Promotional emailing is the most cost effective method to reach the retail travel agent. You will be able to quickly measure the success of your e-mail campaign. We have compiled the following list of FAQs (frequently asked questions).

What is the cost of your email service?

• A single email broadcast to the entire database starts at .025 per email transmitted. The rate decreases based upon frequency. You are charged only for the successful emails transmitted.

How do you obtain the agency email addresses?

• We first began maintaining a data base of travel agents in 1975. In 1996 we began adding email to our database. Included in the list are the email addresses of the CLIA, ARC, IATAN, ASTA and ARTA members that have an email address plus those agents who belong to major consortiums such as Giants and Virtuoso. We provide our mailing data to several mail houses specializing in the travel industry. These mail houses usually send a newsletter requesting the email address and any updated address information from each agency. This information is given to us so that we always have the latest agency information. We have spent thousands of hours researching and telephoning to develop this comprehensive list. The database contains both high-end leisure as well as qualified commercial agents.

What about the database?

• There are over 92,000 email addresses to retail agents and more are being added each day. There are no wholesalers on the list, however there may be a few agents that do offer some services to the retail trade. Many of the 92,000 addresses on the list are to different agencies. Approximately 40,000 are to additional addresses within the same agency as many travel agents have asked us to send email messages to other travel counselors within their agency.

How do I know you are really emailing to a database of 92,000?

• When you blast fax or mail a promotion, you have a printed record of what was sent and to whom. With promotional emailing you generally have to take our word and judge by the response to your campaign. There is no software that will tell the number of emails transmitted. As mentioned above, it is possible to tell the number of emails opened.

How will my message look?

• Your message will be sent in an HTML format allowing the message to contain different type fonts (web standard), sizes, colors, pictures, art and logos. HTML is the computer language used to create web pages. If you wish, you can create your own HTML message and email it to us for distribution, however we will reconstruct the messages source code to be compliant with our software.

How large can my message be?

• Any size, there is no limit on the length of the message. We recommend shorter, more interesting messages to keep the readers attention. Your message is most effective when it is the same size as a one page fax.

Can I include graphics, pictures or my company logo?

• Yes.

Can you email to a specific geographic region?

• Yes, but since we are emailing your message to a smaller database, we must charge a slightly higher per message transmitted price.

Is there any guarantee agents will open it?

• No, there is no guarantee, however we have found the catchier the subject heading, the better the chances are of having the message opened and thoroughly read. We will ask you to supply us with the subject heading.

Are these email messages considered as SPAM (junk email)?

• No, we have emailed every recipient more than once and have asked for their permission to send them email such as yours. In order to maintain the interest of the retail travel agent, from time to time we send them important travel agency news, information on fam trips and anything that we think will be useful to them. These messages are sent free of charge and are separate from any commercial message.

What can I expect from an email campaign?

• Email promoting should not be considered as a replacement for printed media, but as an economical adjunct to your current marketing plan. It is quickly replacing the fax and Agents like it better because it doesn't waste paper, tie up a fax machine or telephone line. An email can easily be printed or stored in an agents computer for future reference.

Why is email promoting better than faxing?

• Cost efficiency
• Immediate response
• The message is received at the agents workstation
• The information can be stored for future reference
• The presentation is in color and usually includes a company logo and pictures
• The presentation can be linked to any web site

Can you send a message to our in-house database?

• Yes, the cost is dependent on the size of the database and the setup time required.

What about agents not able to receive e-mail in HTML format?

• This happens to those who use older versions of AOL as their service provider and a few agents that are still using old browsers. The total is about 12% of our database. In such cases, these travel agents are sent a message in a text format.

How do I pay for the service?

• You will be invoiced prior to your email transmission. Payment in full must be received by Smart Travel Communications before your email message will be sent unless other arrangements have been made. Payments may be made by company check or any major credit card.

Why can't I do my own email promoting?

• You can, if you wish to subscribe to a high speed internet line (DSL, ISDN or T-1), maintain a server computer, compile the addresses(it took us several years) and find an ISP (Internet Service Provider) that will allow you bulk distribution. We maintain our own servers and are connected directly to the internet through several high-speed lines.

Do you have any references?

• Yes, we have been providing our services to travel suppliers for many years and have been in the travel industry for more than 40 years. Just ask us for references.

Can you send me any samples of emails you have sent?

• Yes, just give us a call and we will be happy to email you samples of messages we have transmitted for other satisfied customers. Or you can view our Customers page to view some of our work.