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Meanwhile, Caplan notes other customer resource management tools, such as Salesforce, which integrates with a company’s Facebook account and automates the reservation process.
Cummings says he sees real advantages to driving business during slow periods via social media, but also cited location-based platforms that send users alerts and promotions when they get within a certain geographical proximity to a park.
Share the Experience
Adventure parks produce rich, action-oriented content in eye-catching environments every day—it’s the stuff that social media devours.
Regos says Oars works with various photography companies to capture photos of guests conquering rapids. The images can be purchased and uploaded to social channels for sharing. Many adventure parks have established “selfie stations,” and some utilize QR codes that can be scanned to automatically compose a Tweet with a preloaded message that guests can edit before sending.
“If I can take a picture of a QR code, and it’s going to put that Tweet up, and I don’t have to do anything, and I can get back to having fun, it’s a win-win,” says Caplan.
“We can say that a feature is 30 feet off the ground, but if you throw a high-definition camera on somebody and get that first-person perspective when they’re looking down at the ground at where they’re going, it gives a completely different emotional connection to it,” he says. (For more on customer photo-sharing, see “Get the Picture?”.)
Most networks still play fairly well together, so a video uploaded to YouTube can easily be shared across other channels such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. “Even if I’m not in a position to get up and go to an adventure park right then, I’m still apt to share that video on my Pinterest board as a bucket list, or post it on Facebook and tag a bunch a friends and say, ‘We have to do this someday,’” Caplan says.
“Content marketing can be a slow process, but the rewards can be there,” he adds. “It’s when you have that organic part of social media, where people are just sharing because you have a good park, you have a good service and something people want to be a part of, that all of a sudden your message is in front of your customer.”
SOCIAL AND MOBILE MARKETING TIPS
By Milena Regos, CEO, Out & About Marketing
Savvy operators recognize the benefits of connecting with customers through the entire experience cycle—before, during, and after the actual adventure. Here are my top five tips for adventure companies to use social media and mobile marketing to connect with future and current guests:
1. STAY ACTIVE. Maintain an active presence on social networks like Facebook and Instagram, and illustrate the fun experience you provide by highlighting quality images shot on-site. Photos and videos show people how much fun they are going to have. When posting on Facebook, tag your location so people can check-in while on-site. If you are active on Twitter, use images there as well. Tweets containing a photo get 128 percent more replies and retweets than those without, according to a recent Social Engagement Benchmark Report.
