Is it seriously March already? Spring Break season is fast approaching and you know what that means – well, for business marketing anyways – it’s time for your business to take advantage of peak tourist season. Spring Break is an excellent opportunity to expand your business, gain exposure and bring in some new clients and customers. Do you know how to successfully market your business to Spring Breakers?
Start with the Locals
Want to know one of the best ways to bring in the tourists when they come to town? Start by winning over the locals! Why? Well, who do you think the tourists are going to look to for referrals on places to go and things to do? That’s right – the locals. If you spend the rest of the year building a good rapport with the locals, then you will basically end up with free advertising during peak tourist seasons like Spring Break.
Follow the Crowds
Spring Break is sure to bring out all of the area’s best events, and those events present the perfect marketing opportunity for your business. Follow the crowds to these big events and take advantage by setting up a booth, mingling with the Spring Breakers and passing out info about your business.
Draw in the Crowd with Special Deals
If you own a business such as a restaurant or retail store, bring the crowd to you! Spring Break is the perfect time of year to bring out your best deals that will have the tourists lining up at your door to take advantage. You can promote these deals via your social media platforms, and if you’re lucky the locals will spread the word as well.
Consider Some Seasonal Giveaways
Spring Break is a great time to host contests and giveaways – why? Because people love free stuff. And also because it will draw attention to your business, helping you to bring in more customers. Social media is a great platform for contests and giveaways, so brainstorm some ideas and take advantage of the opportunity. This is also a great way to gain more followers on your social channels, by asking your audience to ‘like’ and ‘share’ as part of the contest.
Partner with other Local Businesses
Have you considered teaming up with other local businesses as part of your marketing strategy? There are plenty of cross-marketing allies out there that could be a huge help in gaining exposure for your business. You could host an event together, gain referrals through the partnership and increase the overall exposure for both of your businesses. Who would you choose to team up with?
Go Mobile
Put yourself in the shoes of a tourist – what’s the first thing that you do when you are looking for a recommendation on a place to go, service needed, etc? That’s right – you pick up your smartphone and start searching online. Spring Breakers are going to gravitate to whatever is the most mobile-friendly, so if you have yet to go mobile with your website design, now is the time!
Build up Online Reviews
Speaking of going mobile, another thing to consider is online reviews. Sites like Yelp, Facebook and Google Reviews have become a popular source for business reviews and recommendations. It is worth dedicating some time to building up these online reviews so that when the Spring Breakers come to town, they will notice your strong online presence and will be more likely to choose your business over another.
Use Your Social Channels to Target Spring Breakers
When Spring Break rolls around and you know that the tourists will be looking to sites like Facebook as a source of information, use your social channels to give them the information that they are looking for. Share information about local events (especially ones that you are participating in), deals that your business is offering, and all of the area’s local happenings.
For more information about The Storyteller Agency, or to share your vision and story with us, contact us here. And then go out and tell a good story.
