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There are thousands of agents that a consumer can choose from when booking a vacation, so it's important that your business stand out among them. The agents who put themselves in front of their potential consumers are the ones who are going to get the business, but how? We asked several agents for their best marketing and branding tips:
Specialize in a location: This was the most popular. "Focus on one aspect or location and become the indispensable expert," says Mario Scalzi, president of Parker Villas. "Gone are the days of trying to be the Jill of all travels. Successful TAs promote their specialty by hosting talks at local venues at little or no cost and demonstrate a firsthand level of personalization that the internet cannot."
David Capaldi of Discover Latin America agrees. "We focus exclusively on a geographical region that we are passionate and extremely knowledgeable about," says Capaldi. "We travel to Latin America several times a year and stay up-to-date on new developments in the region so that we can create unique, perfectly matched, tailor-made itineraries for our clients."
Hire destination experts: Partnering with other agents or destination experts can help to spread the word about a business. "Rather than using booking agents, we hire Destination Experts," says Christina Hanna of Leavetown, who works with destination experts. "The idea is that our customers get a real person who they can call any time, and this person will always be someone who lives in one of our destinations, is passionate about the local businesses and activities in the area, and well-versed on and familiar with the properties we sell there."
Social Media Rules: Successful travel agents make sure to use popular social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to create a presence and a direct connection with their customers. "You need a great social media presence with trending, engaging content," says Ernesto Ruben, social media and product development at House of Travel. "That is easier said than done and it requires a full-time effort. This means all social media channels and websites, as well as blogging and email blasts. We are always looking out for new trends, cool destinations and products and provide great insight into the local culture. All these channels need to work in harmony, getting the right information to the right client at the right time."
Word-of-Mouth: For some agents, bypassing the SEO results from their websites and just getting the word from their customers about destinations is enough to help sales. "Although our main marketing strategy has been SEO for the last few years, along the way we have found the downfalls of focusing all your attention on one medium alone," says Andrea Gaviria of Ibiza Summer Villas. "We've come to realize how feedback is becoming more important when it comes to choosing a destination, especially for first timers. Internet, and online research has become almost a requirement for travelers to check before heading anywhere."
Build Relationships: Finally, it's about how you treat your customers, because the best customers are repeat customers. "Be sure to take care of your existing clients so they want to come back to you," says Al Richman, franchise owner and Vacation Specialist with CruiseOne. "Always make it about the client, not 'what's in it for me.' Also, be more about value and not price. Selling on price is order taking. Selling on value is being a true customer advocate.
Pris Phillips, an Independent Vacation Specialist with Cruises Inc. calls it a 'golden rule.' "I believe it is especially true in business - treat others the way you want to be treated and it's a winner every time," says Phillips.
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