When you need a service – for instance, from a plumber or an insurance agent – how do you choose?
More importantly, when travellers need a travel agent, how do they choose?
‘Why Canadians Buy’ is a fascinating insight into our shopping habits, researched and produced by the folks at Canadian Business Magazine.
It’s a sort of white paper full of stats and insights – and clues as to the importance of digital marketing.
While the piece covers a lot of small bricks-and-mortar businesses (e.g. hairdressers, microbreweries and so on) there are some very interesting insights that would apply to professional service suppliers such as ourselves.
For example, 80% of Canadians surveyed said they’d happily support more small businesses if they were easier to find and evaluate online.
More than 20 million Canadians use Facebook and 15 million of those who use the site at least monthly are connected to a small business. (One business quoted said they do no advertising apart from Facebook.)
About two-thirds (66%) said they’d sign up for an email newsletter if it featured exclusive discounts, bonus offers or events. And – this is really interesting – 56% of respondents aged 55+ said they would sign up for an e-newsletter if it offered life-improving tips.
What’s more life-improving than travel?
About four in 10 respondents said they’d be happy to receive a text as long as it relates to a product they are interested in or have purchased before (there were even higher numbers for special offers such as BOGOs).
The quality of social media interactions is even more important than quantity, the paper reminds us. Want to find out more? Click here and see how you can make your own small business even more successful!
Lynda Sinclair, CTM, is the Vice-President – Leisure at Vision Travel Solutions, which has an ever-expanding and vibrant program for independent agents. With over 30 years in the Canadian retail travel industry, she says she “lives and breathes what goes on at the front line.” She can be reached at lynda.sinclair@visiontravel.ca.
