The travel industry is still alive and kicking, it’s just adjusted to accommodate the digital age. If you work in travel and tourism, you know how tough it can be to find and convert customers. You need the right marketing strategies to reach your audience and inspire them to take a trip.
This post will look at four things you can do to boost brand awareness and get your message to ideal clients. It’s easier than you think!
1. Use social media effectively
Even beyond using it, you need to be strategic with it. It’s not enough to just post every now and then, your business will need a consistent presence on social media. That requires a social media strategy.
Consider what section of your demographic is on each social media platform and cater your posts to their needs. For example, your Instagram crowd might be looking for senior trips and quirky content while your Facebook crowd needs family cruises for a reasonable price.
Post often and give your audience diverse content so they can start building a relationship with your brand.
2. Partner with local businesses
Many travel agencies forget about this powerful possibility. You can partner with other local businesses to offer more comprehensive packages and services to your customers. The more “all-inclusive” you can be, the more incentive there is for people to work with you.
Here are a few options for partnerships:
- Local truck rental agency for people taking extended road trips
- Luggage store offering discounts on sets to your customers
- Regional airlines offering bundles or packages for your customers
Anything that applies to travel can be a good partner for you. Don’t be afraid to get creative!
3. Optimize your website
You need people to be able to find your business online, which means you need to optimize your site for SEO. Doing this allows your URL to appear in favorable positions in the search engine results pages so people have the chance to choose your business over the competition.
To optimize your website, utilize keywords throughout your pages and ensure you have a clear hierarchy of headings and subheadings. There are tons of things you can do for your site’s technical SEO as well, but those will be a little more time-consuming.
Additionally, you want to optimize for local SEO so people searching in your area have a better chance of finding you. Include location keywords, update your Google profile and try to get yourself high in the maps listings for the best results.
4. Get great pictures
The images you use in your marketing are more powerful than you think. They need to inspire people to travel the world and make them curious to see new things and places. To do that, you need some truly stunning imagery.
Don’t rely on stock images for your website, blogs and social posts. Try to collect pictures from past travelers or your own photos from past vacations. Be sure to include people having fun in your pictures—this provides social proof to viewers that your trip is worth the money.
Most businesses have to be careful not to overuse images, but this isn’t such a concern in the travel industry. Try to attach at least one picture on every page and use multiple in your content. The more you can get viewers to connect with the idea of a new place, the easier it will be to convert them.
Running a travel business is a fun way to help people experience new things. Use these four marketing tips to get the word out and start bringing more people to your business.
