As a travel and hospitality brand with a passion for serving your customers, we know you won’t settle for mediocre digital marketing. We understand that acquiring subscribers, delivering timely, personalized offers to on-the- go travelers, and building customer loyalty are at the top of your list.

2. 2
As a travel and hospitality brand with a passion for serving your customers,
we know you won’t settle for mediocre digital marketing. We understand
that acquiring subscribers, delivering timely, personalized offers to on-the-
go travelers, and building customer loyalty are at the top of your list.
The chart on the right shows the assortment of channels and technology
that digital travelers use, showing their penchant for staying connected
and interest in various platforms.
Travel brands must create a seamless information-gathering and booking
experience for their customers, or they run the risk of missing that narrow
window of time when travelers are most ready to convert their tentative
travel plans into a purchase.
In this guide to reaching today’s digital traveler, we’ve compiled five
powerful tips to optimize your digital marketing efforts and connect with
your customers where they spend the most time online. These five tips can
help fuel your customer lifecycle, automate your operations, and improve
your ROI—whether your customers are angling for the best prices on a
weekend in Tahiti or the most inclusive hotel packages for visiting clients.
Accessed the Internet Through the Mobile Phone
Uploaded Pictures of a Holiday on Your Social Network
Updated Your Social Network Status to Keep Friends and Family Updated
Used a Mobile App to Find Attractions or Activities
Downloaded Mobile Apps Specific to a Certain Destination
51%
39%
34%
33%
26%
Technology Used While Traveling According
to Internet Users Worldwide / Jan 2013
Source: TripAdvisor, “Trip Barometer” conducted by StrategyOne, March 6, 2013

3. Reaching Today's DIGITAL TRAVELER 3
Grow Your Subscriber Lists 1
Looking to engage with consumers,
create social buzz around your promotions, and attract repeat customers?
Of course you are! But you may need to broaden your reach by acquiring
more subscribers who have a keen interest in your travel brand’s offerings.
To determine why your brand might be missing out on starting a
conversation with interested and ready-to-purchase travelers, ask yourself
these questions:
• Do you promote digital engagement on your website with high-
visibility email opt-ins, social sharing buttons, and real-time
promotions and updates?
• Are you asking for travelers’ email addresses at the point of
sale?
• How easy is it to find your email opt-in form on your website,
and how quickly can an interested traveler complete it?
• Do you include an email opt-in form with every first purchase?
(You should.)
HOW TO GROW YOUR SUBSCRIBER LISTS
If acquiring more subscribers is a priority for your business, the best place
to start is by analyzing where your consumers are already engaging with
your brand. For example, perhaps your travel agency’s website gets the
most traffic on the webpages that feature family-friendly vacations. Be
sure you have an easy-to-fill out email subscription form on that page—
and let people know that they can expect to receive family-oriented email
communications from you.
Then, determine how to best enhance that customer’s experience and
drive interactive engagement from there.
Here are a few tactics you can add to your subscriber acquisition plan to
fuel opt-ins and list growth for your brand:
• Tell Them Why. Make sure your customers know why they
should give you their information. Are you going to provide
them with budget travel tips? A weekly photo newsletter of
picturesque travel destinations? Tell them, and follow through
with that promise.
• Ask for the Opt-In. Include an email opt-in form as a tab on
your Facebook page.
• Benefit from Wait Times. Promote your email opt-in and SMS
messaging programs wherever customers are waiting (for
example, at the baggage check if you’re an airline, or check-in
if you’re a hotel). Make sure it’s easy to sign up for these lists
via a mobile phone.
• Go Digital with Receipts. If you have a brick-and-mortar store
(like a travel agency office or a cruise ship gift shop), offer to
send in-store receipts to consumers via email.
• Utilize Physical Receipts. Not quite ready for digital receipts?
Then focus on including a digital call-to-action on your in-store
receipts to encourage travelers to become digital subscribers.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Potential travelers are already interested in the promotions, packages, and
services that your company offers. Make it easy for them to subscribe to
your communications, and promote your email list to potential customers
as the top place for valuable promotions and news from your brand.

4. Reaching Today's DIGITAL TRAVELER4
Preferred channel for Travel Alerts
OVERALL 15-17 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65 Plus
Email 43% 40 43 42 44 40 47 40
Text messaging (SMS) on a cell phone 25% 25 34 26 31 26 14 8
Telephone 18% 10 11 20 10 17 27 42
Direct mail (letters, catalogs, postcards, etc.) 3% 7 3 2 4 3 2 2
Facebook 3% 6 5 6 2 4 0 0
Mobile App 2% 4 0 3 4 0 1 0
Twitter 1% 0 2 0 1 1 0 0
LinkedIn 0% 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Source: 2012 Channel Preferences Survey, February 2012 • N = 1,481 US Online Consumers, age 15 and older exacttarget.com/SFF
Of all the message types surveyed in our 2012 Channel Preference Report, travel alerts are where
companies should offer consumers the greatest variety of opt-in options. With consumer preference
distributed across email, telephone, and SMS, brands that offer all three options will stand the greatest
chance of pleasing their customers.
Brands tackling alert communications may also see an interesting phenomenon develop: consumers
who request alerts through multiple channels. Why the duplication? Consumers may not know which
channel will have their attention at the moment an alert posts. As a result, they do something rare in
today’s environment—invite companies to over-communicate. If you find your brand in that situation,
resist the temptation to expand the content beyond the alert the consumer has requested—at least not
without obtaining express permission beforehand.

5. Reaching Today's DIGITAL TRAVELER 5
Deliver Relevant and Timely Messages 2
By nature, travelers are on-the-go types,
so relevancy and timeliness is key when it comes to delivering their
messages. Some customers travel several times a month, while others
may plan one large-scale excursion every few years, so it’s crucial to
interact with them on the right channel at the right time. Provide your
subscribers with valuable information in a timeframe that is consistent and
keeps you top-of-mind, but is never overwhelming.
To avoid overwhelming or irritating your subscribers, ask yourself these
questions:
• Do you generally see a substantial number of unsubscribes
after you send a message to your subscribers?
• Has your deliverability rate been falling?
• Are your social media messages (i.e., tweets and Facebook
status updates) being heard? When you ask an open-ended
question, do fans and followers reply?
HOW TO IMPROVE MESSAGE RELEVANCY AND TIMELINESS
There’s a simple difference between sending targeted promotional
messages and “batch and blast” emails: one is relevant and the other
isn’t. Be sure you are relevant with these tactical tips — this will help you
keep your messaging on track.
• Email Design is Crucial. Evaluate your email design to make
sure it’s appealing and user-friendly. Ensure your primary
message and call to action are easily recognizable within
the email, and use relevant lifestyle and product imagery to
support your message.
• Great Content Wins. Use your messaging to provide such
helpful content to your customers that they’d never consider
unsubscribing. Whatever your niche, let your customers know
that you have your finger on the pulse of travel, and they will,
too ­— if they book with your brand.
• Test to Determine Right Frequency. As all travel brands
know, it’s vital to be the company with the best prices and
the most attractive options at the precise moment when a
customer is debating a purchase. Sending frequent messages
is acceptable if you have something meaningful to say. Work
first on driving relevancy with each message, then test to
determine a send schedule that balances the goals you’re
trying to achieve with the value of each message.
• Alternative Conversion Options. Some travel and hospitality
purchases have especially lengthy buying cycles (like a
honeymoon or other higher-cost vacation). Offer customers
alternative conversion options such as “last chance to book”
alerts, price change alerts, or free flight/room upgrade alerts to
keep them engaged.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Determine how to make your communications relevant, and then start
to integrate data to further refine your messaging. Remember, you don’t
have to tackle all three at once. Just because you know that someone
is interested in booking a cruise for a family of ten doesn’t mean they’re
ready to commit today, so keep your communication valuable and steady
if you want to be the brand they choose.

6. Reaching Today's DIGITAL TRAVELER6
Cross-channel marketing helps you reach
an individual at the perfect time, which is imperative to booking a week-
long vacation or last-minute business trip.
Be better than just relevant—be personal. Consider these questions and
how they relate to your personalized customer interactions:
• Does your social media manager have regular, personal
interactions with your social media fans and followers?
• Does each person who asks a question on social media or via
email receive a personalized reply? (What about those who
have a complaint, like a delayed flight or a cruise canceled due
to weather?)
• Are you constantly collecting new data about your customers?
HOW TO GET PERSONAL WITH INTERACTIONS
Capture as much personal information as you can about each person who
engages with your brand. Store that data in a centralized hub so that all
of your communication is perfectly suited to the traveler’s future plans.
Personalize Your Interactions
25% of people unsubscribe from
permission based emails because the
content hasn't been relevant to
them from the start.*
3
Modern marketing software allows you to get personal, so take advantage
of it with these strategies for increased personalization.
• Preference Center Support. In your welcome email, link to a
preference center where you can invite customers to tell you
about their interests.
• Use Simple Data First. Use simple data points like purchase
history, home base, and desired travel destinations to deliver
personalized content for your customers and an improved
experience.
• Target With Relevant Content. Consider a traveler who’s
been researching flights from Los Angeles to Hong Kong. The
traveler receives an email from one airline with a subject line
advertising a limited-time discount on tickets from Los Angeles
to Hong Kong. He also receives an email from another airline
that merely promotes special rates on all flights. Which email
do you think is more likely to be opened?
• Focus on the Second Layer of Data. Drill down into your
data points even further. Does this customer normally visit your
resort’s special discounts page, or do they usually flip through
the romantic getaways page? This data can help you decide
whether you should promote your discount codes or couples’
spa amenities to them.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Every piece of data you collect creates a more customer-centric message and
makes content extremely compelling. Digital travelers are being bombarded
with marketing, retargeting, and cross-channel campaigns, so get noticed as
the travel brand who remembers and respects their personal preferences.
*ExactTarget's SUBSCRIBERS, FANS, & FOLLOWERS: The Social Break Up

7. Reaching Today's DIGITAL TRAVELER 7
Automate the Travel Customer Lifecycle 4
Reaching the digital traveler-
a person who’s already multitasking and on-the-go—takes thought and
time. In the marketing world today, both are limited resources. You simply
can’t afford to think about where each individual stands in the sales funnel.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, imagine bringing effective messaging
to travelers at every stage in the customer lifecycle and supporting them
along the way.
Are you taking advantage of these opportunities to keep in touch with your
travelers? Ask yourself:
• Do travelers receive automated communications according to
their travel preferences at every stage of their buying cycle?
• Wouldaprospectivecustomerreceiveanyretargetedmessages
from you about the hotel packages or travel destinations they
were browsing, or would your brand fall off their radar screen
when they leave your site?
• Do you have a shopping cart abandonment strategy? (Follow-
up question: Is this strategy effective?)
HOW TO SIMPLIFY AND AUTOMATE YOUR DIGITAL MARKETING
It’s possible for you to reach your customers effectively while saving
time and resources by automating your personalized communications
to each customer. Welcome emails, booking confirmations, cart
abandonment programs, pre- and post-travel notifications, and cross-sell/
upsell opportunities can each be automated to your customers' unique
engagements with your company.
For example, you can provide a relevant packing list prior to a customer’s
trip or a weather forecast of their destination—without even thinking about it.
Spend less time planning and more time optimizing your automation strategy
with these easy-to-implement automation plans.
• Automate Special Offers. Automate promotions by sending
anniversary coupons to your subscribers or promoting seasonal
specials.
• Send Travel Confirmations Automatically. Send text and
email confirmations to acknowledge booking reservations, trip
updates, or cancelations.
• Add Your Upsells. Keep your customers aware of any trip-
related offers like upsells or cross-sells through live offers that
end with the promotion's expiration (or when inventory runs
out).
• Send Reminders About Incomplete Purchases. Encourage
visitors to complete their purchases for sightseeing attractions
or car rentals through automated cart-abandonment programs
driven by your web analytics data.
• Create Automatic Loyalty Program Notices. Keep in
touch and build stronger relationships with your customers
by automating email or SMS notices that inform them of their
loyalty program point accruals.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Interact with your customers at every stage in the purchase lifecycle by
automating your digital marketing processes. Frequent travelers and dream
vacation planners alike need to be nurtured along the road to an eventual
booking, so take the micro-level thought out of your communication plans
and automate your way to better conversions and more engaged digital
travelers.

8. Reaching Today's DIGITAL TRAVELER8
Increase Customer Loyalty5
Frequent fliers are a buzzword
in the travel industry—with good reason. Travel customers are one of the
best audiences to retain as loyal customers! That's because they’re highly
likely to re-book with your brand if they loved you the first time, thanks to
the larger investment of a car rental or hotel booking versus a smaller-
ticket item.
Evaluate your current customer loyalty status with these questions:
• Are you currently rewarding return customers with airline points,
free hotel stays, or another perk relevant to your industry?
• If so, are you giving away these perks often? (If not, it’s an
indicator that your customer loyalty is declining.)
• Do social media comments often start with, “I’m a longtime fan/
customer of [your brand name here]…”?
HOW TO TAP INTO CUSTOMER LOYALTY
With travel customers, building loyalty is an especially useful tactic to
increase word-of-mouth sales. After all, who goes on an exciting trip and
doesn’t tell anyone about it? Nobody.
Make sure you receive and reward digital traveler loyalty. Here are a few
approaches:
• Be Quick to Communicate. Pay attention to everyone who
interacts with your brand on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, and
other social platforms. Reply to them, acknowledge them (by
“favoriting” their tweets, “liking” their posts, and so on), and
always thank them for their business.
• Get Data Involved. Assess customer loyalty and interactions
with your brand via a real-time reporting tool, such as
ExactTarget’s Interactive Marketing Hub®
. Use this data to
decide whether you need to make your loyalty program a bigger
part of your messaging or if you’re on the right track.
• Have Friendly Offers Ready. Use your staff and brand to
create friendly customer service experiences in-store or online.
Translate that value through welcome emails, discounted cross-
sell offers, or social media outlets.
• Stay Prominent on Every Channel. The more visible you
are to your customer, the more loyal they’ll be. Engage with
digital travelers by providing a Facebook coupon, loyalty reward
point updates via SMS, and keep a relevant, steady stream of
content in their inboxes.
• Become a Trusted Resource. Use social media to comment
on popular travel and hospitality topics that your customers
are talking about, making your brand a content resource they’ll
return to regularly.
THE BOTTOM LINE
If a traveler is happy with your brand’s loyalty program and overall customer
service experience, they’ll also be happy to share information with family
and friends about the great time they had using your service while away
from home. Incentivize this desire to share with a loyalty program that
simplifies sharing and saving.

9. Reaching Today's DIGITAL TRAVELER 9
Reaching the Digital Traveler: Success Story
ExactTarget works with 200+ travel and hospitality clients to produce the top digital marketing solutions for brands in the industry. Check out
a success story from a client who used ExactTarget to sail through common marketing challenges using our streamlined and sophisticated
marketing software.
Celebrity Cruises Automates Interactions with ExactTarget and Adobe SiteCatalyst
Working with marketing technology consulting company
Acceleration, Celebrity Cruises identified many ways to refine
its customer communications—and drive higher revenue for the
company at the same time.
The booking funnel within celebritycruises.com allows visitors to
put reservations on a 72-hour hold before expiring. Using Adobe
SiteCatalyst, they monitored website behavior and saw that many
visitors who were placing the cruise deals on the 72-hour hold
weren’t returning to book the cruise.
With the ExactTarget and Adobe SiteCatalyst integration, Celebrity
now operates a sophisticated remarketing program to draw
visitors back before their 72-hour hold expires. Celebrity has
seen great success with its acquisition and upsell remarketing
programs, including an 18-20% rise in conversion rate of “on hold”
cruises to bookings and a 21% average click-through rate over a
six-month period.
“After performing a detailed evaluation and receiving stellar
references, it was a clear decision to utilize the combination
of Acceleration service, ExactTarget, and Adobe SiteCatalyst
technology to provide the best solution for maximizing the return on
our digital marketing investment,” says Brian Powell, Associate Vice
President, Direct & Loyalty Marketing at Celebrity Cruises.
It was a clear decision to utilize
the combination of Acceleration,
ExactTarget, and Adobe SiteCatalyst
to provide the best solution for
maximizing the return on our
digital marketing investment.

10. Visit exacttarget.com to learn more.