The key to filling your trip? Be creative, consistent, and community-focused. Inviting people to travel the world with you is kinda a big deal, so don’t be shy in sharing your excitement and put in some *Rihanna voice* work, work, work, work, work, work to paint a vivid picture of everything they will get from joining you on this incredible experience.
The best way to do this? Good ‘ole fashioned trip promotion. In this day and age, there is so much awesome - and free - technology at our fingertips, that not using it to simplify and/or enhance our human efforts just seems silly. So we’ve put together a list of the best free tools out there to help you promote your trip. And no, we’re not affiliates earning $ for clicks (not that there's anything wrong with that, we just want to keep this unbiased), these are just the tried and true solutions that have worked for our Hosts in selling spots on their trips.
That reminds us, we’re gonna let you in on a little secret…selling isn’t something you need to be afraid of. For a lot of us, it can feel unnatural—no one wants to come across like a used car salesperson. But the key to promoting successfully and authentically is in knowing you’re providing an opportunity that your community will really enjoy and benefit from. So when we say "selling" what we really mean is engaging and providing genuine answers to questions and comments from the people in your community!
There’s no need to give people the ick by going all “Boss Babe”; instead, focus on fostering the relationships and trust you already have within your audience. After all, you’re inviting people to travel the world with you, not buy into an energy drink pyramid scheme!
Key takeaways
Create engaging content to promote your trip using royalty-free images and videos.
Ensure your content is cohesive and on brand by using free and easy design tools like Canva.
Use in-app features to learn more about your audience and address the FUDs (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubts) that keep them from booking.
Create and stick to a promotion plan by using a free social media scheduler like Later.
Stay organized and on top of things by managing your leads in Google Sheets.
Turn to Trova for trip promotion brainstorms and resources—that's why we're here!
Get creative with online libraries of free content
Think back to the last trip you booked that made you say, “Hell yes! 💳”
What got you to book? We’re willing to bet it was a mix of things including the destination, activities, people you’d be spending time with, and probably some stunning photos that made you daydream you were there already.
Well, now that you’ve selected an itinerary and travel dates, it’s time to help your community envision themselves there. If you haven’t been to a destination before—or if the content you have doesn’t fully fit your promotion vision—check out these sites for free content you can drop into Instagram, email, or wherever to promote your trip:
Something else that will elevate your promotions? Popping your content into a branded and cohesive template from Canva. Beyond building beautiful content, Canva is super easy to use—no design skills necessary!
Stay consistent with Trova's promotional calendar guide
Remember, social media algorithms can be tricky. On average, only about 7.6% of your followers will see your content. This means you need to promote your content more often than you might think to reach potential Travelers in your audience. For inspiration on how frequently to promote, check out our promotion calendar:
Use social media schedulers to plan your promotions like appointments
Just like you would schedule your appointments, plan out your promotions and hold yourself accountable. Staying organized will help ensure you don’t miss out on opportunities to connect with your audience.
“But Trova, I’m busy. And sometimes I need a break from social media.” Totally get it, and honestly, same. It just means we’re human. Luckily, there are tools like Later which offer a content calendar and scheduler that posts pre-planned content for you.
If you’re more Type A and like to have a little more control, there’s no need to worry—you can just plan your posts in Later and have them pushed to your phone for a manual publish. Or, use Google Calendar to set an event reminding you to post at specific times/dates.
Whether you decide to go the scheduled content route, or hit the “post” button yourself, it’s essential you set time aside to actually engage and talk to the people who make up your community. This means asking questions and providing answers and resources. Speaking of…
Utilize in-app features to build connections
Maximize the use of in-app features to really engage with your audience, prompting them to share what’s holding them back from booking. Once you know their fears, uncertainties, or doubts (FUD as we like to call it in the Marketing world), you can then open up a dialogue to address those concerns and move them closer to booking.
Instagram features such as Polls, Q&A sessions, and direct messages (DMs) allow you to listen to and communicate directly with your audience, fostering a deeper connection and understanding of their needs.
Check out how we respond to the folks who shared that money was their main blocker in this poll example: 👤 Potential Traveler: “I’d love to go, but can’t afford it.” |
💬 You (Host): “Totally get it! Travel is a big investment, but in my opinion, it’s totally worthwhile. Plus, Trova offers 2 different routes for flexible payments! If you want to pay out of pocket, only 25% of the total payment is needed at the time of booking, and the rest isn’t due until ~3 months before the trip! However, you're welcome to pay in multiple installments between time of booking and leading up to the trip. Just log in to your TrovaTrip portal and make a payment of at least $200 USD each time.
Or! If you prefer an option to pay over a longer span of time, Trova offers plans with Affirm which range anywhere from 6-18 months so you can continue to make payments even after the trip is over. This is a travel rarity but it makes it so much more accessible! You can learn more about applying for this option here: trovatrip.com/about/pay-over-time
Let me know if you have any questions about how those options might work!” |
💡Trova Tip: Feel free to take the above messaging and use it! Don’t be afraid to make it your own.
We strongly recommend you respond to each person in a DM to facilitate a face-to-face…err, screen-to-screen, discussion. This will show you care about them as an individual, and will go a long way in building a trusting relationship that encourages them to book with you!
And since you’ve already drafted up that helpful response, go ahead and post it as a follow up story to address the masses.
Use Google Sheets or Excel to track interactions and engagements
While a solid and consistent promotion strategy is important to keep your trip top-of-mind for potential Travelers, it’s—dare we say—even more important to get personal and talk to your community members 1:1, providing them with everything they need to feel confident booking their spot.
Use Google Sheets to keep track of interactions and engagements from your community members. This will help you be able to track your leads and make informed decisions about your follow-up strategies.
Create a log where you can add their name, handle, questions, their dog’s name, etc. then set a date for when you plan to follow up with them. Following up about 1-2 weeks after a chat is usually a good amount of time that will keep your trip on their mind, without feeling pushy. Here’s a simple template you can use to get started. (Just hit “File” > “Make a copy” in the upper left corner).
Now say you followed up and get the “Seen” status underneath your last message with no response. Not the dreaded left on read! Thankfully, this isn’t a dating app and there are subtle ways to re-engage without seeming thirsty. Check out that person’s profile and see if there are any new posts you can comment on, or any stories up that you can drop a response to.
No need to be super direct or even inquire about the trip. Just drop a simple, human response to whatever it is they may have posted. We live in a busy world, and a notification popping up with your name might be enough to trigger an “Oh sh*t! I forgot to respond” thought in their head.
Turn to Trova for support
Last but certainly not least, if you’ve been feeling stumped and could use some new ideas, browse through our Host Support Center. We have tons of articles and links to additional resources for every part of the process. We’re always adding new tips and tricks there as well, to help make sure every Host on our platform has the tools for success.
Put that promotional toolkit to work
Remember, successful selling is all about being creative, consistent, and community-focused. You’ve already built a strong, engaged community that trusts you and values what you have to offer. Now it’s time to engage and take those friendships to real life.
*Affirm's Universal Disclosure: Your rate will be 10–30% APR based on credit, and is subject to an eligibility check. Payment options through Affirm are provided by these lending partners: affirm.com/lenders. Options depend on your purchase amount, and a down payment may be required.