Travel Agent Marketing

1. Travel Agent Marketing

2. Social Media In our Freshman class, we covered things like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, ect. If you aren’t already utilizing those options, do so immediately. Post often about travel deals, travel destinations, and links to travel blogs.

3. Ideas around town • Leave business cards at restaurants in the billfold, server may pass along your information or use it themselves • Talk to places you frequent such as dry cleaners, coffee shop, bakery, florist. Offer an exchange • Leave flyers (but not in mailboxes) • If you have a small local paper (rather than huge city papers) see if it makes sense for you to either place an ad or put your information in the classifieds • Press releases • Craigslist, although not likely

4. Around town continued • Contact local Mom groups…La Leche, Mothers of Multiples, playgroups. They are always looking for things to do at their meetings, offer to be a speaker for them and put together a presentation like “Disney on a Dime” or similar. • If there are publications put together by schools or organizations and you have the opportunity to put your business card in at a nominal fee, it is usually a good idea. People like to support people who support their chosen organization.

5. Around town continued • Become the “expert” in your town by offering your services to the local radio station • Make sure your business is listed in Yahoo Local • Blogging • Use our blogs

6. Emailing • Make sure you follow the rules of emailing. Blind copy your clients so they don’t see the email addresses, and make sure you have an opt out on the bottom. Some vendors have professional emails with your information, Disney for example. • Don’t send them too much, or you’ll just irritate them. Send them only what might pertain to them…don’t send seniors information about a preschool travel opportunity. • Create a newsletter. Monthly is best, put travel and blog information in and send it to your client list, plus post it on social media. Make sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors, and verify with Jo or Lucy the first time you send one that it is allowed information.

7. Email Etiquette r u still looking for ppl?  what all will i be doing? what is the pay? can u please get back to me asap with info ty

8. Booths at fairs and conventions • A travel booth can be extremely lucrative • Pick a theme or a genre of travel • Make sure you have plenty of travel catalogs • Give away something. Bags are great since people get so much stuff at conventions, or pens, luggage tags • Your booth should look very professional but cute…not boring • Have something that draws the eye…I once had a round table in the middle of the booth with a stuffed princess dress standing upright in the middle of it, surrounded by travel catalogs. • Don’t have too much clutter on the tables or kids will take off with the items • If you need help stocking the booth with vendor material, talk to Jo • Prizes: don’t do gift cards or trips, just merchandise

10. Step A to Z Why this helps market you • When you receive a deposit from your client, send them a thank you card, in the mail. • If the trip is far away, every couple of months send their children a postcard talking about the trip (important, make sure the children know about the trip!) like “Can’t wait to see you! Love, Mickey” • At final payment, and when you receive docs from vendor, send them a whole package complete with fun information about the destination • Send them a thank you card right when they leave, so it is there when they get home. Enclose many business cards. • While they are on vacation, if domestic, call their room and leave a message, making sure they are all set up and happy.

11. Client gifts • General rule: Don’t spend more than 10% of your commission • Pizza gift card you send while they are gone so they have it when they get home, no one likes to cook the day they get back from a vacation • Dollar Store items • Books about destination or ebook • Hand made thank you cards • Gift baskets in resort rooms • Gift card to local travel store, especially helpful if it is International travel • Autographed items (character) • Pens, tote bags, hats, magnets, memory drives, keychains with special features (like measuring tapes) • Remember the kids

12. Travel Agent Golden Rules • Treat everyone the same…value, deluxe…makes no difference. $1700 to $50,000 example • Never assume someone can’t afford the best. Even if people appear not to be able to afford high end vacations, don’t pre judge them…they might be your biggest client yet. People save for their vacations • Follow through. Follow steps A to Z to the letter, and use your judgment as far as gifts for clients.

13. Old & New • The old saying is that if someone is unhappy with a service, they will tell 10 people, while if they are happy, they’ll tell only 1. • With travel, if someone is both happy or unhappy with their trip, they will tell EVERYONE. This can be to your benefit, or not.

14. Bottom Line? You are marketing yourself, and if you are excited about what you are selling, you will sell! Example