Quick stats lesson: Did you know there are 105,085 travel agents in the U.S., according to the 2015 Census? And that’s not even counting the number of work-from-home ICs! With stats like that in mind, today I want to talk about what makes you one-in-a-million. Or, at least one-in-one-hundred-thousand 😉 Because when you think about how to get more (and better) travel clients, you not only have to compete with online booking engines. You have to compete with other agents. There are a lot of you out there! So how … read more
How to Nail the Next 3 Months for Your Travel Agency with a Quarterly Business Plan
Last week, I worked on my quarterly business plan. I’d be lost without it, succumbing to shiny object syndrome every single week. My quarterly business plan keeps me FOCUSED, ensuring that I’m always moving toward my goals. (Okay, sometimes I still slip up, but I’ve got my plan printed out and taped right by my desk to help me get back on track). A lot of entrepreneurs break their big goals into quarters like this. You can accomplish a lot in 90 days — but it’s not as overwhelming as … read more
Your Travel Agency Brand: Stand Out by Starting with This 1 Question
There’s a question I always ask my clients before I start working on their new website copy. And, whenever I ask it, there’s almost always a pause on the other end of the phone line. “Wow,” my client says. “That’s a tough one.” Do you want to know what the question is? It’s: “Can you describe your travel agency brand personality in 5 words or fewer?” As a savvy travel entrepreneur, you KNOW you need a niche to stand out in the crowd. It’s been drilled into you that honing … read more
Why Your Website Is Scaring Away Millennial Travel Clients
Millennials. The pesky texting-obsessed, always online, endlessly coddled generation … and the generation that’s increasingly likely to use a travel agent. According to a survey by MMGY Global, millennial families are driving travel, and a huge chunk are looking to turn to travel pros for planning. Yep — the much maligned millennials need your help! So, how can you get millennial travel clients? Well, it starts with knowing what NOT to do. And boy, do I have a story for you. It all started with a text from a friend … The … read more
The Sweet Spot for Travel Agent Blog Posts
Last week, I was on a call with a client (hi, Tamika!) and she asked me a great question: How long should her travel agent blog posts be? She had been doing some research, and some gurus said shorter posts (like 400 words) were the ticket, while others were claiming that mega 2,000 word posts (yikes!) worked best. My answer? You need both. And there are a couple of reasons for that. Reason #1:Mix Up Travel Agent Blog Posts for SEO Success The first has to do with SEO. Blogging … read more
Build Your List of Leads — Without Writing New Copy
Ezines. Ezines. EZINES! You’ve probably been hearing a lot about how important ezines are for your travel business. Sending out an ezine consistently keeps you top of mind with your prospects and clients, so they know exactly who to call when they’re ready to book their next vacation. But. Sending out an ezine is only one part of the equation. Your travel business may sustain itself if you commit to the ezine, but it doesn’t mean you’ll grow. To grow your travel business, you have to grow your ezine list of subscribers. And to … read more
Why You Need Testimonials — and How to Get Them
Yelp, Zagat, Trip Advisor, and the like prove it — social proof is the name of the game. Who buys a product or invests in a service without hearing that someone else has benefited from it first? No one, that’s who (alternate answer: suckers). In fact, nearly two-thirds of consumers read product reviews before deciding to purchase. The short story: testimonials matter. They matter just as much for service providers, like travel agents. In fact, I’d argue that they matter even more, because consumers can’t just “return” a travel experience and get … read more
The BIGGEST Super Bowl Marketing Lesson for Travel Pros
I am definitely one of those people who watches the Super Bowl for the commercials (and the wings … mmmm, chicken wings). So I was at the edge of my seat every time the game faded to black and another brand came blaring on the T.V. Who earned the coveted title of Best Super Bowl Ad? The copywriter circles I run in seem to think that Tide came out on top — and I agree. If you haven’t seen the Tide ads (yes, there are multiple), you can read more about the … read more
How to Make Money Selling Travel: Get Rid of the Price Shoppers
They’re the bane of every travel pro’s existence. Those “leads” who constantly badger you, asking you if you can get them a good deal on their (bare bones) vacation. If you can price match this sketchy quote they found on the internet. If you can magically shave $200 off the cost of their airline tickets. And the worst part? Most of them have no intention of even booking with you! Price shoppers. Tire kickers. The absolute WORST. No matter what you call them, they’ll suck you dry. There’s good news, … read more
Create Travel Clients for Life with an Offboarding Strategy
Want to know how to be a good travel agent? It starts with being really, really good to your clients. Before, during, and even after their trip. As a travel pro, you’ve probably perfected the “before” with your client onboarding process. You know how to lead prospects from the consult call to the contract, how and when to collect cc details, and how to get the ball rolling. In fact, I’ve worked with several travel agents now who wanted me to create a document to give to their new clients … read more
