It’s January and that means many of your customers are thinking about running away! And if you’re in the business of selling holidays, tours, destinations, accommodation and any other tourism product, you need to help them picture that great escape when they finally do get away. You do this by adding colour and detail to your marketing communications. Whether it’s on your website/blog, in your direct mail/brochures, newsletter or social media, your copy should be building a picture in their minds and setting an irresistible scene.
When people go on holiday and later recount their holiday experience, you notice something about them. They’re animated, engaged and their expressions revert to that satisfied, relaxed look only a great holiday can give you. They picture the holiday and they vividly recall details and it’s these details that bring the experience back to life in their minds.
You need to help your future customers picture their holiday before they even book it.
- Details – whether it’s an ‘aul fella’ in west Kerry who told you about that beautiful secret beach or the taxi driver who gave you the low-down on Dublin’s best coffee, the details tell the story. And in your communications, you can use enriching detail to bring your destinations to life.
- Colour – if, like me you remember black and white TV, you’ll also remember the greyness it added to a story, no matter how good the script was! In your promotional copy, remember to talk about colour because it gives the reader the fuel to fire that imagination. And it’s that imagination that will sell your destination or venue. Think about the red horizon at the end of an Irish summer’s day (come on, there were some…) or the journey that a settling pint of stout goes on as it turns from a creamy brown to a dark ruby red in a matter of minutes.
- Experience – you know your destination, venue or attraction inside-out. Isolate and record those sentiments your happy customers tell you about all the time. Whether it’s the absolute serenity they rave about or the action and adrenalin they’ve enjoyed – you need to build that picture from their experiences for your future customers.
Tourism copy and content can be a real challenge in what is a tough climate. But tapping into the human imagination and ability to picture and recount personal stories gives you an edge on other industries. The next time you’re writing a blog, updating your web content or preparing new concepts for your brochure or DM campaign, keep these points in mind as you help people plan their escapes for 2013.
If you need a little help or inspiration at a good rate, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me, an experienced tourism copywriter or go to www.oconnellcopy.com .
Happy New Year!