwe.

Q: What is Influencer Collaboration in SEO?

A: Influencer Collaboration in SEO is a strategy where brands partner with social media influencers/bloggers to create or promote content. The purpose is to improve search engine visibility, generate high-quality backlinks, and reach a wider audience through the blogger’s social media platforms.

Q: Does Influencer Collaboration in SEO really work?

A: Yes, when done correctly, Influencer Collaboration in SEO can be a highly effective strategy. It taps into the influencer’s established audience, which can lead to increased website traffic, improved SEO, and higher brand visibility.

Why collaborate with Great Zimbabwe Guide Travel Blog?

By partnering with us (GZG), you can get significant PR value and interest in your business – our readers trust us and are already interested in Zimbabwe travel, safaris, family travel, wildlife, adventure travel and culture.

• Authentic and credible content
  • Did you know that 82% of consumers are highly likely to follow a recommendation by a micro–influencer (such as GZG), compared to 73% who are highly likely to act on a recommendation from an average person? (source)
  • Readers often trust blogs or influencers (rather than faceless/corporate tour companies) to give them reputable advice, and this is especially relevant when potential clients are choosing a holiday or looking for travel advice.
  • Around 90% of customers say authenticity is essential in deciding which brands to follow and support (source).
  • With a history dating back to 2010, Great Zimbabwe Guide is in a position of credibility and influence in our field.
  • We have the experience and ability to create high quality, authentic content: a powerful tool for your brand to build connections with your customer base.
  • Nano-influencers like us have higher engagement rates than more prominent influencers, because we have more time to interact with our followers and respond to comments, helping us build a loyal and engaged audience.
  • Working with us allows your brand to leverage this high level of engagement and connect with your target audience meaningfully.
• Tap into trust
  • Audiences trust us because because they see us as experts in our niche and we because have built our following organically.
  • We have followers who are friends, peers, and family – leading to even more trust in our recommendations.
  • 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family above all other advertising – reason enough for your brand to collaborate with a nano-influencer such as GZG.
  • We can help your brand tap into this high level of trust and build brand awareness by showing that your brand is engaged with the community and knowledgeable about our niche.
• Reach your target market
  • Our audience follows us because they have an interest in topics related to Zimbabwe travel. They are looking for content related to safaris, wildlife, adventure travel and culture.
  • As a nano-influencer in our field, this makes us a great choice to reach a niche audience (according to Inscence).
  • If travel-related African content aligns with your brand, our audience will be a good fit for you. This is the way to reach them! 
  • We can also give you feedback about general trends of opinions relating to your brand.
• Context and depth
  • A blog article or social media post can provide details and personal recommendation, offering much more value than just an advert.
  • Our style of content is more authentic and resonates better with our audience, but it also enables us to craft content that is aligned with your brand’s SEO strategy.
  • Our content include blog posts, social media posts, videos, newsletters, and more.
• New customers and image improvement
  • According to a recent Facebook for Business survey, 83% of respondents say that branded Instagram content helps them to discover new products and services (source).
  • We have the ability to attract new visitors, or improve perceptions of previous customers about your brand.
• Cost-effective and efficient
  • With content production being expensive, we help you to cut costs because the production of content is handled by ourselves.
• Multi-platform exposure
  • Boost your current platforms of exposure: we provide a number of additional outlets of information about your brand.
  • Not only are we on Instagram and Facebook: our website is highly ranked on Google, and our email newsletter has a high click rate. We also have Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and TikTok accounts. That means we have many additional platforms on which to share content.
  • We are different to influencers who are only on social media: our website ranking in our niche adds an additional platform for audiences to connect with your brand. Moreover, our website is easily searchable.
• Web traffic, SEO and social media improvement
  • Our content is strategically crafted and is shared on multiple online platforms to generate high-quality backlinks to your brand’s website.
  • These backlinks, along with the use of relevant keywords and SEO techniques, improve your brand’s ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs).
• Longevity
  • If choosing to publish a blog article on our website, it will be fully searchable on GreatZimbabweGuide.com, and readers will be able to search for it online, and view it, for as long as the site exists, attracting customers to your brand for years to come.
  • This website presence increases organic searches: readers can continue to Google and share the URL or the blog article. Social media posts can be transitory and get lost after initial publication.
• Specificity
  • We can highlight a new feature or specific selling point: you can let us know what specifically you would like readers to know about your brand at this stage of your business.
• Mainstream press coverage opportunities
  • Our Editor, Beth, is also a freelance travel writer, and there are opportunities for her to include partners in her articles for mainstream websites, magazines and newspapers.

If you represent a brand and you’d like to approach us, feel free to send a private message to the email address on the Contact page, or DM the Great Zimbabwe Guide Facebook page.

We’d be happy to send you our media kit. Some of the options for brand partnerships are below.

Advertising and press collaborations with Great Zimbabwe Guide

There are a number of press (PR) opportunities available with carefully selected brand partners, as follows.

1. Content generated by us (UGC)

• This content is created by us at GZG and can be one or all of the following:
  • Full-length blog articles published on the GZG website, written and photographed by us (usually Editor Beth).
  • Social media posts and photos (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest)
  • Social media videos/reels (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube)
  • Email newsletter article to our subscribers
• This content is sponsored by your brand at a fee agreed privately in advance, after discussion about the topics and goals of the content.
• Here is an example of a sponsored post written in collaboration with Victoria Falls Safari Lodge.
• Previous sponsored posts include collaborations with Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, Spurwing Island, Mavhuradonha Kopje Tops, Wild Horizons, Kariba Ferries and Mbizi Game Park.

2. Advertisements on our website

• This content is created by your brand team in the form of an image.
• The image is usually placed in the sidebar area of www.GreatZimbabweGuide.com.
• The advert is hyperlinked to your brand’s website.
• Fees and specifications are available on request.

3. Content generated by your brand

• This content is created by your brand team, usually in the form of a blog article and photos.
• The article will be published on the GZG website, but parts of it can also be published on:
  • Social media posts
  • Social media video reel
  • Email newsletter
• The article is written on a topic relevant to readers of the website.
• The article is published for a specified fee.
• Here is an example of a promotional post written in collaboration with ManaPools.com.
• Previous promotional posts include collaborations with ManaPools.com, African Budget Safaris and Enchanting Travels.

Giveaways and competition partnerships are also welcome. We may also discuss affiliate links if they are a right fit.

You can see our previous articles written in collaboration with industry partners here.

If you’d like to request a media kit, or ask about pricing, please send an email using the address on the Contact page.

Great Zimbabwe Guide will always reveal sponsorships and advertisements to readers – standards of transparency are a key part of this site’s ethos. When choosing marketing partners, our top priorities are that the companies provide excellent service, have a strong reputation and that they are easily contactable via email and telephone.

Affiliates

Like 99% of websites, I am an affiliate for some of the products that I link to on this site. If readers choose to purchase items via my links I may earn a commission at no extra cost to the reader. I carefully select products that are a right fit.

Affiliate links are necessary because they contribute valuable cents towards the running of this site at no extra cost to the reader. Journalistic transparency is a key part of this site’s ethos, and as such I am transparent about sponsorship with my valued readers.

I am part of the Amazon, Awin and CJ affiliate programs. If you would like to discuss affiliation please contact me on the platforms mentioned above.