Marketing lessons from a year of full time travel
I quit my job a year ago to travel the world and this is what I've learned
(well the list goes on, but these apply to marketing too!)
It's been a little over 1 year since I left my full time job to work on HB&C full time and travel and I honestly can't believe it! Just in the past 12 months, I've been to 10 countries, at least twice as many cities and AirBnB's, I've searched for routine everywhere I've been, and learned so much along the way.
Life and travel are full of marketing lessons. Here are some that I've learned throughout this journey that you can apply today in your marketing strategy:
Social proof is everything
When you don't know who to trust, you turn to others. Whether through online reviews, word of mouth, or simply by observing other's behavior. Odds are, your customers are doing the same when shopping for your products or services.
Brain calories are sacred & must be protected at all costs
Traveling full time means your brain is "on" also full time, from re-learning how to operate a washing machine every 6 weeks, to figuring out the public transportation, to being on alert at all times, to finding places where you can productively work (the list goes on). Everyday life is making your customers spend endless precious brain calories too, so be sure to make your language easy to understand: skip the lingo and outline clear next steps when possible.
People will always look for solutions that have them winning in the end
We all just want to be the heroes of our own story. When I plan my travels, I want to find the best deals, stay in the best possible areas, and make sure our stays check all our boxes, I want to be responsible for curating my experience and the experience of family/friends. When your customer wakes up in the morning, they are the protagonist of their life. Your value prop is all about how your product/service helps your customer transform to the protagonist they wish to be.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs
We’ve learned that the first week at a new location means getting our basic needs covered. When in reality we'd like to explore and act like we are on vacation, we have to choose to spend time on the basics like to figuring out how things work in the AirBnB, grocery store options (and what food items are actually available - we couldn't find chicken for a week in Montenegro), public transportation, our options for remaining active either indoors or outdoors, whether or not we have what we need for the new weather we're experiencing... and I could go on. When you, as a founder, have to focus on basic business operations and keeping the lights on, it's difficult and often feels impossible to focus on your marketing needs. Even more so, you may not be willing to give your efforts the time they need to be fruitful. You can't focus on growth if you're focusing on surviving. Which takes us to our next point:
Consistent micro investments compound to great impact
Change takes time, but you *will* see results if you create sustainable habits and are consistent. There are things in your marketing strategy that you know will be beneficial to your business but you keep putting off because you either dread it or you don't have the time (did your brain go directly to sales calls, direct outreach, or being consistent on LinkedIn?). We get it... but getting yourself out of your comfort zone by committing to one daily action that you can then compound every month or every 60 days will change your life and your business, and soon enough you won't dread it so much!
Empathy goes a long way
Nothing compares to a friendly smile, someone willing to help when you're in a bind, or give you leniency when you make a mistake or when sh*t simply happens. You will not forget their actions, and odds are you will tell others and recommend your experience as well (hi there... social proof!)
Lots of deep work happens organically when you are constantly out of your comfort zone, but we are here for it and excited to see where it takes us next - quite literally :)