The Smart Way to Attract New Clients

Word of mouth was once an effective means for attracting travel clients. But to remain competitive, it’s now essential to connect and engage with potential customers digitally too. Doing so is part of what makes up your digital DNA, the new backbone of a successful operation. 

​​”The single most important thing travel agents can do to generate leads is establish a real marketing plan and execute it,” says Cyndi Williams, founder of the agency Tripsy Travel and a leading travel career coach. “The marketing that was done by agencies and large travel titans in the past to drive leads hasn’t translated to the average home-based travel agent.” 

No matter the size of your organization, you need a constant flow of leads to maintain and grow your business. Here’s how:

Start With a Great Website

Your website should be easy to navigate on any device, with enticing images and a succinct explanation of your brand and why you are the right agency for the job. Draw in casual visitors with an automated chat box that can handle quick questions or provide a way for visitors to call you through your website. A service like BounceHelp can help set up these tools.

Adding a sign-in form, which can provide a steady stream of leads, is another idea to consider. To entice people to complete this, add a reward, like hotel extras on bookings. Gravity Forms is a good place to start. Check out Capterra for ratings and descriptions of lead-generation software available for travel agents.

To ensure your website will appear on search engine results pages, brush up your search engine optimization (SEO) skills. Identify words and phrases that you want to be known for and create content around those terms to use in your marketing.  

Promote Yourself 

Create a Facebook or Instagram page, tweet or create TikTok videos that will capture the attention of your target audience. The more followers you attract, the more likely they are to gravitate to your website and engage. 

A newsletter is another tool to keep past and potential customers engaged with new packages, exciting tours and seasonal offers. This is another place to share your specialized knowledge and enthusiasm for the destinations and packages you offer.

Consider Purchasing Leads

Many software companies that sell leads provide contact information for suppliers and destinations, as well as potential corporate travel clients. To target leisure travelers, consider Lusha, a tool that provides direct contact information for anyone on LinkedIn. 

Go For It

These strategies may sound daunting, but they can pay off in ways you’ve yet to imagine, says Williams.

“I understand the difficulty that so many travel agents face regarding marketing,” says Williams. “It can feel overwhelming to have to learn something new. To have substantial growth year over year in this industry, you have to realize effective marketing is the ticket — pun intended — to transforming a hobby into a prosperous business.” 

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2022 issue of The Compass magazine.