If you’re a small or medium-sized surf tourism business, you know that marketing is essential to your success. But what kind of marketing should you be doing? In this article, I’ll discuss the power of email newsletters for surf brands and highlight the number one reason why you need to be using them.
Enjoy!
The benefits of email newsletters
Besides the fact that practically anyone can create their own email newsletter using platforms such as MailChimp, MailerLite or Constant Contact, email newsletters come with a bunch of other benefits. Most of these are pretty obvious, but I’ll start with the number one reason why you need to be sending email newsletters to your guests.
1. They allow you to speak directly to readers with little to no competition
Without a doubt, the number one reason why email newsletters are so powerful is that they offer you a direct line of communication with your target market.
In the current age, we are constantly bombarded with marketing messages and it can be difficult to cut through the noise. However, email newsletters allow you to speak directly to your guests without any competition.
This is extremely important because it means that you can deliver your message in the most effective way possible. This in turn allows you to build a personal relationship with people that can lead to bookings or simply valuable feedback further down the track.
2. They help you stay in touch with your customers
Repeat guests are the lifeblood of any surf tourism business.
Not only do they spread the word about your business, but they provide you with regular bookings every season. This means that taking care of and keeping in touch with past guests is essential to the success of your business. And nothing keeps you front and centre in a past guest’s mind like an email newsletter.
It’s really the digital equivalent of the old fashioned letterbox drop that real estate agents are so fond of, except instead of promoting a new overpriced home for sale on their street, you’ll be giving them an update on the latest happenings at your surf camp.
At the very least this will make them feel like their business is valued. At the very most, you’ll ensure that the next time they book a surf trip, they’ll do so with you.
3. They allow you to promote new products or offers
Another reason why email newsletters for surf brands are necessary as part of your marketing strategy is that they allow you to promote new products or offers to your email list.
This is a great way to generate interest and excitement around what you’re offering. Better yet, you can even share discounts or special offers with your mailing list that will encourage them to choose you over your competitors.
4. They keep your customers up-to-date on the latest news
Picked up a bunch of flashy new beginner surfboards? Recently revamped the bunks in your surf house? Installed a jacuzzi that guests can relax in after a long surf session? Then you need to let your email list know!
Why? Because email newsletters for surf brands are a great way to keep your customers up-to-date on the latest news, which can help generate repeat business. Think about it – if someone is planning a trip and they see that you’ve made improvements to your business, they’re more likely to book with you again.
This is especially true if those improvements are photogenic or they add value to the customer experience in some way. So don’t be shy – show off those new additions in your email newsletter.
5. They drive traffic to your website
Being able to speak directly to your guests and promote your business are incredibly important functions of newsletters for surf brands, but only when the content sends people back to your website.
A lot of the time, businesses will use email newsletters as a way to simply post their latest blog article or product offerings without any other context or value-add for the reader. This is a missed opportunity! You need to be actively thinking of how you’re going to convert people from readers to website visitors and eventually guests.
A Call To Action (CTA) is key here. For example, if you’re a surf tourism brand and you’ve just launched a new product, make sure to mention it in your email newsletter with a link to find out more.
You could also highlight a recent blog post with some tips for planning the perfect surf vacation, and include a link to read more. Whatever you do, make sure it’s something that will interest your guests and make them want to visit your website.
6. They help you learn more about your customers’ needs and desires
In order to engage with your guests on an emotional level, you need to know what they want. But how can you canvas a wide range of people with just a single newsletter?
The answer is by using questionnaires in newsletters.
This means putting a few questions in each newsletter that’ll elicit a response, whether that’s simply through emailing you back or hitting reply. You can then use these responses to segment your email list even further and create more targeted content that resonates with their needs.
Plus, newsletters for surf brands that contain questionnaires give you an insight into what kind of content guests want to see from you.
Do they want more tips on where to surf? Are they interested in the surfboard models you’re stocking? Do they want to learn about the best items to bring on a surf trip?
By giving them a voice, you can ensure each and every email newsletter really taps into their needs and desires.
7. They’re a cost-effective way to market your business
Finally, the last benefit of using emails as part of your surf tourism marketing strategy is that they’re a cost-effective way to reach your target market.
With email, you don’t have to worry about the rising cost of advertising or printing materials. So long as you have a laptop and wifi connection (plus a dash of newsletter savvy), you can craft content that will engage and convert readers.
Who knows? You may just realise that you love email marketing as much as I do. If this isn’t the case though, you can always outsource your newsletter creation to someone like me.
This will give you more time to focus on other aspects of your business.
For more information about how to get started with email newsletters for your surf tourism business, feel free to get in touch. I’d be more than happy to chat about how email (or blog articles for that matter) could work for you.