There’s no doubt that social media for surf camps is effective when it comes to promoting your business, but can regular posting really help to increase bookings?
In short, yes. Social media posts can be leveraged by tourism businesses to increase bookings in a number of ways – but only if the messaging is on-point and you post with regularity.
In this article, I’ll provide you with tips on how to best utilise Instagram and Facebook to grow your bottom line. I’ll also show you a few of my favourite surf camp social media accounts!
5 reasons why social media for surf camps is necessary
There’s an old saying that just because everyone is doing something doesn’t mean you need to do it too. But that doesn’t ring true for social media.
In reality, the fact that every surf tourism business operator worth their salt is using social media means you should be using it as well. If you need further convincing, here are 5 reasons why social media for surf camps is a necessary marketing tactic.
1. It adds a touch of personality to your surf camp
The number one way to demonstrate that you’re different from other surf camps and that you offer a unique holiday experience is through your personality.
Sure, every surf tourism business can list the services they offer and their accommodation types, but what really sets you apart is the unique character of your business.
Instagram, for example, is the perfect platform to let your personality shine and show people what makes you special. Posting interesting, creative content that captures the spirit of your brand will help you to stand out from the competition and attract attention from potential customers.
Essentially, social media posts like this help people to remember you. Whether it’s a funny photo or a personal story about how you got your business started, injecting personality into your brand is all about being authentic and even somewhat vulnerable (i.e. letting your guard down).
The result is a social media page or feed that potential customers can engage with, and hopefully, one that will make them want to book a holiday with you over your competitors.
2. It builds trust with potential guests
If people don’t trust you then they won’t book with you – it’s as simple as that. Fortunately, social media is a great way to build trust with potential guests.
By sharing your story and being transparent about who you are and what you do, you can create an emotional connection with your audience that will encourage them to put their faith in you.
Social media also gives you an opportunity to promote positive reviews from either third-party review sites such as TripAdvisor or Google, or from happy customers who have tagged you in their posts.
Of course, simply pushing your credentials and positive reviews isn’t enough. You need to be both responsive and proactive in your social media engagement to show that you’re a business that cares about its customers.
This means promptly replying to comments and questions, as well as addressing any negative feedback in a constructive and positive manner.
3. It helps you stay top of mind amongst people planning their next holiday.
One of the hardest but most effective ways to increase bookings for your surf camp is by making sure that you post regularly on social media.
This keeps your business top of mind for potential customers who may be planning their next holiday. Of course, that’s easier said than done considering most potential guests probably follow a plethora of other surf camps or surf tourism businesses around the world. But the good news is that not every other surf hospitality brand is utilising social media to its full potential.
So, if you can make a concerted effort to post interesting and engaging content on a regular basis, you’ll be ahead of the curve and in a better position to attract bookings.
Besides, you can always hire a social media expert or use social media tools such as Hootsuite to help you automate your Instagram and Facebook posts and save time.
4. It can increase website traffic
The goal of your social media posts is at all times this – to inspire action in your readers and get them to make a booking with you.
To get them to book with you though, you need them to first visit your website. And to get them to visit your website, you need to create a sense of urgency, generate curiosity or make your post so engaging that the only logical next step is to act on it.
Once again, this is easier said than done and will take some time and experimentation to get right. But that’s half the fun! So long as you’re not clogging up the feed of your followers with inane posts (1x per day seems to be the maximum), you can practice daily honing your social media skills.
Then, with time, you’ll be able to create Instagram and Facebook posts that bring people to your website, which will in turn lead to an increase in bookings.
5. It allows you to capture email data for use in newsletters
Finally, the last advantage of social media for surf camps is that you can use it to capture email data.
This is important because you can then use this data to send newsletters to your customers. Newsletters are a great way to keep in touch with your customers and let them know about new deals and offers. Unlike a social media newsfeed, newsletters can also be sent directly to the inbox of potential guests where there’s not as much competition for attention.
In order to capture email data, you can use a tool like LeadPages. LeadPages allows you to create beautiful landing pages that include an email capture form. You can then promote your LeadPage on social media and drive traffic to it. Once people fill out the form, their email addresses will be added to your list and you can start sending them newsletters.
Voila!
My favourite surf camp social media pages
Now that we’ve gone over a few ways that social media for surf camps is beneficial, we can talk about some of my favourite social media pages run by surf camps.
I love seeing the regular posts from these surf camp businesses – they really make me want to book a stay! For the purpose of this article though, they’ll give you a good idea as to what you should be doing in order to increase bookings at your surf camp. Just click on the links to check out their Instagram pages and let me know if I’ve forgotten anyone!
Southwest Surf House – Hossegor, France
Selina – Worldwide
The Mandiri Beach Club – Krui, Indonesia
Mokum Surf Club – Pavones, Costa Rica
Gota Da’Agua – Costa Caparica, Portugal
Thunderbomb Surf Camp – The Boom, Nicaragua
LaPoint Camps – Worldwide
Unstad Arctic Surf – Unstad Bay, Norway
Surf Expedition – Pavones, Costa Rica
Surfmaroc – Taghazout, Morocco
Surf Lisbon – Lisbon, Portugal
BeOceanKrui – Krui, Indonesia
Conclusion
So there you have it!
It’s clear that social media can be a powerful tool for surf camps when it comes to driving bookings and awareness. However, it’s important to use social media strategically and to post regularly in order to see results.
With a little effort, social media can be a great way to increase bookings at your surf camp. Plus, writing a caption takes way less time than writing an entire blog article (unless you can hire someone *wink wink*).
So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start posting!