You listen to all the mentors, experts, and travel coaches. You keep hearing this… you need an email list.
It’s the best way to build relationships and make sales. Studies show that people pay attention to their emails much more than they use other channels. Just think about your own life… How often do you open your emails? Daily.. Maybe hourly?
So, there’s no denying it. Building an email list is essential to the growth and success of your travel business. Now that that’s settled, let’s move on to the next point.
If you’re going to build an email list, you’re gonna need……emails.
And the best emails to start with are emails that welcome new subscribers to your list. This type of email series is called a Welcome Sequence.
What is it?
A welcome sequence consists of five to seven emails sent to new subscribers over several days or weeks, depending on what’s best for your business. The goal is to introduce new subscribers to who you are and what you offer as a travel advisor and get them used to and looking forward to hearing from you.
The emails should list all the reasons they should be excited to be part of your community, including valuable content and exclusive offers only available to list members. It’s a great way to attract new travelers and inspire them to book their next trip with you.
What Type of Emails Should You Send?
This varies depending on your business model, target audience, and niche’ but here are some ideas to get you started:
An email delivering your lead magnet or free offer.
If you’re using a lead magnet (learn more about lead magnets here) to attract new subscribers to your list, the first email in your welcome sequence should be the delivery of that offer. This email should be short, sweet, and get to the point of delivering what you promised.
A general welcome to your list
Your second email, or the first, if you don’t need to deliver a lead magnet, should be a general welcome to your list and a thank you for signing up. Make sure to let your reader know what they can expect from you in the future.
An introduction to you and your business.
Another vital part of your welcome sequence is an about me/about your business email. This email is a big step in building know, like, and trust. Talk about yourself, your brand story, and what makes you unique. Include a picture of yourself and list your credentials, awards, or specialties. Anything that will help potential customers get to know you better and remind list members why they signed up in the first place.
In my humble opinion, these three emails are the foundation of any great welcome sequence. From there, you can switch it up and write based on your travel audience
Here are some more options.
Talk about your services.
In this email, list all the services you offer and explain how each one can help list members reach their travel goals. Make sure to include any unique benefits or special offers that list subscribers will receive for working with you.
Share Your Testimonials.
This is your chance to brag a little. Show off your best testimonials. Show your new subscriber that you know what you’re doing and that you have happy customers who love working with you.
Spotlight your specialty
If you specialize in family getaways, destination weddings, or hosted group trips, now is the time to let your subscribers know. This is how your subscriber will know they’re in the right place.
An invitation to join a community
If you have an online community, like a private Facebook group or closed network, invite them to join. This is a great way to build relationships and offer additional value without any extra effort.
Share Travel Tips
As an industry expert, this is your chance to shine. Share helpful travel tips and valuable information to position yourself as an industry expert.
Promote something:
Do you specialize in honeymoons and romance? Share a link to your calendar for a complimentary consultation. Do you sell out group vacations? Include a link to your upcoming trips. Maybe luxury is your thing. Ask them to request a quote.
Now that you have an idea of what you’re going to write, here are a few tips before you send.
Use personalization tags:
Personalization tags allow you to address your subscriber by their first name and make them feel special. It’s a basic feature with most email providers.
Bonus tip: Make the first name a required field on your sign-up forms to make this work.
Include a Call to Action:
Make sure that each email you write has a clear call to action. Use a link or button to encourage your readers to visit your website, follow you on social, or make a purchase.
Use Gifs and Images:
Gifs and images are a great way to add some fun and personality to your emails. Make sure they’re relevant to the message and attract attention. Avoid gifs of controversial figures (good luck with that one) or anything that could be offensive. And be careful not to overdo it.
Keep it short:
Now, this is controversial. Many gurus out there ( and I do not claim to be one) swear by long emails. But for me, that’s a turn-off. I’m busy over here holding my life together with tape and glue most days, so if I open an email and it’s longer than a few paragraphs, I’m out. And I’m guessing most email readers feel the same.
Make it scannable:
Keeping with the thought process of people are busy.. Readers also don’t want to have to fight to find the information they’re looking for. Use headings and bulleted lists to make it easier for them to read and see what they need. If you don’t, their notifications will go off, their kids will cry, or a shiny object will catch their attention, and just like that, you’ll lose them.
And now that you know
What a welcome sequence is…
what to include in yours,
and some best practices to get you started..
I know you’re thinking Wooohoooo, I can’t wait to sit down and spend hours writing this because I have nothing else to do, RIGHT?
No worries. If you need a little boost, download my free Welcome Sequence Starter Template... I made it Xclusively for Travel Agents.
