PR For Travel Advisors: How To Build Brand Awareness For Your Travel Business With Media Mentions
Today's conversation comes from our Master Hour, a monthly coaching session hosted inside the Masters In Travel Advisor Accelerator. Community members bring their questions to a panel of experts for feedback, which are then discussed to provide a diverse array of ideas and fresh perspectives. Want to join us? Join the waitlist.
We regularly hear about and facilitate discussions on marketing, operations, processes, lead generation and other avenues to build our travel businesses. Yet public relations tends to get overlooked.
Most business owners ignore or avoid PR for a variety of reasons: they don't see the value in it, they don't know anything about it, and/or they have no idea where to start. Sound familiar?
Many people also think of PR as getting mentioned in traditional media, like print, TV and radio. Which are still great avenues, but the field has expanded to include digital offerings, which can massively impact your business in countless ways.
So today we're offering a new perspective on PR, and how it can be used beneficially by travel advisors in the industry. PR is a great method to expand your reach beyond your immediate circle. So that instead of getting stuck and giving up, you have all the tools you need to get your business noticed.
We've invited longtime colleague Karla Walsh, a freelance writer, editor and all around incredible traveler, on the Masters In Travel podcast to share her wisdom about transitioning from working with big digital magazines to freelance writing in publications.
And trust us, she knows just about as much about the world of travel as an advisor does without actually being one herself. She's embarked on solo trips to Costa Rica, Peru, Croatia and more, all while leaning into unique experiences and luxury hotels.
In this particular podcast episode, we discuss a new angle on PR for outreach strategies, popular publications, online resources and so much more. Because getting mentioned in the media isn't a one-and-done strategy — it's about building connections, becoming an expert in the space, and honing the art of telling the same story, but in different ways.
Below we'll share a few highlights from this conversation, and you can catch the full episode here.
So What Type Of Media Should I Focus On?
As we mentioned, there are countless ways your business can be promoted in the media, and you need to decide which one is right for you. TV and radio mentions tend to have shorter life spans, but can be great for reaching a local audience. Print is also a great method to reach large audiences, but the follow up can be difficult.
That's why we recommend focusing on digital media as a travel advisor — so magazines, publications, websites, media outlets — for several reasons. First, it's the easiest path for prospects to find you after they hear about you (clicking a link vs. scanning a QR code or (mis)typing your URL after hearing or seeing it somewhere). Online promotions also make sharing the publications you're mentioned in on your own networks super easy. But one of the most underrated perks of digital PR is the SEO your website will gain from being mentioned and linked on reputable websites over and over again.
3 Benefits Of Pursuing Digital PR
1.Boost Your Website SEO
You don't have to be an SEO expert to understand that more websites backlinking to your website means Google will rank it higher. And the better the reputation of these websites, the higher Google will rank your website.
Additionally, the higher your website is ranked, the more likely it is to come up in organic searches. So just imagine more and more clients finding you online, just because you've started showing up as an expert in publications industry-wide.
2. Build Your Expertise & Authority
You've probably heard the statistic that customers need to see something seven times before they buy it, believe it or remember it. Well, the same goes with brand awareness. The more your name is seen and shared online, the more recognizable you'll become and the more authority you'll gain in the industry.
So while, yes, you may need to reach out to publications initially and introduce yourself, once you start getting mentioned online, you'll become the known expert in xyz space — meaning that people will start coming to you, like a snowball effect. So once you get featured, share those pieces everywhere! Be proud of your knowledge, and let people know what your speciality is (because journalists are always looking for good sources).
3. Grow A Desire For Travel
By being more vocal online and sharing the truth about the travel industry, you can create demand for your services. Perhaps you bust myths, share insider secrets, educate people or reveal an unknown destination.
A lot of the general public still view travel advisors as travel agents — a.k.a. someone who plans group trips or cruises from the safety of a store in the mall. But we both know that travel advisors have the ability to create anything and everything a client asks for at our fingertips (and we can do it a lot better and faster than them). Therefore educating people on modern day travel advisors, and what we can do for them can and will generate more buzz, leading to more business.
Whew, and get this — these were just the highlights from our conversation with Karla Walsh!
In the full episode, we also cover:
3 simple ways you can start reaching out to publications today
Exactly what details to include to make your pitch irresistible
Topic ideas you can pitch to the publications, and
Who and at what publications you should approach with your ideas
