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How to use coupons to market your leisure, travel and tourism business

On May 1, 2010, in Tourism Marketing, by Matt

In earlier columns on converting tourist center visitors into clients, I covered the cost involved to have brochures distributed at the Maine Visitor Informational Centers, creating rack card distribution campaigns based on the three tourist subseasons, and how to allocate brochure distribution to the different Maine Visitor Informational Centers. Now here’s a marketing strategy: Run [...]

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In earlier columns on converting tourist center visitors into clients, I covered the cost involved to have brochures distributed at the Maine Visitor Informational Centers, creating rack card distribution campaigns based on the three tourist subseasons, and how to allocate brochure distribution to the different Maine Visitor Informational Centers.

Now here’s a marketing strategy: Run a multiseasonal brochure-rack card campaign using discount coupons and tear-off specials. Distribute to the Maine Visitor Information Centers, placing the perforated tear-off coupon on the top of the brochure-rack card so it’s the first thing a vacationer will see.

Order rack cards that have tear-offs or what they call in the printing business perforation tabs. I prefer a rack card that has the perforation at the top rather than the bottom. The idea is to advertise a coupon or discount special and add this onto the coupon or in the tear-off area.

Most marketers will add the coupon to the bottom of the rack card. This is a mistake in my view. Remember, visitors in the centers are scanning the tops of the rack cards, making a 1- or 2-second glance, then turning to the next offering. The visitors in the center will view the coupon and see the discount immediately.

Create an offering that entices the visitor to want to pick up your brochure, take it with them, then force them to make a buying decision with your business in favor. An offering can be a discount off your product for the first 100 visitors, a dollar discount or percentage off your product for using the coupon (add a coupon code for tracking purposes), two-for-one deals or buy one get one free.

Change offerings in each of the three campaigns to adjust to the subseasons, as I am sure that prices fluctuate as the tourist season goes forward. (In a recent column, I discussed creating multiple campaigns based on the three subseasons). At the end of the tourist season in November, you’ll know what offer worked better over the others, so in the second year you can adjust and implement the offer that generated the most sales into all subseason offers.

You can become creative here and try different types of print campaigns. The bottom line is results in any way they come.

Another idea would be to have a different offering at each center. The May-June early season campaign would have three rack cards, one for each center.

Millions of visitors will be coming to Maine in 2010. The bottom line is that to get out in front of the crowd, your business needs to be different from everyone else. Your coupon-generated rack card will get attention and separate your business from most of the others that will continue to print up the same brochure year after year.

Travelers in this value-driven economy are looking for deals, specials and discounts. The coupon rack card in 2010 may be your best strategy to acquire sales from tourists this season.

This article first printed at the Bangor Daily News by Matt Zito.

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How to convert tourist center visitors into paying clients.

On April 30, 2010, in Tourism Marketing, by Matt

In my previous column on converting tourist center visitors into clients, I covered the cost involved to have your brochures distributed at the state visitor information centers. You can read that column online at the Bangor Daily News Web site. I would also like to mention that in addition to the seven Maine Tourism Association [...]

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In my previous column on converting tourist center visitors into clients, I covered the cost involved to have your brochures distributed at the state visitor information centers. You can read that column online at the Bangor Daily News Web site. I would also like to mention that in addition to the seven Maine Tourism Association visitor centers, there is a privately owned visitor center: the Maine Coast Welcome Center in Belfast.

There are basically three subseasons within the Maine tourist season. The shoulder seasons are generally referred to as May-June and September-October. Prime time is July and August. An argument can be made about seasons, but for this example I break it down into three. Your business may be different, so apply my strategy based on your business seasons.

Here’s a marketing strategy: Run a multiseasonal, brochure-rack card campaign using discount coupons and tear-off offer specials. Run three different campaigns, so you’ll have three different printings throughout the year. Print in April for the first shoulder season, May and June; print again in June for the prime time July-August season; and print a third time in August for the September-October season.

I realize that some businesses will be unable financially to run three campaigns. This is fine. Just run one campaign and one printing as you traditionally have. The discount coupon and tear-off offer strategy will work with only one campaign and one print run.

By creating multiple print runs, you can test your rack card offering and see which specials, coupons and pricing work and which do not. You can adjust your rates based on your current reservations, availability and sales. The idea is to avoid being static, to be constantly moving and adapting your pricing and offerings based on what the marketplace is telling you as you move through the season.

If you are in a pinch for cash, try these online printing companies. I am a proponent of buying local and buying Maine-made products, so try your local printing company first. If you don’t have any luck, you can try these: www.psprint.com, www.uprinting.com, www.overnightprints.com, www.48hourprint.com, or www.vistaprint.com.

These online companies print inexpensive rack cards, and you can choose the number of rack cards you want printed. You can generate print runs in the hundreds to the thousands, and the online printers ship within 24 to 72 hours. I suggest you use a rack card size 4-by-9 inches. Please check with the Maine Tourism Association regarding the shelf sizes at the centers because you should make sure the top of your rack card is visible to the perusing visitor.

Each visitor center accepts 100 to 150 rack cards-brochures per business. If you are distributing to three centers, you can print 500-800 rack cards for each of your three campaigns during the season. Knowing how many to print is a tough decision. I recommend that you call the Maine Tourism Association or the centers directly and ask them to provide guidance on print runs.

There is most likely a trend in July and August of brochures flying off the shelves, so adjust accordingly.

Once a center goes through close to all 100-150 rack cards, the Maine Tourism Association will either call you requesting more or send you a postcard. It’s best to have at least 100-300 available and ready to ship. You can ship these to the Maine Tourism Association, and it will store your rack cards, then send them on directly to the centers when your brochures run out.

My next column will talk about creating the perforated or tear-off coupon as the sales offering or marketing message on your rack card. The coupon will offer a special or discount to the traveler.

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How to market at Tourist Visitor Centers with business Rack Cards.

On April 27, 2010, in Tourism Marketing, by Matt

Maine Visitor Information centers are some of the best locations for distributing your travel – and tourism-based business brochures or rack cards. I view these centers not only as promotional and distribution gateways for your business, but as a sales center for persuading visitors to buy your travel-related product while they are visiting Maine on [...]

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Maine Visitor Information centers are some of the best locations for distributing your travel – and tourism-based business brochures or rack cards. I view these centers not only as promotional and distribution gateways for your business, but as a sales center for persuading visitors to buy your travel-related product while they are visiting Maine on business or for vacation.

I recently visited the information center in Kittery and picked up a few brochures for hotels, campgrounds, restaurants and artist shops and galleries. The first thing I noticed was that the brochures and rack cards were basically all the same. The brochures all had the standard details about the business and the products being sold. Who, what, where and when was the message I was receiving.

There was nothing on these rack cards or brochures that really got me excited. Thousands of visitors are making stops at the centers every day as they flock through the state. You have about one to two seconds to pique their interest, so your “offering” better be good. Vacationers are buyers. These people have been cooped up in their car, driving for hours and have waited for months for this time to arrive. Now they are on vacation.

Nice looking brochures and rack cards are a step in the right direction, but you need to grab their attention faster to receive the sales outcome you are looking for by participating in the brochure distribution campaign at Maine’s visitors centers.

Travelers are picking up brochures in the centers for multiple reasons. During this upcoming tourist season everyone will be looking for deals, specials and discounts. If vacationers can save a buck this season, they will.

Here’s a marketing strategy: Run a multiseasonal, brochure-rack card campaign using discount coupons and special tear-off offers. Distribute to the Maine Visitor Information centers, placing the coupon tear-off on the top of the brochure-rack card so it’s the first thing a vacationer will see.

To execute this marketing campaign, you will first need to be a member of the Maine Tourism Association. If you are not a member already, you are missing out on one of the best deals I have ever seen for brochure distribution. Annual membership ranges from $75 to $460 depending on what type of business you operate. Call 623-0363 or go online at www.mainetourism.com to download the membership PDF kit. When I spoke to Sean at the association, he said the membership types were being consolidated and that most memberships would cost around $180 for the year.

Choose the visitor centers you want to distribute your brochures or rack cards. It costs $15 to $40 per year to have brochures distributed at each center. Kittery costs $40, Yarmouth $20 and Calais, Fryeburg, Houlton and Hampden north and south all cost $15 per year.

You definitely want to have your brochures in Kittery and Yarmouth, as these two centers are popular locations. Add in a third and for $75 you have annual distribution at three locations for your brochure or rack card. This is an amazing deal.

My next column will look at the tourist subseasons in Maine and how to create individual rack card marketing campaigns for each subseason. I will discuss the printing of your rack card, rack card allocation and distribution at the Maine Visitor Information centers.

This article first printed at the Bangor Daily News.

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© 2011 Travel Business Profits, Matt Zito