For years, the 4 P’s of marketing – product, price, place, and promotion have ruled the marketing world. When I started in the travel marketing industry 18 years ago there were just a few things to remember and do when writing and launching marketing campaigns.
Today, however, the 4P’s are no longer all you need to follow. Travel services abound, pricing is creative, booking abilities are both online and storefront, and advertising media has fragmented into many shapes and forms.
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It’s time to kick the 4P’s out the door and embrace the P.O.W.E.R of marketing – People, Ownership, What’s in it for me, Emotional, Regular.
Let me explain:
People – Market power is no longer in the hands of the seller. Thanks to the internet buyers hold all the cards. Travelers can search, compare, and buy from numerous sources including down the street to around the world. This has meant the erosion in the power of mass marketing and the need to be creative and sophisticated in targeting the right audience.
Open For Business – If a potential client has to leave a message for you then you've lost them. Hire an answering service, if you have to. Install a message bot on your website to answer FAQ's 24/7 or else you'll get the reputation of being M.I.A and they won't trust you with their business.
What’s in it for me? – Every day travelers are bombarded with ads. Why should a traveler pay attention to your ad and buy from you over your competition? What’s in it for them? Keep this important point in mind when writing your ads and creating your social media, blog and email campaigns. Think like a traveler and always give them a reason to book with you over your competition.
Emotional – Emotional marketing tells a story that connects with an audience in a human or personal way. With consumers increasingly making buying decisions driven by feelings rather than logic, emotional marketing creates meaningful relationships that results in fans, replacing the loyalty marketing approach of years past. However, emotional marketing must feel authentic in order to work.
Regular – When placing media (whether traditional or not) always make sure that you plan a regular, long term schedule. This will keep you in the minds of travelers. Why is this important? Only a handful of people at any given time need your product or service. However, when the need does arise (their next trip or booking a trip for a loved one or their boss) they will remember the great blog article they read about the destination or social media post they liked and call you. This is called "top of mind marketing" and it works.
An effective tourism marketing plan must consider the P.O.W.E.R in its research, development and execution. Understand who your target market is; provide relevant offers and content; provide the ability for travelers to purchase conveniently; communicate and have a consistent offer throughout all the media you place in, pay attention to demographics and what travelers are watching, reading, blogging, buying, etc…
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