With email being used by 80% of businesses to gain and retain consumers, it’s safe to conclude that email marketing is the finest approach to creating and nurturing relationships with new and old customers. From virtual experiences to local escapes, many travel businesses adapted to the pandemic’s obstacles by using email to keep in touch with their audiences through thick and thin. And now, bookings for travel are beginning to rise again.
Travel email newsletters can entice readers with imagery, persuade them with compelling travel stories, and provide suggestions for easing back into traveling. They can assist you in going beyond selling tickets and focusing on the experience you’re selling.
Fasten your seatbelts, and let’s take a look at how travel companies can use email marketing strategies and smartly picked HTML email templates to develop strong client relationships.
Why Does Email Marketing Matter in Travel
The standards for 2022 suggest that the tourism industry’s open rates are gradually beginning to rise, from 25.88% in 2020 to 28.76% in 2021.
Meanwhile, travel bookings are once again on the rise. Things are looking better for travel companies, so now is the time to get your travel email marketing campaigns in shape.
With email marketing, you can build a direct line of communication with your customers, allowing you to engage with them at any time. With the right email strategy, you can create an audience of engaged subscribers who will pay attention to your travel promos, loyalty programs, and offers to kickstart your travel company’s post-pandemic plans.
The Four Basics Of Awesome Travel Email Marketing
The content of your newsletters is crucial to the success of any email marketing campaign. Because you’re up against the big boys as a travel agency, it’s critical to nurture real customer relationships. You’ll win their hearts and stand out from the crowd in this way. Depending on where your subscribers are in their customer journey, you can send different types of emails to them. These kinds are listed below:
#1 Emphasize On Welcome Emails To Get A Good Head Start
The tone of an event is set with a friendly welcome. You should do the same thing with a welcome email.
Welcome emails have a 42% greater read rate than normal email marketing campaigns. You can send these emails across to subscribers the instant they sign up using email automation.
Your welcome email should greet your new friend and provide additional information about you. Many travel websites provide information to subscribers on what to expect. To get the ball going, some will offer a special price or promotion.
Here’s how Sonder welcomes new subscribers, complete with a lovely apartment snapshot and a bold call to action (CTA).
#2 Double Up Your Personalization Efforts
Personalization, according to 82% of travelers, is one of the most premium travel consumer experiences. Readers want material that is relevant to them in their travel newsletters. Segmentation allows you to segment your subscribers based on shared characteristics so that you may send them personalized messages.
For instance, you can use the information on your subscribers’ travel plans/past trips or whether or not they have children. You can also connect data sourced from other marketing channels like social media to build a 360-degree customer persona to fuel your email efforts.
Booking.com, for example, delivers a tailored message to a member who has just booked a flight to Italy. This fantastic email is stunning in terms of style, but it’s also great in terms of strategy- it is a selling page in itself!
There is even advice on unique places to visit in Italy. It’s an excellent way to get started sending personalized, relevant messages right away.
#3 With The Correct Visuals, Grab People’s Attention
Many of us have no concept of what life is like in other parts of the world. That’s why we look for photographs and make Pinterest boards with all of the places we’d like to visit.
Traveling is all about emotions and experiences. The right images in your email design can persuade recipients to put your offer at the top of their to-do list. Mesmerize people with stunning pictures and scenes from destinations that are impeccable.
Vacasa, for example, advises its users to “Reach their dream location” and then leaves the rest to this lovely tropical paradise photo.
#4 Share Educational Content To Build Your Brand As A Leader
Consider why your subscribers would want to subscribe to your travel newsletter. Attract them with your knowledge of specific locales, travel tricks, or hidden jewels. You refute misconceptions and myths about places or tell readers never-before-told anecdotes about a culture.
Information content about destinations or travel brands has the power to influence people’s decisions and get them to ‘go places’! Make sure your HTML email templates help you make the most out of such hypes and provide an alluring reader experience like this email from Airbnb.
See how Airbnb informs readers about the world’s most photogenic and wishlist-worthy stays in this travel newsletter:
Wrap Up
Email marketing can undoubtedly aid in the acquisition of new customers. In addition, well-curated emails aid in the retention and encouragement of your readers to continue following your path.
Sending subscribers engaging, relevant, and valuable information is the key to converting them into loyal clients who trust your travel knowledge and eagerly book your deals.
While you can always refer to general email marketing strategies for your travel business, these four tips should form the basis of your travel email marketing approach. Follow these steps, and the rest of the things will fall in place as your email ROI revs up.
