• by Jason Warnock , March 11, 2015

As the mass-hysteria of Disney’s “Frozen” suggests, people love snow. However, when it is piled down sidewalks and doubles the morning commute, snow’s allure disappears as quickly as a bucket of movie popcorn. In these frigid, winter months, rather than wondering when consumers will let it go, travel industry marketers should instead be asking where they are going.

That’s where I’ve found location-based triggered email marketing to come in handy. Triggered emails tackle the challenges of timing, personalization, message relevance and conversion that many travel marketers face, and they can be used in any number of scenarios. Here are just a few examples that I have seen: 

• Severe Weather: During unappealing seasonal weather, marketers can offer unique travel opportunities that contrast a subscriber’s current conditions. For example, the next time a blizzard hits the East Coast, airlines should send emails listing rates to warm weekend destinations. Subject lines such as “Trade in Two Feet of Snow for Three Days of Sand” will be sure to catch the attention of snowed-in consumers. Hotels can capitalize on weather conditions, too, offering extended stays or package deals to those looking to escape the cold.

• Tourist Attractions: Marketers can target national and international news/events, highlighting pop culture and social trends. For example, while I’ve never thought of visiting Finland, if the Northern Lights are in full effect, I’ll probably be more willing to snag a great hotel deal or flight. Travel marketers can also use triggered emails to entice an influx of subscribers into specific areas, sending out blasts for notable tourism at the local level. On President’s Day or during peak electoral months, marketers can encourage national sentiment with fun trips to Mount Rushmore or D.C.’s monuments. 

• Events and Festivals: Based on subscribers’ interests, travel marketers can locate conventions and conferences and offer cheap flights to the cities hosting them. Even if these events are not directly related to travel interests, brands can gain customer loyalty by fostering connections based on subscribers’ favorite pastimes. Local business can also utilize triggered emails, partnering with marketers to offer deals based on travel patterns. Subject lines such as “Half-off Lunch with Trade Show Pass” are an effective way to link local businesses’ interests with travel opportunities.

• Local Transportation: Using triggers such as zip code registries, travel agencies can highlight local travel or transit unique to a specific area. For example, in Chicago, triggered emails for local public transit options can promote great ways to get around the city. Travel marketers can use location-based triggered emails to connect subscribers with travel opportunities relevant to their immediate locations, both for locals and for tourists.

No matter the catalyst, in a world where mobile users are inundated by emails, marketers should engage subscribers with travel information that is relevant and timely. Booking a flight to Mexico in the middle of summer is less compelling than when you’re swaddled in six blankets and the furnace is broken. By understanding the real-world conditions of their subscribers, travel marketers can optimize the effectiveness of personalized emails. 

While brands in every industry can benefit from triggered email campaigns, those within the travel market have a unique opportunity to provide subscribers with offers that they might otherwise miss, or never have imagined possible in the first place. Triggered campaigns are both timely and relevant, key qualities for genuinely interacting with subscribers.

The groundhog predicted six more weeks of winter, but that doesn’t mean we all have to be frozen. In a culture that always thinking about where it’s going next, travel marketers can use triggered email campaigns to point subscribers in the right direction.