Ideas

What's the best thing you've ever done to promote your tourism business? 

What worked well? 

Or perhaps there's something small you did that was moderately successful? 

It could have been a social media post that got plenty of engagement. Or a blog post that's still driving traffic to your website? A photo that people have said they like? Or something you say to guests that seems to resonate? 

Whatever it is, don't just do it once. Repeat whatever works, again, again and again. 

We often as…

At this time of year many charities are clamouring for our attention. You've probably also noticed several large businesses aligning themselves with charities as part of their own marketing. The television advertisements by John Lewis and Marks and Spencer instantly spring to mind, but there are plenty of other examples. 

Could you use this in your own business, and help others at the same time? 

I'm not suggesting a big TV advertising campaign! Rather, the simple act of linking your business …

It's the one thing everyone tells me they struggle with - ideas for social media posts.

What can you write about to keep people interested and engaged, even if your business isn't open or busy at this time of year? 

Here are a few ideas

Before we get started: instead of just scanning through these ideas, I suggest you get a pen and paper (it works much better if you can actively scribble, not just think or type) and jot down related thoughts as you read each topic. Let the list below spark mo…

We often say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but how often do we actually use the right photos to convey key points? 

Most businesses have something they need to tell their visitors or need to stand out somehow. A single photo might do the trick. 

Have you thought about the key messages you're trying to convey and then made sure you're using photos that tell that story? 

Years ago I advised a hotelier, Dave, who ran a small hotel in an area that was notorious for dirty and run-down …

One of the effects of an impending recession is that many people take longer to make a decision than usual. Visitors may need more reassurance than usual.

When times are tough, businesses tend to do one of two things:

They try to sell like crazy, going into omnipresent overdrive, constantly posting on social media, offering discounts and thinking that sooner or later persistence will pay

or 

They struggle with the sense of doom and gloom, think marketing is probably pointless, and go into se…

How are you feeling about the months ahead?

Normally the beginning of September fills me with enthusiasm and hope. It's a month of fresh starts, new pens, learning, and looking forward. This year feels different. I’m still full of plans and ideas, but there’s a lot of caution in the air.

Is it all doom and gloom? In this article I take a quick look at which businesses are most likely to survive the tricky times ahead

Tourism is a fluid industry: full of arrivals and departures of both visitor…

Feeling a bit jaded by marketing? Got less energy but know you need to keep promoting and attracting more visitors? 

Let's face it: life, running a business and marketing can be exhausting. There are some times when it all feels a bit too tiring, and it's hard to decide what to actually do. 

In these times there's a simple thing you can do, that will really improve all your marketing, and give it fresh impetus. 

It couldn't be simpler. 

Just answer this question: what one thing do you want v…

When visitors aren't as plentiful as you'd like or all the economic forecasts are gloomy, it can be tempting to start discounting prices.

Stop! You might not need to. Here are a few things to think about before you discount any prices. 

First of all, are you jumping to conclusions? If you’re panicking because you think things are going to be difficult, it might be worth looking at previous booking patterns to see if you often have glitches, and their causes.

Then, make sure you've done all th…

Calls to action are an essential part of getting people to part with their cash.

They come in many forms, from a gentle reminder to follow you on social media or sign-up to your mailing list so you can start to nurture people until they're ready to become customers, to a more direct 'book now'. 

Sometimes we make things more complicated than they need to be. I was reminded of this yesterday when a letter arrived: a genius example of simplicity hitting the mark. 

The writer has my email addre…

I'd like to suggest something that is going to sound a bit bonkers. 

Trust me, it really can help you market your business more effectively.

Tell people about something that's bad about your business. 

Yes really. Declare a downside or a disadvantage. Don't hide it. Tell people about it. 

it doesn't have to be anything earth-shattering or something that will really put people off. Just something you're aware of. Perhaps an aspect that some people find a bit odd or off-putting. Or something t…