How to Encourage Enquiries with Soft CTAs

A potential client sees your photograph of a peaceful Canarian resort, saves it and keeps scrolling. Another reads your cruise advice but is months away from choosing a sailing. A third likes your Facebook post, yet is not comfortable sending a message that sounds like a commitment to book. All three may be interested in what you offer. None is necessarily ready for “Book now”.

For a travel homeworker, these small moments matter. You are building relationships as well as selling holidays, often without a high-street shop or an established following. A well-chosen invitation can help someone ask their first question without feeling pushed into a purchase.

This guide explains how to use a soft call to action travel approach in everyday marketing, with examples for social posts, websites, email, destination content and follow-ups. It also shows when softer wording is not enough, what to do when someone replies and how to measure whether your marketing is creating worthwhile enquiries. The aim is not to sound vague or timid. It is to make the next step feel clear, relevant and comfortable.

What is a soft call to action in travel marketing?

A call to action, often shortened to CTA, is the invitation that tells somebody what they can do next. A direct travel CTA might be “Request a quotation” or “Book your consultation”. A soft CTA asks for a smaller step: “Wondering which Canary Island would suit your family? Tell me what matters most and I can point you in the right direction.”

The distinction is about the level of commitment, not the length of the sentence. “Message me” can be too vague to be useful, whereas “Tell me your preferred departure airport and I can suggest where to start” makes a gentle invitation specific. Some soft CTAs create a conversation immediately; others encourage someone to read a guide, save a checklist or reply with a question. All should deliver what they promise.

This is particularly useful when people are dreaming, comparing options or working out a budget. A family thinking about next summer may welcome help understanding room types long before they want a quote. A couple considering their first cruise may need to compare itineraries and cabin choices before discussing dates. Someone looking for a straightforward last-minute break with dates and money ready may need a direct enquiry route instead.

If you are improving the wider journey on your website, our article on turning travel website visitors into enquiries explains how reassurance, navigation and enquiry forms support the message. This article focuses on the words that encourage people to take that first step.

Match the invitation to the traveller’s stage

A useful soft CTA starts with a simple question: what decision is this person trying to make right now? Not every audience member has the same level of intent, even when they are looking at the same destination.

Early inspiration: help them recognise a possibility

Imagine posting a photograph of a calm beach in Lanzarote. Someone who likes the idea of winter sun but has not decided where to go will probably ignore a demand for travel dates. “Would you choose a quiet beach or a lively resort for your winter escape?” gives them an easy way to engage. You can then offer relevant advice rather than immediately steering them towards a hotel.

Active research: answer the question holding them back

When someone is comparing destinations or suppliers, a useful CTA points towards a decision. For a family weighing up Tenerife and Gran Canaria, try “Not sure which island fits your family? Tell me the ages of your children and what you enjoy doing.” It offers help without pretending one island is right for everyone. For a first-time cruiser, asking whether they prefer busy port days or more time on the ship is a natural opening.

Ready to plan: make a real enquiry easy

If somebody already knows their destination, dates and approximate budget, do not hide the route to a quotation behind endless “discover more” messages. “Send me your dates, departure airport and budget and we can look at suitable options” is clear, helpful and appropriately direct. A soft sales style should never make the next step harder for someone who is ready.

The right wording therefore changes with the content and the reader. A destination inspiration post, a detailed buying guide and a quotation follow-up should not all end with the same instruction.

Write an invitation that offers something specific

One reliable approach is to name the decision, offer a useful next step and make the effort required obvious. Think of it as question or need + relevant help + easy reply . It is a guide for writing, not a script that every post needs to follow.

Instead of “DM me for deals”, a consultant who works with families might write: “Trying to work out whether all inclusive is worth it for your summer holiday? Tell me how many people are travelling and what mealtimes usually look like for you.” That opens a discussion about value, not just headline price. A couple looking for a peaceful adults-only break might respond better to “Would you rather be near restaurants or somewhere you can really switch off? I can help you weigh up the areas.”

Specificity also builds trust. “Ask me about cruises” gives little reason to respond. “First cruise and unsure which cabin to choose? Tell me whether quiet nights or being close to the facilities matters more” offers an immediate benefit. You have shown how you think as an adviser before the client has spent a penny.

Keep the reply small. An interested person should not be expected to provide passenger names, full dates of birth or payment information to ask an initial question. Those details belong later in an appropriate, secure booking process, only when needed.

Soft CTA examples for travel homeworkers

The following examples are starting points to adapt to your specialism and the content around them. The best wording sounds like the consultant behind it, not a mass-produced slogan.

Social media posts and short videos

A travel consultant showing a family-friendly resort in Majorca could explain the beach, transfer time and accommodation choices before asking: “Planning your first family holiday abroad? What is your biggest question about travelling with little ones?” This invites a useful conversation and gives the consultant clues about what to explain next.

For a short cruise video, you might ask: “Would you prefer more port stops or more time enjoying the ship? Tell me which sounds more like your ideal holiday.” Avoid asking a question solely to generate comments if you will never return to answer them. People need to see that the conversation matters.

Different platforms suit different forms of engagement. If you are deciding where to concentrate your efforts, read our practical guide to social media platforms for travel homeworkers.

Destination articles and blog posts

An article comparing the Canary Islands could close a section with: “If you are deciding between these islands, tell me what your perfect day on holiday looks like and I can help you narrow the options.” A guide to city breaks might instead invite readers to share whether they prefer museums, food or a packed sightseeing itinerary.

The invitation should follow helpful content, not replace it. A reader who arrived for advice about flight times or weather should receive genuine guidance before being asked to enquire. Our guide to creating a travel blog that attracts clients explores this longer-term trust-building role.

Lead magnets and useful resources

Some travellers would rather look at a practical guide privately before getting in touch. “Use this winter sun checklist to narrow down your ideal destination” can be a suitable next step, provided the guide actually answers useful questions. A download should not become a disguised sales pitch or an excuse to collect unnecessary personal details.

The example in our winter sun travel lead magnet guide shows how a helpful resource can lead naturally towards a better holiday brief.

Emails to interested subscribers

An email about choosing a first cruise might end: “Still weighing up river and ocean cruising? Reply with the sort of experience you have in mind and I will suggest which questions to ask next.” That is more welcoming than repeating a deadline or a generic sales instruction in every message.

If you use a longer sequence of useful messages, make the invitation appropriate to the subject of each email. Our guide to building a travel email nurture sequence explains how to remain useful between the initial interest and a genuine booking enquiry.

What to say when someone responds

A soft CTA only works commercially if you know what to do with the response. A comment or direct message is a beginning, not permission to start a hard sell. First acknowledge the question and give the person something helpful in return.

Suppose somebody replies that they want winter sun without a long flight. Rather than immediately sending three unrelated offers, you might say: “That helps. Are you looking for warm weather in November or later in winter, and would you rather stay somewhere quiet or with plenty happening nearby?” These are small, relevant questions that narrow down the possibilities.

When the conversation becomes a real enquiry, explain what information you need next: approximate dates, departure airport, party details relevant to suitability, budget range and any particular requirements. Tell the client what happens after they send it and when you expect to respond, without making a promise you cannot keep.

A useful distinction is between an interaction , where somebody comments or saves a post; an enquiry , where they ask for help with a real trip; and a qualified enquiry , where there is enough information to assess suitability and plan the next step. Treat these differently when you review results.

If somebody is not ready yet, give them a natural way back rather than chasing them repeatedly. You might offer a relevant guide or ask whether they would like to reconnect when their dates are clearer. Where you plan further promotional emails or messages, follow the appropriate UK privacy and direct-marketing requirements and the person’s choices. An enquiry is not blanket consent for ongoing marketing.

Use soft CTAs without losing clarity or trust

Gentle wording does not mean obscuring the commercial nature of your message. Make it clear that you are a travel consultant, that you are offering a travel service and that a personalised proposal depends on actual dates, availability, supplier conditions and the traveller’s requirements.

Be careful with “no obligation”, “free” or “guaranteed” unless the claim genuinely applies to the service being offered. Do not imply you have reserved a place, secured a price or established availability simply because a reader has asked a question. Avoid invented scarcity and pressure countdowns. If a genuine price or booking deadline matters, explain it accurately and only at the appropriate stage.

Make every link and button match the promise. “Compare family holiday options” should lead to a comparison or a clear conversation about those options, not an unexpected application form. On a phone, test that buttons work, forms are short and confirmation messages explain whether the enquiry has been received.

Consultants also need to stay within their current authorised booking, branding and product arrangements. The ITC training and support programme covers customer service, booking processes, compliance and progressive access to systems and suppliers. Marketing should always reflect what you can genuinely offer and support.

Common mistakes that make gentle marketing ineffective

The first is being so vague that nothing happens. “Let me know” asks a person to do all the thinking. A better invitation identifies one decision you can help with. Another is relying on engagement alone. A popular poll may be excellent for learning what people enjoy, but it is not the same as a travel enquiry.

The second mistake is putting several competing requests beneath the same post: follow, like, share, comment, download, message and book. Choose the one next step that fits the audience and the subject. Give alternatives only where they genuinely remove a barrier, such as offering email as well as telephone contact.

The third is sending quotations before you understand what the client values. Someone who mentions “somewhere warm” has not necessarily asked you to research prices. Find out what they mean by warm, who is travelling and how flexible they are before committing time to a full proposal.

Finally, do not copy the same friendly phrase into every post. A meaningful CTA relates to the information immediately above it. People are more likely to recognise its value when it is part of a genuine conversation rather than a familiar line pasted beneath every picture.

A simple way to test your CTAs over four weeks

You do not need sophisticated software to improve your wording. Start with one audience, one type of content and one clear outcome. For example, you could test whether a family-holiday post generates more useful enquiries when it asks about the children’s ages and preferred holiday style rather than saying “message for prices”.

1. Week one: Review three recent posts or pages. Note the existing invitation, where it leads and whether somebody responding would know what happens next.
2. Week two: Rewrite one CTA to answer a real client question. Keep the rest of the content broadly consistent so you can learn from the change.
3. Week three: Try the same principle in another channel, perhaps an email or destination article, adjusting the wording for that audience.
4. Week four: Look at the quality of replies, genuine enquiries, qualified briefs and any progression towards quotations, as well as the number of clicks or comments.

If you receive only a handful of responses, do not treat a tiny numerical difference as proof. Record the questions people asked and whether the enquiry was relevant. You may discover that a softer CTA attracts fewer messages but better-prepared clients, or that readers need a more direct route. Either finding is useful.

The goal is a repeatable habit of listening, improving and following up. An independent travel agent who understands their own audience can make better decisions than one who simply copies whichever wording is fashionable. For clients who have booked before, our guide to re-engaging past travel clients offers a more personalised starting point than treating everyone as a stranger.

For anyone new to travel homeworking, that is an encouraging place to start. You do not need polished sales patter. You need curiosity about the customer, the confidence to ask a relevant question and the willingness to learn from each conversation.

A note for members of the public

This guide is written mainly for people considering travel homeworking or developing their skills with The Independent Travel Consultants. If you are a traveller who found it while searching for holiday advice, you are very welcome too. You do not need to become a travel agent to benefit from speaking to someone who takes time to understand your plans.

You can find an independent travel agent through our public directory and explore consultants who may be a good match for the kind of holiday you are planning.

Frequently asked questions about soft CTAs

Start more conversations - and build the business behind them

The strongest travel marketing does not pressure everyone to book today. It helps the right person make the next sensible decision, whether that is comparing destinations, asking a question, sharing a brief or requesting a quotation. A thoughtful soft call to action can make that first conversation feel natural.

If you are thinking about building a travel business from home, these are skills you can develop. The Independent Travel Consultants supports self-employed homeworkers with structured training, booking processes, supplier access and a community to turn to for help. We do not promise instant bookings or guaranteed income; you bring the commitment to develop your business and relationships.

Interested in where travel homeworking could take you? Get in touch to arrange a discovery call. We can talk through your experience, what you want to build, how the ITC model works and whether it is a suitable next step. No hard sell - just a useful conversation.