Some Travel Companies Just Get It! Uptake.com
With so much focus on technology and innovation, its nice to see a web company launch something as simple and effective as a good blog site. Granted I can say its a simple technological solution because I know how these things work. That said, the real work in launching something like the Uptake Blog Network involves a good strategy, a lot of grunt work, great writers, good content, and good relationships. The result is an interconnected mass of content that covers almost every aspect of travel and will have a tangible impact on the search engine friendliness of the site, not to mention some great reading for customers. I really like the concept of the blog network because:
1. It shows that a blog strategy can work in a corporate context and more specifically in the travel space. The blog itself is written by 29 contributors and has 5 editors, which is a pretty big team, covering subjects including hotels, vacations, things to do, restaurants, and dozens of destinations. There is a mix of perspectives, styles, and content.
2. The brand lends itself well to advice. Although this network is new, I can see it being an immediate success simply because the Uptake brand is based on unbiased travel information. If Uptake were a travel agency, then the advice may be seen as sales speak.
3. They went BIG instead of going home. Seriously, most companies would probably start with one blog that gave them the opportunity to get their feet wet and maybe guage customer reaction is a safe environment. If it didn’t work, then hey, no big loss. Uptake, on the other hand, has jumped into the icy waters in their underwear and said “What the hell, let’s go for it!”. I have to give them credit for that.
4. The Content is really good! What can I say, content is king in this game and if you want your readers to come back, then you have to give them the good stuff. I really enjoy reading the Industry blog and the fact that Elliot is a big social media nut helps a lot too.
Great work Uptake.com. Now you’ve set the bar that much higher for everyone else.
