Marketing Solutions for Travel Agents

If there’s any space that’s been completely overhauled by digital transformation, it’s travel.

Today, travelers get their recommendations from social media, read reviews on search engines, and book based on photos and videos that they see.

If you’re a travel agent, navigating the digital world can be just as intricate as the physical one. For that, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about marketing for travel agents using the FLIPpages digital publishing platform.

Understanding the travel agent market

To understand marketing for travel agents, it’s important to touch on the state of the industry. Today’s travel market is primarily online, with 70% of sales revenue coming through online sales channels.

Travel agents act as intermediaries between travelers and their dream vacations. They provide travelers with a personalized concierge service to assist with everything from selecting the trip to ironing out all the little details.

While surveys show that 47% of people use travel agents (either online or in-person) to book their vacation, travel agents themselves face certain challenges in the current market.

For example, there is fierce competition between online travel agents because customers are no longer restricted by geography when considering who to book with. Direct bookings also pose a challenge, as companies look to have their customers book directly.

To position yourself as the premier travel agent and showcase the benefits of booking with you (instead of directly or with your competitors), it’s important to adapt to digital marketing trends and embrace travel agency marketing strategies.

Leveraging FLIPpages for digital marketing

When it comes to digital marketing for travel agents, FLIPpages is a powerful tool. FLIPpages is a digital publishing platform that allows you to elevate your travel agency’s marketing materials by transforming static PDFs into immersive interactive PDFs. You can create and share travel brochures easily across different channels, reaching your digital audience where they are.

Wondering how?

Here are the steps to leverage FLIPpages across your content marketing and digital marketing strategy.

Build an interactive online presence

Various studies show that travelers today primarily book trips online, compare trips online, and use social media to inspire their travels. This means that your travel agent business must have an online presence. Think about it: would you book a trip with a travel agent that didn’t have a website?

While having a website is the first step, effectively designing it is another task entirely. Interestingly, 75% of consumers say they judge a business’s credibility based on its website design.

That’s why FLIPpages can be a huge asset.

You can create DIY travel brochures and other documents with a sleek FLIPpages theme and embed them on your website. These polished, professional brochures make it easy to showcase your offerings to customers clearly and attractively.

To attract more travelers to your website, use the best search engine optimization (SEO) practices, like implementing keywords, making your website mobile-friendly, and updating your business information on Google. Collaborating with travel bloggers, influencers, and local businesses can also help build valuable backlinks, enhance your credibility, and increase your online visibility.

Enhance social media marketing

As we mentioned, social media marketing for travel agents is increasingly crucial, given how frequently travelers turn to social media for trip inspiration and booking. When you use FLIPpages to create interactive travel publications, you can extend their reach by crafting engaging social media posts.

For example, you can take a stunning page of your travel brochure and turn it into a series of social media posts. Then, run the best-performing ones as targeted ads and promotions.

Ultimately, using FLIPpages can extend the reach of your content by cross-posting it on social media.

Boosting email marketing campaigns

Just as your FLIPpages marketing materials can be used on social media, they can also boost your email marketing campaigns. How exactly?

You can incorporate parts of your DIY interactive publications into your email newsletters. For example, you could take a page where you break down the offerings of a new vacation and share that in your next email.

Also, remember standard email best practices to guarantee top-tier campaign performance. These include:

• Personalizing your emails when applicable
• Segmenting your audience based on demographic and vacation interest

Additional marketing strategies for travel agents

If you want your travel business to grow and thrive for years to come, consider the following strategies for online marketing for travel agencies:

• Utilize traditional marketing methods: While digital marketing is king, don’t neglect traditional marketing methods. For example, print materials can still be useful (such as brochures and flyers), especially when paired with a digital counterpart. Think about it like this: a customer can pick up a physical copy when they stop by your office, but if they lose it or want to share it with a friend in another town, they can find the digital copy online. Also, consider using local newspapers and magazines alongside digital publications. You can run your most appealing and descriptive digital marketing materials as online advertisements to further extend your reach.
• Consider networking and partnerships: You don’t need to work in isolation. Consider attending travel industry events, conferences, and trade shows to make connections and share your digital brochures. You can also build partnerships with local travel and vacation companies using your interactive content. For example, a hotel you work with might be willing to host your travel brochure on a page of their website.
• Track key performance indicators (KPIs): Key performance indicators (KPIs) are the metrics that allow you to understand if your digital marketing efforts are successful and where improvements can be made. Essential KPIs for travel agents might include the number of people who visit your website in a day, the conversion rate (or percentage of people who take a desired action), and the lead generation rate.
• Analyze campaign effectiveness: Aside from KPIs, there are other methods for evaluating marketing effectiveness for travel agents. For example, you can track your open and click-through rates and subscriber behavior for email campaigns. You can monitor metrics such as engagement and reach for social media campaigns and use the major platforms’ built-in analytics tools.

Master marketing for travel agents with FLIPpages

Understanding and implementing the most effective content marketing for travel agents takes time, dedication, and strategy. To truly gain a competitive edge, you also need to elevate the content itself.

This is where FLIPpages comes in.

Our innovative DIY digital publishing platform empowers you to create interactive and engaging content to enhance your customers’ experience. With our cutting-edge tools, streamlined approach, and digital marketing tips for small businesses, you’ll have everything you need to create and control your content and roll-out.

Sign up for a free trial today and publish your piece.

Need additional help?

If you have limited resources and want an expert to handle all of your digital publishing needs, dirxion.com is your answer. Our flagship product offers additional branding, no page limit, advanced linking, and many other custom features. We are just an email away from helping you construct a complete solution online. Contact us today!