Travel is one of the most challenging and competitive sectors you can attempt to carve a foothold in.
But it’s also incredibly diverse, covering everything from huge global air carriers to small solo players who ply their trades in some of the world’s most remote and romantic locations.
So this means that, provided you can differentiate your offering and market it with the appropriate insight and intelligence, it’s possible to turn your vision into reality.
And since using online resources is one way to level the playing field with larger competitors, we’ve collated 5 digital tips from firms large and small which you can adopt and adapt for your startup.
1. Travel vlog
Since amazing travel experiences equate to assaults on the senses, starting a vlog like Borders is one of the best ways to promote your new travel firm. And while Borders creators Johnny and Liz Harris have backgrounds in journalism and filmmaking, mobile editing tools like KineMaster mean that you can create and publish professional travel videos on your own phone, without having to fork out thousands for expensive kit.
2. Google My Business
One simple and fast way to promote your new travel business for free online is by claiming a Google My Business listing.
Your listing can include a brief description, quality photo, opening hours, contact details and website link – but most importantly, it automatically provides you with a presence in Google’s powerful search universe and connects you with target customers.
3. Instagram
Another great platform for sharing travel video and visuals (while appealing to a slightly younger audience than say, Facebook) is Instagram.
Looking at Virgin Atlantic’s Insta page provides ample evidence of this – it’s populated with a plethora of high-quality posed and reportage-style photos of everything from planes in flight to glam Virgin staff in their gorgeous trademark red outfits. You can take a leaf out of this travel giant’s book by capitalizing on Instagram’s customer connection potential with your ownpics and competitions.
4. Website
A well-designed website works wonders for SEO as well as providing an excellent user experience (UX) which serves visitors the information they need swiftly and subtly guides them towards a conversion like a newsletter sign-up or sale.
The Scandinavia Only website is a wonderful example – take a look the next time you’re online to see how it combines beautiful travel photography with functional features like search forms.
5. International SEO
If you’re attempting to capture customers in more than one international market, you might need to consider hiring a digital agency like Maratopia to provide international SEO.
This could include using native speakers to translate your website content to the appropriate languages, redesigning content so that it’s culturally appropriate, using blogger outreach to gain traction in different countries and optimising your site to suit search engines rather than Google.
Follow these five digital tips and your travel startup could soon be making waves and crossing new horizons.
That’s our list! Share your own travel startup digital tips in the comments section.
