[Help] Advice & Opinions Needed

[natleinad]

I'm working for an OTA (online travel agency) based in Singapore. We're doing okay but our tour department has been on the downhill. Feeling the squeeze, a few of my colleagues suggested we set aside some budget for offline advertising to reach our offline audience in hope to drive walk-ins and tour inquiries.

They're pushing for:

1. Newspaper Ads
2. Magazine Ads
3. Radio Commercial
4. TV Commercial

Out of the 4, which do you think is the most effective outlet for pushing tour packages if we can only proceed with one?

Or do you think we'll just be wasting money on them?

Would appreciate your opinion and views!

[ecureilx]

I'm working for an OTA (online travel agency) based in Singapore. We're doing okay but our tour department has been on the downhill. Feeling the squeeze, a few of my colleagues suggested we set aside some budget for offline advertising to reach our offline audience in hope to drive walk-ins and tour inquiries.

They're pushing for:

1. Newspaper Ads
2. Magazine Ads
3. Radio Commercial
4. TV Commercial

Out of the 4, which do you think is the most effective outlet for pushing tour packages if we can only proceed with one?

Or do you think we'll just be wasting money on them?

Would appreciate your opinion and views!

All of them ?

If times are bad, shouldn't you hit on all channels ?

[Strong Eagle]

Newspaper ads will be a waste of time. 99 percent of the readership isn't interested in your travel ad, and a large enough ad, towards the front of the paper can be quite expensive. Posting a small 3" x 4" ad in the back of the paper for $100 isn't going to do much for you.

A single ad on radio or TV will do nothing for you. You'll need a package of ads. You probably can't afford it. You need to pay for the ad to be made, then pay or have it aired over and over again until it "sticks" in people's minds.

Your best bet is travel related websites and magazines. If you haven't already done it, learn about Google ad words and get yourself targeted so that your links show up on travel websites. Every ad that is on this Singapore forum is a click through that pays the site money when you click on one, so the travel websites will be happy to see your ad.

Identify travel magazines that are relevant to the majority of your business and post your ads there. Consider posting ads on travel websites as well, over and above the Google clicks, as above.

Get setup on all the social media websites and reference them on your website, and of course, direct FB users, etc, to your website. Identify forums where you can advertise for free, or a small amount of money, where it is permitted, ie, you can't post your services in these forums but you could consider our classifieds section.

One way to get free publicity is to write travel stories. Magazines and websites are always looking for content. You can't get too pushy about your own brand, but you can write stories of trips organized, sites seen, etc, and reference your company.

You might also try a referral setup... inform all your existing/past customers that they get 10 percent off their next trip if they refer someone who buys a trip from you.

[ecureilx]

You might also try a referral setup... inform all your existing/past customers that they get 10 percent off their next trip if they refer someone who buys a trip from you.

OTAs don't make that much $ to give out discounts ...

[Strong Eagle]

You might also try a referral setup... inform all your existing/past customers that they get 10 percent off their next trip if they refer someone who buys a trip from you.

OTAs don't make that much $ to give out discounts ...

Nevertheless, every sale has a cost of advertising built into it. Whether those advertising dollars are spent on TV or discounts is up to the OP... but the discount is clearly a cost of drumming up new business, just like an ad. Would you rather give a $100 off for a confirmed $1000 dollar trip or spend $1000 on ads in the hope you will attract 10 new customers?

[natleinad]

Newspaper ads will be a waste of time. 99 percent of the readership isn't interested in your travel ad, and a large enough ad, towards the front of the paper can be quite expensive. Posting a small 3" x 4" ad in the back of the paper for $100 isn't going to do much for you.

A single ad on radio or TV will do nothing for you. You'll need a package of ads. You probably can't afford it. You need to pay for the ad to be made, then pay or have it aired over and over again until it "sticks" in people's minds.

Your best bet is travel related websites and magazines. If you haven't already done it, learn about Google ad words and get yourself targeted so that your links show up on travel websites. Every ad that is on this Singapore forum is a click through that pays the site money when you click on one, so the travel websites will be happy to see your ad.

Identify travel magazines that are relevant to the majority of your business and post your ads there. Consider posting ads on travel websites as well, over and above the Google clicks, as above.

Get setup on all the social media websites and reference them on your website, and of course, direct FB users, etc, to your website. Identify forums where you can advertise for free, or a small amount of money, where it is permitted, ie, you can't post your services in these forums but you could consider our classifieds section.

One way to get free publicity is to write travel stories. Magazines and websites are always looking for content. You can't get too pushy about your own brand, but you can write stories of trips organized, sites seen, etc, and reference your company.

You might also try a referral setup... inform all your existing/past customers that they get 10 percent off their next trip if they refer someone who buys a trip from you.

Yo StrongEagle. Thank you very much for your indepth opinion and advice. I really appreciate it and will communicate with my colleagues accordingly. Personally, I'm definitely leaning towards the digital channels. However, can't zero out offline audience. We haven't gone as far as using adwords/display for tour packages yet mainly because our outdated site doesn't support online booking and purchases. But yeah i'm familiar with targeting display ads to relevant sites using adwords Just need an okay from higher ups to proceed. Will also consider forum classifieds (didn't think about this one initially) ~ content creation and syndication will be a challenge due to manpower constraints. DUh. I know... something like this would be nice "youtube.com/user/traveldiaries2" but it doesn't seem like they are doing well either -.-

Margins for tour package is too small for a referral program but maybe could work out a special discount for repeat customers but when margin is thin, not sure how attractive we can make it

[natleinad]

OTAs don't make that much $ to give out discounts ...

This is very very true.

[Strong Eagle]

OTAs don't make that much $ to give out discounts ...

This is very very true.

Again, if you are going to spend money to attract new business, then this is just one more way... you have to sort out the economics versus a more traditional advertising program.

[natleinad]

Again, if you are going to spend money to attract new business, then this is just one more way... you have to sort out the economics versus a more traditional advertising program.

Noted. point taken