Travel copywriting is the difference between a beautiful view and an eye-catching vista, an exciting river and frothing rapids. It is professional copy through the lens of an observant and passionate traveler.
If your company sells travel anything – from destination real estate to internal frame backpacks – you must incorporate travel prose into your company’s website and promotional materials. The vivid brushstrokes of travel copywriting transform the pencil sketch of standard content into a layered oil painting that sets the scene for your business. It propels you miles ahead of your competition. It’s what makes your product or service sell itself.
If you want to connect with your customers and write copy that will facilitate sales, here are a few ideas to kickstart your creativity:
Speak to Your Audience: Effective travel copy is conversational, as if you were speaking with a client on the phone. Help travelers envision themselves seeing, doing or experiencing whatever you offer. Address your readers directly, using the second person you and your. Read your copy out loud before publishing.
Don’t Keyword-Stuff: If you’ve scratched even the surface of SEO blogs or tutorials, you may be tempted to stuff your copy full of keywords and key phrases. Fight that urge and instead, write text that appeals first and foremost to your human audience – your future guests and clients. If you write well and produce enough content, your keywords will appear naturally.
Use Synonyms: Throw standard travel slop out the window, and exchange adjectives like beautiful, stunning, and spectacular for more detailed alternatives. Instead of mentioning an emerald cloud forest, evoke images of epiphyte-drenched branches and the play of light through the liquid diamonds that fall during an afternoon rain shower.
Call to Action: Good copywriting ends with a call to action, and travel copy is no different – you need to tell your readers what to do next. A call to action is not about hard-sell tactics or being pushy. Instead, extend an invitation to call, email, click, book or request further information. Remember, you don’t have to make an immediate sale; you just have to get one step closer to an eventual sale.
Hire a Pro: A professional travel copywriter has the marketing experience and know-how to create text that sells. While the initial cost of hiring a professional can feel like an unnecessary expense (especially if you enjoy writing), the return on investment is high – and often as fast as your first few sales. If you’re interested in professional travel copywriting, feel free to contact me to discuss your needs or to request a rate quote.