CruiseOne kicked off 2013 by launching marketing programs to support franchisees in growing their businesses and increasing their online visibility. These lead-generating opt-in programs are fully supported by the corporate marketing team, according to a company statement, and enable franchise owners to best advertise their business online at the local level.

“It is important to have a strong online presence because vacation seekers are researching their travel options online before consulting with a vacation specialist,” said Luis Zuniga, vice president of marketing and communications. “Our new online marketing initiatives ensure that we will be more visible in web searches, making us the go-to source for consumers’ vacation needs.”

Video provides franchisees an entertaining and memorable way to educate potential clients about their brand and service. CruiseOne’s new video asset sharing program enables franchise owners to use videos professionally created by the company and an outside agency. Franchise owners can use this content, which contains their personal contact information, on their websites and social media pages, at special events and on television. Studies show that consumers are 64 percent more likely to make a purchase after watching a video (Comscore), while a website’s odds of appearing on the first page of Google increase by 53 percent (Forrester Research), according to CruiseOne.

The company said that nearly 100 franchisees have opted to participate in the local paid search program to increase their online presence and connect potential clients to a local vacation specialist, making it easier for prospective clients to find them when researching a vacation or looking for a travel agent. On behalf of participating agents, CruiseOne creates local paid search campaigns that include placing bids on franchisee business names, key travel agent terms and niche specialties.

With approximately 80 franchisees taking advantage of display advertising each month, this program tracks potential customers who have visited the CruiseOne website and posts targeted display advertisements on any future web page they visit to keep CruiseOne top of mind. The advertisements are based on their vacation interests they previously searched.