When it comes to determining whether consumers will choose your page as one of their 10 or not, it’s all about first impressions and affinity. In short, unless a consumer has done business with you, they will judge your page on how it looks and what it can offer them.

So, pay attention. Here are the five areas on your page that you need to put some thought into:

1. Profile Image - This little square image inset in your page’s new header is your face across Facebook.  Choose an image that represents you well and identifies you quickly! Agency logos or professional headshots are a good choice for this spot.

2. Cover Photo – This is now the centerpiece of the new Facebook page template and a golden opportunity for you to set the mood for who you are and what you do.  Use photos that inspire people to travel, images that feature your fans, or photos of the team clients can expect to work with.

Also, know that Facebook does not allow the following on cover photos:

• Price or purchase information
• Any type of contact information – website url, email, telephone number, etc.
• Mentions of Facebook features such as “Like”, “Share” or “Comment”
• Calls to action

3. About Section – This section is important for two reasons: it is the only Facebook- provided spot with information about your business that remains permanently and it’s one of the first pages search engines look at. Make sure you develop descriptions that are more than 2 or 3 lines. Include keywords that tell people (and robots) what you do and how you can help. This will help you get found by the right audience.

4. Timeline – The new Facebook pages are designed to act as a timeline for your business, with the opportunity to highlight important milestones. The goal is the visually tell your story and tell people a bit more about how you became what you are today.

In the status update box (the box where it says “write something”), you can click on “Events, Milestones +” for access to the Milestone feature. Use it to highlight your achievements or awards, major travel milestones or other important dates. You have the option of including photos or videos with your posts – use it!

Hint: It’s also a great feature to use whenever a client sends you praise or photos that you can share.

5. Apps/Views - You may have noticed new boxes next to your “about area”. These are known as Apps or views and are designed to help you customize your page’s experience.

You can use them by connecting third-party services to your page to do things like collect email addresses for your newsletter, build a featured travel offer page, hold contests and more. My favorite app is one called Shortstack, but there are thousands of others to pick from. Some of your favorite providers probably offer Facebook apps too. Ask them about it!

Please rate this tip!

Sophie Bujold is a social media coach who specializes in helping travel professionals achieve online success. She speaks at many events and works individually with travel agencies across North America.  To get more insights from Sophie, visit her website and sign up for her free weekly e-mail tips.

Now that we are into the month of May, I have been starting to think about finalizing plans for a summer vacation. Whether you work alone or are with other staff members, it is important to plan ahead and make sure business responsibilities and customers are well taken care of while you are out of the office.

As a member of the travel industry, you are constantly surrounded by wonderful destinations and intriguing landmarks. I hope that you too, are carving out some time to enjoy some down time with friends or family. We all deserve it! Sometimes the best thing you can do for your health and overall well being is to energize and rejuvenate yourself  by taking a mini vacation or a week long getaway.  That should mean that you leave your work at home –take a “real” break.

Personally, I plan to take two or three long weekends to explore Maine and New Hampshire with my family. There is a lot we can do that will keep my twins busy and hopefully enjoy nice weather. What do you have planned? Start thinking A lot of events and special occasions are sure to come up, so mark your special retreat down on your calendar!

If you need some more convincing, here are a few more reasons to take an annual vacation:

1. Vacations will prevent you from experiencing work burnout.
2. Vacations keep you healthier – giving you time to recharge and be stress free.
3. Vacations can improve overall well being –sleep, rest, eating patterns.
4. Vacations can bring families and friends closer with bonding time.
5. Vacations can help you appreciate your job with quality time away.
6. Vacations help you explore and experience new destinations and culture.
7. Vacations can be more enjoyable by planning YOUR OWN versus for your clients. You know your own needs and wants.
8. The list goes on…

I would love to hear your feedback. Share what personal trips you are taking this summer. Best wishes for a wonderful vacation and time off!

The following are 5 relatively simple steps that industry veterans can adopt, rather painlessly. Each is titled with a classic song, most of which should be familiar (at least to many of you), according to the average travel professional’s age, as noted by the survey.

1. Respect: For as long as there have been manufacturers and distributors of products, goods and services, a love-hate relationship has existed between the parties involved, our industry notwithstanding. Let’s make a deal starting today that any in-fighting, issues or other “less than newsworthy” happenings that exist in our industry stay where they belong – within the 4 walls of our industry.

Charity and respect begin at home. Accordingly, the days of divisiveness, finger pointing and “the blame game” would be well served to cease. All of us who are still standing, after surviving the many challenges our industry has collectively endured in the past 20 years, would be well served to “play together nicely.”

2. Teach Your Children – Be a Mentor: industry veterans should adopt a mindset of responsibility if our legacy is to endure. A great way to begin is to “Adopt a Newbie.” Whether we realize it or not, the 20+ years of tenure (again, according to the recent survey) that the majority of travel distributers possess brings with them a plethora of knowledge and “know-how.” Much of this was accumulated by trial and error. Shouldn’t we give “the next generation” the benefit of NOT replicating our mistakes? It only seems fair.

3. Talk to the Animals: Take every opportunity to articulate the benefits and rewards that stand to be derived by industry professionals at every opportunity. These would include: career nights/fairs at the elementary (you can never start them too young), mid school, high school and college/university levels. Remember: “A scream in a vacuum is silence.” Let’s get the word out early and often.

4. Working for a Living – Internships: This is, perhaps, one of the best ways to cultivate our next generation. I have utilized over a dozen outstanding young individuals in the past decade in this capacity; some within the confines of my consultancy, others during my tenure as Marketing Director for CLIA. Without exception, these bright, energetic and eager-to-learn young adults (without realizing it) contributed much to my on-going passion for our industry. They will be among our rising stars of tomorrow.

5. Light Up or Leave Me Alone: Let’s face it – we all have our occasional “bad days.” Here’s a tip: if you find your bad days becoming bad weeks, bad months, etc., you may wish to consider a change of venue. This great industry deserves no less than genuinely engaged, committed Advocates. That and life’s too short to be unhappy.

*“The Once and Future Agent, PhoCusWright’s Travel Agency Distribution Landscape 2009-2013.”

by Jim Smith, CTIE

In 2012, Jim Smith, CTIE celebrates over 40 years as a Travel and Tourism Distribution System Subject Matter Expert (SME). He has enabled travel agents and agencies – along with scores of industry suppliers – to achieve greater results from proprietary sales, marketing and cost efficiency programs. He can be reached at 561-362-3887 or by visiting www.jimsmithctie.com.

Whether you’re a travel agent, an agency owner, a supplier or an accounting guru, we all have to keep up with rapid change. This is especially true of technology. We also have to find easier ways to fix problems that inevitably pop up. Today’s five tips are designed to help with both!

1.  Computer Skills
If you haven’t checked out the MANY tech courses in The Travel Institute’s Communiversity, you’re missing an easy, effective solution. From Microsoft Word to PowerPoint to computer hardware, the answers are right under your nose! Learn on YOUR schedule and watch your productivity soar.

2.  Software Errors and Computer Bugs
It doesn’t matter if you’re on Windows XP, Windows 7 or Mac OSX – bugs happen and computers misbehave. Google to the rescue! When an error message pops up, select (highlight) the text of it and copy and paste it into Google. Chances are very good that your solution will be at the top of the list. If there is an error code number, include that and you’re almost guaranteed to get an answer.

3.  Instant Assistance
Sure Twitter is an awesome marketing tool, but it’s an even better worldwide community of people who can help you out of a problem! I once Tweeted “Need to transfer Word docs from USB stick to iPad with no net connection. Ideas?”  Within an hour I had over 100 replies and solutions.

4.  Know When You’re Being Talked About
For me, the most important feature of Google is “Google Alerts.” Click MORE – EVEN MORE to find it. This incredible tool allows you to enter a search term, such as the name of your business. Then, Google starts to CONSTANTLY search for anything matching. If anyone posts a good or bad review of you six months or years from now on any website, Google will find it and alert you by email.

5.  Keep Up With Changes
This is not so much another tip as another application of Google Alerts. Imagine needing to know when a hotel’s renovations are complete, or when a new version of some software is released, or when an event is announced. All these things and more can be loaded up in a Google Alert. It’s free, it’s easy, it’s “spam free” and one of the easiest ways to stay on top of things.

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by Nolan Burris, Chief Visioneer, Future Proof Travel Solutions

Follow Nolan:
Facebook
Twitter

Meredith Hill, ex-President of Hills of Africa Travel, founded the Global Institute for Travel Entrepreneurs (GIFTE) to empower frustrated and struggling travel consultants by helping them to connect with their passion again, attract ideal clients, and build a business that makes positive difference in people’s lives.

In 2007, faced with a long-standing struggle of not having enough clients in her travel business, Hills of Africa Travel was on the verge of closing its doors. Instead, Meredith used her gift for finding the path to success no matter what the odds. Realizing they had to revolutionize their marketing, she and business partner, Sandy Salle, looked to other industries for direction, and began applying cutting edge, effective marketing techniques for the small business, learning in the process, the importance of passion, mindset and support for entrepreneurs in travel.

Thanks to their determination and efforts, the company doubled its income within the first year. During 3 of the most difficult economic years in travel history, Hills of Africa quadrupled its business and was doubly proud of hitting a milestone in 2010, when they surpassed $1.6 million in sales.

Meredith has a never-ending love for Africa, but her deepest passion lies in empowering travel business owners who want to make a difference. She founded GIFTE after noticing many travel professionals alone, at a standstill, trying to navigate the unchartered waters of an industry experiencing major change. Meredith’s goal is to revolutionize the travel industry by helping people connect with their passion again, adopt a mindset for success, get desperately needed support and build successful travel businesses that change people’s lives. Meredith continues to use her gift to blaze new trails and guide her clients to their paths of success.

Contact Meredith:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredithhill
Email: info@travelbusinessu.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Global-Institute-for-Travel-Entrepreneurs/168837829831636?ref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/meredithhill
 

Pinterest is HOT, Why?  It allows the pinner to pin images of places they dream of visiting, discover places they never thought of traveling to, and connect with others who share the same interests. Think of it as a virtual spa – it’s relaxing, inviting and doesn’t take up your whole day.

Pinterest is a great opportunity not only for the travel professional but also for suppliers. If used properly, suppliers can populate their boards into different segments of their business and thus help travel professionals grow their business using the supplier’s images.

Tip 1: Create two accounts, one for your business and one for your personal life.  At this time, your Pinterest account can only link to your personal Facebook page. So if you wish to link it to your business account, use your Twitter account.

Tip 2:  Set up your profile.  Fill out all the important details and don’t forget to upload your logo.  Focus on the unique value of your business.  Think carefully as you fill in the “about section,” which has recently changed from allowing unlimited information to 200 characters.  Remember to add your website link.

Tip 3:  Practice good etiquette. This is a social network so make sure you are not just self-promoting. For instance, suppliers can share images from tourist boards about their particular destination. In this way, you are not violating Pinterest’s rules. Remember to be authentic, let the real you in your business shine through and always credit your sources.

Tip 4: Create boards that reflect the products you are promoting.  Make the title of your board a fun name, so it will intrigue your audience to want to learn more about you.  Rearrange your boards on your profile page by order of importance. Put your top products right below your profile.

Tip 5: Make the boards cohesive so you don’t confuse your clients. Create boards that piggy-back off of each other. For instance, if you are a cruise specialist for a particular company, create boards on ships, destinations, restaurants on board, activities, and excursions.

Until next time, I will see you on Facebook and Pinterest!

Please rate this post!

Denise Vogel, Social Media Coach, Click of the Mouse 
Website: http://clickofthemouse.net
Email: denise@clickofthemouse.net

The HotTravelJob.com division launched in 2011 providing a place for prospective travel industry employers to post jobs and candidates looking, a place to showcase their resume. Since then they have added video uploading capabilities to post with your resume, a resume writing service to help match you to the perfect job, travel resources galore, including all of The Travel Institute courses and certification programs and a new IPhone app that allows you to view job openings from anywhere.

We have all been hearing about the tough job market for our veterans and military spouses returning to civilian life. HotTravelJobs.com and The Travel Institute are partnering in the effort to help them transition to the travel industry. Many military families have experienced different cultures and are well traveled… a travel career will be a logical place to look as civilians. The Travel Institute is offering special military discounts on all certification and training programs including our Travel Introductory Program (Trip Kit) which is designed for those new to the industry.  Hot TravelJobs.com allows veterans and spouses to post their contact information, resume, work history and desired positions in their data base which can be accessed by potential employers. If you know any returning military families seeking travel career opportunities, send them our way. We will do whatever we can to help them get up and running!

Learn more or contact Patty Noonan, CTC.

Travel Institute members have access to expert webinars hosted by members of our Professional Educators’ Program. We offer 2-3 webinars a month that are always very well received.

Read what our members are saying about our webinars:

“Of the several seminars I’ve taken regarding business development via social media, this by far, was the best and I took away may good ideas. Thank you so much for this one.”

“I so appreciate your webinars!  Thank you for this membership perk.  Keep them coming.”

“I loved having pre-webinar notes to use, the fast pace of session, no fluff stuff-straight usable information. “

“Excellent job on the Facebook webinar. Made this facebook change a piece of cake!”

“Just wanted to stop by and thank you for a wonderful webinar today. Having been involved in marketing, networking, curating, managing social media for myself and others, I have yet to find a travel professional so in tune and spot on to my exact thoughts and actions I implement daily!”

“Thanks so much for the amazing Travel Writing webinar! I’d been playing with the idea for a while with no idea where to start. A million great hints to point me in the right direction! Thanks so much again!”

Check out our lineup of past webinars and presenters:

Successful Internet Marketing by George Oberle

Are You a Closer by Carol Parsons

Travel Safety 101 by Steve Crowhurst, CTC

30 Tips in 30 Minutes by Mike Marchev, CTC

It’s Time You Developed that Niche by Suzanne Slavitter, CTP, CTIE

Selling Villa Vacations by Judy Sweetland

Selling Group Tips by Stuart Cohen

Travel Writing for Travel Agents 101 by Steve Crowhurst, CTC

Capturing the Baby Boomer Market by Doris Gallan

Authentic Marketing by Richard Earls

Multi generational Marketing and the Niche Consumer by Jeff Drew, CTC

Facebook’s New Timeline by Chelle Yarbrough, CTC and Catherine J. Heeg

Prospecting for Group Business via LinkedIn by Cory Andrichuk

Top 10 Marketing Tips by Steve Crowhurst, CTC

Pinterest by Denise Vogel

Using Video for Your Travel Business by Adam Lapsevich

The Travel Institute Presents Educational Seminar at MAST Travel Network Conference

The Travel Institute will be participating in the annual MAST Travel Network conference taking place at the Tremont Plaza Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland, April 26-29. During the conference, Anna Fesmire, CTC, will be presenting a session entitled, Follow The Money. How To Sell Luxury Travel and Get The Money To Follow You.

The sessions will be presented twice during the conference and content will be based on The Travel Institute’s Luxury Travel Specialist course. Participants who enroll in the course will have an opportunity to test and go on to earn the Luxury Travel Specialist designation.

“MAST Travel Network has a strong community of travel professionals as well as a proven and long-standing brand in the industry. The Travel Institute is looking forward to providing attendees with a small sample of what we have to offer. Our Luxury Travel Specialist course is just one of many high-quality, specialist programs that we offer in addition to our certifications and other training courses,” commented Patty Noonan, CTC, director of sales.

Other featured speakers at the event include the following members of The Travel Institute’s Professional Educators’ Program: Sophie Bujold, social media coach, and Mike Marchev, CTC, travel industry trainer.

For more information about MAST Travel Network, visit www.mvptravel.com. If you would like details about The Travel Institute’s training and certifications, please visit www.thetravelinstitute.com.

About MAST Travel Network
MAST Travel Network is the premier travel agency consortium and marketing group in the Midwest with over 165 agency members in eight states and in Canada. For additional information, contact John Werner, CTC, President and COO at 630-889-9817 or email johnw@mvptravel.com.

About The Travel Institute
Established in 1964, The Travel Institute serves as a community of knowledge and insight for all travel professionals. Through innovative education programs, professional certifications and customized learning solutions, The Institute fulfills its non-profit mission to promote a standard of industry knowledge and excellence. For more information about The Travel Institute visit www.thetravelinstitute.com or call 800-542-4282.

 When it comes to determining whether consumers will choose your page as one of their 10 or not, it’s all about first impressions and affinity. In short, unless a consumer has done business with you, they will judge your page on how it looks and what it can offer them.

So, pay attention. Here are the five areas on your page that you need to put some thought into:

1. Profile Image – This little square image inset in your page’s new header is your face across Facebook.  Choose an image that represents you well and identifies you quickly! Agency logos or professional headshots are a good choice for this spot.

2. Cover Photo – This is now the centerpiece of the new Facebook page template and a golden opportunity for you to set the mood for who you are and what you do.  Use photos that inspire people to travel, images that feature your fans, or photos of the team clients can expect to work with.

Also, know that Facebook does not allow the following on cover photos:

• Price or purchase information
• Any type of contact information – website url, email, telephone number, etc.
• Mentions of Facebook features such as “Like”, “Share” or “Comment”
• Calls to action

 3. About Section – This section is important for two reasons: it is the only Facebook- provided spot with information about your business that remains permanently and it’s one of the first pages search engines look at. Make sure you develop descriptions that are more than 2 or 3 lines. Include keywords that tell people (and robots) what you do and how you can help. This will help you get found by the right audience.

4. Timeline – The new Facebook pages are designed to act as a timeline for your business, with the opportunity to highlight important milestones. The goal is the visually tell your story and tell people a bit more about how you became what you are today.

In the status update box (the box where it says “write something”), you can click on “Events, Milestones +” for access to the Milestone feature. Use it to highlight your achievements or awards, major travel milestones or other important dates. You have the option of including photos or videos with your posts – use it!

Hint: It’s also a great feature to use whenever a client sends you praise or photos that you can share.

5. Apps/Views – You may have noticed new boxes next to your “about area”. These are known as Apps or views and are designed to help you customize your page’s experience.

You can use them by connecting third-party services to your page to do things like collect email addresses for your newsletter, build a featured travel offer page, hold contests and more. My favorite app is one called Shortstack, but there are thousands of others to pick from. Some of your favorite providers probably offer Facebook apps too. Ask them about it!

Please rate this tip!

Sophie Bujold is a social media coach who specializes in helping travel professionals achieve online success. She speaks at many events and works individually with travel agencies across North America.  To get more insights from Sophie, visit her website and sign up for her free weekly e-mail tips.