Social media has transformed the way travel advisors reach out to new and repeat clients, and using Facebook to promote your travel business is one of the most efficient ways to gain and engage with them.
There are approximately 2.85 billion monthly users on Facebook meaning it is a great tool to effectively market your business and, best of all, it's free. If you are ready to get going with Facebook, check out these six tips to create, grow and use a business account to reach your desired target market.
Set Up a Business Account
Travel agents will first need to set up a business account for their travel agency on Facebook. A business account will be separate from your personal Page. While you are still able to use your personal Facebook Page to promote your business, your business account will allow you to showcase the services you provide, hours you are available and allow the option to create Facebook ads. Make sure to provide all links to your contact information and website so users can easily contact you to make an inquiry.
Create a Specific Brand for Your Business
Make sure you consider your specific niche when creating your business page. For example, if your specification is cruise, create content to connect with cruise-interested clients. Showcase your best travel experiences and photos to allure clients looking to book the same experiences. Remember to be creative and have fun while also staying professional.
Share Your Page on Your Personal Feed
If you already have a personal Facebook account, that's great. You can use your personal page to promote your new business page to start growing your connections, and don't forget to invite your friends who are interested in travel to like your page.
Be Active
To increase your engagement, it's important to be active on Facebook and post on a regular basis. Potential clients will look to your Facebook to decide if they'd like to do business with you, so make sure to engage and respond to those interested in your services. Although you are promoting your business, it's more beneficial to build and foster community within your following than to simply provide information. This will increase customer confidence and help you gain traction as a travel advisor.
Take Advantage of Facebook Ads
Facebook ads are a great tool for travel advisors and are a way for you to take your business and your business page to the next level. A little can go a long way if your ad specifications are clear. You also have the ability to boost posts or create ads that fully embody your business to engage with users who are interested in certain content. When creating an ad, you're able to direct more viewers to your website and, in turn, generate more sales for your travel business.
Keep Track of Your Page Insights
After your business has gained traction, you can use Facebook's Page Insights to optimize your page and ad targeting. When using Page Insights, you're able to view important data such as actions people take on your page, the interests and ages of your audience and engagement rates. Keep an eye on your insights regularly to determine which posts or ads are most successful to proactively optimize your page results.
Are you curious about growing your travel business through social media platforms other than Facebook? Check out this blog post for a complete guide to all social media platforms and find which platform is right for you: An Entrepreneurs' Guide to a Thriving Business Through Social Media.
To help you in your social media marketing efforts, Avoya Travel offers an entire library of diverse marketing resources and assets exclusively for your Independent Agency use, all in one easily accessible location - the Avoya Marketing Resource Center™. This suite of award-winning, innovative marketing resources are designed to help you engage travelers and stay top of mind throughout the planning and booking process.
Looking to post about a cruise sale or destination on your Facebook page? The Marketing Resource Center allows you to copy + paste pre-designed images and copy to your Page, eliminating any time you'd spend on your own coming up with creative content or sourcing images. Email marketing, digital marketing, direct mail and more are all included in affiliation with the Avoya Network™.
Ready to get started? Call us today or fill out the form below to start the conversation, so you can take your marketing capabilities to the next level in 2023 and beyond.
This article originally appeared on TravelPulse.com