This presentation, originally delivered at the 2011 Railway Heritage Preservation Conference in Chattanooga, TN, illustrates four key concepts crucial to the successful growth of tourist rail operations. Focusing on ticketing and internet marketing, the presentation gives step by step tips on how to grow ridership and increase profitability.

1. Finding New Railfans
(delivering growth to your railroad operations
through ticketing and internet marketing)
2011 Railway Heritage Preservation
Conference

2. A quick poll (raise your hand if):
• You have too many riders annually
• You sell out every train
• Your railroad has too much money
• You feel like you do a good job of reaching
younger folks

3. Key Concepts
1. Big events generate interest
2. Use the free resources on the Internet to sell
more tickets
3. Make sure you capture and use customer
data from ticket purchasers
4. Build on existing customer relationships for
year-over-year growth

4. Growth begins with

5. Additional Big Event Ideas
• Jewish-Themed Events (Purim)
• Teddy Bear Picnic
• Ales on Rails
• Others?
Key Takeway:
Events don’t all have to be as massive as Thomas or Polar,
they just need to appeal to a certain group of people.
CREATE INTEREST!

6. Three Steps
Generate Sell the
Awareness Ticket
Use the
Data

7. 2. Awareness: Getting the Word Out
What do you currently do to attract people to
your events?
What techniques are working best?

8. Email
Best Practices:
• Collect an email for
every ticket purchaser
• Use email for both
marketing AND
customer service
• EVERY TRANSACTION IS
AN OPPORTUNITY TO
BUILD YOUR LIST

9. Web Presence / Search Engines
Best Practices:
• Publish to local
newspaper website
• Publish to other local
publications
• Publish to local and
national event websites

10. Popular Event Websites
www.upcoming.yahoo.com
THESE
WEBSITES
ARE FREE TO
www.zvents.com USE!
www.eventful.com

12. Social Media Tools
Facebook: a site where friends can share information
with each other.
750 MILLION + Registered users
500 MILLION+ Log On Daily
26% of ticket sales, on average, are referred by Facebook
Each “share” is worth approximately $2.53*
It’s FREE to set up a Facebook Fan Page for your Railroad.
Twitter : as website where users can publish short
messages to subscribers
100 MILLION + Registered users
1.8 million tweets per HOUR
12% of ticket sales, on average, are referred by Twitter
Each “share” is worth approximately $1.78*
It’s FREE to set up and use.

13. Tip #1:
Use Facebook
to “talk “ to fans
of the railroad.
Update often,
at least weekly.

14. Tip #2:
Create your
events on the
Facebook
“Events” Tab

15. Tip #3:
Sell Tickets on
your Fan Page!

16. Twitter Best Practices
Tweet
Consistently
around your
events
Always
Include
links

17. So what works?
TV, 1% Outdoor, 1% Telemarketing,
Social Media, 3% Radio, 2%
0%
Direct Mail, 3%
Print, 5%
Internet marketing Email, 7%
drives over 30% of Word of Mouth,
Other, 8% 49%
sales!
Web Search, 22%
Referral Source Data,
2010-2011 WhistleTix
Clients

18. 3. The Purchase: Best Practices
• Make it EASY
• Make it CONVENIENT
• Capture Customer Data

19. Tip #1:
Ticketing Links
should be on
the FRONT page
of your website
(and every
other page).

20. Tip #2:
Sell tickets on
your OWN site,
not a third
party.

21. Tip #3:
Include
DETAILS!
Pictures,
Videos,
information!

22. Convenience: Multiple ways to buy
• Call Center
• Website
Make sure that
• Mobile Phone when a customer
is ready to buy a
• Walk Up ticket, you have a
• Social Media system in place
to sell it!

23. Capture and Keep Customer Data!
• Name
Every customer
• Address
you reach whose
• Email data you
capture=
• Phone One less new
customer you
must reach next
year

24. 4. Effective use of existing customer
data + smart internet marketing =
GROWTH
Cumulative Tickets Per Year Cumulative Ticket Revenue Per Year
Number of Tickets
Ticket Revenue
2008 2008
2009 2009
2010 2010
2011 2011
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

25. Another Example:
Cumulative Tickets Per Year Cumulative Ticket Revenue Per Year
Number of Tickets
Ticket Revenue
2009 2009
2010 2010
2011 2011
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

26. Key Concepts
1. Big Events generate interest
2. Use the free resources on the Internet to sell
more tickets
3. Make sure you capture and use customer
data from ticket purchasers
4. Build on existing customer relationships for
year-over-year growth

27. Internet Marketing Check List
• Basics:
– Create a website for your railroad
– Create a Facebook Fan Page for your railroad
– Create a Twitter account for your railroad
• Publish your event to the Internet (remember ticketing links!)
– Publish event to your website
– Publish event to Facebook
• Events Tab on your Facebook page
• Fan Page Ticketing from WhistleTix
– Publish Event to your Twitter account
– Publish event to eventful.com , upcoming.yahoo.com, and zvents.com
– Publish your event to the web sites of local publications, newspapers, magazines
– Email your existing customer list!!!
• Make it easy for customers to find and buy tickets
– Links on the front page of your website Drop your business card
– Fan Page ticketing on Facebook or email
– Mobile –friendly websites for Smartphone Users ehoush@whistletix.com
– Call Center to answer calls for a copy of this
• Capture patron data during the purchase process presentation.
– At LEAST the email address!!