Marketing tips
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 …
Make a plan for Spring
Don't panic or look away!!
This might look like a lot but I've done lots of thinking for you... and you don't need to tackle everything at once.
As the leaves start to appear on trees, more visitors will be arriving.
Is your marketing ready to make the best of the year ahead?
If you use this quieter time to plan out your marketing and tweak some of the details, it will be much easier late as you get busier.
The following is just a suggestion. You might plan to just take some of these sugg…
Last minute bookings - curse or opportunities
Every year more businesses owners say to me, 'we're getting more and more last minute bookings', 'there's no real pattern - on days we don't expect to be busy, we are and then on other days barely anyone comes'.
This isn't a temporary blip. It's a trend that's here to stay.
So what can you do? You have a few choices:
1. Do nothing, hope for the best - but it feels pretty scary
2. Do some panicked marketing, usually leading with special offers and discounts - but then visitors will come to …
Money time energy health - what's most important for your visitors?
I think this is going to be a tricky year for many tourism businesses. There will be opportunities too, for those who're able to grab them. What can you do to maximise your revenue this year?
Many are worried about rising prices. Offering good value for money (not necessarily lowering prices) will be essential.
Over the coming months I think that visitors will have other pre-occupations too. These pre-occupations are all human nature, and become more prevalent:
- Time - how to spend it wise…