Written By: Jackie Friedman, President – Nexion Travel Group
As a travel advisor, you wear many hats. In today’s day and age, it’s not enough to be a great travel advisor in terms of knowing and selling destinations. You must also think as a business owner with a plan and strategy on how you wish to grow your business. Of course, one size does not fit all.
Most of you understand the importance of having a plan and strategy but may not know how to make it a reality – you’re not alone.
From my perspective, the best place to start is with your passion and interests. Then, start with understanding who your target customer is and what products they will want to buy. You may have gone through this exercise some time ago, but it’s always good to dust off that plan and reevaluate it to ensure it’s producing the results you seek. For others, you’re not quite there yet.
I, along with a team of marketing executives and industry leaders, would love to try and help you take your marketing plan to the next level. This summer, we’re bringing back a Magellan award-winning event that will give you the tools, knowledge and components of a good marketing plan. This three-day event is aimed at all levels of expertise and designed to dive deeper than the basics of marketing. You’ll leave Marketing with your own marketing plan that is developed and ready to put into practice.
At this symposium, you’ll work with experts on:
- Learning the components of what makes a strong marketing plan, and work on your own unique marketing plan – so what exactly is a marketing plan? Why is it important to you and your business? The key to a successful travel agency is being able to attract clients who are willing to use its services.
How to build your brand – Your brand is one of the most important aspects of your travel agency and can help distinguish you from your competitors. It’s important to have both a personal brand and a business brand.
- Mining your database – Many travel advisors spend too much time wondering where their next sale will come from or how to find more clients. Well, the secret lies inside your existing database, as it’s a wealth of information just waiting to be excavated!
- Maximizing your marketing tools – Host agencies and consortias typically provide a whole toolbox full of marketing tools to make it easy to reach existing and potential clients. For example, Nexion Travel Group members have access to lead generation programs, social media resource center and permission-based, omni-channel consumer marketing programs. It’s important for travel advisors to make themselves aware of the tools they have at their fingertips, so they can use these tools to their fullest potential.
- Social media and online strategy – When fully leveraged and used correctly, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and blogging are powerful tools that bring your marketing to the next level. Plus, having an awareness of Search Engine Marketing and Search Engine Optimization is ideal.
- Leveraging public relations – Often a forgotten resource, publicizing your expertise can be an invaluable tool for your agency. Learn how to leverage public relations, so you can effectively pitch yourself and your business to reporters.
- Planning and executing consumer events – Hosting clients and friends at a local event or venue is an effective way to educate them about your agency or promote a particular itinerary or upcoming group.
- Budgeting and measuring return on investment – It’s so important to get serious about the numbers! Developing a realistic marketing budget is imperative for the sustainability and profitability of your agency. Cross promotion, leveraging co-op funds and measuring ROI should all be part of your marketing plan.
Making yourself retainable and relatable – Bringing in new clients is only part of the equation. You must be able to relate to your clients to make a connection, understand their needs and close the sale. But the work doesn’t stop there! You’ll also need to be retainable to ensure your clients come back over and over for future travel needs.
One of my mantras is, “It’s important to work on your business and not just in it.” You may not fully understand what I mean by that. Working in your business equates to the day-to-day tasks you do as an advisor – making bookings, taking final payments and accounting, for example. Growing your business means also taking time to work ON it, and a lot of this centers around marketing.
Everything Nexion Travel Group does in terms of education, coaching and specialty events adds value in making you the most effective, efficient and profitable travel advisor you can be. This event is personally important to me, because I truly believe that as much as anything we do, this program will prepare you to take your business to the next level by giving you the tools, knowledge and confidence to develop and execute on a marketing plan that is relevant to you and your business.
I invite you to spend three days with me and our experts at Marketing, who are there solely with the purpose to make you successful marketers. It’s going to be a phenomenal event, and I am excited to see the inspiring and lucrative ideas and plan of action that our advisors will put into place and execute from their learnings. To attend, you must be a member of Nexion Travel Group. We’d love to have you as part of our family.