Working in travel can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. Not only do you potentially get to see the world, but you also help others experience it, creating memories they’ll hold dear for a lifetime. However, for how amazing this field can be, breaking into it can be difficult. As something that’s constantly shifting and changing, keeping up with these trends can be tough. However, that’s why I’m giving you a few helpful tips on how to get started. Check them out below:
Have A Solid Business Model In Place
As the travel industry can be one of the most competitive industries online, it’s important that your business idea is one that can go against the best. According to Statista, with the global travel industry worth around $7.61 trillion, even just capturing a small chunk of that can mean some serious profits, but will require a niche to truly capitalize on. And if you’re struggling to find out what your difference is, then starting backward might be your best bet.
Instead of asking yourself what type of travel business you should start, ask yourself what problems you see in travel, as well as how you plan to fix it. No matter if that’s with the booking process, access to locations, or even recommendations, try to find something that you, yourself would use. As one of the best cursors to if any business plan makes sense, the usability of this product will be a vital component. Quite simply, this should be an idea you can relay in a sentence or two, as any over that is too complex. Finally, remember that your model should be based on passion, as that will be the biggest driver of your success.
Create A Brand That Will Resonate With People
In looking to get your name out there, you need to create a brand that people won’t just recognize but resonate with. This should be something others look at and immediately know not just you’re a travel company, but one that you have a rough idea of what makes you different. The goal is to evoke trust, because as noted by Search Engine Watch, 83 percent of people will trust a brand that’s recommended by a friend, and the only way to master that is by creating something on which others are willing to take the risk.
As we were stating before on how your business plan should solve a problem, the principle is going to be a guide for your brand. People should look at your brand and see an ethos, knowing what type of mission you’re on as well as why they’re going to want to be a part. This doesn’t have to be anything incredibly complicated, but rather just relaying the message of your purpose. It’s a straightforward approach, but one that the audience immediately gets. Try to find a strategy similar to this for your brand, as an identity will be everything starting out.
Know How To Market Yourself
Once you’ve established your brand and business model, it’s time to start brainstorming how you’re going to market this thing. Perhaps one of the benefits you have here is that with travel, it’s much easier to source content either from your customers or around online. In fact, according to Entrepreneur, a staggering 97 percent of millennials share photos or videos of their travel experiences, which means you’ll have plenty to pull from. However, knowing how to put this together in a consistent manner is a completely different story.
The goal for your marketing efforts should be focused around a central hub. No matter if it comes from your blog, social media, or paid advertising, there should always be a focal point it’s trying to drive to. For example, the film People You May Know utilized all of their marketing efforts towards getting people to watch their trailer, which was the main driver of traffic.
Find what places you most want your audience to be after, as well as how you’re going to get people there. While this will take a little bit of legwork to set up and be consistent with, the name of the game is trial and error. However, with a little bit of practice, you’ll be mastering your marketing plan in no time.
What are you most excited about in starting your own travel website? Comment with your answers below!
