Every Travel Brand Talks About Their WHAT. Few Dare to Share Their WHY

Here’s why you should.

Ever get stuck trying to explain what makes your brand different, without sounding like every other travel business out there?

That’s where your WHY comes in. It’s the reason people feel something when they land on your site or read your emails.

What’s your WHY?

I’m talking about your USP, our Unique Selling Proposition.

Some refer to it as a UVP, CVP, POD, a position statement or your differentiator.

Perhaps you prefer a more creative, friendlier alternative, such as your X Factor, brand promise, signature approach, your edge or brand essence.

Whatever name you choose, it boils down to this:

💡Identifying your brand’s unique position in the market

→ To do this well, you need to know your competitors:

What they do well, where they fall short and how you're different. Because if you're offering the same things with the same message, it’s hard to give someone a reason to choose you.

→ Then you need to pair that with who you're speaking to:

And you can’t speak to all of them. Because when you speak to everyone, you're not speaking to anyone in particular. That’s why you need to know your ICA — your ideal traveler or customer persona, who is the best fit for your offer.

→ Plus, you need to bring in your strength:

That’s the thing you do exceptionally well. It might be a service that no one else offers, but more likely in our crowded travel market, it’s your insider knowledge and your execution that set you apart.

✔ You find your WHY where your audience’s needs, your strengths and the market gaps meet.

Today, we sharpen your WHY so the right people say yes

And before we can work with some formulas, you need to dig into the answers to some questions:

Why would a potential traveler choose you over another provider?

What problems do you solve or desires do you meet?

Skills you have:

Credentials (like which awards you’ve won, have you been on podcasts or in industry articles):

What’s your “I’m so damn good at this” thing? And can you prove it?

(Testimonials are great for this)

Time to fill in the blanks and find your WHY

I’m going to show you 3 options and then I’ll tell you why they actually fall flat, and we’ll try a more advanced take on your WHY.

• I/We help X do Y by Z. 

(x = who you help, y= what you help achieve, z = how you do it)

Example: I help travel brands turn lookers into bookers by optimizing their website and email copy for higher conversion.

Your turn:

• [My product or service] helps [my ideal client] who wants to [job that needs to be completed] by [the unique solution I provide] [benefit your client gets]

Example: Conversion copywriting that helps travel brands who want to turn lookers into bookers by optimizing their website and email messaging, so they get more direct bookings and grow revenue without chasing leads.

Your turn:

• I help [ideal customer] achieve [specific goal or benefit] by [your solution]. [Unlike competitors and their shortcomings] I offer [your unique value]

Example: I help travel brands turn lookers into bookers by optimizing their website and email messaging. Unlike generic copywriters who focus on wordsmithing instead of strategy, I offer conversion copywriting that’s client-focused, research-backed and conversion-driven to grow bookings and revenue.

Your turn:

This exercise helped you get clear on what sets you apart 

Still, the problem is that those three formulas reflect a traditional outside-in approach. 

WHAT → HOW → WHY.

Let’s break it down:

Formula 1: I/We help X do Y by Z

Starts with WHAT you do, moves into WHO it’s for and ends with HOW you do it. It cuts the WHY.

Formula 2: [Product] helps [client] who wants to [job] by [solution], so they [benefit]

Starts with WHAT, defines WHO and WHAT they want and then describes HOW. Ends with a result/benefit, which may imply the WHY, but still outcome-based, not belief-based.

Formula 3: I help [client] achieve [goal] by [solution]. Unlike [competitor], I offer [differentiator].

Very much a positioning statement rooted in WHAT + HOW, with a clear contrast, practical and persuasive. However, the WHY is not part of the structure.

💡The big problem is that people don’t buy what you do — they buy why you do it

Quite simply, that’s why these 3 outside-in formulas fall short, even though they’re designed for clarity, positioning and conversion.

Because the goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe.

But if we start with our WHAT, we’re only activating your reader’s neocortex, the part responsible for rational, analytical thinking and language.

And that’s a big problem, because we buy based on emotion and justify with logic.

While that may sound flat, it makes more sense when you realize that emotion is how the subconscious signals a buying decision to the conscious mind.

Studies in neuroscience show that without access to the limbic brain, which processes emotion, people struggle to make even simple decisions.

Consequently, I prefer working on the WHY through Simon Sinek’s Why → How → What Formula. 

Which means you get to work from the inside out and create emotional resonance, trust and brand loyalty.

Check out a quick TED Talk by Simon Sinek HERE (17:47 minutes).

💡While you don’t need to include your WHY explicitly, your messaging carries more weight when you do

Ready to try?

Your belief forms this framework:

WHY

"I'm obsessed with ________________."

HOW

I do this by ________________.

WHAT

I create [X] the world needs.

Your WHY lets you show up with purpose and guides everything from your headlines to your booking flow.

Because when your WHY leads, the right people follow.

Did you just figure out your WHY?

→ Shout it from the rooftops

→ Pick up your megaphone 

→ Use it to guide your messaging across your website, emails, offers, and partnerships

As you and your brand grow, revisit and refine it again. Your WHY won’t change overnight, but your clarity will deepen every time you revisit it. 

Just know your WHY isn’t based on your profit; your profit is the result of it. 

Your WHY is your purpose, the reason your brand exists.

And if you need help download this free WHY Google Worksheet, I'll also walk you through my version. It's messy to get into the right headspace, so hang in there. That's why I show you my entire thought and editing process.

GIVE ME THE FREE WORKBOOK

P.S. To download the free WHY Google Worksheet, click the prompt: Make a copy