If you have ever heard the saying, “plan for success or you’ll be planning for failure” and you run the marketing for a business, then you know there is truth behind that saying. Businesses located in resort areas or at prime travel destinations know the time to start thinking about the summer selling season is right after packing away holiday decorations. Plan now to reach new customers so you can relax later knowing you’ll be helping people enjoy their favorite time of the year – summer vacation! Before you break out your beach towel and sunglasses, conduct a quick assessment of all of your digital marketing assets. Below is a list of where you should start.
1. Plan your digital marketing calendar now. What months and weeks will you be running specials to get bookings, sell sale items and extend offers to garner interest? This means looking over your social media calendar and email marketing as well to promote all of the things you want to promote. Remember, content is king when it comes to digital marketing.
2. Check your website. Does it need to be updated? Are your photos, offers and pricing up to date? Does your website need a new look to mirror your business? Now is the time to contact a qualified website marketing company. Remember that creating a website is more than just putting stuff online; it is your 24/7 marketing associate gathering leads for your business. Don’t forget SEO (search engine optimization) and how important it is that people find you when they are looking for every specific service you offer.
3. Get professional photography. Digital marketing is very visual so once you have written your marketing plan and checked your website, get photography for the inside of your business and when spring arrives, begin taking outside photos. You’ll be busy in the summer so you need a bank of videos and imagery to share what you do. Create a portfolio of images that you can use for quick offers in your social media post planning.
4. Plan Media Buys. Decide now how much you are willing to spend to promote these offers and contact ad vendors or your advertising agency to get them on board for media buys. If you book early, you can usually get better rates rather than trying to book at the last minute when inventory is nearly full. Think of the law of supply and demand; you’ll get better rates when the inventory is high versus low.
5. Develop partnerships. Reach out to other businesses nearby that can team up with you to cross promote. For example, if you are a resort or realty company, team up with a restaurant and attraction to plan some packages. If you are a restaurant, museum or art gallery, team up with hotels to offer discounts for visitors.
Get all of your ducks in a row now so you can move along swimmingly throughout the summer. If you need marketing advice, website help and social media management, call Bellagurl. With our destination marketing experience, we know what it takes to reach tourists and further develop a strong local following so you’ll have a booming off-season. Simply put, we make marketing that matters all year long.
