Free Marketing - Using PR

Most home based travel agents think that they need to spend a lot of money on marketing if they want to get more customers. However, the expression "you have to spend money to make money" isn't always true.

Issuing press releases about your accomplishments or or stories about where you just came back from can be a great way to get your name out there -- and it doesn't have to cost you a dime.

You don't have to be the biggest travel company in the country to have something newsworthy to announce. Even if your travel agency is just you, your computer, and a phone, you're able to make news.

If you join a host agency, your community should know that you've just made a new partnership that will enable you to provide customers better rates and exclusive availability (as any good host agency will have groups you can book into).

Even if you're not doing anything "new," you can still make news. When you have anniversaries as an agent, or if you have a month where you sold more cruises than normal -- that's news.

Once you've written your press release, you can post it to a free wire service like PRWeb.com. Not only do wire services have a large number of subscribers, but they also post your release on their web sites, which then get scoured by search engines like Yahoo! And googol. Finally, send (by mail or by e-mail) copies of your release to the travel editors of your local newspapers.

Remember to finish every press release with "Customers interested in booking their next trip with [you] can do so by calling [your phone number]." Not only can you get a good boost in business for free, but by getting your release on the web, you can get new customers for months or years to come.

Press release should always be written in third-person, like a news article. When you send a press release allays put in the upper left corner "For immediate release" in the upper right corner put two lines 1st "For further information:" 2nd line " you name and phone number"
Skip a couple of lines and put "Press Release" skip a couple more lines and do you press release.