When it comes to the travel industry, competition is fierce. And with so many exciting brands appearing, travel opportunities expanding, and consumers regularly looking for a bargain, establishing and building brand awareness is key to success.
Fortunately, travel brands who are seeking to get noticed and resonate with their target audience can harness the power of marketing automation to amplify their presence and boost engagement.
To inspire those in the travel industry, here are five tailored strategies to leverage marketing automation and expand brand awareness.
Tailored destination promotions
Travellers are often looking for new and exciting destinations and experiences, so showcasing your best or most unique destinations is a sure-fire way to improve brand awareness and sentiment.
Email marketing automation enables travel brands to curate personalised destination campaigns based on preferences and past browsing or buying behaviour of subscribers. By analysing user behaviour and engagement, brands can create targeted emails featuring the destinations, tips, and offers that are most likely to resonate with segments
Relevant messaging
A travel accommodation brand could send automated emails showcasing the latest rustic accommodation added to their collection to subscribers who have previously booked or browsed glamping, Shepherd’s huts, or other rural experiences. They can even incorporate other selected criteria, such as being pet-friendly, having a hot tub, or breakfast options.
In doing so, this business can offer highly relevant accommodation which may not have been seen, and imprint their brand on the minds of potential travellers.
Seamless booking journeys
By simplifying the booking process and offering a seamless user experience, travel brands can ensure a booking happens as quickly as possible, as well as foster long-term customer loyalty.
Email and SMS automations can be utilised to streamline the booking process by sending triggered emails at key touchpoints throughout the customer journey. And fortunately for travel brands, they have a wealth of content and information available to share throughout the booking journey.
Multichannel orchestration
A travel brand that offers everything from flights and hotels to car hire and experiences can utilise date-based email and SMS marketing automation to engage at every stage of the trip. Including booking confirmation and reminders, destination guides and tips, up-sell or cross-sell opportunities such as hotel upgrades or excursions, and post-trip follow-ups.
These automated email and SMS campaigns can provide travellers with essential information and support, enhancing their overall experience with the brand.
Exclusive offers and deals
The travel industry is competitive, meaning that sometimes it takes more than an eye-catching brand and unique destinations to get a business noticed.
Through the use of marketing automation, travel brands can deliver targeted offers and discounts to their subscribers, creating noise in their industry, and incentivising consumers to choose their brand over competitors.
The power of persuasion
A budget airline could send automated email campaigns featuring limited-time flight deals and flash sales to subscribers who have previously shown interest in budget travel. By creating a sense of urgency alongside exclusivity, this travel brand can stimulate engagement and solidify its position as a brand of choice for bargain seekers.
Booking abandonment
Marketing automation is incredibly useful in helping travel brands claw back bookings which have been abandoned, re-engageing potential customers in the process. This is important for any brand within this industry, as a staggering 81% of consumers leave a website before completing their booking.
Booking abandonment campaigns are ideal for keeping a brand at the forefront of potential traveller’s minds at an integral point where they are already familiar with the brand, and exploring trip options.
Personalised follow-ups
The first email in a booking abandonment sequence can be triggered when a potential customer begins the booking process, but fails to complete it. It can serve as a gentle reminder, prompting the customer to revisit their booking, and offering assistance where it may be needed.
Follow-up emails could include personalised recommendations based on the customer’s browsing history, exclusive discounts to incentivise completion, and testimonials from happy travellers to help build trust and confidence.
User-generated content (UGC) campaigns
User-generated content, such as customer reviews, photos, and testimonials, can be a powerful tool for building trust and credibility with potential travellers across multiple channels. And for travel brands, there is a wealth of content created by their customers who happily snap photos and videos whilst away.
Marketing automation can be used to showcase and encourage this UGC through email campaigns, bringing a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) to consumers who have yet to book.
Data collection
A hotel brand can use date-based marketing automation to send emails to customers post-trip, inviting them to submit reviews or photos in exchange for a chance to win a prize or receive a discount on their next booking.
And by incorporating authentic content created by real travellers, brands can foster a sense of community and authenticity, increasing brand awareness and attracting new customers.
Marketing automation offers travel brands a powerful tool for not only increasing brand awareness, but also engaging their audience, and driving sales in a competitive industry.
By leveraging marketing automation to send a wide variety of email and multichannel campaigns, incorporating personalisation, tailored discounts, and booking reminders, travel brands can elevate their presence and leave a lasting impression on their audience.
Are you a travel brand looking to increase your brand awareness?
At Deployteq, we specialise in helping businesses in the travel industry and have worked with brands such as Center Parcs and Duinrell Holiday Park to improve their brand awareness, retention, and sales.
Our friendly team of experts are always on hand to discuss how our platform and strategic guidance can help you. So why not get in touch?
