I started a travel agency what is the best way to market my business?

Question

How can I bid for government & corporate contracts to book their travel?

Answer 1

Have you thought about pay per click programs? The two biggest, I think, are Yahoo! and Google

A few free resources – check out the sources box for links:

1) Create a blog pertaining to your field

2) Use Yahoo! Local & Yahoo! Groups – Be sure to read the TOS for each one!

3) Write articles pertaining to your field and/or expertise.

4) Advertise on Craiglist

Also, consider signing up for an affiliate program. These programs enable you to advertise on other's sites (your affiliates) and once a sale is made to you, your affiliates & the program are paid a commission.

Associations may be a good avenue to explore as well. These organizations will address many of the thoughts, questions and concerns you'll inevitably have as well as many you haven't anticipated yet. See the source box for some relevant links.

I listed a few handy sites & articles relating to marketing, promotion & advertising. Here are some book titles that are relevant:

* The Complete Idiot's Guide ® to Marketing Basics by Sarah White
* The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries, Jack Trout
* Creative Advertising: Ideas and Techniques from the World's Best Campaigns by Mario Pricken
* Entrepreneur Magazine's Ultimate Small Business Marketing Guide: Over 1500 Great Marketing Tricks That Will Drive Your Business Through the Roof by James Stephenson
* 301 Do-It-Yourself Marketing Ideas: From America's Most Innovative Small Companies by Sam Decker

Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!

Answer 2

Honey, it like this: You need to make a big SPLASH! The way to be noticed is to be visible. Tell all your friends and relatives what you do. Tell them not only once but many times you can be sure that they will tell their friends. You must learn to anticipate people's needs. Be there with offers. Find what they are into and find the best deals and call them as well as e-mail them. Never consider yourself a pest, just a necessity. Did you know that the average America never travels anywhere worth mentioning? I also suggest that you target your eithnic and foreign-born acquaintances. They are the people with an international flare who are not afraid to venture out somewhere else and who are constantly looking for somewhere to go.
As far as the corporate business is concerned, you need to find out who does their travel arrangements and compete. Be aggressive and intentional. After all, you have put forth much effort to set up your business, so you might as well fly with it. I wish you the best. Do not be afraid to fail. Simply try once and again.
Mr. M on business.

Answer 3

A travel agency, if it is brick and mortar, relies heavily on geo-targeting tactics. People aren't going to drive more than 5-7 miles to go to a travel agency, for the most part. So, because 80-90% of your customers are going to come from a 5-7 mile residential or business radius of your shop, I would start my strategic plan there...making a list of geo-targeted tactics. The ones that come to mind are direct mail, homes association newsletters, out of home (billboards, mobile billboards, transit, etc.), bathroom billboards, some restaurants sell space in their menus, etc.

Next, you need to figure out who your biggest competitors are and identify what you do better than them. Unless you are in an area with a large part of the population is retirement age, I would think your biggest competition would be the aggregators on the web (Travelocity, Expedia, etc.). I believe your value proposition would be hands on service, trust in your recommendations, security 24/7 when things go wrong (if you get stuck in a hurricane we will get you home)...things like that. I think it would be a mistake to EVER try to take on the big guys based on price.

So, if you have your geographic area defined, your creative message layed out, the last thing is to find the demographic target most likely to be receptive to the "quality instead of price" message. My guess is that it would be upscale, dual income families who don't have time to take their chances on a vacation because time is harder to come by than money. They want someone who has been to that resort or on that ship who can vouch for it and can give them the inside tips (don't stay on the such & such floor of the ship, etc.).

As for corporate, that will not be as geo-sensitive as personal, however, I believe that many our business decisions are based on our personal ones and vice versa. If you find the consumer market is easier to crack, I would start there and then offer incentives for corporate travel referrals.

wow...that was long. Sorry. Best of luck to you!!!