Facebook. Twitter, Instagram. TikTok.

According to digital marketing agency Sprout Social, the vast majority of social media users prefer to engage with visual media such as images and videos. You can apply this to your Park’s account - post photos or even videos of the views from your campsites, or local landmarks and attractions, anything that is going to make your followers pay attention to your post! The more eyeballs you can get on your content, the better! 

Social Media comes in many forms and with a multitude of platforms to choose from. However, when it comes to marketing your RV Park, there are 2 clear favourites: Facebook and Instagram.

Facebook

Facebook certainly wasn’t the first social media platform but it was the one that took it mainstream - and the world hasn’t been the same since! As of 2021, Facebook claims to have over 2.8 Billion users worldwide - when you consider that current estimates of the world’s population is about 7.8 Billion, we are talking about a potential audience of one third of the world! While you might not need to market your Park to a third of the world’s population, it certainly gives you an idea of where to find potential guests.

How does Facebook work? It is a social networking site, designed for individuals to create a profile that reveals information about themselves - their background, education, employment and interests and then interact with other profiles. Businesses and organisations are also able to create their own pages to advertise their brand, products and services. Business pages also have the ability to pay for advertising within Facebook, potentially exposing their business to a targeted audience. For example, your Campground or RV Park could run an ad that would be targeted at profiles who are in your state and like camping, RV’s and/or vacations. This can be done for a fraction of the cost of traditional print and mainstream media. 

Instagram

Instagram, which incidentally is owned by Facebook, is a photo and video sharing service - users create a profile where they can then share visual media - photos and videos - to other users that follow their profile. This visual medium has led to the rise of “Instagram-influencers” who use product placement in their photos and videos to advertise products and services to a wider audience.

Businesses also use this form of social media to “show off” - either their products, scenery, or even the activities of guests. Who doesn’t love to look at pictures of tranquil nature settings or exciting events that come from “some place you’d rather be”? Instagram could be a very useful social media platform for parks that are “genetically blessed”. 

The Game Plan

What strategy for social media should an RV Park take? Consider 3 things:

1. Mix between content and advertising

Many digital marketing experts suggest that you should follow a 70/30 or even 80/20 rule when it comes to the form of your social media posts - the suggestion being that 70-80% of posts should be made up of content that informs, educates or entertains, leaving the remaining 20-30% as direct advertising. As a general rule, social media users hate being directly marketed to, so if the majority of your feed is filled with soft posts of scenic campsite views, amusing camp set ups, RV tips and general information about your local area and nearby attractions, your followers are then going to be more receptive (and hopefully respond to) the occasional post of “Book now for the holidays” or “”20% off midweek rates”. 

2. Invest in paid advertising

While social media was initially set up for users to attract followers and presence organically, going “viral” is becoming harder to achieve. For businesses, it is worth spending money on paid advertising on your chosen platform. This should come from your marketing/advertising budget - flyers and brochures can cost you thousands without anyone seeing them, or you could spend only a few dollars on a post that could be seen by thousands, and by people that are more likely to stay at your Park!

3. Ask your guests to follow you!



Build up your social media followers by asking your guests - both past and present - to follow your channels (if they aren’t already doing so) and to like and share your posts. Remember these guests are your number one fans - they have paid you money to stay in your Park! Social Media users like to feel actively engaged with a business -  their own promotion of your Park can add to a positive reputation that is extremely difficult to achieve with advertising alone. 

Can Social Media increase your Park’s revenue? Yes it can! Social media is extremely popular, highly engaging and a relatively inexpensive form of mass marketing. Using social media correctly can increase your number of guests, which will drive your revenue up and help you to achieve your business goals. 

The team behind RezExpert’s Online Booking and Reservation Management System can also assist you with your Social Media Marketing. For more information contact us today.