Public relations includes everything a business can do to build and keep goodwill. Therefore, many travel agents use news releases and other forms of media contact to gain publicity at no cost. To be effective, however, these efforts must be made strategically. Here are some pitfalls to avoid:
1. Not Having a Public Relations Plan: Travel agents treat public relations like a poor relative in the family of marketing tactics. Public relations become an afterthought – “Maybe we should do a press release.” It is far better for a solid public relations plan to be in place and worked consistently from the beginning of every fiscal year along with every other aspect of your marketing plan.
2. Not Cultivating Media Relationships: Most travel agents have few, if any, media contacts. A good public relations marketer will be continuously cultivating relationships with reporters and editors. These relationships should be in place and well-groomed long in advance of need.
3. Having Poor Timing: Public relations strategists used to be called “advance men.” They were way out ahead of the launch of a new product to inform the press and to get the public conditioned for a new product release. Waiting until the last moment to consider your public relations strategy makes it much more difficult to accomplish effectively.
4. Relying on Poor Content: Too many attempts at public relations are either boring corporate news or advertising in disguise. Instead, find ways of introducing a human element into your content, geared to the readership and circulation of the media you want to use. Think benefits, not features. Don’t send a press release about your Ireland destination certification. Send them the story of one of your clients who went to Ireland to discover their Irish roots and how your agency assisted them in the effort! That’s a story.
5. Not Actively Monitoring the Media: Many travel agencies fail to keep their ear to the ground to better understand if there is any relevant publicity, good or bad, in their communities. Use Google and other tools to periodically comb the Internet, Twitter, Facebook and other media for mentions of your company, your company’s services, or even for openings to address the public on matters of concern in the travel industry.
Bonus Tip:
6. Not Meeting Bad News Head-On: Travel agents sometimes think that bad news will just “go away.” Sorry, but that seldom happens. Whether the bad news is general economic or national news affecting travel, or whether it is specific to your agency, you do well to get ahead of it, to meet it authentically and directly.
Contributed by Richard Earls, Publisher, Travel Research Online
