Wednesday, August 27, 2025 — At this month’s Advocate Member Meet-Up, Propellic Founder & CEO Brennen Bliss shared practical advice for start-ups on how to use digital tools to attract customers, earn bookings and grow their businesses.
Bliss, whose company Propellic has supported more than 60 travel brands with customer acquisition strategies, noted that while big players like Booking.com and Expedia have marketing machines in place, start-ups often struggle to convert awareness into bookings. That’s where having the right framework makes all the difference.
He encouraged founders to focus less on vanity metrics such as impressions and likes and more on what matters most: converting social engagement into bookings. For early-stage companies, this means carefully tracking results, identifying the right target audiences and ensuring no single marketing channel accounts for too much of their growth.
“Start-ups need to be especially cautious about over-reliance on one source of traffic,” Bliss explained. “When a channel changes overnight, it can put the whole business at risk.”
Social media is a powerful tool for start-ups to inspire travelers and build early trust, but it rarely delivers immediate bookings alone. To succeed, companies must pair organic content with retargeting campaigns and search ads, where most conversions actually happen.
“Organic social is an inspiration engine, but without a way to capture and convert travelers later, start-ups risk inspiring bookings for someone else,” Bliss said.
Looking ahead, he advised founders to keep a close eye on artificial intelligence, which is beginning to reshape the “messy middle” of travel planning. For start-ups, this means rethinking content strategies and staying nimble as traveler behavior shifts.
Travel Tech’s monthly Advocate Member Meet-Ups connect start-up founders with experienced leaders like Brennan Bliss to share lessons learned, uncover roadblocks and accelerate growth.
Learn more about Travel Tech’s Advocate Member Program to gain access to additional practical insights.
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The Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech) empowers traveler choice by advocating for public policy that promotes marketplace transparency and competition. Travel Tech represents the leading innovators in travel technology, including online travel agencies, metasearch engines, short-term rental platforms, global distribution systems, and travel management companies.
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