Once considered a fad, social media has transformed the way businesses connect with potential clients. For travel advisors specifically, social media provides an opportunity to highlight their expertise, connect with potential clients and show off potential destinations.

However, travel advisors—like many entrepreneurs—are busy people, and social media can be both confusing and time consuming.

Here are some tips from social media experts on how travel advisors can use social media to connect with potential clients. In addition to the tips below, we recommend following and learning from these experts who have fantastic books, podcasts, speeches and other resources essential for entrepreneurs like yourself.  

Determine Your Target Audience 

According to Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of VaynerMedia (“Gary Vee”), "The key to social media success is to know your audience." Travel advisors must determine their target audience and tailor their social media content to their interests. By creating content that resonates with their target audience, travel advisors can build brand awareness and establish credibility. 

Provide Value to Your Audience 

Neil Patel is a social media expert and consults with companies like NBC, General Motors and Viacom. He says, "You can't just push out promotion after promotion and expect to build a following. Instead, you need to create content that provides value to your audience." Travel advisors must provide value to their audience by sharing travel tips, destination guides, and other useful information. This will help to build a relationship with the audience and establish trust. 

Engage with Your Audience 

Social media is a two-way conversation. As social media expert and “Queen of Facebook” Mari Smith says, "Engagement is the key to social media success." Travel advisors can engage with their audience by responding to comments and questions as well as interacting with related communities, pages, groups and profiles.  

Use High-Quality Visuals 

Visual content is crucial when it comes to social media. According to Peg Fitzpatrick, the author of “The Art of Social Media,” "Visuals are the key to social media success." Travel advisors must use high-quality images and videos that display their expertise and the destinations they recommend. This will help to grab their audience's attention and increase engagement. Often, this means investing in equipment and training outside of a quick cell phone selfie.  

Collaborate with Influencers 

Collaborating with influencers can help travel advisors increase their reach and connect with potential clients. According to speaker and consultant Jay Baer, host of “The Social Pros Podcast” "Influencer marketing is the fastest-growing way to acquire customers online." By collaborating with influencers who have a similar target audience, travel advisors can leverage their credibility and reach new potential clients. 

Measure Your Results 

According to Vaynerchuk, "You can't manage what you can't measure." It is essential to measure social media results to determine what is working and what is not. Advisors must use data to track engagement, reach, and conversions. This will help them refine their social media strategy and make improvements to their content. Every social media platform has resources to help track what is working and what can be improved. 

Michael Schottey originally wrote this feature for the 2023 Travel Advisor Magazine.