Content Marketing as an online strategy has arrived. This gives travel agents a real advantage. As a travel agent, you have the opportunity to write about exotic lands, show off your knowledge and provide real value for travelers. You have access to breathtaking images of gorgeous beaches, exotic lands and exciting adventures to help tell your story.
Along the way on your content marketing campaign, laser focused on your travel niche, you will build YOU as a brand. YOU will become the expert travelers can trust to help plan their perfect vacation. Build your travel practice through creating content of interest for your targeted client type, posted and promoted online in a methodical approach.
1. On Monday begin each week by creating a 200-300 word article. Include one or two pictures to help tell your story. Article ideas: getting there, destination description, hotel critiques, things to do, the food scene, the people, the beaches, the mountains, the jungles, the animals, the weather, etc. Post article on your travel blog or your website.
Tip: Set up an account with Google AdWords to access their Keyword Planner research tool to find a list of high traffic keywords related to your travel niche. Download in Excel and keep as a reference. Make sure you incorporate a keyword phrase in the article title and at least twice within the body.
2. On Tuesday post the opening three to five sentences of your article on your Facebook business page along with a link to the full version on your website or blog. Make sure to also upload a picture along with your update. Consider “boosting” your post with a small promotional campaign. Set a daily limit of $5 to $10 per day maximum ad spend.
3. On Wednesday schedule a week’s worth of Twitter Tweets using the social media platform www.HootSuite.com. Set up two to five tweets per day focused on your travel niche and at least one per day promoting your weekly article with a link back to your website or blog. Utilize hashtags ( i.e. #Travel ) to build your audience. Post the pictures used in your blog post on Pinterest linked to your article.
4. On Thursday send a weekly newsletter to your email list featuring the first paragraph or two of your Monday article along with the image you used in the original blog post and a hot-link back to your website or blog to “Read Full Article.” Also include a few choice travel deals or some travel news specific to your niche. Utilize an email service like MailChimp (my favorite), iContact, AWeber or Constant Contact to make creating and sending your newsletters quick and easy.
5. On Friday spend an hour building your audience on social media platforms by engaging with others, commenting on their blogs, “liking” their Facebook pages and following and retweeting on Twitter. Post a few travel packages on travel websites that allow free posting. How to find these deal posting sites? Do a search for “Post Travel Deals Free” on Google.
Repeat this process every week. Please rate this tip!
About the Author
George Oberle owned a retail travel agency for over 20 years. Since then, George has been on the cutting edge of marketing technology, specializing in search engine optimization (SEO) and creating business websites from a professional ad agency perspective.
Email: george@georgeoberle.com
Website: www.ReviewResorts.com
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/ReviewResorts
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ReviewResorts
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/georgeoberle
