Essentials of e-marketing for online travel business
When researching vacation destinations and purchasing travel packages, most customers seek options online. There is no single marketing technique that would cater to all types of customers and their needs. A linear process may not be successful.
1) Article marketing – A short article tied into a service or product is a relatively inexpensive form of advertising. The article can be freely distributed online. It can mention what differentiates your business from others. This distinguishing factor can fall under a lot of different categories like customer service, safety standards, awards, or guides. Find the USP and focus on it.
2) Use Google Ads- Using Google Ads can give website owners a different advantage. Travel and tourism is the third highest spending industry through Google Ads. The chief advantage is that a travel website will be separated from the common results page and will reach local, national and even international customers through Google Ads. Paid advertising ensures that the ad of a business is shown to its target group of customers.
3) Use social media – Using social media as part of a marketing strategy generates quick results. For instance, photographs of sandy beaches, crumbling ruins, or airplane wings on Instagram can only serve to highlight the visual component of travel. According to a study by Expedia, the travel behaviors of millennials and Gen Z are heavily influenced by social media.
4) Gift certificates – Gift certificates not only work as customer retention tools, but they also help to acquire new customers. For instance, a reward program can be set up and a gift certificate of $10 can be given for every $100 customers spent on a website over a specific time period. Customers can also be encouraged to buy gift certificates as presents.
5) Engage customers – With travel bans and event cancellations amidst the pandemic, it is more crucial than ever to engage customers. Travel businesses should actively participate and respond in different ways to COVID-19. Four Seasons in New York City is offering free rooms to healthcare workers, for instance. When a brand responds to a crisis, it enhances its value.
6) Regular schedule of emails- Make sure that emails with compelling subject lines are regularly sent to customers. Emails with a personal tone and relatable content will help to form a personal connection. Give the impression that you are sending emails not with an aim to sell or promote but just to touch base during such uncertain times. You can even mail a photo of your team.
7) Focus on health and wellness – Customers are rethinking about who and what they come in physical contact with. Focus on health and wellness practices that will be an integral part of your business. Assure them that mobile usage will increase throughout their journey, from passports, boarding passes to contactless check ins and checkouts at hotels.
