Define the One Action Travel Campaigns Must Trigger using Get Who To By
Most travel campaigns are just expensive slideshows of sunsets and slow-motion waves that result in exactly zero bookings. You spend six months arguing over a filter and zero minutes deciding what the hell the audience should actually do. The Get Who To By framework is your intervention. It forces you to stop being a travel agent for 'everyone' and starts making you a strategist who actually gets people to pack a bag.
The TL;DR
Stop making 'inspirational' travel porn. Use Get Who To By to pin down your specific victim (GET), find out why they’re currently staying home (WHO), give them a message that isn't a cliché (TO), and build the actual trap that makes them click 'book' (BY).
Why Get Who To By Saves Your Travel Budget
Because 'awareness' doesn't pay for your flight. This framework cuts the fluff so you can focus on ROI.
The Four Steps
GET
Who is the smallest, most winnable group of travelers?
Forget 'travel enthusiasts.' Find the specific humans - like 'burnt-out mid-level managers who haven't seen a tree in six months.' If you target everyone, you're invisible.
WHO
Why are they currently sitting on their couch instead of your plane/hotel?
Identify the behavior or barrier. Maybe they’re overwhelmed by choices, or they think your destination is 'too touristy.' Find the itch they aren't scratching.
TO
What is the one stupidly obvious thing they need to hear?
Your message should be a direct response to their hesitation. If it sounds like a Hallmark card, delete it and try again.
BY
How are you physically going to make them move?
This is the 'how.' A limited-time flash sale, a 3-click booking engine, or a comparison tool that proves you’re not a rip-off. Make it easy or they'll leave.
Travel Marketing Facepalms
(Try not to do these, please)
- ×Using 'unforgettable experiences' as a message (it's meaningless)
- ×Targeting 'millennials' as if that's a specific group of people
- ×Ignoring the fact that booking travel is usually a stressful nightmare
- ×Assuming a pretty photo is the same thing as a call-to-action
- ×Having 47 different goals for one $50k campaign
- ×Forgetting to tell people how to actually buy the thing you're showing them
- ×Using jargon like 'experiential luxury' instead of human English
- ×Failing to give a reason to book *now* instead of next year
If your campaign looks like a generic screensaver, you've already lost. Fix it.
Real Examples
Boutique Hotel Launch
A campaign to fill rooms during the rainy off-season.
GET
Remote workers in grey, rainy cities (Seattle/London).
WHO
They’re miserable and productive, but they’d rather be miserable and productive in a place with better coffee and a pool.
TO
Your home office sucks. Ours has a swim-up bar.
BY
Offering a 'Work From Here' package with guaranteed high-speed Wi-Fi and 30% off long stays.
Adventure Tourism
Increasing bookings for a high-intensity trekking tour.
GET
Weekend warriors who feel like they're wasting their lives in cubicles.
WHO
They post old hiking photos on Instagram because they haven't done anything cool in three years.
TO
Stop reposting 2021. Go do something that actually scares you.
BY
A 'Fearless Booking' guarantee that allows free rescheduling, removing the 'what if I'm too busy' excuse.
Airline Route Promotion
Promoting a new direct flight to a secondary city like Lyon or Osaka.
GET
Food-obsessed travelers who hate tourist traps.
WHO
They want the 'authentic' experience but are tired of the crowds in Paris or Tokyo.
TO
Skip the lines. Eat where the chefs actually live.
BY
A curated 'Hidden Map' accessible only to those who book the new direct route within the first 48 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can't I just target 'people who like to travel'?
Sure, if you want to set your budget on fire. Everyone likes to travel. You need to find the people who are ready to buy a specific thing for a specific reason.
What if my 'TO' message feels too aggressive?
If it doesn't feel a little uncomfortable, it's probably too boring to be noticed. Clarity beats politeness in marketing every time.
How specific should the 'GET' be?
Specific enough that you could describe their last three Google searches. If you can't picture them, you can't sell to them.
Is the 'BY' just a discount code?
It can be, but it’s lazy. It could be a seamless mobile checkout, a countdown timer, or a value-add like a free airport transfer. It’s the bridge between 'I want this' and 'I bought this'.
Does this work for luxury travel too?
Especially for luxury. Rich people are even more annoyed by vague, flowery bullshit than the rest of us. Tell them why your thing is worth their limited time.
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