Fredi Helton, CTC
In the beginning, being a travel agent was simple. There were two airfares, first class and coach. Reference material consisted of an Official Airline Guide, a travel planner, a tariff book and a Hotel and Travel Index. Reservations were made with a phone call. Tickets were hand-written unless an agency was in a major market and had access to teletickets.
Marketing was simple as well: an ad in the Yellow Pages, a sign in the window of the store front. Even airlines, cruise lines and tour companies did their part: “call 800-GO TRAVEL or see your travel agent!” The travel agent was recognized as the expert in the industry.
Times changed, airfares changed and, to remain a viable part of the industry, travel agents must change their approach as well. The years of being reactive have passed. Successful agents must be business savvy and proactive, approaching marketing very differently, presenting not only a professional image but as an expert on the leading edge. This is especially important to separate the “hobbyists” from those professionals wanting to make travel a career.
Social media is a significant opportunity to “sell the sizzle, not the steak.” Plant the seed, promote an idea, encourage a dream and the sales will follow. Social media, with its rich graphics and inviting photographs and videos, allow agents to paint a very inviting picture. Agents who are Independent Contractors (IC) have a blank canvas with lots of different paints. The sky is the limit!
In addition, unless the Independent Contractor wishes to pay for a sponsored ad or a boost, there is no cost to market with social media at this time. This is especially important to an agent trying to get their travel business off the ground.
All content shared through social media, whether a post or a tweet, should follow a marketing plan – a guide, or road map, showing the steps needed to take to reach a sales goal – rather than random thoughts or ideas. Continuity is important. Social media marketing should be fresh, vibrant and inspire a sale. It can be used to grow the Independent Contractor’s community, to develop a mailing list, to create brand awareness but, more than anything, establish the agent’s expertise and professionalism. It is key in relationship
Social media marketing should be fresh, vibrant and inspire a sale. It can be used to grow the Independent Contractor’s community, to develop a mailing list, to create brand awareness but, more than anything, establish the agent’s expertise and professionalism. It is key in relationship marketing, the concept of building long term relationships and client loyalty, focusing on client retention so that there is repeat business, not just one trip.
When choosing social media platforms, the Independent Contractor should define the target audience, determining what client base fits best, corporate or leisure travel, and, if leisure, the niche chosen, and then determine what platform will best attract that target market.
The following are social media platforms that meld with travel that are both effective and user friendly.
Facebook is the world’s largest and most popular on-line social network, with an estimated 890 million active users. Millions of active users mean millions of potential new clients all in one arena and a prime opportunity grow both the IC’s referral network as well as the IC’s business.
Facebook is much more than sharing pictures of cats and generating “likes”. It is a way to deliver information. It is a way to humanize the Independent Contractor’s brand. It is a way to build relationships.
A Facebook business page has many of the same sets a personal page might have. It needs a profile photo – many use their company logo, but as an Independent Contractor a quality headshot might be a better approach since a personal touch is helpful in building needed relationships. The page also needs a cover photo.
In the “about” section, the IC should list what they do or what they believe or what they can offer. It needs to be brief, not a lengthy biography or resume. It should include contact information – not just a phone number, but email address, as well as a website or Twitter handle.
When posting to Facebook, the Independent Contractor should create content that appeals to the desired target market. Stay on topic. More users read posts that have photographs, so be sure to use lots of pictures, either quality photographs the IC may have taken or stock photos. Limit the number of photos on any one post. Users are less likely to look through more than four or five.
If using someone else’s photo, be sure to give the proper credit. Always, always, always proof-read everything before posting to Facebook or any other social media channel.
Facebook posts should encourage interaction. Ask questions. Conduct polls. Have quizzes. Make the content open-ended. It gets the user involved, helping to establish a relationship and also provide ideas for future content.
Post vacation ideas. Post cartoons. Post videos. Post traveling tips and how-to-do-its. Keep it light, keep it brief. Remember, it’s to inspire a sale, not a sales pitch. Should the IC want to post offers, follow the 411 rule: for every one soft sell or hard sell offer, post four informative, fun posts.
If an IC chooses to use hashtags in Facebook, use them sparingly. Like all marketing, hashtags should be cohesive, not random. A good rule of thumb is to do a search before using any hashtag to make sure it hasn’t been associated with something that doesn’t fit the brand.
It is recommended that a Facebook user post to their business page at least twice each day during the work week, around 10am and again about 3pm. Be sure to monitor the page for comments and respond to the comment as appropriate as soon as possible, especially complaints or negative comments. Never argue with a client on Facebook. Take those to private messages or emails or, even better, a phone call. Emotions are not always as apparent when written as when verbalized.
Another feature of Facebook to be used by the IC is Facebook Live, real time videos that could detail a promotion, a short feature presentation on a destination, how-to ideas, travel tips, things that will engage the viewer. It is, after all, social media. When an IC is live-streaming, it is essential to prepare the presentation in advance and practice, practice, practice! The IC should also be very aware of his or her surroundings and the background. This is an opportunity to again establish expertise and professionalism.
It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words and that logic applies to social media marketing as well. Instagram is a social network allowing users to share photographs with minimal text. The rich imagery that pictures provide is the perfect fit for marketing travel: it plants a seed, it encourages a dream.
As an IC presents themselves as an expert, it follows that they would also be travelers. By sharing photos on Instagram, the IC further establishes their credibility and experience.
Post to Instagram once each day. It is okay to post multiple pictures, but don’t overwhelm followers. Don’t use stock photos or studio shots. Be consistent; be true to brand. Use one filter or one set of filters. Maintain a consistent aesthetic throughout all posts.
Hashtags make photos searchable – use two or three at most in the caption, then add a comment using additional hashtags. The IC can make up their own brand related or use trending, industry or other relevant hashtags. If using original hashtags, they should be unique, stand out and, as with all marketing, consistent with the brand. A good rule of thumb is to make 85% of grams sharing or engaging, 10% original content with 5% what you are trying to promote.
Contractors should follow their clients on Instagram, then like and, when possible, re-gram their vacation pictures using the brand hashtag. It is also a good idea to follow others in the industry: other agents, hotels and resorts, tour operators and airlines.
As with Facebook, interaction is key. Ask questions. Hold photo contests. Comment on others’ posts. Be social.
Like Instagram, Pinterest is an opportunity for Independent Contractors to expand their reach through imagery. Other than a caption, text is hidden, so select pictures that stimulate the travel senses.
Independent contractors can use Pinterest as an idea board, a suggestion board, a dream board and pin photographs of destinations, travel guides, tour itineraries and users who use the search bar can be directed to these pins.
Again, the IC is painting a dream, planting a seed, rather than making a sale.
As with all marketing, consistency is key. Support the brand, support the niche. If the IC specializes in adventure travel, boards and pins should reflect that with action pictures. Use clear images. Pin videos. Pin things that will result in interaction with followers. Be descriptive but keep comments short and use expressive phrases that brings the potential client to you.
Try to find things that are different. Pin content you would like others to share. Remember that you are “selling the sizzle, not the steak” so choose pins that appeal to the wanderlust. Be consistent in pinning; experts in social media marketing recommend five Pinterest posts each day – again, this can be original content or repins.
Follow clients on Pinterest. See what they are pinning and use common themes to build a relationship. If the pins are travel related, even better: it is the perfect opportunity to reach out with a vacation idea. The contractor is privy to the potential client’s wish list. Again, avoid direct selling – use email or a phone call to follow up.
Perhaps the best social media platform with which to keep clients – and prospective clients – actively engaged, is Twitter. Twitter can be used for conversational marketing: through a network of followers, both the contractor’s and the contractor’s followers, others will know who to turn to for travel arrangements. It can be a running dialogue; with just 140 characters, it can be a mini-blog; it is a way to stay in the front of the minds of clients. In following clients, it is a forum to ask questions, to get feedback, to build a community of friends and to build relationships.
Twitter, like all social media marketing, requires a marketing strategy and commitment. Expect to tweet about 3 times each day – more than that and followers lose interest. Use hashtags. Ask questions, answer questions and respond to comments. It is okay to share links, but they shouldn’t be used as the answer to a question. The Independent Contractor can talk about his or her brand but talk about other things as well. Watch for news about a chosen niche or travel in general and discuss that. Be authentic. Have fun!
These are just four of the available social media channels. There are more, such as Snapchat, Linked-In, Google+, YouTube, with more and more becoming available each day. It is not necessary to be a part of every social media platform. An IC should select the platform with which they feel most comfortable.
Social media marketing is a long-term commitment: developing relationships and an on-line community is a lengthy process. The Independent Contractor should not expect an immediate return on investment (in this case, investing time).
In addition, social media marketing can be overwhelming. Expect to spend six to ten hours each week posting, tweeting, pinning or gramming or responding to comments and even more in following clients. It is essential, to be effective, to have a cohesive plan. Social management tools such as Hootsuite, Constant Contact, Buffer and Sprout Social allow a user to post to multiple platforms simultaneously. Some Independent Contractors choose to outsource their social media marketing to companies who provide not only posts but content.
Social media marketing should be included in the overall marketing plan and monthly marketing calendar. One of the major components of social media marketing is planning what goes into the post. Companies like HubSpot and Buffer provide templates to help in the planning process.
Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter: no matter which platform the Independent Contractor chooses, the keys are to be true to their brand through content, to be consistent in on-line activity, to be relevant, to be reliable, to be fresh daily and to be themselves.
References
Scott, D. (2015). The New Rules of Marketing & PR. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons.
Zimmerman, J., Ng, D. (2015). Social Media Marketing for Dummies. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons.
Bendror, Y. (nd) Which Social Media Channels Should I Use For My Business? Retrieved from https://www.aabacosmallbusiness.com/advisor/social-media-channels-business-223554094.html
Stelzner, M.A. (May 2016). 2016 Social Media Marketing Report, How Marketers Are Using Social Media to Grow Their Businesses Retrieved from http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/SocialMediaMarketing IndustryReport2016.pdf
