I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Nora D. Richardson, owner of Spot-On Branding and author of The Branding Spot Blog, for the Safari2Success blog to discuss travel industry marketing and branding. Specifically, Nora focuses on how important a clear brand message and image is when it comes to travel business success, and offers tips for enhancing and marketing your unique brand image.

Below is the interview:

1. So much has changed in the travel industry in the last 5 – 10 years and many travel entrepreneurs and travel professionals are forced to market their company in a new way. Specifically, they must create a niche brand message that speaks to a specific target audience. What advice do you have for travel professionals who have never had to deal with creating a personal brand image? Specifically, what are the first steps they should take to create this brand image?

First of all, if you are thinking of branding your business, a big cheers to you and your company. Just a decade ago all a travel professional needed was a name and a website to be found and have a lucrative business. As many in the travel industry have discovered, it just isn’t enough to compete in today’s web world. How do you attract the right people to your site? Your blog? Your social media? Big business has always realized that clear and consistent branding is the key to setting your company up for success. Branding by most small businesses is looked upon as overwhelming and costly, but it doesn’t have to if you hire the right team for your specific needs.

The first step you need to do is understand who you are as a company. You need to ask yourself the hard questions: What are my company’s strengths, weaknesses, target audience, and goals? You need to assess what you have done in the past and figure out what works and what doesn’t. You need to find out why you attract the people you do and if they really are the people you want to attract in the future. You need to research your colleagues and competitors to see whom they are attracting and what their strengths and weaknesses are.

Once you have that information, you can then start to assess what makes you different and develop a brand identity and message that really attracts your ideal audience. Armed with this information, you can now hire a branding specialist.

2. What do travel professionals need to consider when hiring a brander / graphic designer to create their online brand image? What do they need to express to the designer to ensure that their website is in line with their brand image?

Not all graphic designers are branding specialists. Branding specialists are focused on results: getting you to your goals and attracting your ideal clients. You want to hire a branding specialist that is interested in you and your business and that asks all the hard questions. If they don’t want to understand you and your business, how are they going to design a brand that resonates with your ideal clientele?

It also helps if the branding specialist that you hire enjoys traveling so they can relate to you and your industry.

3. What other online marketing materials work to express a brand image? How can you ensure that all of these materials complement each other?

Your website, blog, all social media sites—whether it’s Facebook or Tripatini—web advertising, guest blogs, webinars, ezines, emails (as in your email signature), ebooks, podcasts, and videos are some ways to represent your brand consistently.

One way you can ensure that all of marketing materials complement each other is to use one company to design your brand needs.  Not only will your image and messaging will be clear and consistent across all platforms, but when your image needs to grow, they will be able to easily make the transition.

4. In your professional opinion, when is it time for a travel professional to get new online marketing materials or redo an old website?

You want a brand image and a website for your company that not only creates awareness but also encourages prospects to buy and cultivates loyalty.

You should seriously consider getting new online marketing materials . . .

• If your brand identity isn’t strong and recognizable.
• If there’s a disconnect between what you do and what your audience thinks you do.
• If you’re sending the wrong message or sending too many jumbled messages.
• If your company has experienced a transformation like a new company direction or a merger.
• If your brand identity looks like it was created in 1995.
• If your website was created in 1995.

Most companies freshen up their brand image by doing minor alterations every 7–10 years, regardless of circumstances. Most companies redesign their websites every two – three years just to keep up with the trends. Changing fonts and color combinations, as well as updating the logo can keep your company from looking outdated and stale.

5. Is there anything else you would like to add?

A well-designed brand instantly gives your company credibility, which speeds up your success timeline. Although it is tempting to create your own brand and branding materials, in the long run it saves time and money to hire a professional.

About Nora:

As a branding expert, graphic designer, and owner of Spot-On Branding, Nora D. Richardson works with businesses to help them grow and create a strong brand image. She also works with them to have a strong brand presence and emotionally engaging marketing materials including online graphics, logos, and print collateral. Check out her blog, The Branding Spot.