Travel firms urged to use PPC

Travel companies may do well to utilise pay per click services more during the downturn, according to Microsoft adCenter.
 

Travel websites saw traffic increase 175 per cent in the final quarter of 2008 compared with the previous year, while travel-related pay per click ad clicks rose by 88 per cent.
 

The figures suggest consumers choose to shop around when it comes to travel-related products and services, as they look at different websites before clicking on an ad.

Libby Thomas, travel analyst at Microsoft adCenter, wrote on the company’s blog, “Capitalise on this by making your ads really stand out – use creative language, specialoffers and unique selling points.”

She also noted that most people are now focusing on all-inclusive holidays as a way of keeping an eye on their expenditure and suggested that marketers concentrate on including competitive prices and trust-related concepts such as ATOL guarantees in their paid search ads.
 

John Delaney, analyst at Ovum, told the Internet Advertising Bureau last year that social media is also a key channel for travel firms marketing online, particularly those targeting young consumers.

UK internet searches for flights have fallen by 42 per cent over the last 12 months, according to Hitwise.  UK internet searches for flights increased by 58 per cent between January and December, but they were down by 42.4 per cent when compared with the equivalent post-Christmas week last year.
 

Source: uTalkMarketing