This is the second in a series of columns dedicated to helping you promote your brand, which is an extension of you.
Helping you be the best travel professional you can be is our 24/7 mission. This has made us the gold standard in education for 60 years with no end in sight!
Whether you’re new to the industry or a seasoned professional, learning is never done. The Travel Institute’s Premium Library provides unlimited use of our exclusive online library with a variety of marketing and branding topics and courses to help you succeed.
Additionally, one of the cornerstones of our education is the Certified Travel Associate, (CTA®) program, which includes the Marketing and Promoting Your Business module. Here are a few practical tips from that course:
What is the best way to reach potential clients? Successful promotion of your product or service requires you to carefully match your marketing message with the most effective medium. A well-crafted newsletter can be a powerful tool in speaking directly to your target audience.
Today’s computer software allows even a novice to produce an attractive and interactive e-newsletter. A travel agency’s newsletter might include reports from team members or clients about recently visited destinations, FAM reports, (be sure to include pictures) or a list of specialist courses you’ve taken. This also is the perfect place to announce upcoming trips and possible incentives for early-bird signups.
When you are ready to send your newsletter, you can use your own database of names. There are several email marketing tools—such as Constant Contact, MailChimp, iContact, and others—that offer templates and analytics for you to design your own e-newsletter and to track opening rates, click-through rates, and other information. They also allow you to easily maintain your database.
Here are some specific tips for writing effective newsletters:
- Make sure the company name is front and center and/or the most visible text on the page.
- Use the word you as often as possible and ask questions to readers to draw them in.
- Target content around the ideal clients to give the newsletter direction and interest.
- Provide crisp, eye-catching images and compelling captions.
- Give readers advance notice of upcoming group trips.
- Use white space to make the newsletter more appealing and inviting.
- Incentivize clients by providing added value or other benefits for subscribers only.
- Offer new subscribers the chance to win a gift.
- Provide tips and news related to your niche with links to specific pages on your website.
- Be sure all hyperlinks are current and functioning.
- Use quotes from your best clients.
- Prominently place your full contact information—especially your Travel Institute Digital Credentials if you are certified by The Travel Institute.
Displaying your education, certifications, and other credentials is an impressive way to persuade potential clients to place their full confidence in you. Enrolling in The Travel Institute’s certification courses is the ideal place to start in strengthening your brand. If you are certified already, take advantage of the Premium Library, which is continually expanding to help you build your knowledge on marketing, branding, and so much more.
