Marketing tips
What's your one question?
Every business has one.
A question you're asked, again and again.
'Are you suitable for children?' 'Do you accept dogs?', 'Where are you?' (that often really means - 'what are you near that I've heard of')... or something equally simple.
Or there's something that visitors get wrong, again and again. It could be something like not realising you're close to/or a long way from a place, or not realising how much there is to do. Or maybe your visitors often regret not booking in advance for…
A lesson from bananas
40 years ago this week a small crowd gathered outside my window to watch a couple of bananas ripen. It was one of my first tourism marketing lessons, gained on the other side of the Iron Curtain.
I'd gone to Magdeburg in the former East Germany/GDR to work as a translator/interpreter. It was a long time ago when only the most naive, foolhardy and stubborn (i.e me) from Western Europe stepped into the country ruled by Russians, under a very strict regime.
When I left Yorkshire my mum did what…
What makes a successful tourism business now?
What makes a successful tourism business right now?
I've been thinking about this a lot recently, especially at a time when many are struggling.
These are some of the things that make businesses more successful:
1. Its instantly obvious
- what the business does,
- where it is and
- who it's for - through the business' description, imagery, website, and other marketing. Visitors don't have to work hard to fathom this out. If you think this is obvious - look at the majority of tourism business…
Small isn't just beautiful
Small is beautiful, better – and bigger than you might think
I’ve always been drawn to small businesses rather than corporate chains. I like the direct link between customers and business owners, between business owners and their local communities and their suppliers.
Most of the businesses I help are small, usually independently owned. Their owners frequently say things like, ‘it’s just a small business’ or ‘it’s just me/us’.
But… small businesses are almost always mightier than their owners…
Don't leave money on the table
Are you leaving money on the table? Or maybe just not attracting people who want to spend money with you?
There are reasons why you may not be attracting visitors or making as much money as you'd like.
Once you've considered each of these, small actions can have a big impact.
1. You don't make it clear who/what kind of people can benefit from your business. People often think something isn't for them, for example they may like the look of a holiday cottage but just not know what they'd…
Talk about your values
As money becomes tighter, visitors think more about how they spend their precious income.
Some visitors will turn to chain businesses because they think they’re trustworthy, and offer a standardised product.
Many others are turning their back on faceless chains, away from corporate giants, and businesses that might not really care.
They could turn to your business.
There's a real trend toward supporting 'purpose-driven' businesses - those with a strong ethical focus or aligned to the s…
Help visitors make a decision - in your favour
Right now there are some potential visitors who are very close to deciding to visit you.
They've got the money. They've got time off work. They want to visit.
But...
They can't quite make a decision.
Think about your own life. The trip you've almost planned. That book you nearly bought. The restaurant you might choose.
It's not that we don't want to do these things. We do. Sort of. We just can't quite make a decision.
You may not realise it but you're probably losing income and book…
Learn from the ant killer
If you wanted to kill ants*, would you buy 'Ant Killer' or 'Insect Spray'?
If you wanted to enjoy paddle boarding, would you get lessons from 'Peter the Paddle Boarding Expert' or the 'Outdoor Centre'?
If you wanted to stay somewhere cosy in Masham with an open fire would you google 'cottage in Masham with an open fire' or 'places to stay in Yorkshire'?
If you're a normal human being, your answer to each of those questions will have been the first, the most specific description.
Years ago everyo…
Create a compelling business description
How do you describe your business?
It might sound like a simple thing to do, yet most people are not that good at describing their own business.
It's an essential and free marketing activity so it's worth doing well.
If people don’t know what you do, they won’t visit. Your business description is used in so many ways: on your website, in social media profiles, when you speak to people, and when others talk about you.
These notes are designed to help you cre…
Look forward to the end of Winter
I doubt you really need to be told to look forward to the end of Winter?
So are you using that in your marketing?
Imagine this: there's a row of images, or series of short films.
Each one shows something going wrong in the world, or is a shouty message 'this person is terrible', or a photo of something horrible or bad.
There's just one that shows the green shoots of daffodil stems, and grass starting to grow again.
Another row of images has a similar bank of negative images. There's …