Marketing Must-Haves
When it comes to running your business, marketing is key. But what even is marketing? At its heart, marketing is simply communication. It’s the right message, to the right people, at the right time to create awareness and build relationships with your clients. From casual word of mouth to syndicated ads, the possibilities are truly endless.
With so many channels available to today’s Travel Advisors, it can be a daunting goal to increase (or even begin) your marketing and media presence. Where to begin? Here are a few steps you can take today to get your name out to more people tomorrow without breaking the bank.
Awareness
The first step to marketing success is generating interest in you and your business, and in order to do that well, you must first be an expert in it yourself. You’re the best person to tell the story of who you are and what you offer, so spend some time defining your goals, your priorities and your strengths.
Who do you want to reach? What niche markets do you specialize in? Answering these questions for yourself will help focus your marketing efforts so you can develop attainable marketing goals for your business.
Make Yourself Known
How can someone find you? If you depend more on word of mouth, make sure you always have a stack of business cards on you when you’re out in your community – your next client might be behind you in line at the grocery store!
Digital marketing works in much the same way – you should have a website that is easily accessible and that comes up in searches. Pretend you’ve never heard of your agency and go on the customer journey. Do a search for the type of vacations you sell and see how easy or difficult it is to find your agency.
If you don’t come up right away, take a look at what language you use on your website. Include search engine optimization (SEO) words and phrases like ‘vacations,’ ‘honeymoon,’ or popular destinations.
Remember, people have short attention spans – if they can’t find your contact information quickly, they may move on. Also, some people don’t like calling on the phone as the first point of contact, so give them options. Add a contact form to your site and include fields like “how did you hear of me,” “are you looking to book now or do you just want information,” etc.
Consideration
Now that someone has found your agency, why should they contact you vs a competitor? Double check your website for any typos or misspelled words – this is a future client’s first impression of you – give them reasons to trust you with their business.
Use your website to highlight your own vacation and travel experiences. Talk about what you love about travel, how you value your clients, what someone can expect when they book with you. Customer testimonials are a powerful tool – ask your current clients for a quote you can use.
Social media is also an incredible (and free) tool you can be using. You don’t have to be on every platform, especially if you’re not having fun. If it’s a chore, you’re less likely to be consistent. Keep your personal and professional sites separate and make sure your agency page shows your personality and professionalism while giving people an easy way to contact you.
Twitter is fast-paced and best for conversations with clients in real time. Instagram is great for point-of-view videos in destination (remember to use hashtags so you come up in more searches). Facebook is great for content with a longer shelf life. Consider signing up for BranchUp® for professional management of your Facebook page, so you can spend more time selling!
Connection and Retention
Stay connected with your clients and be consistent! If you use emails and newsletters, keep it short and sweet with a catchy subject line and don’t flood their inboxes, but try to stay on a schedule – even a quarterly email is a great way to stay in touch.
Respond to messages on social media or via email in a timely manner and use Delta Vacations’ Marketing Hub to customize ePostcards and emails to reach out at multiple touchpoints along their vacation journey.
While they’re considering booking, you can share offers and new destinations you think they’d enjoy, and after booking you’ll want to stay in touch to make sure they don’t have any questions leading up to their trip (and to make sure they’ve booked activities and tours!). Mark your calendar for when they get back and follow up with a welcome home message!
Make sure you’re building real relationships and not just transactional ones – your goal should be to not only be their travel advisor, but also be a trusted consultant they wouldn’t dream of booking without!
3 Take-Aways:
- Define your marketing goals
- Get active online making connections, and be consistent
- Keep in touch with your clients so they keep coming back
Happy Marketing!
From the Sponsor:
With more than 50 years in business, Delta Vacations — a Delta Air Lines company — is one of the largest vacation providers in the U.S. We deliver elevated, all-in-one, customized and flexible vacation experiences designed for SkyMiles® Members. With Delta Vacations, SkyMiles Members and Travel Advisors can choose memorable getaways featuring Delta’s notable flight service to more than 330 destinations in 67 countries worldwide, combined with expertly curated hotels and activities, to truly Go Beyond the Flight.
