From surveying to launching, you’ve come a long way! Now it’s time to start racking up bookings and reaching the biggest milestone of them all: trip confirmation. You know, the glorious moment when you hit the number of Travelers required for a trip to happen. Getting to confirmation can take anywhere from minutes to months, and for most people that means continuing to promote post-launch. Read on to find out how to avoid cancellation and make your trip a reality!
Key takeaways
After launch, prioritize addressing concerns that are keeping people from booking in addition to generating excitement about the trip.
Continue to remind followers about the early bird discount, counting down the remaining spots until your trip is confirmed.
Stick to the recommended promotion calendar so your audience remembers your trip but doesn’t get burned out hearing about it.
Don’t be afraid to revisit content - or share something fresh - that highlights the itinerary and activities, as portions of your audience may not have seen it yet.
Break through the blockers
Until now, you’ve been getting your followers excited about traveling together by highlighting the destination and activities. Chances are you’ve shared mostly travel inspo, itinerary breakdowns, workshops you’ll be leading, and Q&As about what to expect. You know, the fun stuff! Maybe you’ve touched on serious topics as well, but most trips in the pre-launch phase are focused on the aspirational part of travel.
Now it’s time to widen your scope and address concerns that are keeping Travelers from booking. At this point, those are usually less-glamorous things like concerns about money or questions about Trova being legit (as you well know by now we are! But here is a blog that explains our business model in case your audience is curious).
Whatever the reason, some people may need a little extra TLC to help seal the deal. Whether in DMs, comments, or Stories, give your community the realness they need to go ahead with a big purchase. If your audience isn’t volunteering information on their own, try posting an Instagram Instagram Story with a Q&A or a poll that directly asks why folks are nervous to book. Once you see how they respond, take the time to reach out with solutions via DMs and post a response in Stories as well! Check out how Host Lindsay Mukaddam did it below:
Early bird is the word
Until they’re gone (and your trip is confirmed) don’t let your audience forget that a limited number of discounted spots are available. As they’re booked, countdown the dwindling numbers to create some healthy FOMO. You can tie this money-saving message into any Traveler concerns about cost, and pair it with a reminder of the 6, 12, and 18 month Affirm payment plans*.
💡 Trova Tip: Go the extra mile to help your audience out by giving them specific dollar amounts (rather than a percentage) to help wrap their minds around the savings.
Play the hits
While the post-launch calendar (included below with suggested activities) is great for striking a balance between not promoting enough and seeming way too thirsty, you may find yourself wondering about the content itself. What can you say about the itinerary or trip that you haven’t already said? If that’s you, consider this official permission to revisit some of the great work you’ve already done. The pace and algorithms of social media pretty much guarantee that no one sees (or remembers) everything, so it’s perfectly okay to use content from previous stages if and when it fits the bill. Some things may need to be updated or reframed, but there’s no reason your hard work shouldn’t keep paying off. Here are some tips for talking about your trip in a fresh way:
Go beyond activities and paint a complete picture by talking about exciting transfers (ex: taking a bullet train in Japan) or accommodations (ex: glamping in the Sahara). Sometimes it really is about the journey…
If you’re offering workshops, describe what Travelers will get out of them by participating. Add even more value by sharing details about developing your skills or expertise in the first place.
Don’t stop now
Ready to make traveling the world with your audience a reality? Then grab the link to your Host Profile Page with all the trip info, and keep promoting down the home stretch. You’re so close!
*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.