Key takeaways
Promoting your trip is typically a 30+ day process, but Trova has created a calendar with specific activities and plenty of days off.
No one sees everything on social media so save your Stories to Highlights and don’t be afraid of repeating yourself.
Get personal with DMs to followers who have shown interest but still haven’t signed up. A nudge from you can help get them to finally take action.
Answer the questions that really matter to your community by asking directly what’s stopping them from joining the trip, then tailor your promotions accordingly.
Congratulations! You’ve worked hard to make your trip a reality, now it’s time to get it confirmed. Just like with the survey, that means promoting it on your main platform and sharing to secondary channels. We’ve found that a 30+ day promotional window provides the best path to confirmation while avoiding burnout for both you and your audience. That might sound like a lot but don’t worry, we’ve mapped the whole month out for you with simple steps and built in downtime. In this guide we’ll take a week-by-week look at the calendar, complete with real examples and proven techniques from some of the most successful (and creative!) Instagram promotions that we’ve seen.
Download this calendar and follow along! You can also find it on the Promote tab.
Week 1
The 1st week is all about launching your trip. Everything you do leads up to Launch Day and is designed to get your followers as hyped as possible. Eventize the launch by letting your community know exactly when it’s happening, then dropping fun teasers in Stories (and via your Broadcast Channel if applicable) to get them excited for the big reveal. You’ll also want to let them know that, as soon as the trip goes live, a certain number of discounted early bird spots will be available…but won’t last long!
Feel like you’re doing too much? Don’t sweat it. Reach rates can be low once you’re over 10k followers, which means no one sees everything. Asking multiple times is the only way to get most people to take action so save your Stories to Highlights and don’t worry about repeating yourself.
Week 2
In week 2, get more in depth with specifics about your trip and start addressing any worries or objections that might be stopping folks from signing up. Make it a two-way conversation!
After all, your community helped you design the trip and keeping them involved will help them continue to feel heard. They’re most likely concerned about things like accessibility or money, but aren’t quite brave enough to ask unless you give them the opportunity. Wrap up the week with a little urgency, created by talking about limited early bird spots once again.
Week 3
By the 3rd week, your community will be familiar with the details of the trip, so it’s time to engage on a more personal level. The 1st way you’ll do this is by sharing what you yourself are looking forward to seeing or experiencing, and why. The 2nd way is by reaching out via DMs to folks who have expressed interest in some way but haven’t booked. You can spread your private outreach over multiple days, but if someone has DM’d in the past, left a comment, or indicated interest in some other way, a nudge from you can be exactly what’s needed to push them over the finish line.
Use a spreadsheet to keep track of interactions with your community members. It’ll help you stay on top of your leads and make informed decisions about your follow-up strategies. Download a ready-to-use template here!
Week 4
Finish strong in Week 4 with a combo of answers, personal outreach, and destination highlights. Think of this week as a chance to play the hits and get folks primed for what’s next. If you’re holding any workshops or special events, now is a perfect time to emphasize the added value they bring to your trip. For tips on how to do this effectively, check out this article. And finally end the month with an update of remaining spots so everyone is on the same page as you head towards either confirmation, selling out, or filling your waitlist.
Not confirmed yet? Then keep highlighting early bird spots and ask your community what’s holding them back.
Confirmed but not sold out? Keep promoting like you have been and counting down the remaining spots.
Sold out? Congrats! Keep mentioning your trip here and there to ensure a healthy waitlist in case anyone drops out.
And beyond…
Your promotions over the next 30-60 days will look different, depending on your specific needs and the way your audience has been responding. Here are some tips on how to switch things up without losing momentum:
Look at the types of promotional content that have resonated the most. If there’s something your audience seems to prefer, then stick with that going forward and drop whatever isn’t making an impact.
Burnout is real—for you and your audience—so consider decreasing your posting frequency to about once every week or so. The message is already out, now you just need to keep it top of mind.
At a loss for what to do next? Don’t hesitate to reach out to your Trova Rep or just email host@trovatrip.com to talk strategy or kick around ideas. We’re here to help!