Persuasive Travel Copywriting Is About More Than Words…

Dustin Walker — travel copywriter & content strategist.

It’s about finding the right message.

Figuring out what your prospects really want and then connecting with them in a way that no other travel brand can.

The writing part? That comes later. But first, you have to be 100% certain that what you write will really make an impact.

This is what I tell every one of my clients. It’s pretty important.

I’ve worked with so many smart travel entrepreneurs who are frustrated by the lack of results they’re getting from their online marketing. Often they’ve wasted thousands of dollars putting up a fancy ‘artistic’ website or have poured money into PPC or travel blogging without a data-driven strategy.

It’s not their fault. Much of the hype surrounding travel marketing revolves around images, social media or the latest personalization/automation/reputation management tools. The basic stuff like figuring out who your audience really is — and what they want — often gets lost in the clutter.

It’s why I decided to focus Jet Copywriting on helping travel companies boost sales and bookings with content that does more then merely ‘sound good’. And if you’re interested, I promise to help you write persuasive travel copy that will deliver measurable results.

My credentials in marketing & copywriting

I’ve been working as a professional scribe for 12 years. I started as a news/travel journalist and then switched to online copywriting in 2012.

But no matter the medium, my specialty has always been telling emotion-driven stories.

And by blending my storytelling skills with proven copywriting techniques, I’ve helped all types of travel entrepreneurs grow their businesses online. I’ve also:

Trained with Joanna Wiebe of Copy Hackers, one of the world’s top online copywriters.
Studied old school direct response copywriting for two years. But I also stay on the cutting edge of conversion rate optimization and content marketing by gobbling up all the online courses I can.
Supervised up to 7 reporters while working as an assignment editor at a crazy-busy newspaper. So I know how to manage complex projects on tight deadlines.

Do I write everything myself?

When it comes to conversion-focused copywriting, such as website and e-mail copy, I write everything myself. I also do all the customer research as well.

But more informative or inspirational content, such as blog articles, is usually written by one of my ultra-talented travel writers.

However, my clients always deal directly with me no matter what type of gig it is. I also write all headlines and heavily edit each piece to ensure it’s up to snuff.

Having this added capacity also means I can tackle large orders for content.

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My credentials in the world of travel

I’m not going to use this spot to brag about how many countries I’ve traveled to or all the amazing places I’ve experienced. Because to be honest, it doesn’t matter.

Like I said before, effective copywriting is about your customer. Not you. Not me.

Drawing on your own experiences when writing copy can be a huge mistake if you don’t value the same things as the target audience.

So instead, I’ll give a brief outline of my travel industry expertise:

I’ve worked with major brands such as CruiseOne and Hotel Tonight as well as start up tour companies and travel app developers.
My travel writing has been featured in publications from around the globe, including Adventure Travel Magazine, Trek World and a handful of Canada’s largest daily newspapers.
I contribute to industry-leading travel marketing & technology blogs like Tnooz.
I publish a trekking blog called Slick & Twisted Trails. And since first launching in 2011, I’ve been constantly asking my readers for feedback — input I use to better understand what type of content today’s adventurous travelers are looking for.

A few other things you might like to know…

I graduated with a degree in journalism from a small university you probably never heard of.
Before becoming a professional writer, I worked at restaurants while attending college: washing dishes, delivering food and doing anything else that didn’t involve actually cooking (I burn everything).
I’m all about exploring the outdoors: hiking, camping, fishing and (on occasion) cliff jumping.
My all-time favorite trip was trekking to the ancient Peruvian city of Choquequirao in 2011. Back then, hardly anyone knew this place existed.