Being a travel agent is not a simple job at all. You need to keep a number of elements in consideration, such as transport, hotels, amenities, activity bookings, and much more. So, it can sometimes be easy to overlook one of the most important aspects of any business, i.e., the marketing.
If you don’t market your services well, then no one will really know about or book you. This means that no matter how well-planned and excellent your trips are, people won’t get to know about them. Your aim should be to offer amazing services and also get the word out about them. Here are seven ways you must incorporate for this purpose.
Posters and imagery
Make a series of travel posters for the various destinations you offer. These should include highly attractive images, along with details of the tours you have available. Add the dates, itinerary and a price range to these posters. Also make sure you have the link to your booking forms and contact information on these posters.
Put up these posters on your online marketing platforms, and also print them out. Then, place them in prominent locations around your area. Talk to local business proprietors and have them put up a few posters on their premises as well. Target businesses such as sports stores and other areas travel enthusiasts frequent.
Professional partnerships
Speaking of businesses, you can really amp up your marketing success if you have partnerships with related companies. For example, you can work with local transport facilities or hotels to come up with exclusive discounts and deals for your customers. Reach out to businesses such as hotels, cafes, equipment rentals, and others to create packages for your customers.
This will not only help you appeal to your customers, but also build a strong network for future collaborations. As a travel agent, such links are necessary and let you market each other’s services as well.
Social media marketing
Social media is often the top performer when it comes to marketing. This is why so many companies pour their resources into decent social media campaigns. Try to stand out with some fun messaging, and make sure your social media profiles are immediately identifiable. So, work on your brand identity, and set a tone for your social media marketing.
Once you have a tone and template in place, then make sure you post about your services and destinations regularly. Also add in testimonials, videos, and behind-the-scenes glimpses. All of this will humanize your agency and encourage people to engage with you.
Loyalty programs
It is ideal if your customers make you their go-to travel agent for all their trips. So, you need to incentivize them to do this. A loyalty program is a great way to increase your base of regular customers. So, offer extras and discounts to people who book their trips with you more than once.
In addition, make sure you have their details and preferences on record. Send them personalized trip recommendations, complete with some fun deals thrown in. Most people would love it if they don’t have to book a new travel agent for each of their trips, so you’re likely to succeed in this strategy, just make sure your services are stellar.
Customer testimonials
When your services are stellar and you have regular customers, you can easily get some great customer testimonials. So, talk to your customers and have them share their positive experiences with you either in written or video form.
Then, share these testimonials on social media, your website, and other platforms. When people look for a travel agent, they do go through reviews and testimonials, so make sure you encourage your customers to post them.
SEO marketing
This is one of the most necessary aspects of your marketing efforts as a travel agent. So, try to optimize your ranking and answer questions people may be asking related to your niche. Keyword stuffing is well out of fashion, so offer valuable information.
Share this information in a blog on your website, and share it on your social media pages as well. In addition, optimize your website for mobile viewers as well. Most people use their mobiles to book tours and trips, so your website should be easy to use.
Email marketing
Last, but not least, email marketing is not something you should ignore. Run email campaigns around each busy season, and segment your email lists in advance. This will help you reel in new customers, and bring old customers back into the net.
Send each audience segment personalized and targeted email campaigns. Make these on PosterMyWall for your convenience. Then, track their performance and use the data to plan your future marketing campaigns.
So, travel agents should have all these marketing techniques at their fingertips. This way, they can maximize their bookings, and reach out to a wide audience.
