Become a Home Based Travel Agent

Think about it…First!
By Cory Andrichuk

Social media marketing and networking has been a buzz in the travel industry for over a year.  The capacity of global reach, the insignificant cost to start, as well as the relative ease of being able to connect with friends, colleagues, customers, AND new business is very enticing for most home based travel professionals… OR IS IT?

Many home based travel agents are trying to make their mark on their world using this new medium of communication with results varying from full-ship charters (http://www.thegroovecruise.com/) to everything else that you find online with Facebook, personal blogs, and stand along websites.  It is obvious that technology and innovation is here to stay and that “change” is one of the few things that remain consistent moving forward!  The fact remains, however, that many of us are, one, still trying to figure social media out, and , number two, trying to keep up with its rapid pace in the travel market place.

Let me help by asking you to stop and think about it…

Take some time after you read this article and seriously think about the following things you have been doing online with social media:

1)      Ask yourself what have you done and what have you NOT done and why?  Have you started playing around with Facebook on a personal side?  What about starting a LIKE page for your business?  Why did you do it?  Is it working?  What are your next steps into 2011?

2)      Are people actually searching you out and finding you?  OR… are you always the one asking everyone else to be friends, and continually asking them to LIKE you and your FB LIKE page? 

3)      Who are your Facebook FANS and do they comment on your posts?  Do you engage them with questions, interact with them with value content, communicate WITH… versus AT them? 

4)      Who is following you, re-tweeting you, and reaching out to connect with you?  Do you know?  Do you care?  True success in social media is such engagement, conversation and community style conversation (check out my favourite TV show and his Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/cesar.millan )

The answers you come up with might be positive or maybe a little disappointing… I bet your answers are directly correlated to the amount of time you spent thinking about your social media strategy.  My suggestion to improve your social media Return On Attention (ROA) is to stop thinking sales and money, and begin to THINK about your value and the experience you bring to your network of influence!  Don’t sell travel… help people buy you first.  Help them buy you by posting peace of mind dream vacations that cater to a stress-free experience.  Use social media to help create memories that will last a lifetime by posting a video of you and your family enjoying the family-cruise reunion.  Post on Facebook the value of security and safety associated with cruising.  Help people buy relaxation, experience, a connection with their inner-spirit, moments to enjoy life… by contacting you… “The Travel Specialist”

It’s not enough to just think about it… it’s actually doing something right about it that matters.