Effective Customer Communication Methods for Your Travel Brand

The old saying, the customer is always right, has never been more relevant. With so many ways for consumers to interact with businesses these days, brands need to be on top of their game and ensure their customer base is happy with products and services.

This is especially true in the travel industry, where the customer base is so broad. From online customer reviews to social media interactions, travellers are only ever a few clicks from reaching out to a brand. That’s why your business needs should be up to date with the latest customer communication methods to foster a fully-encompassing travel brand experience.

If you’re wondering how to connect with your customers, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll summarise the trending customer communication methods that put the customer at the front and centre of your travel business.

Consumer reviews ✏️

Word of mouth has long been a vital component of brand growth. With so many methods for communicating with each other, consumer reviews hold even more importance in modern-day marketing.

Almost 90% of B2C and B2B brand marketers believe that customer testimonials and case studies are the most effective content marketing tactic. After all, it’s hard to argue against a better endorsement than from people who pay money to use your product or service.

As a travel brand, customer service plays a vital role – especially if you’re a high-street travel agent. That’s why you should always ask for reviews and even examine the possibility of creating extra content like video testimonials to increase engagement and show everyone how much people love booking their holidays with your business.

User-generated content 🤸

User-generated content (UGC) is an ideal method for boosting social media engagement, thanks to its inclusivity. With 79% of people claiming UGC influences their purchase decision, it’s one of the most powerful methods for communicating with customers.

Not only does it allow travellers to express their opinion, but it also makes them feel like they’re part of the brand. That sense of belonging increases customer loyalty and usually results in improved revenue. You will also get a wealth of content from users that enhance your brand.

Self-help guides 📚

Customers are becoming increasingly independent, especially as access to information increases. If they can get a solution to their issues without contacting human support directly, more often than not, that’s just what they will do.

Seventy-five percent of people say speed is an essential factor in customer experience, with self-help solutions saving time. Providing a wealth of online support tools will significantly improve your communication with consumers.

This could include a knowledge centre for how to book holidays or general FAQ guides that answer specific questions about going away. These types of guides are especially helpful during Covid when travel information changes in a heartbeat.

Conversational marketing 💬

Conversational marketing allows interested buyers to get to where they need to be quicker by automating questions based on the customer’s answer. As well as moving customers through the funnel, it also acts as a smart way to pick up data that you’ll collect based on their answers.

By automating questions based on the customer’s answer, conversational marketing allows interested buyers to get to where they need to be quicker. As well as moving customers through the funnel, it also acts as a smart way to pick up data that you’ll collect based on their answers.

You can then use that data to create travel-related content and use more targeted marketing efforts to customers. For example, if you know someone who has shown an interest in winter sun holidays, you can target them with content personalised to beach holidays in the colder months.

Customer service 🛎️

While many consumers are looking for solutions that don’t require customer assistance, it still plays a vital role in communications. This is especially true if you’re a high-street travel brand or have a physical presence, as you’ll need to have watertight customer service interactions for the times when self-help solutions don’t provide the answer.

Social media has become one of the primary platforms for consumer questions to brands, with 66% of customers citing fast response times as a key requirement. Having a team member on hand to answer questions on social media helps create a more personal aspect and lets people know they’re talking to a real person rather than a faceless, corporate brand.

Customer communication stats 📈

Here are some stats that underline just how vital it is to have an effective customer communication service and stay on top of trends.

• Conversational marketing is recognised as a channel for revenue in B2C and B2B marketing.
• Predictions state that consumer personalisation to be the next big marketing trend (29%)
• Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing
• 33% of people still use email to communicate with businesses
• When it comes to chatbots, 86% of people enjoy using them
• 82% of people expect a live chat response within five minutes
• 86% of online shoppers prefer proactive customer support
• 79% of top-performing businesses have been using marketing automation to get leads for three or more years
• People finish conversational forms 3.5 minutes faster on mobile

Communication is key

The customer is king (or queen), and they help drive your business. By staying on top of trends, you can enhance your brand’s customer response and craft a strategy that wins more business while keeping current customers happy.