6 new tricks you’re missing in your travel email marketing Published November 14, 2016 There’s nothing quite like the run-up to a holiday. The excitement, nerves and level of organisation needed to squeeze your essentials into one small suitcase. If you’re a marketer working in travel, you need to build a relationship through your emails that reflects all of those emotions. We take a look at some clever ways of inspiring, exciting and preparing your travellers. These are imaginative methods to connect with your audience that go way beyond the basics of segmentation and targeting. Turn research into action When we’re researching a holiday we browse for hours. Looking at the best flights, availability, hotels and destinations. Use this online research phase to your advantage by triggering automated emails based on someone’s browsing behaviour. Send emails recapturing their attention with alerts about offers on the hotels or flights they’ve looked at. Tell them about the latest reviews submitted for the accommodation they viewed. Inspire them with suggested activities for the city, region or country they’re looking at. A few timely and relevant emails sent using tools such as Send emails recapturing their attention with alerts about offers on the hotels or flights they’ve looked at. Tell them about the latest reviews submitted for the accommodation they viewed. Inspire them with suggested activities for the city, region or country they’re looking at. A few timely and relevant emails sent using tools such as PureTargeting will inspire the traveller and turn browsing into action. Share inspiration Customer profiling is a great way to pique the customer’s interest so they find themselves browsing new places they’ve never considered before. Look at what attributes your customers share. Look at what attributes your customers share. After all, we like people who have things in common with us – studies suggest we tend to believe that people share our attitudes and beliefs if we have just one thing in common with them (The Telegraph). Both TripAdvisor and Airbnb tapped into this in a very clever way in their email marketing – by inspiring us with the destinations booked by people who live in the same city as us. So next time you’re capturing your customer’s information, consider using data on where they’re from – not just where they’re going too. This is just one example of smart customer profiling which can be managed through our So next time you’re capturing your customer’s information, consider using data on where they’re from – not just where they’re going too. This is just one example of smart customer profiling which can be managed through our PureIntelligence solution. Let the countdown begin It’s natural to be excited about a holiday, so join them in that excitement. Create a countdown with a series of emails that lead-up to their trip. A mixture of key milestones, reminders and useful preparation tips are a welcome distraction for someone counting down the days until they jet off into the sun. If they’re going to far-flung places give them some insider tips as well as seasoned travel advice. By the time they leave, they should consider your emails as essential reading. Pictures speak a thousand words We often talk about the need to keep email copy brief but in travel there’s often no need to say anything at all. Let your destinations speak for themselves with shots that inspire the customer. Match the pictures to the experience that your customer wants – atmospheric raw images for backpackers, serene portraits of paradise for honeymooners and iconic city landscapes for weekend mini-breakers. When the customer returns from their trip, encourage them to post and tag holiday snaps on social media – incentivise them to share their adventures and spread the word to attract new customers. Let your destinations speak for themselves with shots that inspire the customer. Match the pictures to the experience that your customer wants – atmospheric raw images for backpackers, serene portraits of paradise for honeymooners and iconic city landscapes for weekend mini-breakers. When the customer returns from their trip, encourage them to post and tag holiday snaps on social media – incentivise them to share their adventures and spread the word to attract new customers. Leave them to their devices Make sure your emails help your travellers on their way. Ensure they load on mobile devices quickly, so you can feel confident they’ll be able to browse in a hurry. Reduce copy, use icons that can be easily identified and highlight essential information they might look for at the last minute. Boarding passes, booking references, downloading your app and finding out who they can call at the last minute. The emails you send just before the departure date should be viewed as Boarding passes, booking references, downloading your app and finding out who they can call at the last minute. The emails you send just before the departure date should be viewed as tool and it’s crucial you make them useful. The return journey The relationship shouldn’t end once they return. Welcome them back, ask them to submit reviews and invite them to book again. There’s nothing like taking a holiday to make us want another one, so strike while their experience is still fresh. Show them you care by asking them what their trip was like, what their experience of your company was and encourage them to recommend your services if they’ve had a positive experience. Create a new journey for the weary traveller and inspire them to make a new booking. So there you are – six new tactics to inspire your next campaign. Imaginative methods to make your email marketing connect and keep customers clicking and booking their next trip. All ways to take your customers on a great journey before they even leave the country.