Social media and its various platforms present some excellent opportunities for travel agents. There is a network out there for every type of relevant content, and you can even employ multiple platforms to reach wider audiences. The problem is that agents or agencies far too often make some very rookie mistakes that can cost them in terms of engagement and conversions (establishing new clients).
Today, I would like to take a look at six specific areas where marketers and business owners in your industry drop the ball on social media. Our hope is that you will take the information and develop a strong, profitable content marketing strategy for your agency.
Content Marketing for Travel Agents
Before getting into the pitfalls, we would just like to suggest a few content areas on which to focus your marketing efforts. All tie directly or indirectly to social media, and all can have a huge impact on your overall results:
• Email sequences
• Landing and squeeze pages
• Blog content
• Custom produced video and images
• Candid videos and snapshots
I have written numerous articles on all of the above, so a quick search will help you better understand how each piece of content integrates with social media. For now, let’s have a look at some practices you should avoid when presenting your content.
#1: Cross-Posting Identical Content on Multiple Platforms
This isn’t always a bad idea, but you have to be selective. You also need to be certain that the type of content you are presenting is relevant to the platform where it is being posted. A simple picture of a location or property might get some good play on Pinterest or Instagram, but you might not get as far with the same content on Facebook. Know what kind of content your audience consumes on a given platform and develop content specific to their habits on a given site.
Keep in mind also that cross-posting content also leads to people seeing repeated content in their feeds. There is no better recipe for motivating people to just keep scrolling than showing them the same thing over and over. This strategy only works when trying to determine specific days and times that see increases in engagement. On Twitter, for example, it might actually be advantageous to post the same tweet a few times just to see who engages with it when and then set a schedule for posting content when it is most likely to be seen.
#2 – Using Too Many Superlatives and Hyperbole in Your Copy
While descriptive language is an absolute must in travel copy, there is a difference between using descriptive language and accentuating a simplistic message with phrases like, “the perfect getaway” or “the ideal place to watch the sunset.” What seems perfect to a travel writer might be a bit underwhelming to the traveler. Describe things; don’t assign attributes to them.
Don’t inundate your copy with hyperbole, either. Even if you think they’ll “sleep like a baby” after a long day of hiking, don’t suggest how people will enjoy their trip. Keep your focus on the activities and amenities themselves and do it in a way that lets the readers immerse themselves in the scene.
#3 – Not Responding or Engaging
When people ask questions on social media, it is very important to respond and do so quickly. Facebook, in particular, lets visitors to business pages know how long it takes you to respond to questions. You want that estimate to remain low. Even if you only offer a short response, get on it quickly. This is also a great opportunity to link out to a landing page or ask for an email address to add to your list.
#4 – Being Inconsistent
You always want a steady stream of content to put in front of your audience. Just posting daily to social media will keep you plugged into your audience and keep them engaging with your brand. If you can’t keep up that kind of pace with blog posts or other types of content, there are two things you can do: Use relevant curated content to fill in the cracks, or work with a professional travel copywriting agency to keep the content flowing.
#5 – Failing to Properly Target Content
All marketing efforts should be aimed at a specific audience or buyer. Know your audience and their habits well. Analyze your metrics and see what types of content get the best engagement. At that point, you should have a better idea of who among your audience members is most likely to call you and book a trip. These are the people you should be targeting, and there are numerous tools out there to help you reach them.
#6 – Selling, Not Engaging
Try to steer the language of your copy away from booking trips and toward the way taking the trip will make the traveler feel. It is quite easy, even in this industry, to fall into the “features and benefits” trap. If a person is looking at specific destinations or types of destinations, they don’t need to be sold on it. They need to be sold on the experience, so make that the focus of your messaging.
Getting Help with Your Content Strategy
At BeezContent, we work with marketers and business owners over a broad range of industries. We understand the ins and outs of social media and how to engage audiences on multiple platforms. If you feel like your content creation and delivery strategies are not getting you the results you want, contact us. Our experienced team is ready to help organize your next travel agency marketing campaign and deliver killer copy that gets results.
