Jamie Biesiada
Why should travel
advisors seek out appearances on local television stations?
“I’ll start with this,”
said Erika Richter, ASTA’s vice president of communications. “It is the best
form of marketing because it’s free."
Richter was speaking on
an episode of the Trade Secrets podcast recorded during ASTA’s Travel Advisor
Conference in May. During the episode, Richter, Vacation Planners International
president Jenn Lee and Gifted Travel Network cofounder and chief sales and
marketing officer Vanessa McGovern were discussing all things media relations.
Advisors appearing on
local TV does two things, according to Richter. Not only is it free advertising
for the advisor and their agency, but it also elevates the profession of travel
advising -- and the industry itself.
“We all have to
work together to make sure that we’re being seen and heard and that the story
of the travel advisor is coming through,” Richter said.
Often, television
stations are looking for a local person to connect with about national stories,
Lee said. They want additional color to move the story along.
“You can leverage that
media hit so many different ways,” Lee said. “Put it in your newsletter. Talk
about it before you’re on. [Write] on Facebook: ‘I’m headed into the station.’
Talk about [it after], ‘please watch.’ It’s amazing how much that will build
your credibility and confidence in being in your community because you’re on
their local news station.”
McGovern addressed how
to get in touch with local media.
For her, during the
pandemic, it was as simple as going on her local station’s website and filling
out a form. “Somebody immediately emailed me because it was obviously a
hot topic, and I was on the news that night,” McGovern said. “It can literally
be that simple.”
But a longer-term
strategy, she said, should involve figuring out the right people at the station
to pitch. Connect with them on a platform like LinkedIn. Then, start building a
relationship.
“It doesn’t have
to be this big, scary, cold email,” she said. “You can just be the friendly
face in the community who wants to support that person.”
Richter recommended
following the news cycle and pitching something that’s topical, like spring
break or summer travel. There’s predictability in that, she said. She also recommended
sending pitches with specific subject lines to get a point across immediately.
For more advice on how
to get in touch with local media, how to prepare and even what to wear, give
the podcast episode a listen.