A Quick Guide to Marketing Your Water Sport and Activity Business

Promote your water sport and water activity business all year round with the latest digital marketing strategies. Nowadays, online competition is tight. For seasonal recreational activities, year-round marketing is essential. You must develop creative and effective ways to rank higher on search engines and be seen by more customers.

With the latest digital marketing strategies, you’re ready to take the lead. Let’s dive right in and discover the right marketing for your water sport and water activity business.

Consider the Experience

Your customers may be from all over the world, but they have one thing in common: they want to have a great time outdoors. These are people who want to use water sports or water activity equipment for leisure, who want to discover places and enjoy nature, and who want a memorable experience to take home with them. 

If you’re renting or selling water sports equipment like diving outfits, SCUBA accessories, or wetsuits, you’re catering to people who are adventure-seekers. If your business rents boats or personal watercraft, your customers are seeking relaxing and fun water activities.

With these in mind, focus on the bigger picture and the experiences your customers want to take home with them. Don’t focus on selling equipment or renting watercraft. Focus on what your customers will gain from using your equipment or renting your watercraft. 

With your website, blog, and social media sites, you can build a relationship with your customers and induce them to come and try your business – for an awesome and memorable experience, which is exactly what they’re looking for!

Start a Business Blog

Make your blog an extension of your business. This is where you go all out focusing on the overall experience your customers get when they consider your services or products.

Mention the cool local places you can visit with a boat rental. Invite people who want to go on an immersive experience, couples who want some time out. Talk about the lovely sunset, the fantastic scenery. Your customers are among the few who truly appreciate this beautiful bounty, so don’t overlook this opportunity to tell them what they can experience through your watercraft!

Your blog can also focus on what to expect in your local area. Write about local boating destinations, dive spots, fun watersports, local accommodations, and restaurants that welcome  travelers, as well as how to get to your area. Sharing information like this and letting prospective clients in on the local flavors turns your business into a resource, not just a retail store. They make you, your staff, and your business more welcoming and a lot more appealing to your target market.

Instagram

Instagram has a unique pull, taking users into the personal journeys of millions. This is why the travel industry loves Instagram! Use this social media platform to engage with your target market. Fill your Instagram page with colorful, high-quality, and engaging photos of your business. Make people want to check out your products or find your services. Consider some of these tips:

• Invest in a good quality camera and accessories.
• Show your products in action, not in the showroom. Your customers will more strongly consider what you offer if they see people using or wearing your products.
• Include photos of your business, your staff, and the local area–and not just of your products. Potential customers will appreciate getting familiar with the area through your site. 
• Show the face of your brand. Look for someone to model or pose with your products or equipment. Look for someone with natural talent, someone who can best represent your brand.
• Create quality image descriptions. Use your keywords and key phrases as part of your descriptions.

In addition to Instagram, use other social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to feature your products. As always, focus on the experience to attract your target customers. 

Don’t Underestimate the Power of Reviews

Use customer reviews to your advantage. Reviews make your business credible, real, and noteworthy. People know that your business exists when they see recent reviews. And you’ll need to be able to show positive reviews and finesse negative reviews.

Positive reviews are encouraging for both you and your customers. These reviews are inspiring, helping you to focus on your business and highlight the products or services that really speak well of your business. Positive reviews also attract more customers. Discriminating customers rely on reviews when they shop online or choose companies to conduct business with.

Negative reviews can feel damaging to your business, but in another light, this type of review lets you focus on areas of your business that need improvement. Take negative reviews seriously by first connecting with the customer and probing the reason for this review. Take time to resolve customer issues and offer special promotions or discounts when appropriate.

After an issue has been resolved, follow up the review and ask for feedback from the customer. These prove that you’re serious about helping your customers and improving your business practices. And make sure you post your follow-up online, so that prospective customers can see that you work to resolve problems.

Your Email List Counts

Email remains one of the most efficient ways to build leads. Direct email should never be overlooked as it can generate higher ROI and improve marketing success, according to Digital Authority Partners. Here’s how you can build email lists and ace your dire ct email marketing:

• Use your website as an email marketing tool. Place a subscribe option for updates, newsletters, and unique offers.
• Ask visitors to sign up for a contest.
• Ask for email confirmation during checkout.
• Publish a newsletter delivered straight to customers’ inboxes.
• Include social sharing options on your website.

Monitor Your Industry

Keep a close watch on industry trends, latest news, and updates. Consider updating your customers with the latest in your industry as one of your important tasks. To do this, start notifications from Google about your market.

If your business is about boat rentals for tourists, water tours, and fishing tours, update your customers with the latest news, climate updates, fish populations, and air and water temperature checks, especially during top season. If your boat rental business is within a national park, focus on new park rules, updates on weather, new tourist regulations, new rates, and camping grounds that may be available onsite.

Final Words

The water sport and water activity market in a local area may face tight competition. It’s a good idea to partner with a reliable digital marketing agency to create effective marketing campaigns to benefit your business. With a marketing team, you’ll have better background information on your market and come up with the best strategies for your brand, business, and products. Don’t underestimate the power of digital marketing in your fun and engaging water sport and water activity industry.