With 41% of consumers using social media to research holidays, it has become a crucial tool for home-based agents to win business. But with ever-changing algorithms and multiple platforms to master, it can seem quite the beast to tackle. 

That’s why Celebrity Cruises focused its third Xcelerator Programme workshop on navigating the fast-moving landscape that is social media, helping home-based agents start using it strategically and create content that converts into real sales opportunities. 

Hosted by Celebrity Cruises' trade marketing executive Raef Reid-Easton, the session covered everything from social media post examples and trends to understanding your own insights  – and even included a handy social media schedule to follow. Read on to discover everything you missed.

1. Know your platform audience 

Reid-Easton highlighted social media’s three most prominent platforms for travel agents – Facebook, Instagram and TikTok – with billions of users on each platform. However, each platform is popular with different audiences – which should be considered when creating content for your business. 

Facebook is best for travel agents targeting age groups 35+, whereas TikTok is the ‘Gen-Z powerhouse’, appealing to 18-24 year olds. Instagram is the sweet spot in the middle, mostly used by people aged between 18-34 years old. 

2. Create content that converts

Honing in on four key content types, Reid-Easton discussed which content works best across Facebook, Instagram and TikTok: These were:

• Engagement boosters: For example, asking your clients a question on Facebook, or getting them to pick from a poll on an Instagram story. These methods create more engagement (likes, comments, reactions), which social media algorithms tend to reward by showing your content to more people.
• Educational: People use social media to research and ‘vibe-check’ destinations and experiences – searching phrases such as ‘things to do in X’, ‘places to eat in X’. TikTok and Instagram work well for this, providing bite-size videos and photo carousels that audiences can easily consume.
• Limited-time deals: Most effective on Facebook and Instagram, with Reid-Easton explaining emoji offers and window cards work best for Celebrity’s trade Facebook group.
• Inspiring visuals: Beautiful video or photography that sells itself without any text needed. However, Reid-Easton suggested caption trends to accompany the content, such as: ‘POV: I just woke up in the Norwegian Fjords’ – or – ‘This is how your email finds me’ can boost this content further. 

Credit: TTG Media / Celebrity

3. Find out what works for you

It’s not one size fits all – Reid-Easton encourages travel agents to look into their own social media insights and find out what works for them and their audience – and do this often, as algorithms change frequently. If you’re not yet posting consistently, begin with a simple schedule (see further down), view your insights to find what’s successful, and then adapt your days, times and content accordingly. 

For example, the best time to post is different for individual accounts, but Facebook provides suggested times to post based on when your followers are most active, so you can strategically start to target your customers. 

Reid-Easton said: “If you’re not ready to look into insights, then a general rule of thumb is to post in evenings and on weekends, when people are looking for holidays.” 

4. Start posting consistently 

Reid-Easton emphasised the importance of posting approximately 3-5 times on social media a week. For those who can manage it alongside their workload, posting daily is the ideal. 

What is beneficial is having a social media template in place to quickly reference, helping you plan what to post and when. Reid-Easton shared a simple schedule (see below) for agents to use, suggesting different content that might work best on certain days of the week. For example, posting inspiring visuals on a Monday morning, when clients might be on a gloomy commute into work. 

Credit: TTG Media / Celebrity

5. Tell your audience what to do – and respond fast

One of Reid-Easton's top tips is to always include a call to action. “You could harness the most powerful TikTok trend – but if you don’t tell your customers what to do next, that will equal zero sales”. 

Depending on how you want people to get in touch, adding a simple, direct sentence at the end of a post such as ‘DM me for more information’ or ‘Email me for a quote’ tells your potential customers what their next move is. 

Once they do get in contact, make sure to respond quickly so they don’t look elsewhere for answers – Reid-Easton suggested within the hour. 

6. Make the most of Celebrity Central resources 

Not sure what to post first? Celebrity Central is the go-to resource for videos and images for Celebrity Cruises. Travel agents can browse its social media tool kit and global asset library and choose from an array of inspiring visuals to download. All you need to do is create your own caption and click post –  it's that easy!

All examples Reid-Easton used throughout the workshop are available on the Celebrity Central platform. 

Want to learn more? Watch the third Xcelerator workshop 'How to win on social media' on demand now by registering for the Celebrity Cruises Xcelerator Programme platform at flymy.co.uk/xcelerator-registration