Shawna LevetWhy you should be inspiring your clients to travel
If you’re a travel advisor, it’s actually pretty easy to get people to want your product. Honestly, who doesn’t have “travel more” as one of their life goals? But in a market strongly influenced by social media, competition for the traveler’s attention is fierce. Travel providers have caught on to the notion that consumers actually want to hear from them. While many of the marketing campaigns that cross our screens on a daily basis cause us to roll our eyes, a subtle plug to travel more is usually welcome to steal our attention.
Your audience is out there, happy to browse photos of Cappadocia’s exotic, fairytale landscape or discover the “10 Reasons They Should Be in Florence Right Now.” If you’re not part of the conversation and directing it, you’re losing out on potential customers.
The human factor
Do you struggle to compete with online travel agencies (OTA’s)? Many travel advisors list this as one of their top frustrations in the travel industry. Recognizing your ability to inspire your clients’ travel decisions is one of the things that sets you apart from OTA’s. You are not a robot. You take the time to know your clients and understand their unique needs. If you can start to see yourself as a source of inspiration, this will only serve to increase your value to your customers.
Communicate your “why”
A used car salesperson might have a reputation for trying to sell you a piece of junk. This is not the case with an amazing travel agent. You sell travel because you are passionate about it. If you’re like most travel professionals, travel started as a hobby for you. Then it became a passion. Then it became so much a part of who you are that you turned it into a career.
Great travel advisors don’t recommend experiences they don’t wholeheartedly believe are worth it. So don’t forget to leave this message out of your marketing and branding. Why should they travel? Why is it worth paying for a quality, carefully-planned experience rather than waste money on a cheap, tacky tourist trap? Communicate your “why” clearly through your social media channels, blog posts, website, branding, and even your one-on-one conversations.
“Travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer.”
If you deeply believe that travel is worth it, but have never really taken the time to put it into words, it’s time to brainstorm! Here are just a few things travel does for you:
- Boosts your confidence
- Makes you healthier and less-stressed
- Gives you a new perspective
- Builds your communication skills
- Helps you tackle your fears
- Brings new friendships into your life
- Increases your thankfulness and happiness
Use these ideas to help you brainstorm topics for your marketing. You can try anything from a simple graphic with a quote or a blog post on your website.
Where to go, What to do
As you inspire your customers to travel, make sure to stay focused on the destinations and experiences you offer. This is especially important if you cater to a very niche market. Attracting the wrong type of traveler won’t really benefit you or them. So as you consider your marketing approach, make sure your content is relevant to the type of traveler you want to draw to your product. Ideally, it’s great if you can create the content yourself. But it doesn’t hurt to share content already created by other reputable travel brands.
The bottom line is this: your customers want to hear from you. Keep the travel bug alive and your business will continue to thrive even in a highly competitive market.
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