For travel, hospitality, or event marketers, re-engaging consumers who have visited your website is crucial for converting interest into bookings and sales. In the digital age, email and text messaging are still the most powerful tools for re-engagement. First, they can be personalized easily and secondly, if you nail it, they can feel more intimate than that remarketing ad you might want to run (oh, and they are far less expensive).
I’m sharing early thoughts from a consumer survey soon to be published that focuses on preferences and behaviors related to travel to hopefully inspire your re-engagement strategy.
Email and text for direct offers
The survey, which included responses from 1,503 individuals, indicates that consumers are receptive to direct communication from brands. When considering travel offers sent via email or text, 42% of respondents trust offers directly from the travel brand the most. This suggests that personalized, direct outreach can be an effective way to re-engage past website visitors. It’s worth noting that offers from travel agencies were only favored by 24% of the audience.
Consumer preferences on booking
Understanding when consumers are likely to book can help you time your re-engagement efforts. For domestic travel, 36% of consumers typically book two-to-four weeks in advance. On the opposite side of the spectrum, only 18% book more than twelve weeks in advance. Factoring in ages, the 25-34 group is most likely to book only two-to-four weeks in advance with 44% claiming this activity.
For international travel, a significant 43% book more than twelve weeks in advance, but ages 25-34 are also the biggest group to book only two-to-four weeks in advance, coming in at only 15%. Tailoring your re-engagement messages to these booking windows can increase the likelihood of conversion.
Research habits and decision influencers
The survey also sheds light on where consumers conduct research when considering travel purchases. A majority of 51% use online travel agencies such as Expedia, Travelocity or a Booking.com, while 39% visit a travel brand’s direct website or app. This highlights the importance of maintaining a strong online presence across both your own platforms and third-party agencies.
When it comes to decision-making, price is a significant factor. For domestic travel, 46% of respondents cite the best prices as their primary influence. For international travel, this figure is even higher at 49%. Marketers should consider highlighting competitive pricing and exclusive deals in their re-engagement campaigns.
Travel blogs or forums were the least likely to influence a decision with only 15% citing them as a resource with travel magazines or websites only being useful to 18% and social media only influencing 22%.
Re-engagement content preferences
Consumers have clear preferences for the type of content they want to receive. For travel-related offers, 47% of respondents are interested in receiving discount codes, and 46% appreciate emails or texts noting price drops on accommodations they’ve previously viewed. Triggered messaging, personalized and informed by such signals, would be a solid investment for driving revenue from your remarketing efforts.
Timing and frequency of communication
While the content of your messages is important, so is the timing and frequency. Additionally, avoid overwhelming consumers with too many messages, which can lead to disengagement. If you know someone has visited your site, learn what they viewed and think of triggering offers in email and text rather than the batch blasts. Use what you know about their history to personalize. You could also offer them opportunities to subscribe to price drops and other incentives to help convert. This is where a performance marketing solution can help orchestrate the right time to make that pitch.
Trust and authenticity
Building trust is essential. With 34% of consumers generally distrusting unsolicited email/text offers, your re-engagement efforts must emphasize authenticity. Use known brand elements and ensure that the offers are relevant to the consumer’s previous interactions with your brand. Remind them of what they saw previously and make a strong value offer.
Take full advantage of email and text
Email and text messaging are potent channels for re-engaging consumers in the travel, hospitality, and event sectors. By leveraging consumer survey data to understand preferences and behaviors, marketers can craft targeted, timely, and personalized re-engagement campaigns that resonate with consumers and drive bookings. Remember to focus on trust, offer value, and use triggers based on consumer signals to ensure your messages are as effective as possible.
Full survey results will be available soon, until then explore our latest ebook,
The Power of Performance Marketing for Travel and Hospitality in 2024.
