When it comes to travel agents, Mark Twain's famous quote is particularly appropriate: "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated." While many have written off travel agents since so many people plan their own trips online, Laurie Landers is a great example of how savvy travel agents can use the Internet in general and social media in particular to be relevant, valuable, and successful.
Patrick Galvin (PG): How would you describe your job?
Laurie Landers (LL): I’m a travel agent with an online company (Cruisingco.com and its division MouseEarVacations.com). I help people plan and book their dream vacations. My services don’t cost clients anything.
PG: Then, how are you paid?
LL: When the travel industry began, people had to book through a travel agency to which suppliers (airlines, hotels, cruise ship companies, etc.) would pay commissions. Although the commission percentages have decreased, this practice still exists. In other words, no matter how travel is booked there is usually a small amount set aside for a travel agent. If you call the Marriott and book directly, for example, you’ll pay the same price that you would get through me—but in this case the Marriott keeps the commission.
PG: Do you work full or part time?
LL: I work full time plus - about 60 hours a week.
PG: Have you been in the travel industry a long time?
I have been with my current company for one-and-a-half years. I used to work for Southwest Airlines but left to start a family and become a stay at home mom. When my kids got older and went to school, I returned to the travel business.
I’ve always loved to travel. I received a BA in International Business with a minor in Japanese from Linfield College. I was lucky to have had the chance to live and travel in Japan for about six months. Also, when I was in college, I would organize spring break vacations for fellow classmates and really enjoyed putting these trips together.
PG: Why do people use your services instead of booking directly through travel websites?
LL: Many people are overwhelmed with choices when trying to plan their vacations online. They choose me to help narrow down the possibilities based on their likes, dislikes, and financial resources. In other words, I’m a personal travel shopper. Instead of feeling overwhelmed and confused, my clients feel confident and relaxed when they depart knowing that I’ve gotten them the best possible deal and taken care of all the details.
PG: When did you start using social media?
LL: I was slow to embrace social media. I started using it for business purposes in March 2011 but now I’m hooked.
PG: How is social media important to your business?
LL: I mainly use Facebook and Twitter to post vacation promotions or other items that I feel my clients and prospects would find interesting. It’s amazing how many people see these posts and forward them to friends or co-workers. Although I have just 189 Facebook “likes” and a handful of Twitter followers, I receive reports showing that nearly 700 unique visitors are checking me out through social media every month and many have booked trips with me.
I keep trying new things in social media as well. For example, I’ve just started using LinkedIn to connect with my clients. I’m also on Google+ - actually I was a beta tester before it launched publicly. I can imagine that someday it might be more important than Facebook given its cool features and the popularity of Google. I haven’t yet started blogging. But I write articles for our company and these are published regularly in the weekly newsletter that we send to clients. I’m also active on several online Disney forums which helps people get to know me while increasing awareness of my travel expertise.
PG: Which social media platform is most useful for growing your business?
LL: So far, I’ve found Facebook to be the most useful. I like how it allows me to “talk” to my audience through short conversations that generate interaction and awareness. I appreciate how Facebook posts are easy to share with others. Also, I like how simple Facebook makes it to share links. When I find articles my clients will enjoy, I use Facebook to share them quickly and easily. And, last but certainly not least, since more users are on Facebook than any other platform, that’s where I spend the bulk of my social media time.
PG: How does social media give you a competitive edge?
LL: It helps me deepen connections with clients and prospects. Through social media, I’m able to boost my visibility and credibility as a travel agent since I use it to share interesting travel information and respond quickly to clients. Also, friends and clients recommend my social media sites to people they know creating a continuous stream of qualified new prospects.
PG: What advice would you give to peers in the travel industry on whether or not they should use social media?
LL: If they’re willing to commit to social media, it can be extremely useful. But they have to stay current with what’s happening, such as supplier promotions, and know what they want to sell and promote. There are too many travel agents who have experimented with social media and haven’t been able to keep up. Then, when their social media efforts fail to generate business, they give up. It certainly takes time to have a strong social media presence but the results I’ve gotten have convinced me that it’s time well spent, and I’m sure that other travel agents could enjoy similar good results.
