Marketing for Midterm
Marketing for Midterm
The summer school holidays are coming to an end and most of us in the hospitality and tourism industry will be turning our heads towards plans for the midterm break in October. We were in a similar position last year where the industry was open, domestic tourism in Ireland was doing ok and there was hope in the horizon for pubs to reopen. Fast forward a year, and while pubs are back open, 85% of our adult population are vaccinated and the threat of another lockdown is not even on the cards.
Families, couples, golden oldies, and footloose socialisers will be on the lookout NOW for the next bank holiday weekend so make sure you are ready when they are searching. Here are our top tips for marketing for midterm.
- Create a package for everyone
Don’t forget that it isn’t just families that travel for Midterm. A lot of different market segments travel for the bank holiday weekend. Grandparents may be travelling to visit their grandchildren; younger couples may be on the search for a long weekend away and a group of friends looking for a great experience during the college holidays. Be sure to create a separate package for all your market segments- not just families. Knockranny House Hotel in Mayo advertise Halloween to adults and suggest lots of experiences nearby.
- Collaborate with your neighbours
Even if you view them as your competition. Collaborate with your neighbours in the industry to attract more tourists to your destination. For example, offer 2 nights bed and breakfast in your hotel with starter and mains in a nearby restaurant and dessert in your bar? That way you are giving business to your neighbours, and they will send them back to you at the end of the night. You are also freeing up your restaurant for more walk-in business. It goes without saying that you should collaborate with nearby activity providers if you are hotel and vice versa for activity providers.
- Create your own experience.
Booking a hotel that has an experience on site is always more attractive then having to go somewhere after you have checked in. Offer spooky stories in the lobby for kids, scary movie night, (horror movie night for the adults), pumpkin carving with the head chef, Halloween food demos, a ghost tour to name a few!
- Offer Value
Make sure to research what other businesses are doing to make sure you are offering value. Sometimes the lowest price will not create demand. Add value into your packages to make them attractive to all of your market segments. Complimentary tea and coffee for over 50’s, complimentary drink on arrival for adults and toffee apples for the kids.
- Get it out there
If you are only putting together your mid term packages, then you are already late. Your packages should be live and bookable for when the kids return to school. Even for other market segments. According to an article from Avvio last October, “the consideration phase of the booking process has lengthened three-fold, with guests taking over 7 days to book their stay, and visiting the site nearly 10 times before making the final decision.” Lead time has been up to 90 days in some properties. Create a plan for your digital advertising as well as social media and get started with it straight away. Read our tips here on how to get the most out of your social media.
Don’t loose out on that important mid term business this year. If you are seeing a higher search count on certain dates then think about extending the offer outside of the midterm dates.
To find out how Back Office Marketing can help you make the most of your marketing activities contact Helen here on info@backofficems.ie
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