The travel and hospitality industry is a great success story when it comes to using email for acquiring new customers and growing revenues from seasoned travellers. Why? Principally, it’s about building deepening relationships based on trust and inspiration.
Since the Internet enabled automated, personalised communication, this industry has forged ahead in creating what I consider as the perfect blend of using growing customer knowledge and preference insight with new opportunity and temptation. It’s now an industry that doesn’t just promote conveyance and a place to sleep – it makes new experiences available.
Not just that, but convenience is a major factor – we can now plan a dream trip across the globe (and will it soon be in space?) from the comfort of our homes, experiencing exciting locations, hotels and experiences before we even pack our suitcases. Innovations such as 360degree photography and VR have created immersive brochures that inspire. When I was planning a honeymoon, I could (from the sofa) audition, in detail, a wide-range of resorts and hotels so I had confidence I was choosing wisely.
But we don’t need to have expensive kit to become in the know about our next vacation opportunities. Email campaigns remain to this day as the solid backbone of marketing activities.
As travelers crisscross the globe, they’re spending money on flights, accommodations, food, and activities. In 2016, 1.2 billion people traveled internationally and spent $1.5 trillion, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
To help captivate travelers, increase loyalty, and give reservations a boost, here’s a look at ten wildly successful email marketing campaigns that you can mimic this year:
1. Give travelers a warm welcome
When a traveler signs up for your emails, it’s time to roll out the red carpet. Send your new contact a welcome email with a warm greeting and information that encourages the subscriber to learn more about your brand.
You can automate welcome emails so they’re triggered to arrive in a subscriber’s inbox immediately following their sign up. Research shows welcome emails that are sent in real-time have an 88% open rate and a 29% click-through rate, which is significantly higher than welcome emails that are sent in batches that garner 52% open rates and 12% click-through rates, according to Experian.
Here’s a great example of a welcome email sent by Fairmont Hotels, to its new subscribers. It encourages subscribers to check out destinations where Fairmont Hotels are available:
2. Provide travel inspiration
With so many places to go, travelers need some inspiration. Research shows a growing number of travelers are looking to visit lesser known areas or non-touristy locales, according to the 2016 Virtuoso Luxe Report.
Create and send emails that showcase exotic places to visit or little cities that are off the beaten path.
No matter what destinations you tout, make sure you include awesome images to go with it. Images not only draw attention, but they also help travelers imagine themselves sitting under a palm tree or touring the streets of a city.
Flight Centre does a great job inspiring subscribers with these newsletter-like emails that showcase great destinations (with compelling images) at a low price.
Pro tip: The secret to success for these emails is that Flight Centre uses data they have about their customers with dynamic content to deliver deals that will appeal to preferences, prior purchases, and web browsing behaviors.
3. Personalize travel ideas and deals
While sending emails filled with fun travel destinations is a great start, you can up your email game by personalizing those emails like we saw in the Flight Centre email.
A personalized email is more relevant to a subscriber, which makes him or her more likely to open it and click through.
To personalize emails, you should capture information from your subscribers or use data from other third-party apps like your booking app, e-commerce app, or your CRM. Every piece of information you gain provides more insight into your customer and gives you the ability to provide customized travel offers.
Check out Campaign Monitor’s latest acquisition which will make this easier than ever.
During the email sign up process, Air Canada asks new subscribers to tell them their home airport and what destinations they’re interested in. Using this information, the company sends promotions that are relevant to the subscriber’s interests.
The flight deals depart from the subscriber’s home airport, which in this case is Montreal, and go to destinations that the subscriber is specifically interested in.
4. Provide gift ideas on holidays
When a holiday rolls around, send travel ideas. People are always hunting for a great gift, so why not encourage them to think outside of the gift-giving box?
Flight Centre sent its subscribers an email on Mother’s Day that said, “Brunch is nice, but a trip is better.” It’s humorous, timely and most importantly, it could encourage two bookings – not just one.
In this example, subscribers can enter to win a Mother’s Day trip by giving feedback. You can try that, or just send a promotional email on a holiday of your choice.
5. Provide testimonials
Travelers aren’t just scouring the web for the most affordable trip; they’re also reading reviews. Ninety-three percent of travelers worldwide say their booking decisions are influenced by online reviews, according to research from TripAdvisor.
Since travelers are so dependent on reviews, why not help them out? Consider creating an email that has several testimonials from happy customers, and give subscribers a link to read more.
Fairmont Hotels sends this testimonial email with a call to action that leads subscribers to read stories from real guests.
6. Encourage travelers to join your loyalty program
Loyalty is a hard nut to crack in the travel and hospitality business. Travelers tend to search for the best deals rather than favor a specific brand. However, if you have a rewards program, you can use it to encourage loyalty and repeat business.
Research shows members of a loyalty program generated 12 to 18 percent more revenue for a brand than non-members did in 2016, according to Accenture.
Send current subscribers emails that focus on the program and its benefits. Include a call to action that leads subscribers to an easy sign up form. Here’s an email from Fairmont Hotels that does exactly that:
7. Give loyalty members incentives to travel
After attracting subscribers to your loyalty program, you can send emails that are specific to this niche. Consider segmenting this list into smaller groups based on buying behavior, popular destinations, or location.
By segmenting your list, you can provide relevant travel ideas and incentives that encourage travelers to take action.
For instance, you can email subscribers in Los Angeles a travel deal that departs out of LAX, or give members double points for making a reservation.
British Airways, offers its loyalty members a chance to double their air miles by booking a flight in the next 45 days. The email even includes the member’s points status in the email.
By using email to promote its loyalty program, British Airways can incentivize more travelers to book a trip.
8. Provide access to experiences
Travelers are looking for an experience, not just a destination. That’s why it’s important to promote activities that are available to travelers. By focusing on the journey and not just the destination, you can create memorable customer experiences.
For instance, don’t just promote great rates on a room; promote all of the services that are available at your hotel as well. Appeal to the business traveler with an email promoting your business center, or tell families about the Olympic-sized pool that’s sure to keep the kids entertained.
Think of ways to give travelers a unique experience like Virgin Experience Days, does with this email that offers a chance at virtual reality skydiving.
9. Offer a limited-time deal
Seventy-six percent of business travelers and 70% of leisure travelers book with a specific brand because of price, according to Google.
Considering the priority of great pricing, send emails to your subscribers that give them the chance to take a great trip for an unbeatable price. Show subscribers how sweet these deals are by putting a time limit on them.
The tight deadline should encourage subscribers to act fast. Flight Centre used this idea in a recent email that offered cheap deals to New York City. To convey this limited-time offer, Flight Centre added a countdown clock to the bottom of the email.
10. Give travelers a chance at spontaneity
It takes the average traveler 45 days to book a vacation, according to researchfrom Expedia. However, not every traveler invests that kind of planning time.
In fact, some travelers are looking to get away quickly. Give subscribers the chance to take a spontaneous trip with a can’t-resist email offer. Flight Centre sent this email to subscribers with a link to last-minute vacations that start at $530. Read all about how Flight Centre increased their click-throughs by 57%.
Wrap up
While competition in the travel and hospitality industry is fierce, all of these tips are designed to help you attract and retain subscribers. Sending a variety of emails that focus on deals, destinations, fun experiences, and loyalty programs gives you a competitive edge and keeps travelers coming back for more.
