Email advertising — work it baby
Your email database is one of the most valuable assets. The simple act of including a subscription form to your site is important because if a visitor leaves without registering then you might have lost a valuable guide.
Invite your offline database to subscribe to an email Newsletter and then set up a strategy to begin communicating with them effectively. A great newsletter will drive visitors to your website, promote social shares, and generate leads.
If your current email newsletter design is not responsive then you should construct a new one. Consider how often you intend to send posts and what type of web content you will include. Most providers will let you segment database so that each reader is getting content related to them.
Work your database at every opportunity. Recall that these are the clients who have chosen to hear from you, so make each email count.
Video & traveling go hand-in-hand
Reading about travel destinations is one thing but watching a video brings a destination to life. Nowadays it’s possible to create a descent quality video for a very low cost, if you know where to look.
Establish a YouTube channel for your company. Film snippets of your tours, staff vacations, customer reviews, how-to-pack guides, tours of the beach décor in holiday houses, destination reviews — whatever that aligns with your goals and your client personas.
Your videos should be optimised to keep people watching for as long as possible.
Websites + Content Marketing — share your knowledge
If you are time poor engage your staff members to website. Your blog entries do not have to be long but they need to be valuable and relevant to your goal personas. You do not have to look far to find great examples of travel related writing.
Blogging should form a part of your wider digital content marketing strategy. Know your customer travel and how you may be able to use articles to aid visitors and convert more prospects. If one of your staff members stayed in a really nice Airbnb with beach theme decor, have them share that experience which visitors to your site.
Reviews & check-ins
The expression ‘reputation is earnings’ could not be more apt. Olery reports that 81 percent of travellers find travel reviews significant and 49% will not book without reading reviews.
You can increase earnings and increase revenue via travel reviews, but how?
Make it easy for your clients to leave reviews on websites like Trip Advisor and Expedia, your Google My Business page, social networks and your site. Most of all, do not forget to nurture reviews and react accordingly if necessary.
Reviews won’t only increase consumer confidence in your brand and goods, but such user generated content can help to boost your site ranking and boost conversion prices.
Mobile marketing — some choices
Old-school SMS may seem outdated but it does provide insight, at a minimal cost to your agency or tour company. 96 percent of SMS messages are read and a lot of them are read in the first 3 minutes from sending.
Be aware of more innovative mobile technologies including Augmented Reality (AR) and Near Field Communications. AR is a great invention that expands the traveller encounter.
NFC is all about close proximity communication. NFC is the same technology that your clients use when they cover with Paypass from their mobile devices. With a little imagination, you can apply NFC into your brochures, itineraries and much more!
Leverage your suppliers
Nothing new here, but how many of you are not using your providers for their full potential?
Lock in data nights and ask your providers to present or supply marketing material. Push them for exclusive value-ads for reservations made within a week of the event. Wheel and deal for giveaways to share with your newsletter readers on a monthly basis.
Live streaming — keep it real
Live streaming was once restricted to people with the means and the right technology. Due to the likes of Periscope and Facebook Live anyone with a smartphone can download the program and become a broadcaster. Live streaming is far more powerful than video as it opens up communication and empowers real-time screening and answers.
So how can you use it?
Tour suppliers could use Facebook Live while on tour to supply viewers with an chance to see the tour in action and ask questions. A cruise agency could schedule a broadcast from a boat inspection, and invite customers to join them as they tour the ship and answer their queries.