Keeping Things Going During The Off Season

Every industry has a time of year when things slow down. Gatemaster Systems has some ideas to help promote your amusement business and keep your customers coming back after the leaves start falling.

Utilize Social Media Everyone is on social media but not everyone is using Facebook. Younger people are using Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat instead of Facebook. Create an account with each service and encourage your customers to follow you. You can create one post on Instagram and easily share to your other social media. This will save you time. Snapchat is the only place where you must create unique content. Set up a time for yourself weekly to post pictures, videos, and online promotions. The posts do not always have to be about your business. Share a funny picture or a joke to bring in those extra likes. Read more about the benefits of social media.

Promote your Customer Reviews Always encourage your customers to write reviews. Customers love sharing their experiences. If you can’t think of ideas for what to post on social media customer reviews are a great place to start. You can also use this as an opportunity to address poor reviews and explain what you have done to make improvements. Learn more about improving your online reviews here. Plan a Special Event During the slow season, give your customers an extra special reason to come visit. Depending on your business you could offer a weekly/monthly karaoke night, princess tea party, super hero hangout, or raffle. There are so many fun and inexpensive ways to bring customers in. Think out-of-the-box and make sure you promote it on your social media.

Get in the Holiday Spirit People get excited about decorating for the holidays and so should your business. It’s appealing to customers when companies go out of their way to celebrate the seasons. We are lucky to have so many holidays during the fall/winter season. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on decorating supplies. You could have pumpkin carving, Christmas tree decorating or a holiday themed coloring contest.

Offer Off Season Perks It’s easy to say, “Give a discount.” What kind of discounts actually work? Monday Family Night, Happy Hour, Wednesday Hump Day, and Bounce Back Passes are just a few great ways to keep customers coming back. Promote your business and hopefully gain new customers with fun themes and discounts. Have the same discounts every week, so that returning customers don’t need to look at your website. They will know it’s Family Night and just show up. More information on season passes here. Have a Clean Facility We have all been through this. You pay money to be somewhere, you get in and think, “yuck”. You might have some returning customers but chances are, most people are not coming back. Having a clean facility will keep your customers happy. No one wants to feel like they are going to get sick after a fun outing. Offer hand sanitizer or hand washing stations. Promote Your Charity Work Show your community you care. Look for opportunities to participate in fundraisers either by donating certificates or space for the event. Share on social media the events you have been involved with. You are doing sometime good for the community. There is nothing wrong with promoting yourself and the cause. Give Great Customer Experience Above all else give your customer a reason to write a great review. Only customers who are upset or very happy write reviews. When your customers are exceptionally happy they will return because they simply enjoyed the experience at your business. Good customer experience = returning customers. Check out our three-part blog on customer experience.