Now is the time of year when people all over the country are thinking about waving goodbye to the changeable British weather and jetting off to warmer climes abroad. For many, the annual summer holiday is one of the most important events of the year. It’s likely to be the biggest purchase they’ll make, and months of planning can go into these two weeks in the sun. It’s not a decision that’s taken lightly.
Within the travel and tourism industry, there’s a huge level of competition. Nowadays, consumers have more choice than ever over where to take their summer holiday. This is where email marketing can help. If your travel company uses email marketing, you can bring the holiday experience directly into your customers homes at exactly the right time. You can speak to them on a personal level, offering bespoke suggestions to help them make this important decision. Even if your company doesn’t sell holidays, you can still use email marketing to help your customers make the most of their annual summer trip. Here are a few suggestions:
Sell an Experience
Many travel company emails look just like this one from Thomson:
While email like this is great for customers who are just looking for a low cost late deal, for many people, their summer holiday is about having an experience. They want to be inspired about where they could potentially travel to, and email marketing can help you inspire them.
Sometimes, something as simple as a beautiful picture can help you inspire your customers. By featuring images heavily in your emails, you can give your customers a taste of what your destinations are like. This email, from The Romantic Tourist, almost completely forgoes text, relying instead on attractive images:
Be Informative
Of course, this highly visual style won’t work for all customers. Many people want to feel completely informed before they make a big decision like their summer holiday destination. Email marketing can also be used to educate your customers about holiday destinations. This example, also from Thomson, gives the customer some information about Jamaica, as well as giving the option to book a holiday:
Jet2 also regularly send out informative emails about the destinations they fly to. This example shows their customers everything they can do in Antalya:
Some information about a destination will give people a taste of what a holiday there will be like, and could be enough to encourage them to book. If you have provided this information, your company will be the first one they think of when it comes to making a purchase.
Holiday Essentials
There’s a lot more to summer holidays than just the destination. If your company provides something that can help people enjoy their trip, or something that will make things easier for them, you should use email marketing to tell them about it.
First TransPennine Express use email marketing to let their customers know about their service to Manchester Airport:
As well as letting their customers know about their service, this email also highlights how train travel can reduce holidaymakers stress and help them save money: two things that are much needed around summer holiday time.
Fashion is also an important part of the summer holiday experience. If you’re a fashion retailer, now is the perfect time of year to inspire your customers’ holiday wardrobe. Apricot Clothing did this recently:
Email marketing provides a great way to promote summer holidays. You can inspire, educate and inform your customers in a way that would be very difficult with other methods of marketing. Even if you don’t sell holidays or travel, you can still use email marketing to help your customers make the most of their summer trip.
