Practical guide · Hotels
Which mistakes should you avoid in a UGC collaboration?
By the Séjournée editorial team · Sources checked on · Updated on · Published on
UGC collaboration problems often begin with an unclear requirement or incomplete organisation. Better equipment cannot fix a closed restaurant, insufficient rights or four reviewers requesting contradictory edits.
Hotels can address these issues before confirming the stay. The following mistakes have practical fixes within your control.
Commissioning “content” without deciding its use
“Show the hotel’s atmosphere” leaves too many decisions unresolved.
Specify the audience, message, channel and intended next step. A video explaining late arrival requires different preparation from a homepage brand film.
Fix: write one sentence connecting the content to a traveller’s question. Translate it into scenes and deliverables.
Buying audience when you need files
Follower count can dominate selection even when nobody intends to commission a post on the creator’s account.
The reverse also happens: a team expects access to an audience without including any creator posting in the assignment.
Fix: separate production and distribution in the quotation. The UGC versus advertising guide explains the distinction.
Confirming dates before checking access
A terrace booked for an event or a room allocated to another guest can make the proposed programme impossible.
Creators should not discover these constraints after travelling.
Fix: use the hotel preparation checklist with an owner for each space and an agreed alternative.
Adding requests without acknowledging a scope change
“While you are here, film our other three suites” can sound minor. It still requires additional preparation, filming and potentially editing.
Fix: record the change and its effect on pricing, deliverables and timing. Clarity protects both parties.
Do not assume an additional scene is free just because the creator is already on the property.
Sending fragmented feedback
Management wants a slower pace, marketing wants faster editing and reception wants another piece of practical information. Separate comments can contradict each other.
Fix: consolidate feedback, include timestamps and distinguish required corrections from preferences.
| Difficult feedback | Actionable feedback |
|---|---|
| It does not feel premium | Remove the storage-area shot at 00:12, outside the brief |
| Nothing is clear | Identify the room category in the opening shot |
| The music is wrong | Suggest a track licensed for the agreed uses |
| Something is missing | The balcony scene listed in the brief is absent |
These examples are fictional. A late preference does not automatically become a contractual defect.
Checking rights only when the campaign is ready
Perfect files may still lack permission for paid advertising or use across a hotel group.
Fix: review the hotel usage-rights guide before signing. In France, the scope of assigned rights is addressed by Article L131-3 of the Intellectual Property Code.
Do not assume every music track available in an app is licensed for commercial campaigns.
Publishing a misleading experience
Content can mislead when an exceptional suite is presented as the normal room or a paid extra appears to be universally included.
A creator-published collaboration should not masquerade as a spontaneous review.
Fix: check factual statements, offer conditions and disclosures. The French Ministry of Economy outlines influencer duties.
Correct the underlying claim rather than adding a vague disclaimer that viewers are unlikely to understand.
Leaving the content unused
Delivery is not distribution. Without an owner, placement and date, videos can remain in a folder indefinitely.
Fix: plan the first uses before the stay, then check the asset and rights at publication.
Evaluate not only how many files arrived, but how many were actually used for the intended purpose.
A ten-minute pre-confirmation check
Review five points: objective, deliverables, access, rights and approval.
Resolve any uncertainty before the creator travels. This short review is often more useful than a long debate about style after filming is complete.
Frequently asked questions
Which mistake can be particularly expensive?
An essential scene that cannot be filmed may require a return visit. Confirm access, space availability and the brief before the creator travels.
Can the brief change during the stay?
Yes, if both parties agree on the change and its consequences. An additional request does not automatically become an included revision.
How many people should approve the videos?
Several colleagues can contribute internally, but appoint one person to consolidate feedback and resolve contradictions before replying to the creator.
What if the delivered videos are unsuitable?
Compare them with the agreement, identify specific discrepancies and follow the agreed revision or resolution process. Separate non-conformity from a new requirement.