How to:


s boost your


It’s vital for homeworkers to connect with their client base on social channels. Adam Shaw explores how to use them to build your business


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hen it comes to building up your profile and boosting sales, it’s impossible to ignore the power of


social media – and that’s all the more true for travel agents who work from home. Whether you’re talking with clients over


Facebook Messenger, creating an eye-catching post from a recent fam trip or using a brand ambassador to highlight a special deal, when used well, social media can be a highly useful tool. “Social media is now, arguably, the most


important marketing channel for the travel industry, including for homeworking agents,” says Lauren Tobin, marketing manager at Blue Bay Travel. “It provides a space in which agents and


“Social media is now, arguably, the most important marketing channel for the travel industry, including for homeworkers”


16 27 OCTOBER 2022


businesses are able to connect with customers and utilise the advanced tracking and reporting capabilities to ensure they are getting the most out of their money – something that is absent from many other marketing channels.”


LOW-COST TOOL Tobin says social media is an inexpensive, straightforward and effective way to engage with clients, allowing you to connect with thousands of people from the comfort of your own home. Her colleague, Abbie Heaton, sales


manager for Personal Travel Consultants, agrees that this connectivity is key, both in terms of working with clients and internally.


She says: “Homeworking companies


utilise social media to communicate with their homeworkers informally, and it encourages a sense of community that has a quicker and more maintainable approach than any ‘traditional’ channels of communication.”


CHOOSING YOUR PLATFORM Tobin says Facebook remains the main tool when it comes to dealing with clients. At the same time, other channels such as Instagram are also useful for highlighting products and destinations quickly, and in a visually appealing manner. And with trends shifting towards short-form


videos – spearheaded by the rise of TikTok, the most-downloaded app in the world over the past three years – it’s important to learn how to use these as well. With short-form videos becoming ever-more


popular, Instagram has in recent months placed more emphasis on reels – videos up to 90 seconds long that stay on your profile. These kinds of posts are likely to appeal to a younger demographic, with Facebook more popular among older clients. Dave Callan, customer director at Travel


Counsellors, advises agents that they should consider using as many platforms as possible. He says: “We are now seeing that consumers from all backgrounds with very different needs are


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