on the record ❖
On The Record How Do You Use Online Tools To Market Your Business? FOLLOWING ARE ANSWERS from Leisure Group Travel readers who responded to the question: How are you using online marketing tools—websites, email, social networking—to promote your business, capture new customers and retain loyal followers?
success with Pinterest I have had a Facebook page for my business from very early on and find it’s incredibly effective at “spreading the word” about the products and services we offer. Not only am I able to post promotional material about tours, Facebook also enables me to create a separate, dedicated “event” for each tour I do, which is invaluable when it comes to targeting specific markets. By the same token, Pinterest is a new, exciting and cost-effective way to promote. Once the buzz started to build about the site, I saw right away that it was easy to convert my sales materials to “pins” and upload them to a dedicated board for upcoming tours. I’m finding that Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter have more immediacy, not only when it comes to updating and keeping the information current, but also in terms of response. Melinda Hughey The RH Factor, Pulaski, TN
Cost-effective Facebook Ads I am using email, Facebook and my website exclusively now to market trips. I’ve found I need practically no other marketing in order to 12 June 2012
JAn & CArl COleMAn
lisA COllins
fill buses! I maintain a free website at Shutterfly, where I post trips, then ask travelers to post their photos when we get home. It serves dual purposes, by helping me to promote from a very easy platform at no charge and by providing a place for customer-generated advertising. I post every trip on Facebook multiple times and have begun buying Facebook ads as well. They are so cost-effective because I can tar-
MelinDA HUgHeY
Full Online Arsenal At Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre and Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre we use all forms of electronic media to communicate with our audiences: both groups and individuals. On our Facebook accounts, we post an entire photo album of the new show within three days after the opening so the fans can see the quality of the show as well as check in on some of their favorite performers if they have returned to perform a role. We also
It serves dual purposes, by helping me to promote from a very easy platform at no charge and by providing a place for customer-generated advertising. get my demographic, choose my maximum expenditure and pay only for those who click through the ads. So all the “viewers” who simply look but don’t click are FREE! I am starting to tweet, but I’m finding my target customers are not yet tweeting regularly so it’s not as effective. I’m sure that’s next! Lisa S. Collins, Owner Arts & Culture Tours, LLC Belpre, OH/Parkersburg, WV
post reviews of the shows as soon as they are published in the newspaper or through radio and post photos of events that we have attended with the cast. If there was a special offer to our guests, we post it on our Facebook account, and we tape each show on our preview night and create a sample video of the show and post it to the website and the Facebook account. We are also inviting the audience members each day to use their LeisureGroupTravel.com
Twitter or Facebook account to post their own reviews of the show during intermission. We continue to add the logos of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr to all of our marketing collateral to let people know that we are utilizing these forms of interactive mediums. We have completed a few contests on our Facebook account to give away tickets and also to raise funds for charities in the area. Our website is used to let audiences know what the menu is before they arrive as well as the drink specials. Photos are posted on the site of the show, and the cast page for the current show has the headshot and bio of each cast member. For group leaders and motorcoach operators, there is a group leaders tool page that has all of the show logos in color and black and white as well as a sales sheet for each show that they can add their own trip information to and print it for their club members. Our email club is utilized to announce the shows the week they open and to announce special events such as concerts that may have been added after the guests received their annual brochure and, of course, special offers only for our email club members.
our seminar. I belong to Women in Networking, we belong to a dance club and I volunteer at our hospital, so it is a lot of word of mouth. I have done group travel for over 38 years so we have a good following. Jan Coleman Jan & Carl’s Tours, Bradley, IL
e-newsletters and More Near and Far Journeys jumped early into the social media world with Facebook but has had more success with a carefully tended e-newsletter program. In order to build loyalty and to cultivate deeper connections within our groups, we always include some
Denise S. Trupe, National Marketing Dir. Prather Entertainment Group Lancaster, PA
email Does the Trick I have good luck with email. We filled three trips with 54 people each in less than two weeks. I do have people get upset that don’t have email and the trip is filled. I will call my regulars who may want to go. I only do a mailing once a year because of the cost. I did a presentation at the Senior Fair put on by our paper and there were 150 or more who attended LeisureGroupTravel.com
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on the record â?–
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: For more reader responses regarding online marketing, log on to http://leisuregrouptravel.com/?p=30301.
We used to maintain a blog that fed into our website but have now switched to utilizing scoop.it, a new curation platform for creating your own online topicrelated magazine. interactive elements into the newsletters. Examples include links to our website photo gallery (with lots of photos of our travelers), traveler profiles and "bucket list" questionnaires. Recently, we've started running simple ads within LinkedIn. You can target your ads to appear only on pages within certain geographic areas and can also choose from other demographics such as age and professional titles (CEO, president, manager, etc). You can choose a flat monthly fee or pay per clickthru. We're excited about this new
project, but it is too early to tell if it will be successful. We used to maintain a blog that fed into our website but have now switched to utilizing Scoop.it, a new curation platform for creating your own online topic-related magazine. It's a really easy and fun way to share travel-related news articles, destination guides or whatever else you find that might be useful and interesting to your clients. Sara Jane Crane Near and Far Journeys
IN THE AUGUST ISSUE of Leisure Group Travel, our On the Record column will look at group-friendly museums. Please send us your response to this question:
How have museum visits enriched your itineraries? What exhibitions, special activities and behindthe-scenes tours have been especially meaningful to your groups? Along with your comments, please include your name, company name and location. Also for publication, send a high-resolution photo of yourself. A selection of responses will be printed in the August 2012 issue. Thanks in advance for your valuable opinions. Send to: Randy Mink, randy@ptmgroups.com
Prairie Village, KS
Chocolate Tours
PERILLO TOURS PRESENTS
CUSTOM GROUPS, ITALIAN STYLE. For three generations, the Perillo Family has welcomed travelers with warm smiles and open hearts offering a true cultural immersion, Italian Style! Our dedicated Group Department can create or refine any itinerary to reflect your group’s interests and budget. Here are the advantages of working with Perillo Tours to arrange a customized group: 1. Mangia!! Experience the abundance of the “Italian Table� and enjoy the highest quality
regional cuisine chosen by some of Italy’s top chefs. 2. You are part of the family when you travel on a Perillo Tour and will experience the passion of the Italian culture from tasting, feeling and laughing, not from the window of a motorcoach. 3. Freedom to design any itinerary based upon your group’s travel goals. 4. We understand the needs of special interest groups and offer exclusive access to sights not offered on scheduled tours.
DeBrand Chocolatier oers tours of their kitchens as well as an elegant chocolate shoppe with gourmet desserts and specialty drinks. Call the Corporate OďŹƒce to reserve your tour today!
XXX EFCSBOE DPN t Call us at 855-PTGROUP (855-784-7687) email us at groups@perillotours.com or visit us at www.perillogroups.com 14 June 2012
Conveniently located just a few minutes from I-69 Exit 116 on the north side of Fort Wayne, Indiana. LeisureGroupTravel.com
GROUP MOTORCOACHINGโ ฆ SO MUCH FUN IT JUST BECAME A VERB! Reasons to book your motorcoach group to Harrahโ s Cherokee Casino & Hotel TODAY: s 3AYING h-OTORCOACHv IS FUN s 'REAT RESTAURANT OPTIONS LIKE 0AULA $EEN S Kitchen, the Food Court, and the brand new 600-seat Chefs Stage Buffet. s -OTORCOACH ,OBBY COMFORTABLY SEATS
History Art Culture America
s $OUBLED GAMING SPACE FOR MORE FUN s ,OADING UNLOADING AREA IN COVERED DECK !.$ A DRIVER S LOUNGE s /VER GREAT ROOMS "OOK your overnight stay today. s 3ERIOUSLY SAY h-OTORCOACH v s *AW DROPPING SHOWS AND FREE WEEKEND entertainment in Essence Lounge. s ,OCATED IN #HEROKEE .# AT THE ENTRANCE to the Great Smoky Mountains.
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For more information or to book your group, call toll free 1-877-778-8138 or email bwebb@cherokee.harrahs.com.
1-877-HD-MUSEUM groups@h-dmuseum.com <77ลข ./ลข ) 'ลข /- /ลขย ลข $'3 1& \ลข ลขลขย ลข#p (1. 1([ *( ลขลขลขuลขลขลข ลขลขลขuลขลขลข ลขลขลขuลขลขลข ลข
Must be 21 years of age or older and possess a valid photo ID to enter casino and to gamble. Know When To Stop Before You Start.ยฎ Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-522-4700. An Enterprise of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation. ยฉ2012, Caesars License Company, LLC.
WE MET ON THE BEACH Newly renovated guest rooms, attractive group rates and Chef created menus. There is no better time to host an event at WaterColor Inn & Resort than in the fall. Schedule your event now and you could be eligible for a $500 gift card! Call: 866 426-2656
Email: sales@watercolorresort.com Visit: WaterColorResort.com
*Offer is valid for newly booked groups with 32 or more weekday room nights and is based on availability at time of booking. Date restrictions apply. LeisureGroupTravel.com
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