How do you obtain the agency email addresses?

• We first began maintaining a database of travel agents in 1975. In 1996 we began adding email addresses to our database. Included in the list are the email addresses of the CLIA, ARC, IATAN, ASTA and ARTA members that have an email address plus those agents who belong to major consortiums such as Giants, Signature and Virtuoso. The database contains both high-end leisure home-based travel agents as well as many agents who have opted-in on our website.

Can you provide more information about your database?

• There are over 95,000 e-mail addresses of travel agents and meeting planners across North America and the world and more are added daily. There are no wholesalers on the list, however there may be a few agents that do offer some services to the retail trade. Approximately 60,000 are to addresses within the same agency as many travel agents have asked us to send email messages to other travel counselors within their agency.

How do I know if anyone opened my email blast?

• When your e-mail begins sending, you will receive an e-mail that will inform you that your e-mail is sending, the circulation, and an open count that can be refreshed in real-time. You can also request that we track click-thru links as well so you know how many Travel Agents clicked on the links in your e-mail.

How will my message look?

• Your e-mail can look like a standard webpage using HTML and inline CSS (avoid Flash, Javascript or any advanced programming language). You can create your own HTML message and send to us or our Creative Services department create your e-mail for you.

How large can my message be?

• Smaller is better. We recommend not having your e-mail exceed 170KB in size because anything greater than that can affect deliverability.

Can you email to a specific geographic region or state(s)?

• Yes, we can send your e-mail to members of the Travel Industry in specific geographic regions - Northeast, South, West and Midwest. Other geographical areas are based on individual states, zip codes and telephone area codes.

How does the unsubscribe process work?

• When a recipient chooses to not receive e-mails from you anymore or flags your e-mail as spam, that request is sent to our system and is updated immediately. We keep a history of all unsubscribe requests in order to maintain a positive business image for our clients.

Is there any guarantee agents will open it?

• Two key things to take into consideration to help get a good response are the subject line and the time the e-mail is sending. An interesting, shorter subject has a better chance of having your message opened. Avoid generic subject lines that can potentially be labeled as spam. It's also best to send your e-mails after 11 a.m. EST to ensure that recipients in the PST zone are at their workstations when your e-mails come through.

Are these email messages considered as SPAM (junk email)?

• No, we have emailed every recipient more than once and have asked for their permission to send them email. Additionally, we are in full compliance with Federal SPAM laws concerning unsolicited e-mail.

What can I expect from an email campaign?

• Email promoting should not be considered as a replacement for printed media, but as an economical adjunct to your current marketing plan. It is quickly replacing the fax and Agents like it better because it doesn't waste paper, tie up a fax machine or telephone line. An email can easily be printed or stored in an agents computer for future reference.

Why is email promoting better than faxing?

• Cost efficiency
• Immediate response
• The message is received at the agents workstation
• The information can be stored for future reference
• The presentation can be linked to any web site

Can you send a message to our in-house database?

• Yes, our in-house Tech Support team can provide this service, The cost is dependent on the size of the database and the setup time required. We also offer the opportunity to have your list maintained and managed on our high-end servers, where you can add and modify your list and include an opt-in feature on your website. Please contact sales@SmartTravelCommunications.com for more information.

What happens if a recipient hits "reply" instead of going to our link?

• Not to worry! We will open and forward on to you! Our goal is to help insure that your email broadcast acheives the highest degree of success. However, we recommend that you avoid using any reference to replying in your e-mail - you should link to your website or link to an e-mail address.

How do I pay for the service?

• You will be invoiced prior to your email transmission. You can pay per e-mail blast or you can purchase a block of e-mails at a discounted rate. Payments must be made by check or credit card. Please contact sales@SmartTravelCommunications.com for more information.

Why can't I do my own email promoting?

• Doing your own e-mail promoting is possible, but working with Smart Travel can help you achieve the same, and possibly better results with less of the financial investment and man-hours. We have an established list of 95,000+ Travel Agents, offer one-on-one communication with our sales, creative and tech support team and can provide real-time results as your e-mail is sending. We also maintain a full history of unsubscribes to prevent from accidentally sending e-mails to Travel Agents who requested to no longer receive your e-mails.

Do you have any references?

• Yes, we have been providing our services to travel suppliers for many years and have been in the travel industry for more than 40 years. Just ask us for references.

Can you send me any samples of emails you have sent?

• You can view our Customers page to view some of our work.

To learn more or request our 2023 media kit call us at 1-800-313-7788 or e-mail sales@SmartTravelCommunications.com.