Want to upgrade your marketing game to make your existing customers remain loyal? Keep scrolling as we tell you about a secret tool called ‘welcome home emails’.
If you too are like any other travel agent, you too must be working your fingers to the bone figuring out top-notch marketing strategies to grab new customers every time. However, as a rule of thumb, we all know that the only way to measure your agency’s true success is by checking out the number of loyal, returning customers.
But how do we do that? Sure, good service naturally makes customers want to keep coming back. But let’s be honest, is that enough? Now, before we tell you the secret, imagine this. It is one of those days when you are living your best life with your friends, hanging out, and being your authentic selves. But what always tops it off is when one of them tells you to drop a text once you reach home safely. Qualification round of being The Favorite? Cleared!
The takeaway from this would be showing customers that you genuinely care even after they have returned from their vacation. How do we do that? The answer is ‘welcome home emails’ or post-stay emails. Keep scrolling to find out the only guide you will ever need on the what, why, when, and how of ‘welcome home emails’.
What are Welcome Home Emails?
Welcome home emails, or post-stay emails, are basically the emails that are sent by travel agencies or hoteliers to their customers after they have checked out from their hotel. Now because you want the customers to appreciate your efforts instead of finding it annoying, please don’t send a post-stay email immediately.
Welcome home emails are generally sent within a timeframe of three to seven days after the guest has left the hotel. This time frame allows the customer enough time to reach home and settle into the post-vacay life.
Importance of Welcome Home Emails
Sure, welcome-home emails make customers want to keep coming back. But how exactly? Let us find out!
Builds Relationships
A little gratitude goes a long way. When you thank your customer with a genuine ‘thank you’ for choosing your travel agency for their vacation, trust us, they will definitely appreciate it. Welcome home emails can make your customer feel valued and cared for, which naturally helps build a relationship.
This also portrays your travel agency as not just a business but also an organization where you value your customer and how they feel. And this, my friend, in today’s world, is an unequaled treasure.
Helps You Improve Your Services
Let’s be honest, nothing in the world can be flawless, and there is nothing we can do about that fact. But what we can do is work on what we have and try to improve it each day. There would definitely be something that your travel agency or services must be lacking, and only the ones at the receiving end will be able to point that out.
So, don’t be shy and ask away. Offer them to give unfiltered feedback on your services. This will undoubtedly shed light on new things that you might have never really noticed.
Builds a Nostalgic Bond
Another wonder that a welcome home email can do is spark a nostalgic attachment in your customers. Once they have settled into their regular lives, and all the foreign breeze is nothing but a beautiful memory, a post-stay email can tend to make them a little emotional.
This bond with your agency will definitely make them think of your services the next time they plan on packing their bags again.
How to Write a Welcome Home Email?
Now that we know what welcome home emails are and how they can play an essential role in marketing, you must be wondering how to write them. A simple ‘thank you’ note? Maybe. But what else? Read on to find out!
Use a Casual Tone
We want our customers to feel cared about. Using basic thank-you notes can sound cold and fail to hold gravity. Your customers will instantly know that the email is just a formality and doesn’t mean anything. Instead, make sure to use an interactive and casual tone as if you were having a conversation with a friend. Be creative with your sentences and personalize each one of them. You can also mention the future improvements that your customers can be looking forward to while planning out their next trip.
If you are still not sure how to get started with your welcome home emails, you can find tons of post-stay email templates out there that you sure can borrow ideas from. But please make sure to add your personal touch to it. You can also try transmitting your travel agency’s vibe through your email.
For example, suppose your travel agency has a funky colorful webpage. In that case, you can maybe bring that out by using some witty, funny one-liners. You can also think up some catch phrases that will make them instantly think of your travel agency.
Include a Feedback Link
Just like we already mentioned, feedback is significantly important to ensure your business is providing quality services. Welcome home emails offer the perfect opportunity to ask for honest feedback or review. You can include a direct link to your feedback section or can also link your Google page for a quick review.
Another way to get a little more personal and ask your customer for feedback or complaints, if any, is by adding your or one of your staff’s email ID, who is responsible for solving customer grievances. That way, you portray your travel agency as approachable and the customer can now easily reach out to you if faced with any issues. This also helps them feel comfortable thinking of your travel agency whenever there is a query related to an upcoming trip.
A feedback section of your welcome home emails can also help you navigate the portal where your customers will post their reviews. That way, you also have some control over the kinds of reviews you want to go public with.
Offer Them A Promo Code
One of the most effective ways to make your customers come back is through a promo code that they can access in their next booking from your travel agency. You can also use promo codes as a reward system to motivate them to post feedback or review. Once they do so, send them a promo code as a ‘thank you for your feedback’.
Another trick that you could use while offering promo codes is by rewarding your customers when they post and tag your travel agency’s social media account on their vacation pictures.
Link Your Social Media Accounts
Social media is undeniably one of the best ways to stay connected with your customers. However, often social media links tend to go unnoticed. To address this issue, you can motivate them to post their vacation with a unique hashtag, say #vacaywith[youragency’sname]. You can also ask them to tag your agency’s social media account on their posts.
Pro-tip for effective social media marketing – engaged, interactive, consistent, and approachable are the keys that will fetch you the most customers. So, once they do post and tag your agency, please don’t ignore them. Engage in the comment section and, with their permission, also share it on your feed or stories.
Ask Them to Subscribe to Your Newsletter
Another trick to ensure a loyal customer base is through email marketing. So, tell your customers about the exciting offers that they might be missing out on if they don’t subscribe to your newsletter. Once you have them onboard for your newsletter, you can keep sending them periodic reminders, which will help you stay in their minds whenever they think ‘trip’.
Offer Them Your Affiliate Program
Affiliate programs are a great marketing strategy that lets you promote your services without having to put in the extra effort. You can offer your customers a unique coupon code through affiliate programs and ask them to recommend your travel agency anytime someone mentions “trip”. This automatically creates a discount for your customer every time someone uses their code. You can also motivate their ‘affiliates’ to use the code and book from you by providing them with a small discount as well.
Upgrade Your Marketing Strategies
To summarize, welcome-home emails are the most powerful tools for retaining your existing customers. Sure, it requires a little effort, but the results can be highly beneficial. Our guide on welcome-home emails must have given you a clear picture of how this kind of email works and has successfully geared you up to take up a new marketing strategy to help your travel agency become an upcoming hit.
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