Many water parks have been shut down for an extended period of time; some have even been closed for close to a year. It goes without saying that the past year has been extremely challenging for water parks. However, when businesses take an extended absence like that, there can be a significant impact when they return.
If you want to set your water park up for a successful season, you'll need to get in front of your customers before opening day. Luckily, there are more marketing tools and strategies available to businesses than ever before, so that won't be too challenging. Let's take a look at several different ways your water park can get in front of your customers prior to opening day.
Create Videos
Recording a video used to require a lot of equipment, but everyone has a video camera right in their pocket these days. Use that to your advantage by shooting videos for your water park that will help reach your audience. People love videos, particularly YouTube. YouTube has over two billion monthly users, and their demographics should be incredibly appealing to your water park; 85% of 13-17 year olds, 91% of 18-29 year olds, and 87% of 30-49 year olds use YouTube. Since water parks usually target a family audience, it would be safe to assume that your customers use the site.
Prioritizing video creation and promotion as part of your water park marketing strategy makes a ton of sense, but you need to be careful and deliberate about the content you create. Countless videos are uploaded to YouTube every day, which means getting your video noticed will take effort. It can be helpful to think of the kind of content your audience is looking for when coming up with ideas for your videos. Use your video to provide answers to questions they may have. Right now, many might have questions about what your park is doing to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, so consider making a series of videos showing off your new safety protocols. Creating useful content is a great way to get noticed.
Additionally, it would help if you researched the do's and don'ts of using YouTube. YouTube uses an algorithm to determine what videos show up, and you can use it to your advantage. There are tons of videos and guides on how to do this, so be sure to take a look at those. Additionally, make sure you send your videos to your audience, whether on social media, your website, or through email. With the right strategy, your videos will find your customers and raise awareness for your water park re-opening.
Have a Soft Re-Opening to Build Hype
Many times before a business officially opens its doors to the public, the company will do a soft opening with friends and family. It's basically a test run to work out any kinks and see if any changes need to be made before the official opening. It's a tried and true tactic, but you could put your own spin on it for your re-opening.
To build hype and to ensure your water park is truly ready for opening day, why not run a contest that allows several lucky customers to your soft re-opening? Think of the engagement and traffic you could drive; your dedicated customers who are starved for some fun at your water park would be delighted. You could probably even get a story printed in the local paper, reaching even more people.
If you want to build excitement around your water park's re-opening, a soft launch would definitely hammer that point home. However, it would also benefit your water park by giving your staff some practice and making sure everything is ready for the public. A soft re-opening might not be possible for every water park, but if you can pull it off, it could pay off huge.
Send Your Customers Promo Cards
Want to really capture your customers' attention? Consider using the word FREE. If there's one thing people love, it's free stuff. You can use this to strengthen your water park marketing by sending out promo cards to your customers, allowing them to check out your goods and services for free.
You don't need to give away free trips to your water park for your promo cards to be effective. Even something as simple as a free burger from the concession stand will be enough to convince some customers to check out your water park. Your customers will appreciate the gesture, and it will help drive business.
You can customize your promo cards to fit your exact needs. Put a scratch-off on your promo cards to make it more interactive and build intrigue. Or, simply put the value of the card somewhere in the design. Include your logo and branding to maximize their effectiveness and give your water park marketing efforts a boost. There are tons of possibilities, but the key is to create cards that drive customers to come to check out your water park.
No matter what water park marketing strategies you choose to implement, getting in front of your customers before opening day is essential for your water park. If you need any custom printed marketing tools that can help, like promo cards, gift cards, custom signage, and more, the experts at Plastic Printers have you covered. Please reach out to us and let us know what you need; we make getting the custom tools your water park needs fast and easy.
Amusement parks transport guests into a world of excitement, wonder, and adventure. However, even a park with the most thrilling roller coasters and captivating attractions can fall short if not marketed effectively. In such a highly competitive industry, it's crucial for amusement park owners to craft a compelling marketing plan to attract new visitors. Here are some top marketing tips to help your amusement park to draw in more visitors.
Branding is what makes your park’s identity stand out from the rest of your competitors. A well-crafted brand identity shows off your park's unique values, theme, and attractions, all while creating a cohesive and memorable narrative that sticks in the minds of visitors. This should be implemented in all of your marketing touchpoints, helping to transform your park from a mere weekend destination to a cherished and enduring part of your guest’s lives.
It’s no secret that social media is a powerful tool for connecting with audiences online, but are you using it to its greatest potential to market your amusement park? Sure, simply posting photos from your park is a good start, but there are so many more things you can do to harness social media’s unique power of connectivity. Posting interactive content that is designed to be shared with others, such as sneak peeks of new rides, customer testimonials, and interactive contests, can create buzz and encourage people to share your posts. This extends your reach organically, all without having to spend money on paid ads. For more inspiration, read our comprehensive guide to social media marketing for event producers.
Influencer marketing is a newer way to promote your amusement park in a way that can be more relatable to the guest experience. To get started, browse your social media feed to find relevant influencers to partner with who have a strong online presence and appeal to your target audience. Then, invite them for exclusive experiences at your park and, in exchange, have them share their adventures with their followers. In a world where word-of-mouth recommendations are everything, authentic endorsements from influencers that followers respect can go a long way in building credibility and trust.
Media coverage is a great way to amplify your park's visibility to new audiences. By being featured in news articles, TV segments, or radio interviews, amusement parks can show off what makes them unique, like their latest attractions or any upcoming special events. This type of exposure generates hype and gets potential visitors excited about spending their day at your park. To get started, easily get your amusement park listed in hundreds of local media directories without having to complete individual submissions using Passage’s “Promote your Event” feature.
With the number of global email users expected to reach 4.48 billion by 2024, don’t count out email in your marketing strategy. Build and maintain a mailing list of both past visitors and potential guests that fit in your target audience. Then, regularly send out engaging emails with updates on new attractions, upcoming events, and exclusive special offers. When crafting your message, think about what you want to say, and, more importantly, what do you want readers to do as a result. Personalized emails that offer exclusive discounts or perks can give that extra boost to entice recipients to plan a visit.
If you haven’t already been capitalizing on user-generated content (UGC), now is the time to do so. Utilizing UGC means taking images and videos that your visitors have posted on their own social media accounts and featuring them on your social pages. Encourage visitors to share their own UGC by creating designated hashtags or photo spots within the park. This can then be showcased on your website and social media channels. This not only provides authentic testimonials, but also turns visitors into advocates who help spread the word about your park.
Amusement parks are known for their visuals. Whether it’s a colorful splash pad or a roller coaster zooming by at top speeds, there's no shortage of exciting images that come from the explosion of entertainment at an amusement park. This is why investing in a high quality promotional video can be one of the best ways to connect with your audience and get them excited about visiting your park. This video can be placed on your website, on your social media pages, and be used in advertisements.
Online ticketing serves as a gateway to gathering information on your customer base that you can use in your marketing strategy. This information can give you valuable insights into your target audience’s wants and interests. Additionally, you can use it to further build your mailing list, where you can send guests personalized emails that ask about their experience, give them personalized offers, or promote new attractions. While you’re busy getting started on these other marketing strategies, let our concierge support take care of your ticketing set up for you! Schedule a demo to see how you can start selling tickets in minutes.
Developing a successful marketing plan for amusement parks requires a careful blend of creativity and a deep understanding of your brand and the experiences you offer. When potential guests are planning out their perfect day, you want your park to be at the forefront of their minds. By implementing these marketing tips, you’ll be able to leave guests with memories of an unforgettable adventure.
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