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Bear with me for a few paragraphs as we talk about social networking. But, I want you to erase the thoughts about Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, all of it! Huh? Give me a few minutes to talk about human social networking—yes, good old-fashioned, face-to-face social networking. Read the rest of this entry »

Did you hear the one about the fat guy who was thrown off a plane? Sort of sounds like the opening of a joke doesn’t it? Well, it isn’t and right now Southwest Airlines is dealing with a public relations backlash because the passenger took to social networking to air his grievances. Here is how it all began:

Dear @SouthwestAir – I know I’m fat, but was Captain Leysath really justified in throwing me off a flight for which I was already seated?

Within minutes of tweeting, the Internet was buzzing. And also within minutes, Southwest was in full blown spin control.  Can it happen to you? Absolutely! Read the rest of this entry »

If you have been reading Travel Research Online for a while, you know that we have made a strong effort to provide tools, insight, and actionable advice for agents to improve their business. A good portion of our content is written by agents, so when you are reading an article, it is really coming from someone who has been in your shoes.

This year, one of the big buzz phrases has been “social networking.” You know—Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and the rest. Many of our readers are using social networking and the top complaint I have read in online forums (yes, yet another social networking tool) can be summed up in one word—HOW?  Just how do you go about making money, increasing sales or building your brand with these tools? Read the rest of this entry »

Travel agents have been incorporating websites into their business for well over ten years now. However, too few agencies and independent agents leverage their website as a key driver of their business. We’ve seen a few phases of website marketing over the years – some successful, and some not so successful.  The ‘if you build it they will come’ phase, where agents thought consumers would magically come to their website and generate business. The booking-engine phase, where some agents thought that many of those magic consumers would also book cruises and tours online with no agent interaction. The search-engine phase, where agents thought that search engine traffic would automatically generate a tremendous source of new business. Read the rest of this entry »

2020 will be here before I know it. Once I get over the fact that I am actually still alive heading into 2020, I will sit down and get serious about growing my business for the next year. I cannot rest on my laurels and as Mike Batt has always said—if you’re not growing, you’re dying!

While the Chinese may be celebrating the Year of the Rat in 2020, I am going to be celebrating the Year of the Relationship.

“Would you mind giving me a ride to the airport?” Read the rest of this entry »

One of the most difficult lessons we learn as adults is that we are virtually all the same. We are just a bunch of older children.

Some more gray than others, and some with a few more regrets. Some with a few more letters after their name and some with a police record. (I’m just saying.)

But if life mirrors the sine wave (which I believe it does) and the back and forth motion of your piano’s pendulum sums up our existence, than perhaps it is time to give you the same advice you give to our young’uns: “Why don’t you turn off your computer and go to the library?” Read the rest of this entry »

If you’ve been in business for more than a day and a half, you’ve probably been reminded no fewer than a thousand times that in addition to whatever business you think you’re in, that you’re in the marketing business.

Marketing yourself and your business has been, and will continue to be, the most-important element for your success. The time to ply this trade is right now. I fear that many of you just don’t know what to do.

Read the rest of this entry »

Ten tried-and-true principles to take to market

If you’ve been in business for more than a day and a half you’ve probably been reminded no fewer than a thousand times that, in addition to whatever business you think you’re in, that you’re also in the marketing business. Let me say this again at the risk of repetitious overload—you’re in the marketing business.

Marketing yourself and your business has been, and will continue to be, the single most-important element to your success. There’s no better a time to ply this trade than right now—economic turmoil or not. The issue is that a great number of agents simply don’t know what to do.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Internet is full of great new ways to communicate and form relationships with your customers. While businesses used to rely on email, they can now use forums, social networking sites, RSS feeds, and tons of other means of communication. One great way to talk to your customers and colleagues is through blogging.

Read the rest of this entry »

If you’ve been in business for more than a day and a half, you’ve probably been reminded no fewer than a thousand times that in addition to whatever business you think you’re in, that you’re in the marketing business.

Marketing yourself and your business has been, and will continue to be the most important element for your success. The time to ply this trade is right now. I fear that many of you just don’t know what to do.

So, how do you actually “go to market”? Many people approach this question by purchasing a copy of Marketing for Dummies. They follow up with a copy of The Idiots’ Guide to Marketing.

Read the rest of this entry »

Last month, I mentioned that at the end of October, I’d be heading off to Southeast Asia with the Czech Tourism Board for a Roadshow covering the 5 major Southeast Asian markets.  This was in cooperation with the Czech, Hungarian, Polish, and Slovak Tourist Boards.  It was dubbed the “Discover Central Europe Roadshow.”  I was in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Manila, and Jakarta promoting our inbound business to the Czech Republic & Central Europe.    Read the rest of this entry »

Once or twice a year I do a deep clean of my computer. Like going through a box of photos or knick-knacks, an old memory usually distracts me, so the process takes much longer than expected.

Tucked away in a random folder from 2008 was a PowerPoint file for a workshop I had presented to travel consultants. It was called “What Is Social Media?” Read the rest of this entry »

Jeff Adam is an Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific and Africa specialist, hailing from Adelaide Australia. Jeff moved to the USA prior to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games to promote travel Down Under. He has been instrumental in creating the travel industries most comprehensive training program for Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, Cook Islands, Papua and New Guinea titled the South Pacific Travel Symposium and went on to assist the Travel Institute (then called ICTA) in updating their Destination Specialist South Pacific program with pertinent travel information. His presentation style is both educational and entertaining, leaving all who attend excited at the prospect of traveling to Australia, New Zealand the South Pacific and Africa
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As a business owner, you need to ask yourself a simple question. Why are you in business? Leave off the the lovey dovey marketing fluff like “creating dreams for my clients” and “designing memories to last a lifetime.” Give it to me straight, why are you in business? I believe it’s  a simple answer. There really is only one answer (as far as I am concerned) and it can be summed up in three words. It is not even unique to the travel industry—not by a long shot. Come close, let me whisper the answer in your ear…. Read the rest of this entry »

Brazil is on a roll, and its star city of Rio de Janeiro is the hub of all the action. Already the ninth largest economy in the world, Brazil may well reach the rank of 5th by the time the Olympics make their debut in 2016. Now is a good time to get to know Brazil because the 14.4 billion dollars scheduled to be spent preparing the country to host the Olympics is likely to forever change its face. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the guiding principles of Travel Research Online is to provide free tools to travel professionals to help them do their business better. That has not changed over the years.

We offer tools—destination guides, marketing kits, postcards, videos, training videos and more all at no charge.  We also reach out to your peers to see what challenges they face in their day-to-day business and bring them to you in the Travel Agent Diaries and Agent Perspective columns.

In essence, here at TRO, our goal is to provide you the tools to get your job done. As Editor, I follow many different blogs, forums, Facebook pages, and Twitter accounts and I have identified some of the leaders in social networking.  I have curated a list of very useful tools to help you navigate your way through social media as well as traditional media as you continue to grow your agency. Some of these links may be dated (they are all valid links) but, as it is with all good, solid advice, the message is timeless.  It’s Monday morning—make your coffee and take an hour and read through these—I can promise you will learn something new. Read the rest of this entry »

This week we have looked at the process of networking for business from a slightly more advanced perspective.  Let’s now look at the mistakes people often make in their networking efforts.  Much of this effort is simply the converse of what we have already indicated this week, but I want to drill home the importance of business networking and of doing it correctly!  Read the rest of this entry »

An important component of building a successful travel practice is the network of people with whom you come into contact. Although your own circle of influence may be small, it grows exponentially because your friends, family, neighbors, acquaintances, teachers, and co-workers all have circles of influence into which you can market. These relationships provide opportunities to introduce your practice to people with whom you might otherwise not come into contact. Networking is an almost essential element for most traditional travel agents, and an important skill to undertake and develop. There may be no more basic, fundamental marketing skill than networking.  Read the rest of this entry »

My opinion of social marketing has not deviated a great deal since I first looked at the potential of Twitter, Facebook and other forms of social media as marketing channels for travel agents. Some agents report good results, most have yet to garner significant business. Of those who have had successes, Facebook and participation with various online communities seem to hold the most promise.

The venues are new, the actual return on investment difficult to measure, and the case studies few and far between outside of very high profile brands. There is little doubt that for some companies with a tight niche market, tangible products or a well-defined brand, social marketing has been an extraordinary and exciting new way of creating buzz among consumers. The return on investment for most travel professionals is more difficult to assess.  Read the rest of this entry »

Brazil is on a roll, and its star city of Rio de Janeiro is the hub of all the action. Already the ninth largest economy in the world, Brazil may well reach the rank of 5th by the time the Olympics make their debut in 2016. Now is a good time to get to know Brazil because the 14.4 billion dollars scheduled to be spent preparing the country to host the Olympics is likely to forever change its face.

Did we mention that Brazil is also hosting the 2014 World Cup? The two sporting events have the nation bursting with pride, the tour operators and hoteliers working overtime and the city struggling to upgrade the nation’s tourism infrastructure. The International Olympic Committee chose Rio over Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo, and the Brazilians seem determined not to let the opportunity pass without giving it their best.
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At some point in your life, I’m sure you’ve had one those moments where you realize your zipper is down, your pants are hanging just a little too low or your skirt just a little too high. I am NOT about to ask you to admit to it in the comment box below, but I do want you to think about the embarrassment that came with it.

Now tell me, how embarrassing would that situation be if this happened with a client? Admit it. You would be mortified.

And yet, some travel professionals let this happen every day on social networking profiles with inappropriate photos, sloppy spelling, and incomplete information hanging out there for all to see. Think it’s different? I can assure you that clients are averting their eyes and attention in both situations. Read the rest of this entry »