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Email is one of the most effective marketing tools you have as a travel business.
Email has a 90.1% penetration rate among Internet users in the United States (2019) and is one of the media channels you can find most of your persona's on.
The great benefit of email is that you can personalize it completely because you know exactly who opens the email. Which enables you to send out emails that can add real value to the reader. Because you can use email in such a targeted way, it can convert a high amount of readers into business, which makes it one of the most effective and therefor cost efficient digital marketing tools.
The main goals of your email is to make sure your email is delivered, opened and an action taken by the reader.
To do that you first need to grab a readers attention with your email header and give a really good reason to open your e-mail.
Your customers receives dozens or maybe even hundreds of email per day. You have to be different and creating value to get noticed. Deliver exactly what your readers needs at that moment.
The best way to get an email opened is to personalize : to continue on previous conversations / actions and topics but also something "simple" like adding someone’s first name to the subject line of your email marketing campaigns can increase open rates by 20% according to Neil Hoyne from Google.
To personalize you need to create a database of your potential customers and try to segment them in homogenous groups. Like adventure lovers, family travelers, solo travelers, whatever is applicable for your business.
When building an email list make a plan, who do you want to reach and what will be the value you create for your audience.
Low opening rates have a negative effect for where your other mails appear an an inbox.
People don't subscribe to an email list to get something sold, they want to learn something, get inspired, etc, and of course also get the best possible deals when they need it.
If you are a hotel, experience provider of tour operator that sells to a b2b audience. Your emails should be about helping your audience to make more money (with your product). Present yourself as a company that brings more revenue and explain in your emails how.
Think about sharing data about persona's that love your products, great pictures and videos they can use to sell your products, tips to put on yoru audience social media's etc.
If you want to know if you perform well :
Benchmarks are opening rates of 25% and click rates of 2%
Analyze your opening and click though rates (people clicking on links in your emails). Can you identify niches in your data set that have higher opening rates or that love certain content your share ? It is possible to send them customized content ?
Email Marketing Providers
Email marketing software, helps to manage contacts, content, design, and law compliance (opt in and opt out) and to customize content
https://www.activecampaign.com
Building your email contact list
You cannot send emails if you don’t have an email list.
Tempt travelers to join your email list by giving them something if the subscribe, that can be a lucky draw, discount on your products or valuable insider content about destinations or other topics for free.
Use blocks on your website to advertise for your mailing list
For example you can use :
Join our mailing list and get a insiders guide to your destination, a free customized itinerary.
Subscribe now to get 10% discount if you book within a year.
Use Hunter to reach out personally to people with great offers.
