You’re not the only travel agent who cringes at the task of filling out their travel profile. It looks like the form is asking for more information than you know what to give.
Don’t worry, after reading this tutorial, you’ll be asking for more space to connect with your viewers.
Your travel agency or hosting company now provides a travel agent profile page for each agent. This is a great opportunity to insert your self into the company roster and show off your expertise.
Let’s keep it simple and take it one step at a time.
Before Starting Understand
1. Where and how you will be listed
2. Examine where you will be:
Go to travelleader.com and click on “find a Travel Agent”, at the top.
See how others are listed: What do you like? What do you dislike?
Now click on “Travel Specials” and what’s listed, cruises.
Optimizing your profile for Humans
Imagine meeting a stranger on the street, How do you explain your passion and what do you want them to walk away with?
Think about who is going to read your profile and what professional points you want them to walk away with.
- Connect with viewers who wants to fix a problem
- Understand the form fields and how to make the most of them
Profile Image
Viewers will be
Attracted to your smile
and connect with your eyes.
Not your portrait
Remember this is the first place the viewer’s eye will land. It’s a good idea to wear solid colors and have the background out of focus or not sharp.
Men should always show full shoulders, women either way. Women can include dogs or family as long as you still connect with viewers with your eyes.
If you really want your profile photo to stand out have it professionally done or go to your photography store and ask for someone to take a profile photo for you, you’ll be surprised how eager photographers will be to help out.
Introduction Elevator Pitch
The first sentence should connect with the viewers’ problem and include a feel-good solution.
Example: Relax while I create a memorable cruise vacation for your family and friends.
This is the first line of text and should compliment your Specialties and Destinations. So if you include European River Cruises in your title (and Specialties) then include European countries in your destinations.
Full Bio
Keep the content easy on the eyes; keep your paragraphs to 3 sentences or less.
Include “problem and your solutions”.
There is already “a Call to Action” “Contact me” so include some support like Let me show you how to…”
Talk about your best problem-solving experience.
Everyone knows you wrote this piece so don’t talk about yourself in the third person.
Remember the first 3 positions in your Specialties and Destinations are the most important.
Website Display Title
I’ve saved the best for last:
Once you have the bio and teaser text, the information for the title will fall right into place.
Specialties
Some travel company websites offer a place to list your certifications and specialties and sometimes linking them together.
When viewers already have a destination or type of travel in mind your profile will show up on a list in their search. This is a chance to show off your certifications for countries and suppliers. Try not to list more than 5 in each category.
Be specific. As an example, if your passion is river cruises, you, of course, will list river cruises, but nor Europe it’s too general and that search list will be very long. Include your certifications for those countries you want to sell.
If you hone your Specialties and Destinations to cruises (or the specials) you will be chosen in the TravelLeaders search engine. When you use these Specialties and Destinations in your Website Display Title you will connect with your viewers.
Extra Travel Photos
This is a great place to show where you have been and the type of travel you do.
Do not add generic or someone else’s photos. This is where you can shine. Even if they are not the best quality images, viewers are not expecting you to be a travel photographer, they want to know your expertise and familiarization.
Testimonals
Do not make these up. I can’t stress this enough, the last thing you want is being known for making up your own testimonials. I think it would OK to ask a friend who has used you before or your favorite client.
Your Travel Profile or Social Network About Page
Each profile page or social network about page will be a little different and some listing services will have several pages requesting information, and it is important to fill out every field or at least as much as possible.
A note: If you try to be a do everything travel specialist make sure it does not sound generic.
Write about your passion!