Travel Counsellors’ first digital workshop designed specifically for older teens of the company’s independent travel specialists has been piloted in Ireland. The initiative focused on upskilling them on key social media marketing skills, allowing them to utilise their knowledge to assist in their own family business during busy periods. Above, Katie Roche, with her mother, Travel Counsellor Gina Quinn, receives her certificate.
The training, which will be rolled out globally for teenagers of Travel Counsellors over the age of digital consent, included managing social media for business safely, best practice, and the planning and execution of digital campaigns.
Cathy Burke, General Manager, Travel Counsellors Ireland, said: “As individual Travel Counsellors are largely home-based, family life plays an important role in their business. This digital workshop was focused at older teens of Travel Counsellors, offering them valuable insight into some of the aspects involved in being an entrepreneur and running your own company.
“Online skills are absolutely necessary to market a business and we wanted to show teenagers safe ways to use social media that can be of benefit. This means they can assist, in their own small way, in the development and growth of their parent’s business. We already provide social media training to all Travel Counsellors, and this new workshop is another avenue of how we offer ongoing support.”
Launched at Travel Counsellors’ Irish headquarters in Cork, the training was provided by Laura Belshaw, Social Media Manager for Travel Counsellors globally, along with Stacy Ryall, Marketing Executive, and Nessa Hurley, Careers & Marketing Executive, Travel Counsellors Ireland.
Travel Counsellor Sarah McCarthy, whose son Frank took part in the training, said: “Social media is such an important tool to build brand awareness. However, often during the busy periods of the year, especially the summer months, posting, engaging and utilising my social media platforms can often fall by the wayside over more pressing matters.
“This workshop provided Frank with valuable insight into what is actually involved in running a business. He now composes some of my posts, which I then approve before they are published. It has really taught him social media responsibility, how you can grow a business online, and insight into utilising different platforms in a way that is beneficial.”
Frank said: “I have grown up with social media at my fingertips but never thought before about using these skills to support my mum’s travel business. It was really good to learn more about the best ways to use social media marketing in business, and this experience will be something I can also put on my CV.”
The workshop included training on the business specific side of social media platforms, along with creative interactive team challenges. These involved the creation of social media campaigns with specific audience briefs, and the styling of flat lays with Travel Counsellors branded products.
