The internet has made it easier for travelers to be their own booking agents, inciting fierce competition among travel companies in the targeted online marketing space. Creating a comprehensive campaign is one of the best ways for businesses in this field to capture new customers. Based on data collected from online banner advertising and other marketing metrics, its potential is tremendous.
"I have not yet seen a travel service provider who is not aggressively investing to better engage with its target customers by adding value pre-travel, during travel, and post travel," Ken Herron, vice president of marketing at Tourico, told EContent Magazine.
Businesses that are headquartered in popular or emerging tourist destinations can greatly benefit from placing a video or mobile advertisement instead of solely relying on local tourism publications or traditional forms of marketing. While those platforms still grab the attention of some travelers, many more are using their mobile devices or computers to find the answers they need.
The issue with this accessibility is that prospective customers want to find the answers fast and see relevant results. Companies that have not begun building an local internet marketing strategy may end up behind their competitors once online ads really gain traction.
Lonely Planet, for example, has been providing PDFs of their travel recommendations since 1973, before the organization even knew there was a market for e-books.
"Our mission has always been to provide the very best information to travelers in whatever way they desire, Lonely Planet's e-publishing manager Mark Germanchis added. "To this end, we've made our trusted content available on most platforms as they emerge, whether it be through apps, e-books, the mobile version of our website, etc."
The added flexibility may require a bit of work, but the advantages will pay off in no time. Accommodations or other businesses in the travel industry looking for a team with experience with online advertising should partner with Key Media Solutions.