How Can Your Travel Business Secure and Keep Clients?

Booking a vacation is easier than ever thanks to the Internet. However, this has caused many people to use travel agencies less often. It is easy to find travel websites marketing their competitive online pricing with just a few clicks. None of this means that travel agencies are pushed out completely. There is still a certain convenience to a consumer, especially for higher-end or more sophisticated trips, to rely on an agency's help. Your marketing plan needs to be more strategic than ever.

If you are going to keep up with the trends and changing industry, you will need to adapt your marketing strategies. Below you will find five competitive tips.

Align your marketing budget to match when people begin to plan their travel. Most travelers begin researching and booking their summer trips at the beginning of the calendar year. This makes the start of the calendar year a strategic time to consider marketing.

"Travel blogs have become increasingly popular as a source of information and a source of travel ideas," said a marketing spokesperson for The Travel Academy, a travel agent academy. "People enjoy reading about others' experiences on blogs, and you can use a blog to market your latest specials. They are great, too, for your optimization and can help draw traffic as well as social media traffic through posted photos and lists."

Travel websites are more interactive than ever. Most allow users to post reviews of places, ask questions on travel forums, and share photos and stories. Allow your website to draw users into a community where they can find inspiration to achieve their goals. It is hugely important that your website is user-friendly, fully optimized, and mobile-responsive. Users should be driven to it when they search for certain keywords via search engines. They should be able to open your site on their cell phone, tablet, or laptop and get the same view. Have both, and you are well poised for successful outcomes to your marketing.

In addition to creating a community for your customers, build relationships with them individually. People want to work with or hire those they trust and know. Communicate with them through email offers and ask for feedback and reviews. Personalize your email marketing or contact information as much as possible. Show them you care by referencing something about them. Did they book a family cruise for the two parents and two kids? Mention that in your next email and do not forget to encourage them to book with you again in the future.

Affiliate marketing can help drive sales online. Use it, whether it is a comparison site, another blog, or a nice travel site. It can be well worth your time to include affiliates. Combine online and offline marketing so they coordinate. Think of how many people today use their laptops while watching TV. A coordinated marketing strategy enables you to capture prospective clients on and offline.

Marc H. is a marketing manager and copywriter.