Put the POW in Your Ski Resort Marketing

ki Resorts have a tight window of opportunity in which to attract, engage and acquire their audience. Whether you cater to young people, families, or pros, your ski resort marketing needs to grab attention quickly so that the people who see it convert to guests at your resort. With so many marketing and media options available, be sure that you’re not making key mistakes and are truly focusing on the right ones for your audiences.

One size does not fit all when it comes to marketing to various generations of skiiers. Baby Boomer skiiers are on the decline, being rapidly replaced by Millennials. Your traditional advertising may not be reaching your desired audiences as they turn to social media and video to gather information and make decisions about where to go and how to spend their entertainment dollars.

Great video content about your ski resort will capture attention. Be sure that your ski resort marketing includes video featuring the lifts, the restaurants, the people who work there, as well as video of your exciting runs to drive engagement. Go behind the scenes with your chef or feature an employee of the month. YouTube shares and comments increase high ranking factors meaning your video can show up more often in search (remember, Google owns YouTube). Video content is also increasingly popular on Facebook. Facebook’s algorithm favors video with its high ranking emotional engagement. In fact, Facebook reports that native video uploaded to Facebook gets 2x the reach and 7x the engagement of other posts. The good news is that all of your video does not have to be professionally produced.

SAM’s 2015 2016 Best and Worst Marketing says it best: “Digital media is no longer “on the rise” or very new—it’s standard. Many resorts have gained a better understanding of their audiences, and are generating digital content to reflect that. Spearfishing rather than casting a net, if you will. Others still have some learning to do.”

According to Pew Research 2017 data, 88% of adults between the ages of 18-29 use Facebook and 59% use Instagram. 79% of 30-49 year olds use Facebook. Advertising on these platforms along with YouTube and Google will reach your intended audiences where they already spend much of their time – on their mobile devices.

Having a Facebook Business Page is not enough. Back in the earlier days of Facebook, a business could set up a page, put up some interesting and entertaining posts and engage with its audience. That changed in 2012 when Facebook entered the world of paid advertising. Now if a business wants to expand its reach beyond a handful of viewers, it needs to pay for display advertising. Boosted posts are best for companies who are looking to increase likes, comments and shares. If you want to target specific behaviors with a specific call to action such as bringing people into your resort, or want them to purchase a ticket or package, you will want to invest in display advertising with Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Google.

Text message marketing allows you to build a very loyal VIP fan club and communicate directly with them on their mobile phones. Different groups can opt in with different keywords, allowing you to segment your audiences and customize your offers. Let people know when you’re open, when you have fresh powder, advise about special VIP offers, or even when you have to close due to a weather emergency.

It’s never too late to start a social mobile ski resort marketing campaign to reach your most important audiences. The digital marketing experts here at Purplegator are ready to help you execute your online digital marketing plan. Give us a call at 888-76-GATOR or email us at sales@purplegator.com.