The Internet’s huge impact on tourism and travel is well-known. It has a profound impact on how tour operators and travel agencies reach their customers. Online marketing small tour companies have many opportunities.
It’s obvious that you need a website and social media pages. But, how do you get the most out of them all? This article will cover the essentials of online marketing for small and medium-sized tour operators as well as travel agencies.
To be able find and delight our customers, we first need to know our target market. Let’s quickly remind ourselves of just a few of the new online traveler trend.
Google reports that consumers now use multiple screens to browse the Internet. Smartphones are the most common starting point. Then, you can move on to a PC or tablet. Social media has been a great tool for sharing reviews and other content with travelers for years. They want a personalized and unique experience that is tailored to them. They expect travel companies to provide real-time services, as they are always connected. Customer service must be accessible 24 hours a day via mobile devices.
Online marketing is huge. Online marketing is essential because you have a target market. Here are some tips based on the experiences of top marketers and experts in tour and travel marketing to make organizing your online promotions easy.
1.Tell a story to delight them
Digital storytelling is key to online marketing for travels and tours. High quality content is essential. To grab the attention of readers, use photos, videos, and real-life stories to describe your product. Be creative and know your audience. Stories are powerful and can evoke emotions. These are two powerful tools for attracting new clients. This is the secret to successful travel agencies and tour operators. Tell a story about your traveler and tourist offer. Blogs, photos and video are all good media. These images can be shared on social media
2. Social Media is a great way to engage customers
Tour operators have so many options for online marketing with social media. It is important to realize that social media can be used to reach your target audience. Search engines are used to help people find you. Experts still recommend Facebook and Pinterest for travel and tour businesses. It’s important to create a profile on each of these sites and to adapt your usage intensity to suit their unique features.
Post daily and share. Be fun and don’t be too promotional if you want to become popular. Create beautiful images, engage in conversations and answer questions. To find opportunities for collaboration and to share experiences, join the LinkedIn and Facebook industry groups. People will notice the usefulness and beauty of your social media content and go to Google to find more memorable experiences.
3. Your Great Offer in Video and Pictures
This will increase your online customer reviews. Your profile description and website are often the first impression potential bookers have of you and your company. You know how important the first impression is. If they see your photos are not in the best of condition, they will judge your entire service. Make sure you take the best pictures possible. These photos can be used to inspire positive emotions in potential tour bookers after they click the book now button. There are tons of beautiful free stock photos to start with.
4. Book direct on your website
Many small tour companies offer their products to larger providers. A multi-function Book Now button allows you to have more control over your small business. Modern booking buttons can be pushed by a button support custom made tours. You just need to give yourself some time to test it. It saves you a lot of time and allows you to respond quickly to customer queries. It’s easy to lose potential bookers if they don’t respond quickly. Recently, we wrote about online booking benefits. You can manage all your content from one location. This will allow you to track customer interactions. This will make it easy to market your small business online and increase sales.
5. Get the Best from the Popular Travel Marketplaces
Tripadvisor, Viator and Trustpilot are travel marketplaces that promote great tours through reviews. The best promotion is word-of mouth. This is how reviews work in the online world. Before booking their next trip, people look to the experiences of other travelers. Social media shares and likes fall into the same category. They are trusted by people. People will trust them if they find you likeable by others. Your positive reviews will increase the number of online bookings you make.
6. Take decisions based on your Business Data
Data mining is not just for the big guys. A useful reporting system can be your best friend in monitoring your business’s performance. It can be found in your booking software. Let’s have a look at Mightywarner. It offers a variety of features that can be used to standardize the entire tour business process. This helps to reduce costs and increase efficiency. All business reports can be viewed in simple graphs. This allows you to track your tour business and make informed decisions. It also helps you increase your customer base.
7. Mobile optimization of your website
Did you know that 87% of internet users have a smartphone? Have you ever checked your phone? This is how your posts, emails and website content will be seen by the majority of Internet users. Check how your content appears on your tablet or smartphone screen when you publish online. Keep in mind that different mobile brands might display the content differently. You need a quick load time, large images, search and selection ease, clear calls to action, and easy navigation. You will lose revenue if you don’t have these.
Try Mobile Friendly test, which is a free Google’s tool, to check if your website has a mobile-friendly design and get optimization recommendations. There are also some great free WordPress plugins to help optimize your website.
Let’s wrap up… Online marketing in the age of the customer
Understanding your customer is the first step to creating a memorable experience. This will allow you to cater to their needs and create unforgettable experiences.
A great customer experience starts with thoughtful planning. This includes the creation of the ad, promotion, customer engagement, communication, bookings, payments, and memorable tour experiences.
To embrace online marketing thinking that is appropriate for today’s customer age, keep in mind the buzz words: Individuality, Personalization, Social, Video, Mobile.
