Fall is here—or so the calendar says. And for me, that is a dreaded time of the year. I love the weather, but fall always signifies the time of year when I need to knuckle down and figure out my business and marketing plans for the following year. But before pen hits paper, a lot of thought transpires.
As solo or small agency travel professionals, we often wear multiple hats, handling everything from sales to customer service. Sometimes, marketing can slip through the cracks, so it’s important to remind ourselves to rejuvenate our marketing activities and include them in our marketing plans. Here are some thoughts on easily implemented marketing initiatives.
General Marketing Tips and Ideas:
- Remember the 80/20 rule, where 80% of your business comes from 20% of your customers. Invest in remarketing to your current and past customers to boost your business.
- Don’t underestimate the power of referrals. Encourage satisfied customers to refer your services to friends, family, and associates.
- Reflect on your past campaigns to identify what worked and what didn’t. Repeat successful strategies and discard ineffective ones.
- Keep a notepad (or a note-taking app on your phone) on your desk to jot down your thoughts and crazy marketing ideas. You never know when a seemingly bizarre idea might make perfect sense.
Tips for Marketing Your Agency:
- Evaluate your marketing message and emphasize your service and experience rather than the product itself. Never market based on price—you will always lose!
- Consider offering incentives to potential customers in a specific geographic area to encourage them to try your services. Traditional marketing methods like Money Mailers and Val Paks can still be effective and affordable. If you are after an older demographic, these can be particularly effective.
- Keep in touch with your customers consistently to ensure they think of you first when they need to travel. Email broadcasting is an excellent way to achieve this.
Online Marketing Tips:
- Focus on a few social networks and ensure you excel at them rather than trying to maintain a presence on every platform.
- Ensure that your website reflects professionalism and captures the essence of your agency.
Remember, marketing your agency is a year-round and ongoing effort that requires consistent attention. Consider implementing some of these tips, and see how it works out!