b'MODERN MARKETINGOn Site Recreation: 10 Ways to Promote Your Program Smart modern marketers know that determining their target market is job No. 1.Evanne Knowing who you want to entertain (and communicate with, sometimes differ- Schmarderent) is an absolute must.Have you seen the recently releasedPrint Promotionbusiness (and 100% of survey respon- Bridging the GapWoodallsCampgroundMagazinesBoth pre-stay and onsite print pro- dentsusingsocialmediasaidtheyIn several cases, you may find that (WCM) Owner and Manager Survey?motions can help you meet your goals.were),promoteyourprogramasabringing together hard copy promotion Bravo to the nearly 500 owners and op- Take a look at these three ideas and seewhole and individual events on yourwithonlinemarketingyieldsmore erators who participated. Benchmark- how they can work for you:Page with specific details.awareness and interest. For example, ingunderstandingperformance Reservation ConfirmationsGoogle My Businesshere are two to think on:metrics across a swath of comparable Flyers/Handouts/SitemapsClaim your Google My Business pro- 1. QR Codes: Use these 2-D barcodes businessescan be a powerful tool in Park Signagefile and update your blurb, highlightingon your printed materialsignage, developing a prosperous operation.Take advantage of these communi- your upcoming happenings and direct- reservationconfirmations,inyour To attract new campers and retaincation tools to tease your parks hap- ing interested parties to your programssitemap, etc. with information on how current customers, in terms of demo- penings,specialmulti-weekendorwebpage. to scan the code with their device. This graphics and stay profiles, survey re- mid-week stay specials, and past eventEmail Marketingnifty digital marketing tool allows them spondents top two mentioned 2023participant comments. Encourage youre-Newsletters allow you to expandto access your electronic presence and plannedchangesareaddingonsiteguests to participate in dress-up, siteyour message. Add rec program detailsis a novel way to build buzz. recreation/activities and more full RVdecorating, a karaoke contest, or otherand consider placing your call to action2. Text Invitations: Add a text mes-hookups. While the latter is a tremen- fun things you have planned. Suggestin two or three different places in yoursaging call to action to your marketing, dous investment, the former is muchthey look ahead and book their stays fornewsletter such as your managers greet- encouragingtexterstosubscribeto easier to put into play.popular weeks/events in advance. ing, an article about the program, and inyour program or a specific event. This If you are just beginning, start small.Reservation confirmations call for aa separate Not to be Missed box. will provide a base for marketing not Ifyoualreadyhaveareputationforbrief blurb about your events while fly- Inadditiontoemailinganewsyonly your activities but any other text recreation, consider mixing it up. Buters/handouts/sitemaps may be a bitnewsletter to your customer list, con- campaign you may wish to launch in no matter what your program looksmore detailed. Be careful not to add toosidersendingoutshort,informativethe future. (This will also help the 25% like, youve got to get the word out.much text or risk making it busy andblasts between e-newsletters promot- of survey respondents eager to amp up Multi-Channel Promotion difficult to read. ing your events. These might be a seriestext message marketing).Smart modern marketers know thatCreate posters, lawn signs and ban- of countdown blasts or breaking newsDont Forget People determining their target market is jobners to display throughout your parkblasts. Because these are your best cus- Not to be overlooked, peopleyour No. 1. Knowing who you want to enter- promoting your activities. Make suretomersthose that have entrustedstaff and guestscan be some of the tain (and communicate with, some- you offer clear dates and instructionsyou with their email addressescon- most effective marketers for your mes-times different) is an absolute must.on how they can participate. sider offering a discount or goodie forsage (63% of survey respondents are Whatdoyouwanttoaccomplish?Online Reachattending. taking advantage of this classic market-Whats the most effective way to informDigital marketing broadcasts mes- Press Releasesing tool). your audience?sages to a wider audience. Are you takingGet your community excited aboutMake sure every member of your Just like anything else you do to pro- advantage of these five online outlets? your program by issuing press releases.staff is aware of your recreation pro-mote your business, a well-designedYour WebsiteWhen writing your release, focus ongram. A guest might just as easily stop multi-channel approach is the most ef- Often overlooked as a prime market- yourintendedaudience.Createonea member of your maintenance team fective way for you to broadcast youring tool, your website is one of your topspecificallydesignedforthegeneralas an activities department member, message. Each one of the marketingrec program promotion venues. Herepublic, one inviting press or other com- inquiring about fun in store. Consider techniques discussed here should beyou can post photos, testimonials, up- munity luminaries to experience whatstaff shirts with highlights of your event paired with that all-important call todates, link to a ticket sales page andyou have on offer, and a third promot- schedule printed big and bold on the actionpurchase your tickets today,offer downloadable activity schedules. ing any partners.back. Issue inexpensive buttons as a re-book a site right now, call us for moreFacebookCross-post your content, tweaking it forquired uniform piece promoting your detailsetc. If you are using Facebook for youreach digital platform your business uses. events.Offereventmealsandother goodies to your staff at no charge or deeply discounted to help them get in the spirit and spread the word. Guests also like to be in the know. Offer special buttons when they pur-chase tickets that can be worn both in and outside the park. Ask them for testi-monials. In the case of a one-off big event, make sure all event volunteers get exceptional treatmentfront row seat-ing, meals, etc., providing them extra at-tention and offering your park you cant buy this word-of-mouth marketing. Make Program Marketing Count Nomatterhowyousliceit,the clearer you are about your goals and the better you market your rec program, the more success you are likely to enjoy. Maximize your hard work by drawing the largest crowd possible. After all, Id venture your goals are aligned: guests justwannahavefun. Themorethe merrierfor everyone. Evanne Schmarder, a longtime WCM ModernMarketingcolumnistand principal at Roadabode Productions, will soon be releasing the second book in her Marketing Your RV Park/Camp-ground Online series. Details to follow at roadabode.com WCM8 February 2023Woodalls Campground Magazine'