If you’re a tourism business that does any sort of lead generation from online channels – whether that be Google Ads, private ad sales, directory sites or larger travel booking portals – you no doubt know that it’s a good idea not to put all of your eggs in a single basket.
But if you’re doing well with conversions – that is, a healthy portion of your leads do convert to sales – then I’d like to suggest to you another area you can focus your efforts on: affiliate marketing
What is Affiliate Marketing?
It’s a scary sounding term and often associated with under-the-table marketing practices – but it couldn’t be further from the case. The concept is simple: people refer customers to you, and if they make a booking, you give them a cut. A commission – it’s nothing new or radical, it’s just that online, it is a whole lot easier.
If you want to learn the soup-to-nuts story about how affiliate marketing can help boost the bottom line of your tourism business, then I’d suggest you have a look at Corbett Barr’s latest project, Affiliate Marketing for Beginners. Or as I like to call it, Affiliate Marketing for Dummies – because there is so much course material, and you’re gently walked through everything you need to know.
I’m an affiliate of this product, and I know the course author, Corbett, personally. If you have any problems or worries, I can say with all faith that you will be in very good hands.
Why Tourism Business Should Consider Affiliate Marketing
So, that’s a loaded question – but it has crossed my Inbox more times than I can count, so I’m glad to have a minute to discuss it. Here is the big reason why affiliate marketing is so great:
- Exposure of Your Product to Niche Audiences at Low Cost: With affiliate marketing, you can give publishers and other sites the opportunity to promote your services on a commission basis. That means you only pay for the sales they make. It’s a lot lower risk, and it means you can work with different publishers try experiment without breaking the bank.
Not everyone you’re going to want to work with will be up for an affiliate model. And not all of your products might be suitable for affiliate marketing. But given that it is low cost and low risk – the biggest investment is your time to do a little planning and setup – I think it is a worthwhile adventure.
Corbett’s course spends a lot of time talking about other tips and tricks for taking full advantage of what I call “virtual real estate” - which in my mind, a very good investment. Better than the real world real estate, anyway.
Do Not Buy This Course If…
I have seen people fall face forward on this stuff, so please do not buy Corbett’s course if you:
- Have a Terrible Conversion Rate: If only a smidgeon of a percentage of people who come to your site buy your products or services, do not setup affiliate relationships. This only will make your life worse. You’ll want to read our upcoming eBook, Why Your Website Sucks, instead.
- Have Plans to Promote Other People’s Stuff Over Your Own: I’ve seen tour operator websites plastered with affiliate ads – so many you couldn’t work out what was what. Travel bloggers also have this problem too sometimes. If you make a profit of $500 for every travel itinerary that your travel agency books, then why would promote someone else’s digital travel guide where you make $25 every sale? Do the math before you become an affiliate.
The best affiliate marketers understand that affiliate promotions are part of a bigger scheme – and they only setup and establish affiliate relationships that enhance the bottom line and the products/services offered.
Enroll Today
Unfortunately, I’ve been travelling so I’ve just now had a moment to share with you my thoughts on affiliate marketing. The worry is that the course is only available at a discounted launch price for a limited time – ending today - so if you’re interested at all, time is of the essence. Click here to find out more and decide if Affiliate Marketing for Beginners is right for you.
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