As a travel agent, I needed to sell travel. I tried telling friends and family about it, but I wasn’t getting any bites.

I tried passing out business cards, but it didn’t work. Then, I discovered one of the oldest forms of communication...

I started storytelling. I told them how a mountain cabin feels at Christmas and how amazing the views are from a beachfront condo. I told them about my trips to Ireland and shared my pictures. 

And you know what? People began to reach out to book their vacations with me. All because I shared stories with them.

Your readers like reading stories. It makes them feel connected to your post and helps them understand the point you’re making.

So, what is storytelling and why should you use it in your travel agency’s blog posts?

What is storytelling?

“Storytelling” is sharing an event in a way to make it enjoyable for others to hear about. It’s about telling a story and is often accompanied by pictures or videos. Storytelling is an art, just like painting or interior design.

Telling stories is a universal form of communication. Ancient people groups used the art of storytelling to communicate with each other, regardless of language or culture. 

Stories stir up the imagination, creating a sense of camaraderie between you and your readers.

Storytelling should always feature a problem and a solution. For example, when you’re describing a treehouse cabin in the woods in your Facebook post, you begin by talking about how stressed your reader is at work and how much they need a vacation. Then you slide into the solution – they need an extended weekend getaway perched in the treetops soaking up nature.

When you use storytelling in your blog, emails, and social media posts, you paint pictures in your audiences’ minds. You connect with them through your experiences.

But why is storytelling so important?

Why is storytelling important?

Humans instinctively seek out patterns, alliances, cooperation, and connections. Storytelling encourages these behaviors in your audience. 

Stories incite feelings of indignation, then of relief. Your audience needs to feel like you know them – like you’re talking directly to them. Because our brains are wired to make shortcuts and connections, we’re always looking for ways to solve our problems in an efficient way.

You don’t mind reading statistics and data, but a good story interspersed with facts resonates deep within you. You feel like you are connected. I had trouble connecting with my audience as a travel agent until I began to share personal stories with them, then, boom – I had clients.

Do you see how I used my social media problem to show you a solution to gaining more clients? You can relate since it’s a struggle every travel professional goes through. I used storytelling to tell you why storytelling is important.

Storytelling in marketing

Storytelling in marketing is a valuable tool for your travel agency. As you write your new blog post, add a personal story at the top, then draw it into the rest of your post. People’s minds are always searching for ways to connect with you and don’t even realize they’re doing it.

Use your story as a hook to draw your readers in through an entertaining narrative. Instead of listing dry, factual data about the sights of Egypt, tell a personal story to showcase how exhilarating Egypt is.  

Think about all the times you’ve heard a speaker at a seminar or listened to your old science teacher explaining a complex scientific theory. Did you remember the dry, boring presentation or the one with stories and illustrations?

Stories motivate your readers into action. When you share a story, it makes your article feel like a conversation, not just words on a page. You want to excite emotions in them and create a connection. I excited my readers into action (booking vacations through me) when I shared my travel stories and my feelings associated with those stories.

Storytelling is all about connection and persuasion. Your audience won’t make a decision based only on data. Their connection-driven and pattern-oriented minds instinctively look for something they can relate to. Statistics don’t make connections, but they do prove facts.

Humans want more than statistics. That’s why your marketing strategy needs to combine storytelling and facts.

In the vast overload of online businesses, your travel agency needs to stand out from the crowd. By providing stories related to your business and your brand, you can do just that – stand out in a crowd of millions.

You know you’re an amazing travel planner, but your audience doesn’t know that unless you tell them. But telling them doesn’t work, you need to demonstrate it through stories. Wrap your selling with stories.

Because storytelling sells.

Don’t skip storytelling in marketing!

As you read above, storytelling is an art that’s been passed down through the ages. The act of storytelling began when you were a small child. Your parents told you stories and read you storybooks. You followed the adults’ example and told stories when you could barely talk, jabbering in baby-talk to anyone who would listen.

Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to communicate ideas and facts to those around you. Stories support your facts.

Next time you need to present statistics or facts about a travel destination, weave a personal story into them. 

And if you can’t seem to get it right, send me an SOS and I’ll give you a hand (or two) to help you craft the perfect story and facts combination.

Read part two of my storytelling posts – 6 Storytelling Techniques for Travel Agents to Skyrocket Their Success.