Dear Tammy: How can I possibly even come close to establishing my own travel business when so many other travel agencies have been in business for many years?
Tammy: This is a concern many new travel agents have, so you're not alone. There's a lot of travel agents and travel agencies in business these days, which means you can expect to be up against a lot of competition. So what to do so you can make your travel services stand out above the rest? There are many things you can do!
This is definitely something that I teach in my TASK classes, as every new agent needs to understand the many different things they can do in order to compete with their competition. Know you can compete with any of your competitors, and at any time. It's all about how you go about marketing yourself in the industry, and there's many different types of platforms you can choose from.
Think about your branding. Do you already have a brand identity in mind? What's your brand message? Do you have a great logo already made? What kind of message are you sending out to potential clients? It really is essential that you create a travel brand that lets people know exactly who you are and what you're all about. Also think about your relationship with your vendors. Do you have good relationships with all of your vendors? These supplier relationships are really important when it comes to establishing your travel business.
When it comes to advertising your brand, know that a lot of travel agents choose to advertise on social media instead of creating a website, so you have choices. I've found through the years that my best advertising methods allow people to find me using Google, mainly through reviews. In fact, I've learned ways and tricks to work my magic on Google that will astonish you, as my Elite Travel agency currently holds the record on Google for the most viewed photographs.
Many people don't read anymore, so the only way to capture their attention is by posting real photos of your clients on vacation. I've been able to do that for the last 15 years and have over 6 million views of my photographs, and every time someone views that photograph it goes back into my website.
You need to find a niche so you will always be able to compete with anyone that is out there. There's no difference between the travel industry now than there was years ago, as there has always been competition. As a matter of fact, I think there's less out there now, making it easier to get into the industry.
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