With millions of people traveling all over the world to get a little R&R, travel agents are becoming more and more popular, especially with younger people. But just because people are looking for travel agents doesn’t mean it’s easy to get more business. There are over 42,000 travel agencies in the U.S. alone! To beat the competition without breaking the bank, here are four budget-friendly ways to market your travel agency and get more clients.
Create eye-catching graphics
The cornerstone of any successful marketing campaign is eye-catching graphics. There’s so much content online and in real life that the only way to stand out is to make your marketing materials look better than the competition.
Of course, high-quality graphics typically come with an equally high price tag. However, rather than hire a graphic designer, you can easily make professional-level marketing materials yourself by using templates.
There are thousands of travel templates available on websites like PosterMyWall. All you need to do is choose the one that best fits your brand, customize the information using the easy drag-and-drop editor, and you’re ready to post. Best of all, it’s completely free! How’s that for cost-effective!?
Once you have your amazing graphics, you can upload them to social media, build new website pages, or even print them out and hang them around town for some old-school marketing.
Share travel tips on social media
In the marketing world, value means attention. The more value you provide, the more viewers you’re going to get. One of the best ways you can promote your travel agency without spending a dime is to share travel tips on social media and your website.
Traveling can be tough, but you know all the ins and outs to have a smooth trip. Every now and then, post a helpful travel tip to your social media pages. Your existing followers will appreciate the help, and new followers will flock to your page just for the advice. Once they follow you, they’ll also get to see all your other marketing promotions, extending your reach in the future. Plus, you make yourself look like an expert, which will encourage more people to book trips through your agency. And all of these benefits won’t cost you a cent!
Highlight client testimonials and reviews
Hiring a travel agent is a big deal. You’re basically putting your time, wellbeing, and fun in the hands of someone you’ve likely never met before. That’s why it’s super important to show potential clients that you know how to book a fun, safe, and enjoyable trip with testimonials and reviews.
According to research, over 99% of customers read online reviews before making a purchase. And many people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation from a friend or family member! There’s a lot of weight behind reviews, so make sure you have plenty to show off.
Whenever one of your clients comes back from an amazing trip, ask them to rate your business and write a quick testimonial about their experience. Post the testimonials to your website and social media accounts to show how much fun your trips really are! When other people read your reviews, they won’t be able to wait to book their next trip with your agency. Plus, asking for reviews and testimonials is completely free, so it’s impossible to break your marketing budget!
Start an email marketing campaign
When it comes to cost-effective marketing campaigns, email stands alone. The average email marketing campaign generates an incredible $36 for every $1 spent! And that’s because it gives you the ability to contact your customers directly without worrying about whether the algorithm will show your content.
Creating travel plans takes a lot of back-and-forth between you and your clients, which typically means you have their email addresses. Ask your clients if they’d like to sign up for your newsletters and add their contact information to a database.
Then, send regular emails about the latest travel news and business updates to keep your agency top of mind for your customers. Most marketing professionals suggest sending between one and three emails per week.
Since they already hired your agency once, there’s a good chance that they’ll do it again since they obviously had a blast on their last trip! Build your contact list and let those emails fly. It’s a great way to promote your travel agency without breaking the bank.
Make your travel agency and your wallet happy
Marketing doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. There are plenty of ways to promote your travel agency without breaking the bank. Design high-quality marketing graphics yourself using professional templates, share some travel tips on social media, get more customer testimonials and reviews, and send plenty of marketing emails to past clients.
When all your marketing efforts work together, you’ll be able to send more people on their dream vacations than ever before, all without increasing your marketing budget.
