When it comes to growing your tour or activity business, marketing plays a pivotal role. But how do you approach it? Should you hire an executive, bring in an agency, or rely on technology like Fotaflo to streamline and supercharge your marketing efforts? Let’s dive into the pros and cons of each option, Want to skip to the deep dive? Watch our webinar Increase the Lifetime Value of Your Customers: Cracking the Code on Memory Marketing.
Option 1: Hiring a Marketing Executive
Pros:
- Dedicated Focus: A full-time executive can immerse themselves in your brand and strategy.
- Tailored Expertise: You can recruit someone with a specific skill set that aligns with your goals.
- Strategic Vision: An executive can craft long-term strategies and ensure alignment across all marketing efforts.
Cons:
- High Cost: Hiring a qualified marketing executive is a significant investment, often costing tens of thousands of dollars annually.
- Onboarding Time: It takes time for a new hire to understand your business and start delivering results.
- Limited Scalability: One person can only do so much, and their impact may be limited by bandwidth.
Option 2: Working with a Marketing Agency
Pros:
- Team of Experts: Agencies offer access to specialists in various areas like SEO, social media, and content creation.
- Scalability: Agencies can adjust resources as your needs evolve.
- Outsider Perspective: Fresh eyes can bring innovative ideas and insights you might not have considered.
Cons:
- Higher Costs: Agencies can be expensive, often charging monthly retainers or project-based fees.
- Lack of Personalization: They manage multiple clients, so you might not get the focused attention your business needs.
- Dependency: Your success can become overly reliant on an external team.
Option 3: Using Tech Tools like Fotaflo
Pros:
- Cost-Effective: Tools like Fotaflo provide powerful solutions without the hefty price tag of hiring staff or agencies.
- Automation: Technology can automate key tasks like sharing branded photos, increasing operational efficiency in providing a grat experience for guests at the ground level.
- Scalability: A tool grows with your business and adapts to your needs.
- Empowers Customers: Fotaflo helps turn your guests into marketers by sharing their memories, leveraging authentic word-of-mouth marketing.
Cons:
- Learning Curve: Some tools require initial setup and familiarization.
- DIY Approach: You’ll need to allocate a bit of time and effort to integrate the tool effectively.
- Limited Creativity: Tech tools are powerful but can lack the human touch of crafting nuanced strategies.
Insights from the Industry
In our recent webinar, we explored how focusing on lifetime value (LTV) and memory marketing can transform your approach to guest retention and referrals. A standout theme was the shift from relying on influencers to leveraging everyday guests as your most powerful marketers. Guests already share their experiences online—why not make it easy for them to include your brand?
One memorable takeaway: “Would you rather pin your hopes on a one-time Insta-famous stranger or form lifelong connections with all your customers?” The data supports this. Word-of-mouth referrals from friends and family remain the top driver of bookings, far surpassing paid advertising or influencer campaigns.
Which Option Is Right for You?
- If you’re a larger business with the budget for it, hiring an executive or agency might make sense to ensure strategic oversight.
- If you’re a small-to-medium business looking for impactful, cost-effective solutions, Fotaflo’s tools can amplify your efforts without overextending your resources.
- A hybrid approach might also work: Combine a marketing tool like Fotaflo with a part-time specialist or agency for maximum impact.
Want to Learn More?
Explore these strategies in-depth and hear from industry experts in our 30-minute webinar: Increase the Lifetime Value of Your Customers: Cracking the Code on Memory Marketing. Watch now and discover actionable insights to help your business grow.
Ultimately, the best approach to marketing is the one that aligns with your business’s size, goals, and budget. But no matter which path you choose, remember this: Marketing is about building authentic connections and creating memories that guests will cherish—and share—for years to come.
