As an activity provider it can always be a little galling to have spare places left available to sell come the day of the event. Spare capacity means lost revenue. In this article we’ll explore some of the ways that you can try to minimise these lost sales and maximise the placements on your activities, and how your online booking platform can help.
Attract new bookings through promo codes
Promo codes (or discount vouchers, coupons or whatever you want to call them) are a pretty tried and tested tactic when it comes to generating interest and new bookings, with an estimated 90% of all consumers having used one at some point or other.
And if you really want to maximise their impact then you’re 77% more likely to succeed when applying digital codes.
Having a booking system that can create, apply and manage these promo codes not only makes this process fast and simple, but it should also enable you to ensure the codes are tailored towards the exact product, taking full control of all parameters such as:
- Date range
- Value of discount
- Eligibility
- Which product it applies to
- Location
- Number of times the code can be redeemed.
Once set, you can publish the codes through your social channels, email lists, or on discount platforms like Groupon.
Those who have the code and are eligible to use it will be able to apply it at the point of booking, with the system deducting the amount, taking the booking and registering the place on the activity.
Scarcity Tactics to Create Urgency and FOMO (fear of missing out)
Nobody wants to miss an opportunity, right?
If you have places left to sell on an activity and want to manipulate a bit of urgency then add some prompts through your online booking system.
If your booking system has the ability for you to edit the content for each activity (ideally with each activity having a unique URL), then maybe it’s time to add a bit of peril to the content:
DON’T MISS OUT – LAST FEW PLACES REMAINING.
That sort of thing.
And, to add a further bit of urgency, something like thinkBooker’s traffic light system can have an impact.
- Green – Plenty of Space
- Amber – Limited Availability
- Red – Sold Out
As an admin, you set the capacity of your activity PLUS you set the number at which GREEN becomes AMBER.
By creating a bit of scarcity, you might just prompt those maybes into confirmed bookings.
Direct links to the product URL help personalised marketing and impulse buying
Personalised messaging to targeted prospects increases the likelihood of impulse bookings and purchases.
If your booking system allows you to create unique URLs for each instance of your products (and it really should), it gives you more control when it comes to direct marketing and trying to fill those remaining slots.
You have the ability to send our prospective buyers straight to the right place and the right page, without having to search through your site or filters.
It’s a short-cut to the sale, removing barriers and making it as easy as possible to make a decision to book.
Of course, you have to ensure that you are targeting the right audience to maximise the opportunities. Through your booking system you’ll have access to customer and sales data that will allow you to identify clients most likely to book based on past purchases and habits. Sending them personalised messaging with a direct link to the page.
To spread the reach even further, you might also consider sharing the link via:
- Social media streams
- Paid social ads (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn)
- Pay-Per-Click advertising (e.g. Google ads)
Conclusion
It goes without saying that you need to maximise the number of bookings for each activity that you run, with each spare space representing a missed opportunity.
Through personalised marketing campaigns, promotions and scarcity tactics you can generate demand and encourage those who maybe interested to commit to the booking. And, in order to maximise these opportunities effectively and efficiently, the tools and access to data that you have within your booking system can make a world of difference.
At thinkBooker, we specialise in online booking systems for activities and events – optimised for efficiency, growth and ongoing client satisfaction.
Browse the site to learn more about course booking systems, sports booking systems, event booking systems and more, or get in touch directly to find out how we can help you.
Images from Canva Pro.
Stat sources: Hubspot, Globenews Wire
