Digital Marketing 101 – A Key to Success in a Post-COVID World

With vaccinations on the rise, we will soon see the travel industry begin to open again, so it is critical to use the time you have now to bring awareness to yourself, your agency, and most of allyour value!

To help us with this week’s topic, we called upon our friend Andy Ogg, CTIE, co-owner of TravelProfessionalNEWS.com, and co-author of the recently released Digital Marketing in the Travel Industry.

Through 2020, his family worked tirelessly on this book to help professionals—like you—excel in the world of digital marketing. One of the largest takeaways is that you must create a goal. That goal should be to drive leads to your website. In this new work-at-home environment, your website has become your storefront and is arguably the most crucial portion of any digital marketing effort.

As our world begins to open back up, and travel begins to become a more frequent topic of discussion, it is absolutely imperative that you and your business are poised, ready, and able to maximize on the wealth of opportunity that awaits.

We welcome Andy today as he offers this sage advice:

Three Tips for Effective Digital Marketing

1. Make Your Website Work for You

Your website not only must be updated and optimized, that goes without saying, but it should hold a wealth of your knowledge. From your travel experiences, your certification, and your educational achievements, your website should hold articles, blogs, or vlogs (video) expressing your passion and capability as a professional travel advisor. Creating useful postings and sharing them on all your outlets is a key best practice in driving new prospects to your business.

2. Engage Directly with Your Clients and Prospects

With Social Media continuing to evolve their algorithms and platforms, the reach of Social Media has been diminished. Now, that isn’t to say that Social Media isn’t a factor in your digital marketing, but having the power to directly communicate with your audience via email marketing is key. Email marketing is a vital portion of exposing your list to new offerings, content, and tools for your audience to use. Whether it’s a new blog about a recent trip to Mexico during the pandemic or a helpful “How to Save for Your Vacation” download, this content not only will provide new prospects to you but also will provide useful tools for engaging your audience. Staying in front of your audience has and always will be key to your success, and implementing a powerful email marketing campaign may be the missing piece in your plan.

3. Become the Master of Your Specialty

Utilizing key points in the Digital Marketing in the Travel Industry book, optimizing your website with keywords, maximizing your SEO (search engine optimization) and creating content not only furthers your organic reach into new markets, but it also helps establish you as a true master in your area of specialty. Writing a blog may be another way to further expand your expertise and can be done at home, without any previous experience needed. Furthermore, engaging with your audience in a Q&A or an online meeting can be a fantastic way to create more leads, demonstrate your professional services and create a true connection with your prospective clients.

The avenues and ideas of how to successfully digitally market your business are endless, and, while it may seem overwhelming, with a plan, everything is attainable.

Although today may seem like just another day, it could be YOUR day to seize the opportunities that are abundant in a post-COVID world. It is time to get back to work as a travel professional…not in cancellations, but in bookings. Let’s focus and #getbacktotravel.

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This content was originally published here.