by Todd Lucier on May 27, 2010
Using Email Marketing to sell your tourism business online? Forget trying to sell! Focus on giving your e-newsletter subscribers the content that they desire. Focus on the 3 E’s and make sure every e-newsletter focuses on one or more of:
Entertainment:
Find your voice, be authentic, be silly, be funny, tell stories, share photo libraries and link to videos.
Education:
Tell your audience something they didn’t know before, but that you are reasonably sure they would be interested in.
Exclusivity:
Make your subscribers feel special. Give them a name – fans, insiders, members . . . and offer them something that isn’t available anywhere else.
If you treat your e-mail subscribers well, your list will grow, and sending your e-newsletter will result in a ringing phone and a full inbox. Happy e-newsletter marketing.
Do you have an email content idea that works for you? Feel free to comment and share your ideas.
by Todd Lucier on May 21, 2010
TripAdvisor’s invitation to roofed accommodations to pay for the inclusion of phone number, email and Website link advertising with business listings has gone so poorly that TripAdvisor is presenting a new offer in the hopes of increasing the number of businesses who sign up.
Beginning June 2, businesses who subscribe to the expensive business listing can offer a coupon offering special discounts.
There are more than a few reasons why I won’t bite on this offer from TripAdvisor:
- Listings are TOO expensive. Listings start at $600 and go all the way into the many thousands of dollars based on the number of rooms.
- Whether a hotel, b&b or Inn in New York City or in the small town of South River (population 1000), everyone pays the same rate regardless of occupancy rate, room rate.
- In this era of transparency with online marketing, the Google and Facebook pay per click model represents opportunities to pay for a known quantity and quality of exposure for your business. Incidentally, Google’s Adwords program offers click to call option on listings when viewed on a cell phone at No Additional Cost.
- Should I really have to pay for the privilege of being able to offer a discount? If hotels, inns or b&b’s really need to lower their rates, lower them. Room rates often migrate up and down with availability and offering a flat discount on top of a floating rate makes no sense at all.
- Making accommodations pay while other businesses like restaurants and attractions don’t pay is unfair and doesn’t make Tripadvisor listings fully useful to your true client – the travelers who use TripAdvisor’s Web site.
At least one operator has expressed deep disappointment at paying for the business listing on this blog. Since originally offering the paid listings in November TripAdvisor’s business listings have yet to be listed at full price. I wonder if they ever will?
