Email newsletters offer travel-based businesses the perfect chance to deliver targeted content directly to potential and current clients’ inboxes. If you’re providing content that’s relevant and pertinent, this can lead to excellent brand loyalty. Follow our tips to grow your email database and extend business opportunities.
Make it easy to sign up
This may sound pretty basic stuff but you’ll be surprised the amount of times that readers visit a blog and can’t find the subscribe box. Put it on a plate for them by placing it at the top of the blog and removing potential distractions.
Sharing is caring
This is especially important in the travel industry, where everybody loves to share their experiences. You can easily and quickly grow your database by encouraging visitors to share their holiday news via email, Twitter or Facebook with their friends. Run a photography competition and hold a vote to decide the winner. You’ll get free advertising and travellers will get the chance to show off their holiday tan. Win-win all ‘round.
Focus on those that matter
As with all marketing it’s important that your emails target those who are important to you. It’s no use if you’re just building your database for the sake of it. You need people who will engage with your brand and ultimately be interested in your product.
Double up
Look at non-competing companies who are reaching out to the same audience as you and try to set up a joint marketing campaign. If you offer luxury villas in the Balearics for example, you could team up with a company who run day cruises on super yachts. Running a joint campaign with accommodation plus a day out on a boat is likely to appeal to potential customers and you’ll expand your database by sharing it through both companies’ marketing channels.
Dangle the carrot
Everybody loves a freebie so make sure you offer people something as a reward for signing up. Maybe a discount code or special offer, anything to make them feel loved.
It’s also important to gather contact information through non-digital processes and communications. Whenever you get the chance – trade shows, exhibitions, phone enquiries – make sure you capture email addresses and grow that database.
Do you have any advice about how to grow your email database? Comment below with your tips or tweet us @strattoncraig
Pen pals: the smart way for travel companies to keep in touch
