Marketing Strategy For Travel Agencies
These days every business gets benefits from social media and digital marketing. Travel agencies can also gain a lot of customers through these channels. It’s a misconception that travel agencies are out of the business and no one will get the services from them. In this article, we will discuss in detail what marketing strategies travel agencies can formulate and what channels they can use to find customers.
1. Current Market Analysis
Before making a marketing strategy for travel agencies, one should understand the current travel agency market. There are three main factors affecting the market right now.
a. Internet information
These days people find every kind of information on the internet. Before confirming a travel agency or travel agent or even before starting a tour people research everything on the internet. They research everything they would require on their trip from things they can do to hotels, unique places or activities, and hidden gems.
b. Leading players
Big companies are leading players in the travel market, such as TripAdvisor, Trivago, Kayak, and Skyscanner. Travellers use these platforms for comparing hotel prices, booking flights, and planning activities.
c. Shift in trend
There is a shift in the market where people now book their own flights or plan their own trips. People prefer to have the liberty to book their own flights and hotels. This is where travel agencies have to use marketing to attract people. People love comfort and ease so travel agencies can offer comfort, affordability and ease to plan a trip. They can offer experiences which will compel tourists to use travel agencies.
If you want a business strategy for your travel agency you can read our blog here.
2. Internal Research
What should be the marketing strategy for travel agencies to attract customers?
Before formulating the marketing strategy travel agency should do some internal research about what services they can offer. How they can offer ease, and comfort with great experience to their customers.
Let’s discuss the packages or special selling points a travel agency can offer.
3. Packages
The world after globalisation and digitalisation loves to explore different cultures. People can explore culture by knowing history, their day-to-day lifestyle, by food or by travelling via local transport. These are the selling points for travel agencies. They can include these special experiences in their packages.
Travel agencies can offer tours to historical sites or local markets. They can give special tours of local cuisine and restaurants. Travel agencies can be a great source for travellers to know local customs, traditions and hidden gems.
These are the key market features which travel agencies can use to market their travel agencies. They can highlight these experiences in their packages and marketing.
Now after the packages it’s time to decide what marketing channels should be used and what kind of content should be posted. Content is the king through which people will get knowledge of the place, its culture and curiosity to experience it.
4. Best marketing channels for Travel Agencies
Which channels are most suitable for travel agencies for marketing? How they can target people from different areas? The most suitable marketing channels which travel agencies can use are as follow.
- Social Media
- Website
- Blogs
Now we will discuss in detail how travel agencies can use these channels for marketing.
1. Social Media
Content is king and on different social media platforms, different kinds of content are required to target the customers.
i. YouTube
On Youtube, people love to watch detailed videos. It is a great platform to show the culture of your targeted place. Make videos and show the world what the selling point of the place is. It can be the local cuisines or the local culture or traditions or scenery. This will attract people and they will try to find ways to visit the place.
You can use influencer marketing for your channel. This will increase your audience size and will attract other people to get your services. Additionally, this will increase trust in your agency.
ii. Instagram/Facebook
Instagram is a platform where the span of attention is very low. To attract your audience on Instagram you have to make short reels. You can make reels of local cuisine, scenery or local tradition with trending music.
You can use Influencer marketing on Instagram as well where you can use the collaboration feature of Instagram.
iii. TikTok
On TikTok, you can use the same video style you used for Instagram. TikTok also has a very low attention span so the video should be short and crisp.
You can use Influencer marketing where the creators will create short videos for you.
2. Email
Email marketing is the greatest way to promote your services. Different emails you can use for email marketing are
- Monthly Newsletter in which you can mention services, locations and packages.
- Discounts and special coupons
- Package details
- Special packages according to weather or festival
Get our email marketing service. We can design a customised email marketing strategy for your agency.
3. Website
Website is crucial for travel agencies. Your website should have landing pages, package details, and special service details. Your website should contain all the information a user is trying to find. It should contain links to your social media accounts and should have videos for each and every destination you are offering.
If you do not have a website, contact us and we will develop and design a website for you.
Your website should be Search Engine Optimised. A proper SEO will help your website to rank higher in search engine results which will help you gain more customers.
Contact us to get your website ranked higher on search engines. We have SEO specialists who will help you rank higher.
4. Blog
A blog is the greatest way to find any information. Your website should contain blogs for each and every destination. Blogs should have the detail of the destination, activities you can do, and what unique point the destination has.
Your blogs should have photos and a link to your youtube video. The blog should also have links to services and packages you are offering regarding the specific destination.
5. Advertisement
Different kinds of advertisement can be used by businesses such as to create awareness, generate leads and acquire new customers. Travel agencies can use different kinds of ads on social media platforms and search engines to acquire new customers or for lead generation.
i. Google Ads
You can use Google Ads for the destinations you are offering. This will help your website to come up at the top of the search and more customers can click and view your site. This will help you create lead generation and acquire new customers.
ii. Facebook/Instagram Ads
Social media ads can be used to create awareness, lead generation or acquire customers. You can target customers based on their behaviours, locations or interests. Facebook ads and Instagram ads are great ways to find potential customers.
iii. YouTube Ads
You can use YouTube ads to find potential customers. Youtube will show your ads to the people who have an interest in travelling or your potential customers.
You can get our service for targeted ads. We can also handle your social media accounts.
6. Bonus Point
You can market around a cause. This will help you to get more customers. For example, you want to show the traditions and culture of a specific community. Your cause will be to promote the culture of the community. This will ultimately help the community.
You can create this as a cause and show the world what that community have to offer to the world. How the culture is different from other cultures.
