Content Contributed By KWP
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This next in the series of guides to operators of amusement and attractions venues, in the changing landscape #AfterLockdown. An overview of the best practice and suggestions on marketing and promoting your operation, brand and offering, as you recommence business, in a crowded market.
Special Comments
- Treat your position as if you are “Restarting Afresh”
- No matter how long in operation, take a fresh look at your business
- Be prepared to start afresh, make no assumptions
- Undertake this evaluation even if you are an established business
- Understand these are your guests, not just your customers
Start-up Mode
- Look at what you intend to offer and what makes that special
- Take advantage of a fresh look at your branding and identity
- Evaluate if your offering is the best it can be to achieve you goals
- Ensure your team understands and agrees with the direction being
taken
Market Research
- Look at the competition in your immediate area, not just entertainment
- Use social media to collect information on competitions offerings
- Use Online Resources to collect information on best practices
- Visit industry association and media resources for information
Value Proposition
- Establish what your Unique Selling Point will be
- Understand what is your target audience (don’t have just one target)
- Ensure you are offering a flexible package to suit changing needs
- Do not fixate on the hardware or technology, but on the experience
Undertake a SWOT Analysis
- Ascertain what your Strengths are against competitors
- Ascertain what your key Weaknesses are (see if they have changed)
- What Opportunities do you have now to improve your position
- Consider all Threats to the business, especially from other operators
Employ Digital Marketing
- Use Social Media to collect information on core market
- Look at using Google and Facebook to construct a detailed database
- Understand how best to share your message through these mediums
- Consider using Influencers to help shape your message
- Set up email automations to keep top of mind with guests
Communicate with Guests
- Gather from database of guests and ask some important questions:
- Ask them what is important to them now
- Ask them what they like best about your offering
- Ask them what they are missing right now
- Use these testimonials in all marketing channels to attract new guests
Understand What is Important
- Build up a profile from your database of your key customers
- Start to collect a database of targets from social media
- Understand the best way to reach out and connect with your guests
- Highlight your offering and how much you value the community
- Don’t just push information, pull too – by asking questions
Build a List of Social Influencers
- Ascertain the key individuals and posters (influencers) in your area
- Reach out to influencers and offer incentives to support you
- Include information that can be shared through these channels
- Give them early access and previews to new offerings as exclusive
content
Build a Social Community
- Build contact with fellow proprietors in the Area
- Offer shared promotion of services (local food and products)
- Ensure contact with local government, promote reopening
- Special offer for local businesses
- Invite First Responders families
Build a Fun Message About Your Offering
- Create video of efforts taken to keep guests safe at site
- Create fun message, do not over emphasize risk
- Ensure you are building on family values’ and community spirit
- Remember you are in the “social” entertainment business
Create Social Media Moments
- Ensure capture images of guests in venue
- Create video of preview opening
- Create video about reopening promoting family and staff
- Ensure website pages achieve best presentation
- Use loyalist testimonials to promote the business
Arrange a Preview Opening
- Arrange a special preview opening of the facility
- Ensure that this is videoed for later use in marketing channels
- Ensure you make it feel like a special event (must attend)
- Reward loyalists (previous guests), treat them like celebrities
Offer a Unique Value Proposition
- Understand what you offer that is unique compared to competition
- Understand how you can improve that offering
- Consider how you promote and describe that offering to your guests
- Promote your offering in a unique way
Final Observations
This is “Not Game Over” for our businesses but is the beginning of a new chapter in growing our business. This will need resolve and a preparation to embrace and support guests looking to enjoy the social community and fun offered.
Help guests recapture social entertainment again!