How To Sell Travel By Creating 'Word Pictures'

HOW TO
SELL TRAVEL
With
COPYWRITING
THAT
PAINTS A PICTURE

Written by
Dustin Walker
Copywriter & Marketer
who specializes in the travel industry
@dustinjaywalker
Presentation designed by Anchalee J.

You probably already know that
Beautiful Images are
Key To Selling Travel Online.

Amazing Photos of sky-piercing mountains, velvety- soft beaches and other stunning locales help people imagine themselves on vacation.

And
the more travelers think about that trip or hotel room,
the more they’ll want it.

Your written
Website
CONTENT
works the same way.
Much like enticing photos,
Vivid Copywriting Gets Your Prospects Daydreaming
about the experience your business provides.

PEOPLE
TEND TO
THINK IN
PICTURES,
rather than in words or numbers. So the more detailed and vivid your written descriptions of hotel rooms or tours are, the easier it is for travelers to imagine themselves experiencing what your travel business has to offer.

And it’s not just about what your audience can see
– Descriptive Writing Evokes All The Senses.
It helps travelers imagine the feeling of warm, silken sand against their skin or the scent of pine-spiced mountain air.

Veteran adman Drew Eric Whitman says persuasive copywriting
‘Directs A Mental Movie.’
When someone reads vivid text that engages the senses, it activates more brain cells by causing them to think more deeply about what they’re reading.

And if your written and visual content work together to Create Tantalizing Mental Imagery,
well, that’s when your website will
Really Start Converting.

Follow these
for crafting Descriptive Content that’ll get Travelers Daydreaming about what you’ve got in store for them.
TIPS

Whether you’re penning a tour itinerary or a room description, every word you write should resonate with the travelers most likely to convert.
KNOW WHAT
APPEALS
TO YOUR
CUSTOMERS
1.

and the trekking tour you offer just so happens to meander through a field of lavender. You might be tempted to go into detail about the sweet scent of these plants, since that’s what really stands out for you on the trip.
Let’s Say
You’re
A FAN
of
WILD
FLOWERS
KNOW WHAT APPEALS TO YOUR CUSTOMERS
1.

BUT ARE YOU SURE…
…your customers feel the same way?
Is the field of lavender actually a significant selling feature of the tour or does it simply appeal to your own preferences?
1.

THINK LIKE A
SALES-FOCUSED
COPYWRITER
rather than a travel writer. You can write dazzling descriptive content worthy of a glossy magazine, but it won’t help your bottom line if your core customer base isn’t interested.
1.

Small details can add a deeper level of description and authenticity to your content.
USE
SMALL DETAILS
TO REVEAL THE
BIG PICTURE
2.

This might include
the syrupy scent of FLOWERS,
the haunting chorus of CICADA or
the ornate, HAND-MADE CLOCKS in every room of your hotel.
USE SMALL DETAILS TO REVEAL THE BIG PICTURE
2.

Don’t spend too much time detailing that famous sky- scraping mountain you’ve got on every other page of your website
2.
Rather, think about what your images
DON’T COMMUNICATE.
– the photos already
tell that story.

The website OneFineStay is great at teasing out the compelling details of a property to paint a striking picture.
2.
The look is high-end luxe, the materials blissfully sensuous. You cannot help but trail your fingers across the open plan sitting room’s exposed brickwork, the printed silk wallpaper and the kitchen’s worktop of cool marble.

Verbs are the powerhouses of any sentence. They drive the action and ramp up the intensity of what you’re communicating.
POWER UP
YOUR
WEBSITE COPY
WITH
VERBS
3.

The key to really making verbs work is
SELECTING
FRESH WORDS that
CREATE IMAGERY
in your readers’ mind.
POWER UP YOUR WEBSITE COPY WITH VERBS
3.

Take a look at this paragraph about the
Vietnamese city of Hanoi:
The streets of Hanoi vibrate with a chaotic energy that’s both exciting and intriguing. Mopeds jostle along winding boulevards, sidewalk cafes overflow with patrons and vendors balance shoulder poles carrying fruit, fish and fiery-red textiles.
Verbs bring this description to life. The words ‘vibrate’, ‘jostle’ and ‘balance’ create
3.
SPECIFIC VISUAL IMAGERY.

It would have been easier to simply say that mopeds drive or cruise (rather than jostle) along the streets or that vendors carry (rather than balance) shoulder poles,
3.
but then the paragraph
WOULDN’T
be as MEMORABLE.

Nothing kills compelling content faster than generic adjectives like ‘premier’ or ‘world-class’. People have seen these clichéd words so many times they now have zero impact. Plus, they’re kinda cheesy.
DAZZLE
READERS WITH
SENSORY-RICH
ADJECTIVES
4.

But vivid and specific adjectives have been found to ENGAGE readers and BOOST SALES.
DAZZLE READERS WITH SENSORY-RICH ADJECTIVES
4.
This is because these words TRIGGER
the
SENSORY PART of Our Brains.

Our down featherbeds are piled with crisp Egyptian cotton sheets, plush pillows and velvety cashmere duvets.
So forget lines like
“Our beds are exceptionally comfortable.”
Instead, construct a sentence that’ll stick in their heads:
The words ‘crisp’, ‘plush’ and ‘velvety’ engage the readers’ senses and help them imagine sinking into these oh-so-comfy beds.
4.
”
“

Just be sure not to overdo it. Piling on too many adjectives can drag down the pace of your text and make it cumbersome to read. So use them sparingly.
< = >
Less is More
4.

OK, this stuff is a bit more advanced. Similes and metaphors compare two or more seemingly unrelated things to create an image in the reader’s mind. They make your content memorable by engaging the emotion-driven right brain, much like stories do.
STRENGTHEN
YOUR IMAGERY
WITH SIMILES
&
METAPHORS
5.

SIMILES make comparisons using
‘LIKE’ or ‘AS’.
Here’s one in action:
The Whitesands Beach stretches along the shore like a ribbon of fresh powder.
Comparing the beach to a ‘ribbon of fresh powder’ instantly creates a picture in the reader’s mind.
Would describing Whitesands as a ‘long, sandy beach’ be as impactful?
STRENGTHEN YOUR IMAGERY WITH SIMILES & METAPHORS
5.

METAPHORS are a little different
– they state that something is like something else. For example, many travel brands have played with the common “LIFE IS A JOURNEY” metaphor.
Life is a journey, travel it well.
(United Airlines)
STRENGTHEN YOUR IMAGERY WITH SIMILES & METAPHORS
5.
When crafting your own metaphors and similes, avoid clichés that people have heard over and over unless you can put a fresh twist on them.

Persuade By Putting It All Together
Writing Dazzling Descriptive Content will make it easier for your brand to stand out in a cluttered online market. Most travel websites out there are packed with empty adjectives, clichés and marketing drivel.
Know What Appeals To Your Customers
1.
Use Small Details To Reveal The Big Picture
Power Up Your Website Copy With Verbs
Dazzle Readers With Sensory- rich Adjectives
Strengthen Your Imagery With Similes & Metaphors
2.
3.
5.
4.

And when you combine vivid descriptive copywriting with A Strong Brand Voice, Engaging Headlines and (of course) Mesmerizing Images, your website will be a
More Powerful Marketing Machine.

Did You Find This Deck Useful?
Get Free Content Tips
(You’ll also get a free 9-page PDF report “How To Write Enticing Travel Content”)
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How To Sell Travel By Creating 'Word Pictures'

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