Rick Carlson has a small but very successful travel business that he runs from home and is part of the Cruise Planners franchise. Together with his wife and brother, he has managed to take advantage of the true potential of social networks to capture the hearts and minds of customers in his area of ​​Massachusetts and throughout the United States.

Rick and his wife Allison have always wanted to share their passion for travel with other travelers, making their travel experience unforgettable and exceeding their expectations. This is how they had the idea of ​​using Facebook to start sharing their own experiences. Since then, this has meant an additional advantage for your business, which fits perfectly with your lifestyle and your perspective on what it is to travel.

"Blizzard Bonus" - Rick usually creates special offers in a very imaginative way

These are Rick's best tips for becoming a true travel specialist and thriving in today's tourism business ...

BE YOUR BEST MARKETING TOOL

Before we start talking about social networks, incoming marketing or any other element that sets a trend, the MOST important thing is that you love traveling and that you are always sure to show enthusiasm and energy when talking about this topic. Rick explains why this is so important:

When you answer a phone call, let the other party know that you are there to help. Make him feel comfortable as quickly as possible so he knows he will be in good hands. First impressions are the ones that count and impressions last longer. If you are still not 100% motivated by travel, be sure to be there before moving on.

But this involves more than just answering the phone. When interacting with your customers, you must remember that this means the opportunity to build and reinforce what your brand means. People will return if they find a reliable travel expert in you, so make sure they see it that way.

KNOW EACH OF YOUR CUSTOMERS

If we really want to add value to customers, Rick believes that knowing them well is a priority. This does not only mean getting their names, addresses and phone numbers, but also recording all the information obtained in a conversation and then using them. Rick points out all the key dates in his clients' calendars, such as anniversaries and birthdays, and then captures that information in his CRM database. Here is a good example of  how to put that data into action ...

Recently I organized a cruise for a couple and, precisely, the husband was going to celebrate years during the cruise. By having this information, I was able to organize some surprises during the cruise, and all I needed to do was make a quick phone call. When the couple returned I was very grateful, and it was good to know that I was able to make your trip a little more special.

Adding this type of additional value can help a lot to consolidate long-term relationships with clients, as well as to attract new customers through online comments and, as in the past, by saying word of mouth with their friends.

USE VIDEOS TO ATTRACT ATTENTION

Rick started considering the idea of ​​using social media in 2015 and, since then, he has never regretted it. Both Rick and Allison are very active in their Facebook profile and recognize that establishing a strategy around social networks has been truly key to increasing brand awareness, increasing the number of new customers and maintaining the relationship with existing customers. .

Both found that when they decide to publish content on video, visits and "likes" increase, and more people share that content. Rick videotaped the unique experiences he experienced on his own trips and now shares them with his followers on Facebook. Also, use the video to launch special offers and to install a fun way to communicate with your customer base.

Facebook is now a key part of Cruise Planners marketing strategy 

I have published many stories and many articles on Facebook, but when I publish a video, I get 3,000% more views than when I publish a text or an image.

 

AND , FINALLY, BE INGENIOUS AND RELEVANT

Rick not only fulfills his tasks in the travel industry to always offer timely and relevant offers, but also takes an ingenious turn to certain situations and uses them to his advantage ...

I remember that, not so long ago, when we had a snowstorm, I was trying to clear the driveway when, suddenly, I began to think about how nice it would be to go to the Caribbean. It was then that I had the idea to publish a video saying exactly that and it was very successful. I also created a special offer for the Super Bowl day, in which I offered to double the onboard credit line that the cruise company granted for customers who booked a cruise in the short period of time before the start of the game. Once again, the success was huge and attracted many reservations. Best of all, the New England Patriots, my team, won the Super Bowl!

Rick has had great success with limited time offers, such as his offer of the Patriots for the Super Bowl

IN SUMMARY

Rick and Allison must constantly reinvent their way of building their brand and how they interact with new and existing customers. They realized that they still have a place between the big OTA and tour operators, as long as they stay true to their promise to be friendly travel experts with whom people love to connect. In addition, they adopted social networks and all the benefits of implementing a digital strategy within the structure of their general business strategy.

The future certainly looks bright for our friends at  www.cruiseplannertravel.com .