They say “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
In the fast-paced world of travel, this couldn't be more true. A great first impression can help create a customer who remains loyal to your travel agency for life, and a bad first impression can mean they never reach out again.
Before we dive into how to craft your welcome email, let's make sure we're on the same page.
What, exactly, is a welcome email? It's a term that can mean different things depending on who you talk to.
Sometimes it's used to describe the email you send to someone who wants to set up a consultation. Or the email that you send once someone has decided to book their trip.
What I'm talking about isn't either of those, because normally those interactions occur after someone has already become virtually acquainted with your travel agency. They may have visited your website a few times, or another client may have referred them to you.
The welcome email I'm talking about is the first welcome message you send to a new subscriber when they join your email list.
Think of it as the virtual version of the smile and “How can I help you?” that you would greet a new customer with if they walked into a brick-and-mortar travel agency.
It can be a stand-alone email, or the first in a welcome email series that they get before dropping in to your main email list.
Now that we're on the same page, let's explore how to craft the perfect travel agency welcome email. One that shows your new email subscribers what sets you apart in the travel industry and why they would want to work with you.
The value of a great travel agency welcome email
Your welcome email is more than just the start of your travel email marketing. It's the beginning of a relationship between your travel agency and your new subscriber.
It's your chance to say “Welcome, I'm thrilled to have you here!” and is the first touchpoint in your email marketing strategy. It's where you introduce your brand personality and starts building a connection that goes beyond just dropping into their inbox one time.
The welcome email should be the first of many emails that you send to potential customers and travelers, keeping your travel business top of mind when they're ready to book their next vacation.
This initial interaction with your subscribers sets the tone for all your future travel email marketing. This welcome email should let them know what they can expect and how often they can expect it.
Will they receive a travel agency email with insider tips once a month, or do you send inspiring travel content in a weekly travel newsletter? Let them know!
When you tell them that you'll show up in their inbox regularly and then you actually do it, you also build trust. Trust in your brand, in your reliability, and in your ability to commit and follow through.
Email marketing is a long-term commitment, and it takes time to see results. And inconsistent email marketing can hurt you. A lot.
I'm on the email list for a pro who provides services to travel advisors. She used to email regularly, and I've seriously considered using her services. But in the last 18 months or so, she's stopped emailing.
While I didn't open every email, I did open a good number. Because they arrived in my email inbox on a regular basis, I noticed when they stopped. She's not active on social media, and hasn't put anything new up on her website either.
Is she still in business? I have no idea. I'm not going to reach out and ask, but there's no way I'll be setting up a consultation call and using her services now. Failing to commit to regular email marketing has cost her a potential client and lost her several thousand dollars in revenue.
Pro tip: When you commit to sending travel emails to your list, make sure you're ready to really commit. Decide on a frequency that works for you, whether that's once a week or once a month, and use an email marketing software or marketing automation service like ConvertKit to help you maintain your frequency.
Writing your travel agency welcome email
Let's start writing a welcome email that will resonate with your audience.
Here are the must-haves: An engaging subject line, a personalized salutation, content that connects, and a clear call to action.
If you also include some sort of visual, like a photo or GIF, it needs to be high-quality and make sense for both the welcome email and your overall brand.
Engaging subject lines
The subject line is the only thing your reader sees in their inbox, so you want to make sure it's good! A subject line needs to stand out, but click-bait subject lines should be avoided.
After you write your subject line, send a test email to yourself. Does it stand out in your inbox? If not, go back and give it another go.
Personalized salutations
You should include a salutation in your welcome email, unless it's completely to your brand personality. But it doesn't need to be “Dear Mr. So-and-So."
Think of how you'd address an email to someone you know. Would you write “Dear,” or are you more likely to start with “Hi” or “Hello”?
The important thing is to write it like you would write a personalized email to one person you know. When people are reading their email, they're not reading it as a group, so never, ever start with addressing a group!
No “Hi all” or “Good morning readers!”. One person, and include their name. You can do that easily with a email service provider, which has a field where the first name will drop in automatically when it is sent.
Content that connects
The main content of your email comes next. Again, write it like you'd write to one person you know. Would you be casual? Funny? Witty? Good emails reflect your brand personality.
Be true to yourself, and write the way you talk. When that new email subscriber becomes a new client and schedules a phone consultation, you don't want them to be surprised because your email content sounds nothing like how you talk.
Read your content out loud, and if it sounds stilted coming out, rewrite it the way you would actually say it.
This is where you also tell your new subscriber what they can expect to receive and how often they can expect to receive it. Will they get insider tips on various travel destinations, an exclusive offer each month, or something else?
Tell them, and then follow through.
Include a clear call to action
Every welcome email (and every email marketing campaign you send, for that matter) should guide subscribers to the next step in their journey with your agency.
Whether it's checking out your latest travel blog post, exploring detailed itineraries on your website, or connecting with you on social media, tell your new subscriber exactly what you want them to do.
Use buttons or links that stand out and language that encourages immediate action. Link to related posts on your blog or a specific landing page on your website, like your FAQ page where you provide additional information about next steps, customer support, and other topics you are frequently asked about.
Remember, the welcome email is just the first touchpoint. The aim is to keep their journey with your travel agency going.
Your travel agency welcome email blueprint
If you use an email service provider like ConvertKit, the first thing to do is choose an email template.
Your welcome email template should be consistent in its look and feel to what a subscriber will normally receive, so if you don't want to be updating graphics and formatting complex headers every time you send an email, go with a simple, text-based email template.
Once you choose your template, it's time to start building your email.
If you're not sure where to start, follow this outline:
Greeting: Start with a personal touch, and address your new subscriber by name.
Introduction and value proposition: Who you are, what you do, who you do it for, and why your agency is unique.
What to expect: How often you send emails and what they can expect to receive
Next step: A clear and compelling call to action, like following you on social media or checking out a specific blog post or page on your website.
Email signature: Most email automation services are a bit lacking in the signature formatting, so you can either type in your information or create a graphic that you drop into the end of each email.
Legally required info: Make sure you include the things that are required by law, including an unsubscribe button and a physical address for your business.
Now that you've created your first welcome email, load it into ConvertKit and start building your email list!
The bottom line
The email design or template you use and the exact content of your travel agent welcome email are up to you. Give your new subscribers a warm welcome, let them know what they can expect to receive and how often they'll hear from you, and then follow through.
Your welcome email can be a single email, or it can be part of a welcome email campaign. It all depends on what works for you and fits your travel agency brand.
Looking for a welcome email example or want to see a welcome series in action? Click here and I'll send you mine.