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Marketing in Tougher Times for Holiday Parks
- 1. Digital Marketing in Tougher Times David Lakins – www.key.digital https://key.digital/marketing-in-tougher-times
- 2. Customer trends in 2023 • Cost of living affecting forward bookings • Holiday Home sales stagnating • Staff shortages and upskilling workforces • Larger park groups are aggressive with their marketing strategies • Flexible working means blurring between weekdays & weekends • Technology is still a key driver in the sector • Bookings on mobile keep growing • Sustainability a key theme for parks in 2024
- 3. Your strength lies in how your websites convert visitors into guests • Offer best value • Guide consumer decisions • Digital channel visibility • Drive direct bookings • Establish loyalty
- 4. Top tips to to develop and reinforce customer loyalty, amongst holidaymakers and caravan owners in 2024
- 5. Planning for 2024 1. Re-evaluate your strategy for 2024 2. Focus on channels that are cost-effective 3. Ensure you have the right measures in place Tip #1
- 6. Double down on highlighting your USPs and showing value to your guests and potential customers. Planning for 2024 Understand the changing needs and priorities How do you adapt your offerings and messaging? • Less spend in people’s pockets • More shorter breaks • More last-minute breaks – weather dependent • WFH (Work from Holiday) opportunities • Consumer desire for life experiences, wellness, sustainability- savvy guest • Home owners Tip #1 *USPs and Value
- 7. Digital Guest Experience Tip #2 Personalisation Sustainability Direct bookings Influencer marketing Mobile optimisation eco-friendly social responsibility Booking systems Mobile optimisation Matterport Artificial intelligence Video marketing Wellness Chatbots TikTok Storytelling User-generated content Instagram Apps Workation Staycation Dynamic pricing OTAs Digital detox Social responsibility Guest experiences Contactless technology Google SEO YouTube Facebook Number Plate Recognition
- 8. Digital Guest Experience Tip #2 Customer Service Smart use of Digital Digital Guest Experience
- 10. Understanding your Customers Tip #3 SEARCH BOOKING PRE-STAY CHECK-IN IN-STAY POST-STAY OPPORTUNITIES
- 11. Mobile trends • More bookings now taking place on mobile • Make sure your booking experience works on a smartphone! Tip #4 7.5% 60% 32.5%
- 12. Mobile, mobile, mobile • Self service opportunities for guests & home owners • Contact-less payments • Table & food ordering • Increased us of Apps in other hospitality sectors • QR codes have finally come of age Tip #4
- 13. Search in 2024 • Top search results receive more than 90% of all traffic • Mobile searching delivers the infinite search result page • Google is constantly updating its algorithms and strategy Tip #5
- 14. SEO in 2024 Trust • Core Web Vitals – new Google performance measures for your website • Positive reviews on websites like Tripadvisor, Trustpilot, Facebook, Google My Business, are going to really help • OTAs & Google Hotel Ads SEO is not a set-it-and-forget it strategy! A good digital strategy starts with great content and elements of SEO - Expertise - Authority - Trust Tip #5 Expertise • Understand what your audience is searching for and their intent • Where are they in the customer journey? • Create high quality content • Google Featured Snippets - FAQs Authority • Your park’s online footprint • Links from relevant authoritative websites • PR, park sector articles, newspaper stories
- 15. Paid Advertising Paid search adverts are key digital channels for parks to use when guests have an intention of converting Tip #6
- 16. Paid Ads • Instant visibility Vs. Short term strategy • Target different park audiences • Test and optimise your content • Remarket to previous website visitors • Challenge the OTAs Tip #6
- 19. Getting Creative! • Content marketing • Social media • Email Marketing 1. Provide helpful tips 2. Highlight USPs & experiences 3. Personalise content Tip #8
- 24. Loyalty & Customer Retention Tip #9
- 25. • Connect with guests before, during and after their stay • Self-service opportunities for homeowners • Exclusive special offers • FAQs • Holiday home sales • Schedule push notifications to a guest’s phone • Virtual loyalty cards & rewards https://www.holidaymakerapp.co.uk/
- 26. Summary • Digital adoption will continue to accelerate • Customer expectations will increase as the technology matures • Self-service and e-commerce will be core in the future • But don’t forget the human touch
- 27. Digital Marketing in Tougher Times David Lakins – www.key.digital https://key.digital/marketing-in-tougher-times
Editor's Notes
- For many parks it has been an interesting year – starting off the season with some great weather, but obviously the war in the Ukraine has still and runaway interest rates have had an impact. Against this backdrop, we have been seeing significant investment in the holiday park sector. So, I am going to run through a quick thoughts on how your marketing strategy might need refocus this year, and deliver true connections with guests and owners.
- Over the last couple of years we have seen the digital landscape change in so many ways. Following a tough Winter for most last year and the cost of living crisis kicking in – parks seem to have had an interesting year. Some I have spoken to have had a good year, with strong on-park spend and bookings – whilst others have found it much more difficult – the weather over the school break played a big role in bookings. Signs of cost of living affecting forward bookings Holiday homes sales stagnating for many over the last 6 months Staff shortages and upskilling workforces affecting operations at parks. If a chef in the restaurant leaves or goes sick that can cause a major headache to find a replacement. The larger Park Groups have become aggressive with their marketing strategies, and parks will need to fight harder for direct bookings Flexible working means blurring between weekdays & weekends Technology is still a key driver in the sector – more investment being made in parks and the systems that support them. Mobile bookings will keep growing, and holiday parks will need to adapt Sustainability a key theme for parks in 2024
- Although there is this perceived risk…. There is a good majority of Holidaymakers that are chomping at the bit to go on holiday Experiences were the new commodity before the pandemic How do we get them to book with you?
- So, with all those challenges in mind – how do park owners ensure they are front and centre when it comes to the guest online experience? Let’s look at some of the ways you can develop and reinforce customer loyalty, amongst holidaymakers and caravan owners in 2024
- I am sure most of you have started to think about next year already – and beginning to plan your investment and strategy for 2024. In light of the challenges many of us are facing this year, for me there are 3 key thing to focus on:- Re-evaluate your strategy for 2024 Focus on channels that are cost-effective for promoting your holiday park, spend time assessing what works and what doesn’t – is PPC bringing sales in or is it using 3rd party OTAs like Hoseasons And in order to do that you must make sure you have the right measures in place – Google Analytics – Conversion tracking as well as the standard email open rates etc.
- Understand the changing needs and priorities of your target audience. What trends are we seeing for taking holidays – how do you build those into your strategies Adapt your offerings and messaging to highlight value in times of economic uncertainty. More shorter breaks More last-minute breaks – weather dependent WFH (Work from Holiday) opportunities Consumer desire for life experiences, wellness, sustainability- savvy guest Home owners Double down on highlighting your USPs and showing value to your guests and potential customers.
- Bombardment of noise and digital opportunities The hospitality industry is rapidly embracing technology to remain competitive and capitalise on the opportunities presented by the ever-changing digital landscape. From the use of AI and automation to enhance the customer experience, to the introduction of blockchain to ensure secure bookings. By leveraging the latest technologies, hospitality businesses can stay ahead of the curve, ensuring that they can effectively target and engage their customers, develop meaningful relationships, and maximise their ROI.
- Working in the digital space I get to see lots of different uses of technology and different scales of tech being used as well. On one hand I have a park client that would love to streamline their whole booking and check-in process so that it is fully online – just like those Premier Inn self-service check-outs. They have meet and greet team with iPads at check in time – and guests don’t go anywhere near reception.\ And yet we work in an industry where guest thrive on experiences that ultimately need that personalised human touch ensuring that customers are provided with the best of both worlds.
- Understanding customers and their behaviours is the foundation of successful digital marketing. It ensures that your efforts are customer-focused – especially when guest have such high expectations for personalisation and relevance when they interact with your brand. Work on gathering Customer Insight and first-party data Customer Insight & personas Map customers from your CRM – Create audiences, segments Use that in your marketing Email marketing Paid Ads Now more than ever it’s important to target and engage with those that have: Been to your website Booked online Stayed with you before Don’t forget your existing customers – CRM Re-targeting advertising Email marketing
- More bookings now taking place on mobile Make sure the booking experience works on a smartphone! Checkout Domvs estate agent search tool – completely useless on mobile as their instant chat tool overlays the search button!
- More bookings on mobile Contact-less payments Contact-less check-in Increased us of Apps in the hospitality sector – TUI app for overseas holidays QR codes have finally come of age We now have a real use for them Use them too!
- First page of search engine results receive more than 90% of all traffic Don’t forget that the Mobile searching delivers the infinite search result page But Google is an extremely competitive space Google constantly updating its algorithms and strategy, traffic coming in from multiple devices
- Your investment in SEO, the imagery and videos that you use of your park, your GMB listing and reviews are all things that will help a potential guest create that first impression SEO is not a set-it-and-forget it strategy! A good digital strategy starts with great content and elements of SEO - Expertise - Authority - Trust Some of the things to focus on - couple of new ones in here this year.
- Get instant targeted search engine placements and attract highly motivated website traffic – i.e. those that are either searching for a holiday or are indeed ready to book. Focus on specific demographics and geographic regions to maximize your ROI.
- Paid search adverts are therefore one of the top digital channels for parks to use when guests have an intention of converting. Instant visibility / Short term strategy Target audiences that match your park Focus on specific demographics keyword searches, interests geographic regions maximize your ROI. Test and optimise your content Remarket to previous website visitors Challenge the OTAs
- OTAs have significantly ramped up marketing Google is has become increasingly competitive for independent parks Now more than ever it’s important to target and engage with those that have: Been to your website Booked online Stayed with you before Capitalise on your existing guest bookings Ensure your website offers the best value to guests and drive more direct bookings Seek out the opportunities in the current climate, new markets and demands that may arise in these uncertain times Focus on building your online presence and leveraging your guests’ experiences and feedback Create a seamless booking experience. Do you have a strategy for repeat bookings?
- Your audience are core to your marketing campaigns What content can you produce which will keep them engaged with your brand? Remind them that they can still engage with you from the comfort of their own home Create content that showcases the unique experiences and activities your holiday park offers. Provide travel tips, destination guides, and safety measures to attract and reassure potential visitors. Pictures, memories, Thankyous ThrowbackThursday, Short video pieces Guides and tips – downloads or regular Facebook videos Personalised emails – offers – if they are dog owners….
- Create content that showcases the unique experiences and activities your holiday park offers. Provide travel tips, destination guides, and safety measures to attract and reassure potential visitors. Pictures, memories, Thankyous ThrowbackThursday, Short video pieces Guides and tips – downloads or regular Facebook videos Personalised emails – offers – if they are dog owners….
- Travel and travel planning are key social themes Social media is the second most important sales and marketing channel for your guests Facebook reach declining TikTok growth - 9 million monthly active users in January 2022 TikTok is the go-to search engine for Gen-Z but its content is starting to cross over onto other social platforms and audiences. Story of our trip to Venice Social media channels are more significant than ever and are therefore a key place to build relationships. But your content has to stand out. A typical social media user scrolls the equivalent of 300 feet per day with the average attention span lasting only eight seconds. Make sure you’re at least using Facebook and Instagram to drive guests to engage and book with your park However, competition and lack of reach make Facebook a less viable platform than Instagram TikTok is starting to become mainstream and is worth considering Invest in short Video content, Stories and Reels Make sure you share user-generated photos in your feed Encourage guests to share by posting your park’s hashtags around your park - scenic viewpoints, selfie spots, and dining room menus
- With increased competition many parks have turned their marketing attentions to other channels. However, email marketing is still one of the most viable, cost-effective methods for reaching guests and increasing direct bookings. It is highly personalised, relevant, and valuable to your guests Measurable and best channel for ROI We are also seeing lots more automation – with PMS / booking systems Email automation CRM integration - Hubspot, Salesforce Email marketing is a crucial tool for holiday parks. Build relationships with your customer and harness the power of marketing automation software Some simple tips for your email marketing strategy: Target repeat guests Remember customer data is key
- With increased competition many parks have turned their marketing attentions to other channels. However, email marketing is still one of the most viable, cost-effective methods for reaching guests and increasing direct bookings. It is highly personalised, relevant, and valuable to your guests Measurable and best channel for ROI We are also seeing lots more automation – with PMS / booking systems Email automation CRM integration - Hubspot, Salesforce Email marketing is a crucial tool for holiday parks. Build relationships with your customer and harness the power of marketing automation software Some simple tips for your email marketing strategy: Target repeat guests Remember customer data is key
- With increased competition many parks have turned their marketing attentions to other channels. However, email marketing is still one of the most viable, cost-effective methods for reaching guests and increasing direct bookings. It is highly personalised, relevant, and valuable to your guests Measurable and best channel for ROI We are also seeing lots more automation – with PMS / booking systems Email automation CRM integration - Hubspot, Salesforce Email marketing is a crucial tool for holiday parks. Build relationships with your customer and harness the power of marketing automation software Some simple tips for your email marketing strategy: Target repeat guests Remember customer data is key
- Apple's brand loyalty is a result of a combination of factors, including product quality, user experience, brand reputation, and the emotional connection the company has built with its customers. This loyalty extends to both individual products and the brand as a whole, keeping customers returning for more and advocating for Apple.
- More guests are becoming accustomed to self-serve and finding that the ease outweighs the autonomy That doesn’t mean your park should run on all chatbots. Always keep that guest experience at top of mind Use your technology wisely to keep your guests happy Contact-less check-in & payments Table & food ordering Loyalty apps Self-service opportunities for home owners Connect with guests during and after their stay with push notifications QR codes have finally come of age
- Digital adoption will continue to accelerate Create frictionless digital experiences Self-service and e-commerce will be core for hospitality business Contact-less digital support through the device of their choice
- For many parks it has been an interesting year – starting off the season with some great weather, but obviously the war in the Ukraine has still and runaway interest rates have had an impact. Against this backdrop, we have been seeing significant investment in the holiday park sector. So, I am going to run through a quick thoughts on how your marketing strategy might need refocus this year, and deliver true connections with guests and owners.