This is the first in our 7-part series on the Guest Focus VIP Marketing Method™. Follow along on YouTube!
Your dream tour business is drowning in a sea of digital noise.
Despite pouring your heart into creating unforgettable experiences, you’re watching mediocre competitors book your ideal guests. Your social media efforts feel like shouting into the void. And those pricey ads? They’re burning through your budget faster than a tourist’s sunscreen on a tropical beach.
But here’s the wake-up call: More followers don’t equal more bookings. Viral content doesn’t translate to a thriving business. And in the world of tour marketing, louder isn’t better—it’s just more annoying.
Enter the Guest Focus VIP Marketing Method™ – the system your tour business has been waiting for.
This isn’t just another set of recycled tactics. It’s a framework designed specifically for tourism businesses like yours. No matter who your ideal target guest is, this method will help you:
Skeptical? Good. We love skeptics. Because once you see how the VIP principles can revolutionize your tour business marketing, you’ll wonder how you ever operated without them.
Ready to stop drowning and start thriving? Let’s dive into the three core principles that make up the VIP acronym – and learn how they can turn your marketing from a money pit into a profit-generating machine.
The Guest Focus VIP Marketing Method™ is a unique marketing framework specifically for tour, activity, and experience businesses. This approach builds on our core philosophy that your success depends on staying focused on your ideal target guests across your entire business.
At the heart of the VIP Marketing Method™ is providing genuine, practical value to your ideal target guests. This requires a significant mindset shift:
Three powerful ways to provide value:
a) Inspire: Share captivating content about destinations, spectacular meals, and unique cultural experiences. Use high-quality visuals and compelling storytelling to ignite your audience’s wanderlust.
b) Educate: Offer comprehensive guidebooks, in-depth blog posts, and insider knowledge to help travelers have the best possible experience. Share tips on local customs, hidden gems, and practical travel advice.
c) Entertain: Tell engaging stories about cultural elements, create immersive podcast walking tours, or share interesting anecdotes that bring destinations to life. Use humor, personal experiences, and unexpected facts to keep your audience engaged.
Remember to create value across all five stages of the traveler’s journey:
1. Dreaming: Spark inspiration with stunning visuals and aspirational content.
2. Planning: Provide detailed guides, itineraries, and practical information.
3. Booking: Offer clear, concise information about your tours and streamline the booking process.
4. Experiencing: Enhance the on-tour experience with additional resources and support.
5. Sharing: Encourage and facilitate user-generated content and reviews.
By consistently providing value at each stage, you’ll position your business as a trusted authority and go-to resource for your target audience.
In today’s digital age, travelers crave authentic, human-to-human interactions with businesses and brands. The intimacy element of the VIP Marketing Method™ focuses on building trust, rapport, and loyalty by humanizing your brand and creating meaningful connections.
Three core ways to build intimacy:
a) Connection:
b) Community:
c) Conversation:
By implementing these strategies, you’ll create a more personal, relatable brand that stands out from impersonal, transaction-focused competitors.
To maximize the impact of your valuable content and intimate connections, your marketing needs to be pervasive. This means maintaining a consistent, multi-channel presence in all the places your ideal target guests spend their time and attention.
The three key elements of pervasive marketing are:
a) Visibility:
b) Consistency:
c) Reach:
Key strategies for pervasive marketing:
Example of pervasive marketing:
1. Create a valuable, in-depth YouTube video about a destination or travel topic.
2. Cut the video into short-form content for Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.
3. Adapt the script for an engaging email newsletter.
4. Publish a thought leadership article on LinkedIn based on the video content.
5. Create an SEO-optimized blog post incorporating key points from the video.
6. Design eye-catching infographics to share on Pinterest and other visual platforms.
7. Host a live Q&A session on Facebook or Instagram to discuss the topic further.
To better understand the Guest Focus VIP Marketing Method™, let’s contrast it with traditional direct marketing approaches:
1. Value-driven vs. Sales-driven: Prioritize creating value for guests before they book, rather than focusing on aggressive sales tactics. Build trust and credibility through helpful content and resources.
2. Relationship-focused vs. Transaction-focused: Foster intimacy and treat guests as individuals to build lasting relationships, leading to repeat bookings and referrals. Focus on the long-term value of each guest rather than one-time transactions.
3. Omni-channel presence vs. Siloed marketing: Ensure your company shows up consistently across multiple platforms, avoiding scattered or minimal marketing efforts. Create a seamless brand experience regardless of where potential guests encounter your business.
4. Guest-centric vs. Business-centric: Position your products and services as solutions to your guests’ problems, rather than simply promoting how great your business is. Focus on the transformative experiences and benefits you offer, not just features.
The Guest Focus VIP Marketing Method™ offers a unique, optimized approach for tour and activity businesses of all sizes. By committing to being valuable, intimate, and pervasive in all your marketing efforts, you can break free from overwhelm and uncertainty. This strategy will help you achieve the growth, profitability, and financial freedom you deserve while building a purpose-driven, guest-centric business that makes a lasting impact on the individuals and communities you serve.
Implementing the VIP Marketing Method™ may require a shift in mindset and resources, but the long-term benefits – increased bookings, stronger guest loyalty, and a more resilient business – make it a worthwhile investment for any tour operator looking to thrive in today’s competitive market.