6 Ways to Promote Your Online Travel Agency

Establishing an online travel agency is only half the work. Besides laying the groundwork, you need to have a proactive promotional plan for your agency to ensure success. Brick-and-mortar travel agencies can gradually make their name with time even if they don't invest too much energy and resources in marketing. However, that can't happen with an online travel business.

Unlike conventional travel agencies, they don't have a physical presence that works as a means of promotion.

Moreover, competition in the digital landscape is pretty tough. New travel agencies are established at a very rapid rate, and many of them have the same target market. If you are spearheading an online travel agency and want to stay ahead of competitors, you need to put your A-game with your gig's promotion.

This post will discuss a list of tips and measures that you need to consider for promoting your online travel agency for better client acquisition and sales.

1. Use Social Media for Organic Engagement

If you have an online travel agency, you will find most of your potential consumers on social media platforms. Make accounts on all major SM platforms and keep them active with original content, latest travel news, and user interaction. Your Facebook and Instagram pages can buzz with a good activity if you manage them rightly.

These are some things you need to consider when curating your social media accounts.

• Try to deal with pictures and videos most of the time. Social media users have a very short attention span that only interesting visual content can grab.
• Always put your new deals and packages on your social media pages. This is where you will get the maximum response. Also, make sure that all the obvious package information is there on the post, and people don't have to comment or message you to find that out. For instance, display the price on the package post instead of fending off users with "dm for price" tags.
• Post your content during peak hours where your posts can get maximum impressions and traction. Posting in odd hours on social media means your post might get buried in most users' feed.

The smart use of social media can help you generate many leads with warm prospects without costing a single buck.

2. Segment Your Market and Offer Plans Accordingly

The travelling industry can branch into a host of niche businesses. There are many subclasses of travellers; these include vacationers, volunteers, pilgrims, and business people. You also need to classify travellers based on their financial capability, which further diversifies the niches. For instance, a vacation traveller can further divide into three categories: budget, standard, and luxury. As an online travel agency, you need to determine your target markets and niches.

There are little chances of promotional work to deliver desired results when it is based on the assumption that you attract all sorts of travellers. The majority of both online and offline travel agencies primarily cater to a limited set of travel niches. So, identify your target market and then reach out to them with relevant plans.

For instance, by offering travelling plans for Rome and the Vatican featuring visits to museums, libraries, and ancient churches, you are narrowing down your target market. Instead of promoting those travelling packages among the general audience, you should target baby boomers and senior citizens. You can do that by selecting the right demographic group for Facebook ads and promoting your travel plans on the relevant forums.

Follow the same template to target different target markets with the right travel plans and the marketing message that resonates with that group.

3. Use Direct Mail to Reach Out to Local Market

Having an online travel agency doesn't mean you don't have to promote it in the offline world. Direct mails experience a good opening rate and can be effectively used to introduce your travel business to the local group of potential consumers. Print a flyer with all the critical information you want to pass on to clients (USPs, prices, etc.). Also, add short URLs and QR codes to those direct mail posts so that interested recipients can access your website or social media pages then and there.

1. Optimise Your Website for Search Engines

Every day hundreds and thousands of users run travel-related queries on search engines. Online users search for the best travel offers for different destinations and fun activities to do at those destinations. They carry out many Google searches before finalizing their travelling plan. This is also where many stumble over a travel operator, and they eventually book their tour with them.

If you want to improve your visibility among those Google searches, you need to optimise your travel website accordingly. First of all, optimize your content and website’s meta details in line with the long-tail keywords representing your services. Also, try to get featured on as many DA websites as possible. All the links from reputable website signalling towards your travel agency will improve your organic visibility on search engines.

5. Offer Range of Top-Quality Services Worldwide 

If you want to execute a successful promotional campaign for your online travel agency, you have to reach out to your market segments with top-quality worldwide services. Whether it is ticketed and passes for attractions, transfer services, or car rentals, you have to offer it all from a single interface. You can only promise a one-window operation to clients if you use a robust travel management system and software that integrates with a Global Distribution System (GDS).

6. Leverage Email Marketing

Last but not least, make the most of email marketing to promote your online travel agency. You can do that by using a marketing automation platform. These platforms can nurture and convert leads into sales with their effective list creation and management, email campaign scheduling, and automation. They also furnish detailed reports so you can track the success of your email marketing.  

For the last two promotional measures we have discussed here, get in touch with TravnetTech. We can equip your online travel agency with a robust travel management system and marketing automation platform. TravnetTech can also set up a travel back-office for you that will meet the modern travel technological requirements. Our experts can also equip your operations with a front office and travel search engine.