hen you run a seasonal business, keeping your customers engaged during the off season takes planning. Seasonal businesses can still thrive when you are not actively taking bookings. Check out these simple ideas to market your business during your off season.
Offer Specials to Past Customers - use your favorite email marketing program to send a message with a special package that is only available to previous customers who book for next season. Ideas for specials include:
- Free Tube Rental with a Full Day Pontoon rental
- Add a GoPro with their Kayak Tour
- 6 Hour rental for the price of a 4 Hour rental
- Stocked cooler with drinks and snacks for a Fishing Boat rental
The options are endless, but offering a special for returning customers next season is a great way to get repeat business. Using Promotions in BookingCentral gives you the option to create several of these special offerings, so customers can book in advance to take advantage of the deal.
Early Bird Discounts - Eager travelers may be already planning for their next summer trip. Consider offering a promotion to customers who book early for next season. Even a small discount, such as 10% or 15% off will entice a customer who is looking for a good deal. This is a great reward to a customer, and also to you who gets the reservation on the books now for next season. BookingCentral allows you to set Promotion Codes in the system and include an expiration date that only lasts a month or two throughout the winter. Create the code, and then advertise the code on your website, booking page, and social media sites.
Keep active on Social Media - Weekly posts on your social media sites with tips and stories is a great way to keep your customers engaged throughout the year. You can consider running a contest on your page to entice followers to book. Use whatever rental or activity your business offers to create a fun contest. Contest ideas such as:
- Ask followers to post their favorite national park experience. Choose your top 3 answers. The prize is a free s'mores kit with their RV rental.
- Ask followers to share a photo of them riding a jet ski. The prize is a free GoPro rental with their jet ski rental.
- Ask followres to share your page with friends, and randomly pick 2 people as winners of an extra hour on their ATV rental.
Send contest winners a voucher for the prize, so they can easily apply their winnings to a booking. With BookingCentral, you can create vouchers for any dollar amount. Cusotmers can easily apply the voucher when booking online, and you can track voucher usage from the system.
Advertise new Inventory for next season - Getting some new equipment for next season? Create excitement with past and future customers by showcasing what is to come for next season. Post pictures on your website and social media sites. Send emails to past customers with details, and give them the opportunity to book first for the new rental. With BookingCentral, you can set up new equipment with prices and allow customers to book in advance by setting the available dates in the system.
Want to learn more about BookingCentral? Reach out to our team to discover how BookingCentral supports your business by providing a booking platform that offers tons of cool features you need for your rental or activity business.
