selecting products and travel brands based on the content they see on social media. Be authentic, be disciplined and consistent with your content, engage with your audience and embrace new channels.”
MAKING AN IMPACT Tricia Handley-Hughes, UK director at InteleTravel, says social media can be “very effective when used correctly”. This includes using polls or questions to engage with customers, and she recommends offering prizes or incentives.
TOP TIPS
EXPERIMENT Be prepared to try out various social media platforms to engage with different types of customers and show off your personality.
BE COMPLIANT Keep regulations in mind – if offering an inclusive price, be clear on exactly what is and isn’t included to avoid problems further down the line.
DON'T CUT AND PASTE Stay authentic and original – don’t just copy and paste from other accounts or spam clients with repetitive information.
KEEP IT CONCISE Use hashtags, but be selective. Clients might be put off engaging with your posts if they look too long or distracting due to excessive hashtagging.
MIX IT UP Keep your content varied – destination profiles and quality pictures can work well alongside static posts.
STAY ENGAGED Post regularly, respond to queries in a timely manner and always have a call to action (phone, email, website) so people can easily get in touch.
Several companies offer their homeworkers
plenty of support when it comes to improving their social media skills. Agents at Personal Travel Consultants can request one-to-one sessions and the company funds marketing initiatives to help them with the cost of developing business pages. One recent development was to show agents how to attach QR codes to their advertising, enabling clients to find all the information they need in one place. However, Handley-Hughes also notes that
it’s important to be careful to follow best practice when using social media.
“Partners are protective about brands and
logos, so advisors need to ensure any collateral does not misrepresent that supplier or the agency,” she adds, explaining that homeworking agents at InteleTravel receive regular training on using social media, and guidance on remaining compliant. Above all, social media is often the first place
customers will turn to, to see what you provide or how you can support them with any issues. With a little luck and the right hashtags, and by
continuing to explore all it has to offer, you might just send booking numbers in the right direction.
travelweekly.co.uk
27 OCTOBER 2022
17
PICTURE: Shutterstock/13_Phunkod
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34
