I know right now, as we’re still in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, it can feel like EVERYTHING is out of your control if you’re a travel agent. I get it … I’ve spent much of the last month feeling that way, too. So I know that that’s a bleak feeling. That’s the kind of feeling that can make you want to curl up in a ball and give up. But I don’t want that for you. I don’t want that for our (resilient, beautiful, life-changing) industry. So if you’re feeling (understandably!) out of … read more
How to Infuse Your Website With a “Human Touch”—& Why You Should
Over the years, I’ve had conversations with plenty of extremely chatty travel agents. They’re boisterous, they’re flat-out funny, they light up a room. But when I go check out their websites—I can’t believe they were written by the same person! Their website copy sounds stilted and dry. It sounds like they were so concerned with coming across as “professional” that they tipped the scales over into “boring” territory. In short, their websites have NO personality. It sounds like a robot wrote them! Not only is a robotic, personality-devoid website a … read more
What to Do If You Feel Like You’ve Picked the Wrong Travel Niche
“What’s your niche?” It’s the hot new question to ask in the travel agent community. Actually, scratch that—the topic of niching has been popular for a while now! And I’m a big fan of honing in on a niche or specialty. Speaking to a specific group of travelers through your marketing is much more effective than trying to market to everyone. But niching comes with a downside. I’ve talked with travel pros who go all in on a niche—and then really struggle to attract any clients in that niche. I’m talking about … read more
How to Sell With Story in Your Travel Business
Have you ever met a celebrity? Did your hands go all sweaty, your tongue twist up into a pretzel, your eyes glaze over like a Krispy Kreme donut? Recently, I did (and yes, I probably looked a little crazed when I met him). Well—I met a copywriting celebrity. Which means you’ve probably never heard of him 🙂 His name is Parris Lampropoulos, and he is a VERY big deal in the copywriting world. He’s made his clients millions (upon millions, upon millions) of dollars. And earlier this year, at a copy conference … read more
What Makes a Travel Brand Magnetic [CASE STUDY]
I’ve written quite a bit about the importance of nailing your travel agency brand personality. Your brand personality helps you stand out. It helps you attract your DREAM clients. It’s what makes you memorable. Unforgettable. But was does a travel brand bursting with personality actually look like? Today, I want to introduce you to a travel brand that’s totally killing it on the brand personality front. Introducing: Virgin Voyages. Virgin Voyages is eccentric billionaire Richard Branson’s newest venture, a cruise line for travelers who are too cool for “traditional” cruises. From its brand … read more
The 1 Big Difference Between Travel Agents and Travel *Experts*
Yesterday afternoon I was busy investing in my professional development … Okay, you caught me. I was lying on my couch eating Cheetos. But! I was listening to my favorite copywriting podcast. And the guest they had on that day said something really interesting about building authority. When I heard it, I immediately made a mental note to share it with my travel agent readers (had to be a mental note, and not a note-note, because my fingers were still covered in Cheeto dust). Here’s the point the guest, a … read more
3 Big Content Marketing Trends for Travel Agents
Today, I’m dusting off my crystal ball and asking it a very important question: What’s the next big thing in travel agent marketing? Well, my crystal ball was kind enough to give me not one, but three answers to that question. So, here are my 3 biggest predictions around this year’s content marketing trends for travel pros (well, one’s less of a prediction and more of “I hope this changes this year!”). Check ’em out below—and let me know if your crystal ball shows things playing out differently! 1. Connecting via video: … read more
5 Reasons Why You’re Not Getting Leads From Your Travel Agent Website
In my last blog post, I revealed the biggest reason why most travel agents are not getting leads from their websites: They’re simply not sending enough traffic to their websites. Now maybe that’s not you. Or maybe, you took that message to heart and are planning out a traffic-building strategy for the rest of the year. Which means—now it’s time to make sure your website is ready to welcome your new visitors! Because it doesn’t matter how many folks actually land on your website if your copy is a total … read more
The Big Fat Travel Agent Website Lie
“If you build it, they will come.” ^^^That may work for Kevin Costner … but it doesn’t work for websites. Which, yeah, is a HUGE bummer! Because more and more, a personalized website is being sold as an absolute must for travel agents. Heck, I’ve said that too. A website is a must. The problem is that websites are all too often being sold as a cure-all. A silver-bullet solution to finding more travel clients. That’s a big fat lie. Here’s the truth: Your travel agent website isn’t magic. You’re not … read more
The Question Most Travel Agents Ask Themselves Before They Write Their IFOs—and Why It’s Wrong
Quick question: Do you have an IFO? Otherwise known as an opt-in offer, freebie, free download, etc, an IFO (which stands for irresistible free offer) is simply a piece of content you give away for free in exchange for someone’s email address. Then, you can add their email address to your list and start marketing to them! Your IFO may take the shape of a free pdf guide or report, or even a free video series you’ve recorded. Now I’ve come across a lot of IFOs from travel agents. Some good, and … read more
