5 Ways the Travel Industry can Make Use of SMS Marketing
In order to appeal to new customers and interact with existing ones, businesses are always looking for new marketing methods. Whilst many companies are using traditional and online marketing techniques, these aren’t always effective.
Email filtering, for example, means that many recipients may not even be aware that they’ve received contact from your company. As many email hosts provide in-built spam filters, it’s easy for email marketing content to be overlooked or ignored completely.
SMS marketing, however, overcomes many of the obstacles associated with online and email marketing. Whilst potential customers may not see your company emails, SMS messages aren’t filtered in the same way. The delivery rate is, therefore, far higher for SMS messages in comparison to marketing emails.
In addition to this, over 90% of recipients open SMS messages, meaning that your content is reaching the intended target. Whilst SMS messaging allows for a relatively small amount of content, this is often advantageous.
Key information and details can be passed on to customers via business SMS messaging and they can then be invited to respond or encouraged to visit a link to access further information. Rather than being bombarded with information, customers will be able to grasp your message quickly and easily.
Getting travel information to customers quickly
Perhaps one of the most useful benefits of business SMS messaging is the speed at which you can connect with potential or existing customers. Information can be disseminated almost instantaneously and this is particularly useful for companies operating within the travel and tourism sector.
Often, travel plans are subject to changes and it’s vital that customers are made aware of this as quickly as possible. Whilst your company may not be able to prevent delays or stop journeys being cancelled, providing informative and speedy customer service can still result in glowing customer reviews.
Tour operators, for example, may have no control over flights which are delayed due to bad weather conditions. If safety or weather concerns prevent flights from taking off, most customers are understanding of the situation but they can become frustrated and angry if they are unable to access up-to-date information.
By using business text messaging and SMS services, however, you can contact affected customers quickly and keep them informed of any changes to their schedule. In these types of situations, a lack of customer service can quickly lead to bad press and even a subsequent loss of revenue. Keeping in touch with customers and providing useful information via SMS marketing can, however, result in satisfied customers and positive reviews, regardless of delays or postponements.
Responding to crisis situations
Companies which operate in the travel sector may, on occasion, have to respond to emergency situations. As they may be responsible for hundreds of tourists in any one area, it’s vital that they can be contacted quickly.
Most people carry their mobile phones at all times so SMS messaging, or business text messaging, can be the quickest way to spread information. If a diplomatic crisis occurs and holidaymakers are required to leave a specific area, for example, travel operators can use SMS messaging to contact all relevant customers and inform them of the situation.
Alternatively, if a tourist is lost or unaccounted for, SMS messaging can be used to alert other holidaymakers, and this can help to reunite people far more quickly than relying solely on word of mouth.
Unobtrusive marketing with SMS messaging
Most people are used to receiving numerous text messages per day and they can use certain phone settings to alert them of the contact. If they are unavailable, for example, they may turn their phone on to silent or, if they’re in a busy area, they may increase the volume so that they are aware of any messages they receive.
SMS marketing doesn’t, therefore, interrupt recipients or irritate potential customers. If regular travel updates are required, for example, customers are unlikely to find this form of contact intrusive. Indeed, many people prefer to be contacted via SMS messaging, particularly in comparison to phone calls or emails.
Increasing sales with SMS marketing
Whilst SMS marketing is an ideal way for companies in the travel industry to alert existing customers of itinerary changes or issues, it is also an effective way of building business and attracting new consumers.
With many businesses providing offers and travel incentives, SMS messages are a perfect way to alert potential customers of the latest deals. The rise of last-minute breaks, for example, may mean that you want to advertise low-cost deals quickly. Furthermore, you may want to contact a specific demographic and SMS marketing enables you to do just this.
An 18-30s budget break on a party-themed holiday island is only going to appeal to a certain demographic, for example. Advertising this type of break to all your existing customers could be a waste of resources but targeted SMS marketing will enable you to tailor your marketing activities to the appropriate audience.
Similarly, if you want to make people aware of low-cost, last-minute flights, you may want to market them to people within a certain radius of the relevant airport. As people further afield may struggle to get to the departure venue in time to make use of the offer, sending business SMS messages to potential customers within a certain area will help to reduce costs and create a more effective campaign.
Building your brand using SMS marketing
When it comes to the travel industry, people want to use companies that they feel are reliable and professional. In addition to making savings and grabbing last-minute offers, passengers want to feel that they are putting their trust in a reputable firm.
By using SMS marketing to gain new customers and provide on-going customer service, you can increase customer loyalty and associate your brand with these key attributes. This, in turn, will lead to repeat business, increased revenue and an enviable reputation within the sector.
To learn more about using SMS marketing to build your business, why not get in touch with us today?
Related Articles
Don’t Believe The Myth of The “Cashless Shopper”
Sometimes bloggers or journalists get a bit carried away. They see some data or fact, and run off to declare there’s a trend you need to know about. The latest one I’ve seen is all about how to reach the generation of “cashless shoppers”. The argument goes that you need to use SMS messaging to reach customers because they are all shopping online – where you obviously can’t pay in cash.
Proof SMS Messaging Gets Results: Business Growth
Can something as simple as adding SMS messaging propel your business to higher levels than you thought possible? That’s what happened to these two companies. Read the last blog in the Results series to see what happened, and how you can start growing your business too.
Drive Up Attendance During Festival Season with SMS Messaging – Part 1
People love live music. Ticket sales worldwide are expected to reach $20.5 Billion (~£14.2B). The UK alone has around 900 festivals each year. There just aren’t enough headliners to go around. What else can you do to draw people to your event (whether you have a headliner or not)? The answer: Make your event an experience rather than just a destination.
SMS Marketing Ideas for Campsite and Touring Park Operators
Right now it is peak season for camping and caravan sites; it's the middle of summer and the school holidays have begun. Even the great British weather has been relatively kind this year so far. With what is the busiest time of the year for camping and caravanning parks, marketing strategies are often not priority, especially for the many small owner run businesses within the industry and those who are reliant on returning customers. SMS text message marketing, however, can benefit campsite and touring park operators by offering a simple, cost effective and time efficient way to reach both existing and new customers to promote your business by direct contact to their mobile phone. Read on for eight proven text message marketing and promotional ideas to help fill those final pitches.
Building an SMS Inbound Marketing Campaign for Your Hotel Business
SMS flies under many marketers radars when it comes to building an inbound marketing strategy. But if Buzzfeed's news app is to be believed, there are days when SMS generates the greatest percentage of shares on that channel, beating out Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and email. SMS share buttons are reported to have been used 4 times more than Twitter buttons. When you consider Twitter has 317 million active users, then SMS marketing has huge potential for a hotel business.
Do hospitality trends in 2016 include SMS messaging?
Travel agencies: Take advantage of New Year’s resolutions
Travel Agents Should use SMS Messaging During the Off Season
Now that the peak travel season is over, how can travel agents stay top of mind in their customers? If you look around, you’ll notice everyone seems to have a mobile. That means SMS is the perfect way to reach them and make sure you’re not forgotten.
5 SMS or Mobile Facts You Need to Know
So many of us are used to having our mobiles around nearly 24 hours a day that it’s easy to forget it’s still a growing industry. And though SMS has been around for over two decades, the ways we use it and people’s willingness to use it continues to grow. So for this blog I picked out five facts about mobile and SMS that really make the case that SMS for business has come of age. Let’s see if you agree.