The year 2023 has come and gone and there isn’t much, if anything, you can do to change the outcome of your actions or inactions. The results, as they pertain to your business, are “in the bank” so to say.

What you can do, and you have just about all the ammunition you need, is to make 2024 a year for the record books. But, I caution against any unchained optimism.

It is common for you, me, and virtually every hard-working entrepreneur to jot down a few New Year Resolutions designed to fatten their wallet and keep their bodies in Read the rest of this entry »

While I am a proponent of the thoughtful use of “artificial intelligence” (AI), I understand and fully appreciate the concerns many have voiced regarding the training of AI on existing creative works. Critics of AI often raise charges of plagiarism and copyright violation because of the way in which AI integrates existing text, graphics, and art into its generative efforts. Read the rest of this entry »

We may be headed into a recession. Or not! The so-called experts are all over the place so it is anyone’s guess. However, the resumption of payments on student loans is suspected to be a factor. While I certainly can’t say if we will or won’t slide into a recession, I can say that it is always better to be prepared. Read the rest of this entry »

Understanding your target customer is key to success in the travel industry. Market research is a powerful tool that can be used to identify these customers, understand their needs, and tailor your offerings to meet these needs. Today, we’ll look at a few key steps to get you started! Read the rest of this entry »

It has been said you need to spend a buck to make one. And that is true. However, you don’t need to break the bank to do it.

Travel agents are responsible for providing clients with the best possible travel experiences—but how can they cost-effectively do this? In today’s digital age, there are many ways to enhance marketing capabilities without spending much money. Here are five tips to get you started: Read the rest of this entry »

Every travel agency seeks visibility in its marketplace. Through advertising, niche marketing, and solid networking, agency owners work to raise the profile of their travel practice above the crowd so the public immediately associates the agency’s brand with the word “travel.” Creating an association strong enough to be top of mind anytime someone thinks of “travel” is no small feat but, especially on a community level, it is achievable. No doubt, in your own community, there is at least one travel agency with more than its proportionate percentage of “mindshare” – people immediately think of that agency when they think of their next cruise or vacation. Read the rest of this entry »

It became glaringly obvious to me over the years that most people are still not practicing the simple art of marketing with any consistency. Because there was (is) so much print on the subject, people were not introduced to the finer (simple) points of marketing in a fashion that was taken seriously. My focused observation confirms that people either do not know enough to be concerned about marketing, or they think they have already heard all there is to hear on the subject. This happens to be a popular error.

I spend many of my columns speaking to the importance of positioning and differentiation – setting your travel practice apart from the crowd. From the emails and comments I received, however, it’s clear that it’s not always easy to really BE different.  Where do the ideas arise that will energize your travel practice in such a way that travelers will choose you over another agency or booking on their own?

The most important thing is to lead with your personality. You are the one thing that is truly unique about your travel practice.  You are the one thing not duplicated online, in your office, or at another agency. You are the human element with which people want to engage. Learn to infuse your creative thinking with your own personality. Read the rest of this entry »

I spotted the following in a popular e-zine I like to read.

Word count for this issue: 888

Approximate time to read: Just over 3 minutes

Why bother spelling out the length of an article you ask? There is a very good reason for doing this. It is a small courtesy that supports one of my sales lessons which implies that it is smart to let people know what they are in for.

In this case, 888 words tells me how much effort I need to invest if I decide to read this information Read the rest of this entry »

Mistakes get a bad rap.  Experience may be a rough teacher, but you tend not to forget the lessons. My father consoled me with one of his aphorisms: “If you are not making mistakes, you are not trying hard enough.”

When we make a mistake, we are taught to apologize.  Good advice.  If we are not smart enough to admit our mistakes and apologize for them, we implicitly explain their origin all too clearly.  But simply apologizing for mistakes under-values their worth. Read the rest of this entry »

Consumers have a love/hate relationship with advertising. Some advertising is highly regarded, memorized and repeated, passed along virally. Other ads are the subject of scorn and vilification usually reserved for weapons of mass destruction. It is a worthwhile exercise to examine consumer attitudes toward advertising and to discover exactly what about it people find objectionable. Buried there is a lesson we can take back to our own marketing campaigns to ensure that it will be heard and trusted rather than frowned upon. Read the rest of this entry »

There are a few phrases I hear myself saying more often these days. One of which brings me back to my early years, when I spent summers on my grandmother’s farm. “Make hay while the sun shines,” reminded us that when you made a living which depended heavily on the uncertainty of the weather, it was in your best interest to take advantage of favorable conditions while they presented themselves. Read the rest of this entry »

Shakedown!
Breakdown!
Takedown!

Remember that old song by Bob Seger from 1987?

When Facebook broke down recently, that’s the song that came into my head. It started playing louder when Frances Haugen testified before Congress!

Facebook has become a huge part of our work and personal lives. Yet, I wonder how many of us thought about the old adage about not putting all our eggs into one basket when this breakdown happened? Or the adage that one shouldn’t build their house on rented land?

Really? What are we as travel industry pros supposed to do… market by carrier pigeon? Pony Express? How about using a town crier?

These days, none of those are viable options; however, we may want pay attention to those old adages as breakdowns and takedowns may become more frequent in the future. Read the rest of this entry »

Many travel professionals will openly confess that marketing is not their forte. After all, a large percentage of travel agents, if not the overwhelming majority, very rightly entered the industry not because they love marketing but because they love travel.  Many have a very limited background or formal training in marketing, but manage to conduct a reasonably viable business out of a capacity to communicate their enthusiasm for travel and for being of service to others. That said, however,  travel professionals have the need to be serious about marketing.  The stakes are high – involved is not only your own business, but I dare say the future of the entire travel agency distribution channel. Read the rest of this entry »

Remember back in the good old days when banks and savings and loan companies gave away a free toaster for a minimum deposit? Then, if you added a bit more to your deposit, you became the proud owner of a free bakeware set too! I furnished my first apartment kitchen this way!

All the bank had to do to acquire a new customer was give away a freebie: a $20 toaster. Pretty easy.

Fast forward to the age of social marketing, and savvy travel marketers are providing freebies as a way to acquire new prospective clients. I’m not talking about toasters, nor free travel; I’m talking about a lead magnet that’s so valuable people will provide their contact information.

The result of gathering contact information from as many people as possible is that you’ll have a way to grow your email list, target your social ads more effectively, and potentially book tours for these people. Read the rest of this entry »

Do you find that as the recovery of travel ramps up, that some social marketing tactics seem old and out of touch with the times?

Over the last year, so much has changed in the ways that people consume marketing that savvy travel pros are turning to new ways to stand out in the noisy social marketing space.

Let’s explore 3 creative ways to get noticed, so that fans and clients are excited in this new era. We’ll dive into the 3-A’s to amplify your brand: Ads, Audiences, and Audio.

“Facebook, which has said it wants to make audio a “first-class medium” on its platforms, joins Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) and messaging platform Discord which have already launched their own live audio offerings. Spotify debuted its own version, “Greenroom,” last Wednesday. Slack, Microsoft Corp-owned (MSFT.O) LinkedIn and Reddit are also working on similar products.” Source

Read the rest of this entry »

When I mention this in my live programs, I usually get more than a few giggles in disbelief. I then tell the audience: “I mean it. I don’t like a lot of people. Who said that I have to ‘like’ everybody? The word ‘people’ is too general for me to rubber-stamp my affection toward anybody and everybody who can fog a mirror.”

Like in my live programs, I think it is time to hear my rationale.

The secret is not to like everybody, but to like the people you like. And then, be willing and eager to do everything within your power to service these people. No rules. No exceptions. No excuses. Not when you just feel like it. All the time. Read the rest of this entry »

From earliest childhood, we are taught to listen to stories. We develop a real, active interest in the lead character of a tale. No doubt some people tell stories better than others. But the one story you should spend time writing and polishing is your own. Why are you in travel? What do you do? How do you do it? Have you ever had a really special moment traveling? What was it? Is that why you are a travel professionals? Did you travel with your parents? Why do you think people should travel? How have you spent the past 11 Covid-19 months? What has the past time period meant to you, to your clients? Finally, does your personal profile, which I assure you your clients read, tell your story well? Is it filled with political clap-trap? It is fine, if that it the story you have to tell, but your story is your agency’s story as well. Read the rest of this entry »