This 365 Marketing and Sales Tip is provided free to the travel agent community by:

Work from a Written Plan – Put your marketing plan in writing. Last year, this column worked through a  basic marketing plan to assist agents in articulating and recording a marketing plan. Those columns are still available for your use. When you put a plan in writing, you will better understand it and be better prepared to execute all of the tactics to which you have committed. Further, you will have a document to hold yourself accountable. Along with your Marketing Calendar a written plan is an indispensible tool in effective marketing. You will re-visit the plan throughout the year, make changes and in some instances completely revise aspects. But the very act of putting your plan into writing is an invaluable exercise.

Market in Campaigns – Market consistently and with an adequate frequency to have an impact. Marketing is a commitment. Yet, it is easy to let a day go by, and then a week, and then two weeks, with no marketing activity. Sporadic burst of marketing activity will lack the consistency to imprint your brand in the minds of your clients and potential clients. You have to create an association in their minds – when they think of “travel”, they think of you. To create an association that strong, you must market with sufficient frequency to continually stay in front of your clients. In addition, your marketing plan must include a variety of media in order to hit your clients from a number of different angles. Ideally, over the course of a year, clients will see your company in display ads, in news articles, at an event in your community, will hear you speak, will see you networking, will hear other consumers and clients talking about you. Getting your message out in this manner, without spreading either yourself or your finances too thin takes planning…which takes us back to the first point…put it in writing!

Tomorrow – Be an expert and love what you do.

As a travel planner, you will have many opportunities to present your brand to consumers. There are advertising opportunities and possible speaking engagements, articles you can write and many methods of gaining referrals from your existing clients. However, unless you can coordinate your efforts, unless you can find a way to ensure that each marketing venue fits into a consistent, purposeful strategy, you will waste some portion of its value.

Thinking in terms of campaigns will keep you focused and will over the long term conserve your capital resources. When each effort is part of a campaign, you can more easily measure the results. You can determine what works and repeat your efforts, and ascertain what is not working to avoid wasting time and money.

An example might be the advertising representative for a regional magazine that approaches you with a remnant rate on an ad in their next issue. While the rate might be good for the one effort, consider whether you will be able to consistently reach the readership in subsequent issues. Will remnant rates be available on a regular basis, or will this be a one-time opportunity with little probability of repeated exposure? If the latter, your better option may be to pass.

As we continue to work through your 2010 marketing plan, develop a campaign devised of a series of consistent, affordable efforts that deliver your brand. Once you have a plan, implement it with a dedication to your strategy. Bringing this type of focus to your marketing efforts will reward you with a real return on your investment.

This 365 Marketing Tip is sponsored by: