The Sun Is Out, But Where Are All Your Customers?
What’s the secret to a busy attraction, whatever the weather?
So here are some strategies you can implement into your marketing to draw the crowds.
Sunshine makes everything better. Having dinner? Eat alfresco! Exercising? Ditch the treadmill for the park! Socialising with friends? Hello, beer garden! You get the idea…
The same goes for visitor attractions, right?
Not always.
We’ve all heard it before, “If the weather’s good, people will just turn up,” and while in some cases that might be true, sunshine itself doesn’t guarantee footfall.
Even if you’re blessed with beautiful weather, if you don’t have a consistent marketing strategy in place, your attraction will still be empty. Queue the tumbleweed.
Sunshine doesn’t give you visibility. Good marketing does, and that’s what we’re going to cover in this blog, sharing our tips on how to create a buzzing attraction no matter the forecast.
What’s the secret to a busy attraction, whatever the weather?
While the sunshine certainly helps with increasing visitors, it can’t be relied on. So here are some strategies you can implement into your marketing to draw the crowds.
You need to build anticipation
Don’t wait for the sun to shine to make a post on your social media. A last-minute ‘the sun’s out - come and visit us’ just won’t do the trick - you’re too late, they’ve already booked!
The key is to start building anticipation early. Create buzz and excitement before people have even thought about making their summer plans. That means during the low seasons, start building demand by creating awareness around your business. This could be testing out ideas on your social media, building a community and gathering the data so you know what will work best in the peak sunny season for maximum impact.
By the time summer hits, you’ll already be ahead of competitors. Without having shared your offerings or engaging in your community, prospects might have chosen another attraction to visit.
Why should people visit your attraction on a sunny day?
What makes your attraction the best place to be when the weather is good?
That’s where your online marketing comes in.
Use the power of your online presence to showcase why your attraction is better than your competitors, regardless of the weather. What makes you stand out? Why are you the go-to visitor attraction when the sun shines?
Through sharing content on your social media, newsletters and website, paint a picture that is easy for prospects to imagine. Help them experience what it feels like to enjoy a warm, sunny day at your attraction. That’s when they’ll start making plans.
The weather might encourage people outdoors, but it’s the experiences you offer that will ultimately get them to book. Your experience is the main event, not the sunshine.
Stay at the front of your audience’s mind
Chances are your customers are busy people with lots to do and places to be. Hearing about your attraction once doesn’t guarantee they’ll remember you - people need reminders!
That’s why consistent marketing is important.
Front-of-mind awareness is crucial when it comes to marketing and business strategy. You want to be the first place people think of when they book a visitor attraction.
Start by asking yourself these questions:
What do you want to be known for?
What do you offer that is unique to your competitors?
What are your values?
What is your identity?
The next thing to consider is where your prospects spend their time. Are they on Instagram or TikTok? Is there a community on Facebook? Would a mailing list work better for your demographic?
Once you’ve established who you are and how you want to showcase your message, and identified your prospects and where to reach them, then you can start creating a consistent strategy plan.
Use consistent posts, engaging stories and even targeted ads to make sure your attraction stays front of mind for your audience.
Need help bringing the crowds, come rain or shine?
Lucky for you, that’s exactly what we do and here’s how:
Marketing audits
Our audits are essential to finding out what works for your business. It also helps to identify what isn’t working. With a helping hand from us, it’ll save you time and money. If you’d like to know more about audits, we have a whole blog post about it here.
Social Media Strategy
Remember that excitement and anticipation we were talking about before? Ta-da! We can help with that. We’ll make a content plan to increase anticipation so your customers want to visit all year round!
Social Media Management
If you’re too busy running your attraction to even think about making the most of social media, then let us handle your content so you stay visible even on cloudy days!
Get in touch to learn more about how we can help.