If you’ve spent any time trying to learn about marketing, you’ve probably heard the phrase “you just need a travel agency marketing strategy!”.
It sounds so simple, right?
But it leaves you with what can feel like a really basic question.
“What is a marketing strategy, and how is it different from the social media posts, emails, or blog posts I’m already creating?”
So let’s break it down and take a look at what, exactly, a travel agency marketing strategy is, and how it’s different from (but goes together with) the content you create.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I may get a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.
The 4 parts of a travel agency marketing strategy
Your travel agency marketing strategy is simply a plan. It outlines how you get from where you are to where you want to be.
When it comes to marketing, where you want to end up is with more clients, more bookings, and ultimately a successful business. What you're looking for is more travel brand awareness. So how do you get there?
That’s where your travel agency marketing strategy comes in. So let's break down the four parts that make up your marketing strategy.
1) Target Audience
When you’re thinking about who you’d like to work with, it doesn’t work to just say “Everyone!”
No one is the right travel advisor for all the potential clients out there. And let's face it, you don't want to work with every potential customer.
They don’t have the travel style you like to plan trips for, or the budget, or want to visit the destinations you love to plan.
So let’s think about the trips you love to plan and the clients you most enjoy working with. That person can be the basis of what I like to call an Ideal Client Avatar, or ICA.
Are they an adventure seeker? Luxury traveler? Family vacationer? Is there someplace specific they prefer to travel? Do they want to go on a cruise, lounge by the pool at an all-inclusive, or explore cities?
Figuring out who your ideal client or target audience is helps your marketing reach those people, so it’s a vital first step in your marketing strategy. If you don’t know who your ideal client is, check out this post.
2) Goals
Here’s where you decide what exactly you want your marketing to do for you.
Are you hoping to get more clients? More social media followers? Book more trips for the clients you already have?
Most likely your goal includes “more” of something. So to set your goal, decide exactly how much “more” you want, when you want it by, and what you need to do to get there.
If your goal is to double your bookings, what do you think is involved to make that happen? Do you need a new website that helps people find you on Google? Do you need to post and interact consistently on social media so your target audience sees you?
Write down that goal, and figure out logical steps or sub-goals to get you there.
3) Budget
You may not think you have a marketing budget. But if you ever pay to have a table at a local farmers market or travel industry wedding expo, boost a post on social media, or to have someone create your website or provide SEO services, that’s all part of a marketing budget.
Every dollar you spend on things related to marketing should be supporting your overall travel business marketing strategy. If you want great email marketing, you should allocate part of your budget to an email marketing software. ConvertKit is my go-to for email marketing.
If social media is a large part of your content marketing strategy, you’ll find a social media scheduling tool like Later to be really helpful. It helps you find the best time to post, figure out which posts and topics get the most interaction from your audience, and plan out your posts so you’re not constantly having to decide what to post next.
Decide what the tools are that you need to support your marketing efforts and invest in them. It’s worth it.
4) Marketing Channels
A marketing channel is simply where you’re focusing your content. Do you write a blog? That’s a marketing channel. Do you use social media or email? Each of those are also marketing channels.
Unless you have a full-time travel marketing pro on your team, you simply don’t have the time to be everywhere. Remember that ICA you created in step 1? This is where understanding them really comes in handy.
Does your ideal client love to read in-depth blog posts about a destination, or do your potential travelers prefer to get their vacation inspiration in bite-size travel tips on TikTok?
Wherever they are most likely to be, that’s where you want to focus your efforts.
What is travel agency marketing content?
Now that you understand what your digital marketing strategy is, let’s talk about marketing content. Your content is whatever you create to let your target audience know who you are and what you can do for them.
Your content can be blogs, social media posts, emails, radio or TV spots, or really anything else you can think of.
The important thing is that the content you create is something your ideal client will see and engage with. So what content mix is right for you?
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. It depends on your audience and your goals. But let’s talk about a few of the most common content types.
Blogs
If you want people to find your travel agency website when they’re searching on Google, a blog is something you should consider. If blog posts are well-written and engaging, they can be great for search engine optimization, or SEO.
Maybe you already have a blog, but people still aren’t finding your website. If that’s the case, there’s probably something on your site that isn’t working. You can figure out exactly what that is and how to fix it with a website checkup.
Social Media
If your ideal client is on social media, you should also be on social media. Specifically, the social media platform you think they’d be on. It doesn’t do you any good to perform well as a travel agent on TikTok if the ideal client you’d like to work with is actually on Pinterest.
Use tools like Canva and Adobe Lightroom to edit your photos and videos and create a beautiful social media feed that appeals to the client you want to work with.
Your email list is the most important digital marketing tool you own. Your social media audience isn’t actually yours, it’s governed by the social media platform. An algorithm decides whether your posts are seen, who sees them, and when.
But your email list? That’s yours. You hit send, and a few seconds later that email lands in everyone’s inbox. It’s a powerful way to connect.
Showing up regularly in your ideal client’s inbox is a great way to make sure you’re the first person they think of when it’s time to plan their next trip.
The bottom line
When you think about your marketing plan, most likely what you think of is content marketing. But your travel agency marketing strategy is what gives structure to your content, helping you make the best use of the limited marketing time and budget that you have.
Don’t overcomplicate it.
Simply think through what you want your marketing to do for you, and then how you get there. That’s all you need for a great marketing strategy.
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