To succeed in the travel industry, you must have clients, correct? To have clients, you first must identify who your ideal potential client is. Therefore, you need a proper marketing plan.
Does social media play a big part in your marketing strategies? If so, don’t miss the powerful PEP Talk, Must-Haves in Your Social Media Profile as a Travel Advisor, presented March 26 at 1:30 pm by our Professional Educators Program (PEP) members, Shannon Kittner and Kellie Greaux of The Wander Network. In this dynamic session, you will discover the essential elements every travel advisor needs to create a professional and engaging social media profile that will attract your ideal clients and grow your business.
For a deep understanding of the importance of marketing, enroll in our award-winning Certified Travel Associate course. The following excerpt is from the CTA’s Marketing and Promoting Your Business module, which immerses you in practical tips and strategies to help you increase your brand awareness and your leads.
Curious about this module? Here’s a sneak peek:
Over the years, the term marketing mix has been associated with the Four Ps of Marketing: Product, Promotion, Place, and Price. More recently, many marketing experts have added a few more Ps: People, Process, and Physical Evidence to create the Seven Ps of Marketing. The true combination of this mix, while keeping the customer at the center of it all, is what will provide you with the most effective marketing strategy available.
Product: What travel products or specialty will you focus on? What level of service will you offer? Will you provide concierge-style planning—including dining and custom travel—or focus solely on lodging, transportation, and tours?
Promotion: What is the brand you want to build that is based on your targeted audience’s needs and wants? How and where will you advertise and share your message using tools like social media, vlogs, websites, travel nights, community events, etc.?
Place: Where do you want to promote: local or national? Brick and mortar or independent contractor? Website or online? Will you have other retail partners?
Price: What price range of travel will you sell? For example, will you focus on luxury travel or something else? What service fees will you charge? Have you thought about a service fee menu? For instance, the fee for booking an airline or hotel reservation likely will cost less than for booking a package vacation, cruise, or for designing a customized itinerary. Like any other product, pricing often will change based on the services your clients seek.
People: The travel industry is all about relationships and people. How much effort are you putting behind the people who deliver your brand and product? Fredi Helton, CTIE, makes this recommendation: “Always give back. It will come back to you time and time again.” Invest in your internal resources because they directly impact your marketing and service delivery.
Process: What processes will you implement to help you efficiently deliver your services? Will you use a customer relationship management (CRM) tool, have a dedicated concierge desk, or perhaps automate your phone service? While it may not seem that it relates to marketing, this P is integral to your success. Efficient processes will help with your messaging and, more importantly, your service delivery as promoted through your marketing.
Physical Evidence: The best marketing is word of mouth. Gathering your clients’ experiences, feedback, quotes, endorsements, etc. will give you the most effective materials for your marketing platforms. Accolades from clients are elements of social proof. Social proof is the idea that, because so many people behave or feel a certain way, it must be the correct behavior or feeling. In marketing, this means that comments, testimonials, and reviews can positively and negatively affect consumer buying behavior. How will you gather client feedback—through post-trip calls, surveys, focus groups, or incentives for social media comments?
Marketing is fascinating, fun, and challenging. Understanding the basics and using proven techniques will be critical to your success. The question is… Are you ready to take your marketing to the next level?
