Customer story with Beatriz Cardozo

Building and promoting a travel agency requires passion, consistency, and a great marketing strategy. CIS World Travel possesses all of these traits. 

PosterMyWall spoke to Beatriz Cardozo, a Venezuelan travel agent and owner of CIS World Travel, about her online business, her promotional strategies, and how she uses PosterMyWall to elevate her marketing. 

Hi, Beatriz. Let’s start by talking about your business. How did CIS World Travel come about?

I started CIS World Travel in August 2020 because I always wanted to have my own travel agency. When I was little, I traveled a lot with my family and I loved it. My oldest sister was a travel agent when I was young, and I looked up to her and admired her adventures. That’s the main reason I joined the travel agency business. 

So basically, that’s all. I love to travel, and I wanted my own business. So I went ahead and started one. 

1. Establish a unique selling point

And what’s the most unique thing about your business? 

My travel agency is 100% remote. Back when I started, being a remote business was a need because of the pandemic and all the lockdowns. But over time, I realized that this was very convenient for both myself and my clients. Most other travel agencies are in-person, and require a lot of meetings. The fact that CIS World Travel is online helps a lot of those customers who prefer to get everything done from their own homes without having it interfere with their regular schedules. 

2. Maintain an active online presence

Let’s move on to your marketing strategies. What methods of promotion do you use?

Since my business is online, I mostly focus on online promotion.  

I have Facebook and Instagram accounts that I post on regularly. I create a lot of different travel packages that appeal to different audiences and have a new one ready to go out each week. For example, I’ll set up a special cruise package to promote one week, and have a Europe-based travel package ready for the next week. This way, I have something to offer to everyone. 

I also make sure to send weekly emails with my travel packages. Every customer who has subscribed to my email campaign receives the weekly travel package before I post it on my social media pages. If someone sends me a private message or visits my site, I collect their email address by asking them to fill a short form and send all key information to them through email. 

3. Offer fun and exciting deals

How do you create these packages? 

I like to keep in touch with what people are most interested in, and make sure my offers represent that. So, for example, I’ll try to cater to families by creating a family package – for two adults and two kids – for a Disney World tour.  For some of my more adventurous followers, I’ll set up a bike tour or a long hike. All of these packages are customized to meet the customers’ needs. 

And, of course, I use PosterMyWall to design my posters and make them attractive. 

4. Make your content pop with fun colors, sounds, and images 

What sort of design elements are important to you when creating these posters and flyers? What catches a customer’s eye?

I mainly focus on three elements: imagery, colors, and fonts. 

I always use pictures in my designs. I believe that an attractive image is what catches a customer’s eye. I use a lot of travel-based visuals to make my posters more appealing, and I mostly use the stock images available on PosterMyWall, because there are always a lot of great options. 

For a cruise or an island tour, I’ll use an image of a tropical island. For a tour to Europe, the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben are some great tourist attractions that look fabulous on a travel poster. 

With color, I don’t have a specific palette that I use every time. I like changing things up according to the kind of poster I’m making. It just has to be bright, vibrant, and match the theme of the place I’m advertising. 

I also use a variety of fonts. It’s never the same. I often use more than one font in one poster, to prevent a customer from losing attention while reading one thing. 

I believe that there’s no one specific way to create an eye-catching travel poster. Every design element is subject to change based on what I’m offering. 

Is there anything you like to keep consistent in your design?

The only consistent thing in all of my designs is my logo. And even then, I always change up the placement according to where it fits well on the poster. I always make sure that it’s visible.

5. Add variety to your content to keep your audience engaged

Are there any other strategies you use to engage your audience, aside from just your packages?

Yes, actually. I keep my Instagram feed engaging and exciting by adding a variety  of filler posts. Instagram has been the most useful in bringing in customers and inquiries, so I keep it active. 

If I’m not posting a travel package, I often add stunning visuals to my feed — a picture of the ocean, a poolside resort, or even a famous tourist site. I also like to post inspirational, travel-related quotes and aspirations to match the overall theme of my page. 

To increase engagement, I ask my followers to share their favorite travel memories and destinations. 

6. Establish a sense of trust with your customer base

What do you think is the biggest challenge you face as a business owner right now?

The biggest challenge right now is that I need to sell more, and I need more people to know that they can trust travel agencies. People like to go on all these websites to look for travel information and buy tickets but they don’t understand that we can get them better prices, better packages, and better services.  

As a travel agent, I work directly with suppliers and travel companies. So to me, it’s easier to get a better price, and find out about the best places to go. That’s the main thing that I need people to know.

So, to help increase trust between people and travel agents, I create informational posts about how helpful travel agencies can be and what I can offer to my customers. 

7. Communication is key, especially in uncertain times

You started your business during the pandemic. How did you deal with the accompanying challenges and restrictions?

Using PosterMyWall for marketing helped me face the challenges of the pandemic. That’s also a major reason why I decided to remain an online business. If there were any changes to a travel package or any extra information, I went to PosterMyWall, made edits to the poster, and re-published it in a matter of minutes. This sort of quick action helped me a lot during the pandemic. 

What are your future plans for CIS World Travels?

In 10 years, I hope to expand and become a big travel agency, with a lot of customers and other travel agents working with me. Right now, most of my customer base is local, so I would love to get some international exposure as well, and work with clients from other countries. PosterMyWall will be part of that success because I’ll continue to use it for marketing. 

8. Stay active on social media 

I have one last question for you. What advice would you give to other budding entrepreneurs or small business owners?

I would advise all business owners to stay active on social media. Nowadays, that is the most important thing. If you don’t have social media, you’re out of date. 

Also, don’t be shy about getting the word out about what you offer. That’s the only way to get exposure. Ask family, friends, and everybody you know to help spread the word about your new business. 

That’s great advice! Thank you for joining us today, Beatriz. 

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