Maximize Your Black Friday Bookings: A Marketing Guide for Tour and Activity Operators

Black Friday is your golden opportunity to boost bookings and fill your calendar well into the coming year. While it’s traditionally seen as a day for discounts on electronics, Black Friday has grown to include travel and experience deals, with more people leaning toward giving and enjoying experiences over material goods. This makes it an ideal time to promote your tours and activities—and with the right strategy, you can stand out and bring in those Black Friday bookings!

Here’s how to make the most of Black Friday with a marketing plan that will help you connect with customers, offer tempting deals, and drive those online bookings.

1. Plan Irresistible Offers in Advance

Setting up a deal that stands out is key to grabbing people’s attention amid the Black Friday frenzy. You don’t want to go overboard–Black Friday bookings should be a money maker, so make sure your bottom line will be protected if your deal is more successful than you expect.

Here are a few low-risk options that work well for experiences:

• Discounts: While you don’t have to slash prices deeply, offering a modest discount (say 10-20%) can be very attractive. Or try bundling discounts for groups, families, or couples. Rezgo’s packaging system can help.

• Limited-time packages: Create special packages only available during Black Friday. These could include add-ons and perks like extra experiences, souvenirs, or added services, making the offer feel exclusive.
• Gift card bonuses: Many holiday shoppers are looking for giftable experiences. Offering a discount on gift cards or offering bonuses on purchases (e.g., spend $100, get a $20 bonus card by email) can encourage people to choose your tours as holiday gifts. And with Rezgo, you can sell custom gift cards for specific experiences to let your customers offer that extra personal touch.
• VIP experiences: For those looking to splurge, create a special Black Friday VIP package that includes exclusive extras—like a private tour, behind-the-scenes access, or even a small meet-and-greet with relevant experts.

2. Get Your Website and Booking System Ready

With more traffic and potential customers on Black Friday, you want your website to be easy to navigate and ready to handle a surge in bookings. That means ensuring that your website host can handle the increased volume, but also ensuring that you’re using a booking system that scales well, like Rezgo.

• Streamline your booking process: Ensure your booking process is intuitive and quick, especially for new customers. If you’re using Rezgo, you’re set up for a smooth, scalable and user-friendly booking flow that makes checkout easy.
• Mobile-friendly design: Many people shop from their phones during Black Friday, so double-check that your site is optimized for mobile. Fast-loading pages and easy navigation are must-haves all year, but they’re especially vital on big sales days.
• Highlight your offers: Don’t make customers hunt for your deals! Feature your Black Friday promotions prominently on your homepage with banners, pop-ups, or buttons directing them to your best offers.
• Special landing page: Creating a unique page just for Black Friday deals can help visitors find everything quickly and easily.

3. Send Effective Email Campaigns

Email is one of the best tools for reaching customers before, during, and after Black Friday. Despite its age, it’s still one of the most effective ways for people to connect with brands online. And customers who’ve already opted into your list

• Tease your deals: Send an email teaser a week or so before Black Friday to get people excited and prepared. Engaging subject lines like “Ready for Adventure? Black Friday Tour Discounts Drop Soon” or “Mark Your Calendar! Black Friday Deals Are On the Way” can pique interest.
• Segment your audience: Personalize your emails for specific groups. For example, long-time customers might get early access to deals, while new subscribers receive an email introducing them to the unique experiences you offer.
• Post-Black Friday reminder: Don’t stop with Black Friday—send a reminder email for Cyber Monday or the holiday season. Customers who are on the fence might just need a little nudge to take action.

4. Amp Up Social Media

Social media is your best friend for Black Friday, both in the lead up and the day itself. Assuming you’ve already built a bit of a following, that is. If you’re just starting your social media efforts, don’t rely too heavily on social media marketing to get your deals out–email marketing and word of mouth will get you further.

Here’s how to engage your followers and attract new ones:

• Countdown posts: Build anticipation with countdown posts leading up to Black Friday. Use striking visuals and engaging captions to grab attention. A sneak peek of deals never hurts, either!
• Create video content: Short videos that highlight the fun and unique elements of your tours or activities can attract attention more than a still image. Show potential customers the excitement they can experience if they book with you. After all, customers need to know why they’d want a deal, not just that a deal exists.
• Engage with followers: Black Friday is a busy time on social media. Be active in responding to comments, answering questions, and encouraging customers to share their own photos or tag friends.
• Boost key posts: Consider investing in paid social ads to promote your Black Friday offers to a larger audience. Target audiences like families, adventure-seekers, and couples for a more focused approach.

5. Collaborate with Influencers and Local Partners

Working with influencers or nearby businesses can expand the reach of your Black Friday offers, bringing in new customers who already trust that your activities will be worth their money.

• Partner with travel influencers: Connect with influencers who share your audience’s interests. Offering them a tour in exchange for a Black Friday shout-out can lead to wider exposure.
• Bundle with local businesses: Try collaborating with local restaurants or other attractions to create an all-inclusive experience. For example, pair a tour with a dining experience to create a compelling Black Friday bundle.

6. Retarget Lost Sales

Not every visitor will book on their first visit, but sometimes you can bring them back. A customer who’s already been on your website or started the booking process is further along the path to purchase than most–you just need to give them a nudge.

Use abandoned cart emails: If customers get partway through the booking process, your booking software may let you send out an automated email reminding them to finish their booking. This is a great chance to remind them of time-limited deals or to offer a last-chance discount.

• Retarget website visitors: Platforms like Facebook Ads or Google Ads let you create ads that target past visitors to your website. This keeps your Black Friday offers front and center in their minds.
• Add urgency: Include limited-time wording in retargeting ads and cart abandonment emails to create that final push—phrases like “Last Chance” or “Only Hours Left” work well.

7. Track Results and Adapt as Needed

As your Black Friday campaign rolls out, it’s best if you can monitor its performance and adjust if needed. This takes some technical know-how, but being able to make data-driven decisions is worth the effort.

• A/B test offers: Test to see which promotions drive the most bookings by running different promo codes, and focus on the best-performing ones. Remember the results for next year, too!
• Adjust ads: If an ad isn’t performing well, try tweaking it or reallocating budget to a top performer.
• Monitor bookings: Using Rezgo’s reports and notifications, you can track your bookings in real time to see the impact of your Black Friday marketing efforts.

8. Extend the Deals Beyond Black Friday

Black Friday is a great day to snag some sales, but why stop at just one day? Stretch out your Black Friday offers to keep the momentum going throughout the holidays.

• Cyber Monday deals: Extend your Black Friday deals into Cyber Monday to attract more bookings. Some people miss the initial rush but are still on the lookout for deals.
• Holiday gift promotions: Turn your Black Friday offers into holiday season promotions. Offering gift card specials or holiday-themed packages can keep customers interested and drive more bookings into the new year.

Wrapping Up

With the right planning, Black Friday can bring a serious boost to your bookings and help your business stand out in the holiday season. By preparing a clear strategy, making your website user-friendly, engaging customers through social media and email, and tracking your progress, you can make the most of this exciting shopping holiday.

Get ready to promote your best tours and experiences—this Black Friday could be your biggest one yet!

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