In this blog post, we’ll discuss magic moments and open loops. They’re powerful ways to create a fear of missing out (FOMO) in your potential guests. And be sure to watch the video below for real-world examples of tour operators using magic moments and open loops on their websites.
I’m going to tell you what an open loop is, but you’re going to have to read to the end of this article to find out.
That my friends is an open loop! But first, let’s talk about magic moments.
Magic Moments
Magic moments are the small sections of your tour where guests often have a particularly memorable experience. This can happen naturally, but oftentimes it’s part of the design of the tour.
You could imagine that moment when we’re zipping over a jungle canopy, looking out over a Costa Rican rainforest, and it’s a particularly touching moment, or marveling at an architectural wonder.
Maybe you’re on a cave tour, as I once was, and they shut off all the lights. We experienced absolute darkness, and then we heard this orchestral music being played through speakers throughout this massive cave, and it was particularly touching.
That should give you a flavor for what I’m talking about here. Now, what we want to do is highlight some of these magic moments in our tour descriptions.
We want our potential guests to be able to imagine themselves having that memorable experience by describing what your guests will see, hear, smell, taste, and feel.
You paint a vivid and impactful picture of the experience that you’re offering. Where possible capture the feelings and emotions guests feel in those moments.
Okay, that’s all well and good, but you might be wondering where to actually put this in the tour description page?
That’s a good question. We recommend adding magic moments into your tour overview, which we suggest placing below your ‘at a glance’ section.
Your tour description should be a word painting for what the tour will feel like, but it shouldn’t be too long. A magic moment is done in one sentence or less. You don’t need a lot of text.
Start your tour descriptions with magic moments as a way to hook people in and get them visualizing what the experience is like.
Open Loops
Now let’s talk about the second strategy – open loops. An open loop is when you tease something that guests will learn or discover, but only if they come on your tour.
It’s a sales technique to keep attention, build curiosity, and create a feeling of FOMO (fear of missing out). If done well, open loops keep attention and create a strong desire to book your tour now.
They’re used by storytellers and screenwriters all the time.
Likewise, for your tour description, this is something that’s only going to be revealed if they come on the tour. Creating curiosity, which is a really effective way to sell tours.
Do your tour sales pages lead with magic moments where we focus on the sensory experiences and word painting to bring those special moments to life?
And do you have open loops where you’re creating FOMO and a sense of curiosity in your potential guests?
If you’d like some help applying magic moments and open loops to your tour descriptions drop us a line at [email protected] – we’re here to help!
