'Personal' marketing and social media presence key to generating leads, say agents 

Delegates at Carrier’s annual overseas Retreat spoke about the importance of “personal” marketing and building a social media presence.

Berry Travel founder Janey Berry said dedicating more time to marketing campaigns and sharing “personal” social media content had “dramatically changed [her] business”.

Speaking on a panel at the event, held at Forte Village in Sardinia, she said she had managed to create “a whole new income stream” by working with marketing consultant Ben Blackler from Navigator Marketing.

She said: “We identified why I was different [to other agents] in such a crowded market and discovered that African safari holidays were where I could excel as I’ve been to Africa 10 times and have done a lot of conservation work.”

The pair devised a marketing campaign that saw a safari guide – comprising six weeks of emails and blog posts – sent to potential clients when they signed up.

“[A total of] 1,200 people have signed up since January and I’ve made 14 safari bookings for this year and have some bookings for 2026 too,” she said, adding that she receives “six to nine” enquiries for safari trips every week.

She added: “I never [previously] put myself in my marketing [on social media] but Ben taught me that clients want to see the person [behind the agency].” 

Berry has subsequently expanded her client base, which she credits to both word-of-mouth recommendations and social media engagement.

She said: “Previously my clients were more local to where I live, but now they are national.” 

Travel Counsellors’ Sara Greene also reported increased enquiries and leads through sharing her personal and professional trips on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. 

She said: “I share everything that I do on social media, and I’ve got [new] business from doing this more frequently.”

After last year’s Carrier Retreat at Grecotel Corfu Imperial, which she shared on her social platforms, Greene said she made a £22,000 booking from a new client who had engaged with her posts. 

She also shared an example of a recent trip to Thailand where she travelled in business-class on Emirates, which resulted in lead generation through posting as well as connections with potential clients during the flight.

She said: “My business has grown every time I go on a trip.”