Our writers at Xola University have published extensively about the importance of TripAdvisor, Facebook, and Google+ for your zip line business. But what do you do when it comes to Twitter? Twitter can be an effective tool to spread your brand’s awareness, 140 characters at a time—so long as you use it properly.
Looking at a small sample of zip line companies, 70 percent have created Twitter accounts. That’s an encouraging first step. But as I combed through these profiles, many felt stagnant. Some accounts rarely posted, and others tweeted content that generated little engagement. Why spend time on Twitter only to settle for subpar results? This article will boost your success on Twitter by teaching you how to strategically incorporate it into your tour.
How To Post
The key to a successful Twitter account is acting like a person instead of a business. Many zip line accounts we reviewed felt robotic, with tweets clearly automatically copied from the business’ Facebook page. How do you solve this problem?
According to Alycia Choroszucha, head of marketing and media at Cannonsburg Ski Area and its new zip line, one way you can come across as genuine is through a keen sense of humor. “I like to use Twitter to voice our brand,” Choroszucha says. “However, to create this brand, I have to make it personable and relatable.”
How? Here’s one way. When you get to work each morning, immediately look at Twitter’s trending topics, located on the left side of your homepage. Use what people are talking about and connect it back to your zip line business in a humorous way, Choroszucha advises. Twitter is a vital platform for the world to learn about and discuss current events; Choroszucha’s strategy ingeniously taps into that while maintaining a degree of levity that speaks to Cannonsburg’s followers.
14 Facts You Didn’t Know About the Zip Line Industry
I know, connecting what’s trending to your tour is easier said than done. It can be difficult to think of relevant information about your zip line business, or the industry in general. That’s why I have compiled a list of zip line facts that you can personalize to help grow your Twitter page. Here are some sample tweets, all under 140 characters, you could adapt to effectively illustrate the popularity and growth of zip lines to your audience, and entice them to visit you:
- Fun Fact Friday: The modern day zip line tour was first popularized by wildlife biologists
- There are over 400 commercial zip lines listed on Zip Line Rider located in the United States. 15 years ago, there were only 10
- 72 countries and 6 continents in the world have commercial zip lines
- TripAdvisor lists nearly 200 zip line or canopy tours [insert link to your tour’s TripAdvisor profile]
- There are commercial zip lines in 48 states in the U.S. The only states without any are Mississippi and North Dakota
- North Carolina is the state with the most zip lines. The Tar Heel state has 24 commercial zip lines
- Zip lines in Costa Rica generate approximately $120 million dollars in annual revenue
Sources: Zip Line Rider, The Los Angeles Times, Association for Challenge Course Technology
With so many incredible zip lines around the world, showing the twitter-verse just how cool zip lines are can only help your business. Here are some sample tweets about some of the craziest zip lines out there:
- The longest single zip line in the world is the “Volo dell’angelo”, located in Rocca Massima, Italy. It is 7,260 feet long
- The longest single zip line in the United States is the “Icy Straight Point” located in Hoonah, Alaska. It takes 90 seconds to complete
- Only 3 zip lines in the world (UK, New Zealand, & South Africa) claim to reach speeds of 100 mph!
- The most people down a single zip line in one hour is 183 and was achieved by ACE Adventure Resort in West Virginia on June 3, 2012
- The longest combined length of a zip line canopy tour is the “Screaming Eagle,” located in Georgia. The course consists of 135 zip lines
- You can travel internationally on zip lines! The Limite Zero zip line crosses the Guadiana river from Spain to Portugal
- Children in the Hongde Village in China use a zip line to cross a 460-foot deep and 260-foot wide gorge to travel to and from school
Sources: Volo dell’Angelo, Icy Straight Point, Zip 2000, Gravity Canyon, Zip World, ACE Adventure Resort, Historic Banning Mills, Tirolina
These facts cannot exist in a vacuum. For Choroszucha, she incorporates humor and current events. For you, it could be slightly different, but you need to always remember to tailor your content to meet the specific needs of your target audience.
