The signs are here. In most areas of the country, local jurisdictions are relaxing restrictions and beginning to reopen. Are we over it? Is it just like it was in May of 2019? Not even close, but we are slowly moving to the (and man I hate this phrase) our new normal. Some cruises are sailing right now in parts of the world. France is opening the doors to the vaccinated. Here in Maryland, there are more vaccines than people wanting them. Signs are pointing in the right direction, and I have an idea about how to get your clients dreaming about travel once again.
Podcasts. They’ve been around for a while; and have only grown in popularity. Did you know that TRO has a whole network with eight podcasts? And if you have the ability, time, and gumption to create your own, I highly recommend it. But, for now, as we reopen, consider creating a Podcast Club handled virtually on Zoom.
If you are familiar with a book club, you know what a Podcast Club is.
Pick a date and time, schedule a Zoom call, and invite your clients and prospects to join you to dream about travel for an hour.
In advance of the meeting, send them two or three short podcast episodes to listen to based on the theme. It might be Europe, or cruising, or tips and tricks while traveling. There is no shortage of topics.
And during the club meeting, talk about it. What excited you? What did you learn? Is this someplace you want to experience? Does anyone else have any podcast recommendations? Share some of your best/funniest/scariest/worst travel experiences and have a laugh with your new friends.
Make plans to do it again and thank them for joining the club and make sure they know how to get in touch. No pitches—by this time, it has been subliminally done.
So, where to get these episodes? You can Google “Travel Podcasts” and get plenty of suggestions, but my top four would include:
- Travel With Rick Steves (self-explanatory)
- The Indie Travel Podcast (inactive for a bit but still very good)
- Let’s Go Together (just a very different look at travel from many angles)
- Amateur Traveler Podcast (takes a deep dive into destinations, presents itineraries, etc.)
All of them are a great place to start. But be careful as many of your competitors (online and off) are producing podcasts and you don’t want to actively send someone over there.
As we exit the pandemic, we need to be good and we need to be creative. The pent-up demand is there and we need to capture it!
Do you have any good podcasts you listen to? Leave a comment. Heck, even if they are not travel-related podcasts…I am always looking for some new ones!
