December 28, 2021
Destination marketing is in constant evolution. Customers change their interests and preferences all the time, and now they have unlimited access to an ever-growing list of alternatives to pick from online. To effectively run and grow your tour & activity business, you need to keep up with the times and build a winning marketing strategy that will keep you in the consumer's mind.
There are many ways in which destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and destination-centered businesses can promote tourist services in a specific city, region, or country. But before you start building a strategy to increase the number of travelers that frequent your business, you need to take some considerations into account.
One of the primary objectives of destination marketing is to improve the well-being of both locals and tourists by increasing the value of a particular location. Prior to choosing the marketing strategy that works best for your company, you need to do a little bit of prep work. This involves researching your target audience and market environment and setting up an outline of your goals and the obstacles preventing you from reaching them.
Assessing all these factors will help you understand where you're standing and define where you want to go. Your destination marketing strategy should ultimately educate people about your services and get them interested in booking your tours and activities.
Your marketing strategy should ideally make you more money than you're investing in it. That's why you need to be careful when selecting the marketing plan you'll implement. Always keep your goals in mind and choose the marketing actions you think will work best for your specific needs. These are the top examples of marketing strategies that will increase your ROI in 2022.
It's more than obvious we now live in a digital world. People spend more time online than ever before, and you need to use that in your favor when building your destination marketing strategy.
Digital ads are an excellent way to reach your ideal customer. Additionally, they're cheaper, more accessible, and more targeted. A predominantly digital marketing plan will allow you to create brand awareness, test your messaging, reach a wider audience, and get previous visitors to come back.
While mobile advertising is a digital advertising action, it's worth mentioning on its own. Not only are people spending more time online than ever before, but they're typically doing it on the go. Nowadays, consumers can access all the information they need about a particular destination in just a few taps on their touch screens.
Mobile bookings are all the rage right now, so you should make it much easier for your audience to find your services and make a reservation on the spot. Adopting a customer-centered mobile-first mindset will enhance your user experience and set you apart from your competitors.
Make sure you optimize your website by making it mobile-responsive. Another excellent idea is to introduce your very own mobile app. You could also offer your clients extra value by creating a simple city guide that highlights all the interesting tours and activities in your area.
An excellent marketing approach these days is to go all-in with data analytics. Doing so will allow you to learn more about your customers so that you can make better marketing decisions. It will let you customize your promotional efforts to attract your target audience and adapt your services to their wants and needs.
Some of the information you should be gathering on your customers is:
While you can obtain and track some of this data with handy tools like Google Analytics, you can also survey your customers. Again, the goal is to base your marketing decisions on cold-pressed facts rather than mere speculation.
Look for individuals and organizations with similar interests to yours and partner up. Increasing the size of your network will allow you to reach a wider audience and gain credibility if you're a newcomer. In addition, having a solid partnership to promote your business could potentially reduce your dependence on government support or other types of sponsorship.
Working with accommodation providers, restaurants, and other local businesses is a terrific way to market your services. When travelers visit your area, they'll be more likely to notice you and reach out. Additionally, you can provide your customers with a better experience that saves them time and money if you bundle your services with your partners'.
You should aim for your tourist services company to be self-sustainable. That's why investing in a consistent brand image is a must. Your ideal customers will take you more seriously if you inject quality into your logo, website, imagery, etc. Highlight your business's uniqueness but get a tad nitpicky whit the colors you choose, what you post online, your marketing material, your tagline, and your overall messaging.
Telling your story right is crucial to running a winning marketing strategy. Your brand's story must be conveyed using the right words in the right voice to appeal to your customers' emotional side. This way, the next time they're thinking about a place to visit, they'll remember you. When you create moving memories for your audience, they're more likely to purchase a service from you or recommend you to their inner circle.
Who doesn't like a good discount? It's a fact that traveling expenses tend to add up, so many tourists look for the best bargains to complement their experience. You could opt to offer your frequent clients loyalty discounts or referral codes they can share with their friends and family. This could expand your clientele and increase your sales in the long run.
Setting the right marketing strategy for your tour & activity company is essential to attract more customers. When done right, it should allow you to get more bang for your buck as well. The list above mentions only some of the ideas that will help you increase your ROI. If you want another way to increase your bookings and simplify your and your customers' lives, join the Junglebee community today.
