Improve reach in travel, tourism & logistics

After a stagnant few years thanks to covid, movement is back. People are willing and able to venture further than their front door, whether that be catching the train to work or packing their bags for sunnier climates. As people scramble to get out more, businesses that feed into the travel, tourism and logistics industries must pick up the pace to meet this new demand. Brands battle to reach new customers and recoup lost revenue, but how can they achieve this? We take a look at how those in the travel sector can use paid media to boost their efforts and reach.

The good, the bad, the ugly

People can once again travel more freely, whether that be locally or internationally and brands within the sector are seeing an increase in business. But with this resurgence comes stiff competition. Whether you’re a public transport provider or international tour operator, increasing your reach and revenue continues to be a tricky landscape to stand out in. Consumers are fickler than ever, with a recent figure stating that 76 percent of your audience has no loyalty to your brand. And with a flurry of mixed press, from train strikes to airport delays leading to decreased consumer confidence, persuading your audience to pick your brand over another is more pressing than ever before.

Understanding your audience

To create an effective strategy, you must first get into the mind of your user: what do they want and what are they specifically searching for? Search intent for travel is constantly evolving and what once worked may no longer be applicable. For instance, consumers are looking to make more financially savvy choices, with 49 percent of people saying price is the main factor in their transportation choices. Armed with this knowledge, targeting phrases surrounding deals and low prices would be a smart move by public transport providers. Alongside this, understanding the seasonality of your product and service is key to delivering a strategy that packs a punch. Putting extra time and effort into your research is more important than ever. Looking at trending searches and how they may fit into your overall strategy will help your paid media efforts start on the right foot.

Let data drive your decisions

It can be tempting to dive headfirst into a marketing strategy or new campaign idea but without leaning heavily on the data available to you, you’re likely to waste both time and money. To make the most of your PPC and ad campaigns, take a look at your data and how you can use it to your advantage.

The rise of first-party data

Data should underpin everything you do and as the sunsets on third-party data, it’s time to make the most of the information that’s at your fingertips. First-party data is data collected and owned by your company. With a huge bank of customer information taken from your CRM, email data lists and website analytics, this form of data is invaluable when used effectively. Taking this highly relevant data, you can create targeted and personalised ad campaigns, segmenting your audience based on their previous interactions or purchases. By using previous user data, you can deliver extremely relevant messaging that is more likely to evoke interest from a user. For example, if someone has visited several pages on your site to do with Ibiza, and opened emails about the island, retargeting can provide further messaging about the destination. First-party data also enables you to optimise your campaigns by identifying patterns in consumer behaviour and offering insight into what drives conversions.

Data in ad platforms

Ad platforms push your message far and wide, but they also offer a goldmine of data that can steer your strategy. Broken down into three key areas, ad platforms can provide:

1. 1
   Search query data: keywords and phrases that users type into search engines. This is one of the most important types of data used in search advertising.
2. 2
   Behavioural data: web browsing history, purchase history, and location data can also be used to inform targeting decisions and improve ad relevance.
3. 3
   Demographic data: age, gender, and income level can be used to segment audiences and create more targeted ad campaigns.

Once your ad campaigns are up and running, you can use the above data points to update and feed new ideas into your existing strategy based on real-time data.

Benefitting from CRO principles

Your ad campaign efforts are paying off thanks to the data you’ve collected and the traffic to your site is up. But what next? Driving users to your website is only half the battle and if they’re not converting, your efforts are wasted. Conversion rate optimisation (CRO)enables you to identify which parts of your site are performing and which areas cause users to switch off. Using tools like A/B or multivariant testing allows you to directly compare different versions of your website or landing pages to see which users respond best to. CRO lets you create a site that you know packs a punch and will, ultimately, encourage users to convert.

Paid social

If there was ever an industry made for social media, it would be travel and tourism. We all love to look at far-flung destinations and images of crystal-clear waters. Platforms such as Instagram and TikTok provide the perfect place for this. A reported 60 percent of Gen Z and 40 percent of millennials use social media for travel purposes, meaning if you’re not using this form of advertising, you’re missing out on huge potential. Using the different platform’s targeting capabilities, you can deliver your ads to new audiences who have displayed an interest in travel or re-engage with those who have already interacted with your brand. As well as holiday providers benefiting from paid social, businesses involved in the more logistical side of travel can see success on social, too. The Rail Delivery Group campaigned through various channels including social encouraging people to get ‘back on track’ and use public transport again post-covid.

How we can help travel brands excel

We have a huge range of expertise working with brands in the travel sector. With years of experience under our belt, we have gained an in-depth understanding of the industry, the struggles and the unique challenges faced. Through our proprietary software and our tried-and-tested methods, we can help your brand succeed in an increasingly difficult market.

Our proprietary toolkit pinpoints your position in the market

You want to beat the competition. We get that. But to do that, you need to understand where your competition sits in the market and how you compare. By taking a deep dive into areas your main competitors are excelling in, or underperforming, you can create an action plan to help you get ahead of the curve. A cut above the rest, our competitor analysis tool was created by us to help you better understand your position in the market. Taking a close look at the sector you sit in; our proprietary software helps to pinpoint:

• Who your competitors are
• Areas they are excelling in for CPC
• Provide insight into the success of paid performance in your industry

Armed with an unparalleled knowledge of your sector, we can help you create an effective paid media strategy that delivers results. Our team of paid media experts are on-hand to provide top-notch support. Having worked with big-name brands such as Exodus, we are well-versed in what it takes to succeed. Get in touch to see how we can help your brand.