How an Instagram post helped this homeworker win back vital business
After being tagged in an Instagram post homeworker Maureen McKenna ended up booking holidays for more than one hundred people. She talks to Abra Dunsby about the post’s success and how it helped her through the pandemic.
Homeworker and single mum-of-three Maureen McKenna has had much to contend with since she started her Not Just Travel franchise in 2019 – not least dealing with the fallout due to the pandemic and even catching Covid-19 herself, but thanks to steely determination and an innovative approach to social media, she’s created a successful business and is feeling hopeful for the future.
It was an Instagram post created by her daughter Anna last June that helped McKenna’s business go viral during the Covid crisis, helping her to win back her entire £15,000 franchise fee after hitting her targets.
McKenna, who is from Glasgow, explains her social media success. “In Scotland, there’s a tradition for teenagers once exams are over called the Sixth Year holiday. It’s the first time these teenagers get to go away without their parents.”
“I said to Anna, ‘I’ll pay for your holiday to Magaluf if you put a post on Instagram about it and tag me in it.’ She’s a popular, friendly girl so she has quite a big following on Instagram.”
Once her daughter posted on her Instagram account, “it snowballed from there,” says McKenna, with the post resulting in her booking holidays for around 100 people.
The power of ’FOMO’
McKenna puts the bookings down to “a real fear of missing out among youngsters.”
She adds: My daughter’s boyfriend is also going to Magaluf and there are 19 of his friends who all wanted to go and booked through me.
Not only did McKenna end up booking trips for Anna’s school friends and Instagram followers, many of their parents also got in touch to book their own holidays.
“Many of the parents contacted me at first as they were nervous about their children going away, but once I’d spoken to them they felt reassured that I was looking out for their children and for everyone else in their class. It gave them confidence in the booking and to book their own travel.
“I booked a couple of nice family tailormade trips, as well as some golf trips for some of the dads,” she adds.
Social media might
Having her own Instagram account has been effective at helping McKenna target younger clients, and she is also active on LinkedIn and Facebook, securing bookings and enquiries from all three platforms.
“I’m probably most active on Facebook – it’s good for posting offers and pictures and it’s great for interaction with clients and suppliers. I use LinkedIn to keep my followers up to date with the pandemic and travel restrictions,” she says, adding that it’s important to “keep visible on social media” during this time.
McKenna is also a fan of local networking groups, which she has been attending virtually during the pandemic. “It’s a good way to meet other likeminded business owners and seek advice and support from people,” she says.
Positive mindset
While the pandemic has inevitably been tough for her new business, McKenna believes her dedication to customers will pay off in the long run.
“I’ve taken a massive hit with Covid. Sometimes I couldn’t believe what was happening due to the stress and the amount of refunds I had to sort. But people are getting a personal, stress-free service, and all customers who asked for a refund have booked with me again.
She adds that dealing with so many cancellations due to Covid also helped boost her self-worth as a new agent. “When I first started out I was discounting holidays but now that customers know I’ve worked hard for them and for nothing, I feel it’s fair to say ‘this is the price’, and I feel confident to do so. And most clients are happy with that.”
Now McKenna is keeping busy attending virtual networking sessions, staying active on social media and taking supplier training until lockdown ends. She’s keeping a positive mindset, too, she says. “When the restrictions lifted last time, bookings came in and I’m sure in March, people will start booking again too.”
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