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HOW TO BUILD A WINNING
“WELCOME CENTER” FLYER FOR YOUR RV PARK
Yes, I know that the internet is a
fabulous way to find travel information and to print off whatever flyers or
information you need for your trip. However, many Americans still don’t use
the internet when traveling. RV users are among the leading groups who
often get their travel information the old fashioned way – from printed
media. If you think about it, even if an RV user is reliant on the internet,
it’s still sometimes difficult to get internet connection when you’re out on
the road, away from home. And even if they have researched and printed their
trip out on the internet in full detail, often last minute travel plans will
be changed, and new information is needed. And, of course, a lot of RV
customers tend to be older, and don’t even own a computer. Having a
presence at all Welcome Centers, and RV information centers, is an important
part of any RV park marketing program.
So how do you build a winning flyer
for your RV Park?
Decide what the most important
selling points are.
Every RV Park has its own unique
advantages. Maybe it’s the big, shady trees, or the close proximity to a
major attraction, such as Yellowstone Park. It could be the on-site
miniature golf course. Or the big, pull-through lots. Whatever it is, you
need to write down on a sheet of paper what those distinct advantages are.
That list will become the backbone of your flyer.
Prioritize those selling
points.
Now take the list you just made and
rearrange them based on how important they are. Put your number one selling
point first, and then the rest in descending order. And, if you have
somebody else who works with you at the park, get their input as well to
make sure that you are on the right track. There should be at least one
dominant selling point at every RV Park.
Test your conclusion.
Do some market research on your
selling points by asking your customers what they think of your list. Every
time somebody comes in to pay or check in, tell them that you are making up
a new flyer for the park and want their opinion of what the key selling
points are. Most people enjoy giving their opinions on things, and it helps
to build customer retention by making them part of the “team”. Approach
their input scientifically. The winning benefits will be immediately
apparent based on this research. If the key item is not what you thought it
would be, don’t be offended or stubborn. Your customers’ opinion is much
more important than yours.
Add some great photos.
You need at least one photo in a
successful flyer. Why? People want to see what they are getting themselves
into by pulling into your park. Remember the adage “a picture is worth a
thousand words”. If you agree that a photo is important, then make sure that
it is a great photo. That means that you have to put in more effort
than buying a disposable camera at the gas station and taking a couple of
shots out your car windshield. You need to use a decent quality digital
camera, and make sure the lighting is right and the photo is balanced and
attractive. Can’t do it? Then hire someone to do it for $20. There has to be
at least one friend of yours who is a photo hobbyist. And take a whole bunch
of photos and choose the best one. Make sure that the winning photo
showcases and includes whatever your key selling point. You need to
reinforce it with the photo. For example, if your key selling point is “big
trees”, then make sure the photo shows the “big trees”. It also does not
hurt to do some consumer testing on the photo as well.
Put it all together.
With these tools in hand, it is time
to write the text of the flyer. You need a catchy heading, your top three or
so selling points, a great photo, directions (including a map), your phone
number and, if possible, your rates. You should just about fill every inch
of the flyer with information – blank space is not going to rent lots. Once
you have the final product, it’s time to test it again with your customers.
You will know when you have a winning flyer because everyone will like it,
including your customers and yourself.
Choose your paper stock
carefully.
Do you notice that when you go to a
literature rack, some flyers seem more professional than others? Even
without reading the copy. What separates your first impression of the
high-quality flyers from the rest of the pack is often the paper stock. And
it is the high-quality flyers that you are most likely to pick up.
Paper stock has two attributes: 1)
weight (thickness) and 2) color. The average person considers the heavier
paper stock to be the more expensive and professional brochure (and that is
normally correct). And the more tasteful paper colors are generally more
expensive as well.
The one color you never want your
paper stock to be is bright white. Why? Because that’s the same color as
Xerox paper, and just copying your flyer at the local Kinko’s is the
cheapest option, and likely to receive the least attractive rating from
consumers. Choose a paper color you normally can’t find at your local copy
machine place – like off-white or more subtle colors. This will make your
flyer stand out from all of those cheap, Xeroxed competitors on the
literature rack.
And speaking of literature racks,
make sure that your flyer is on a heavy enough paper to stand up on its own,
without falling over or curling up. Regular Xerox paper, for example, will
never work properly as it has no strength.
Spend a few extra dollars to
have it printed.
Xeroxed photos look terrible – they
are nothing more than black and white and nothing in between. To get a good
looking photo (I don’t mean color, just black and white even) you need to
have them printed professionally. That means going to the local printing
company and not the Xerox place. You may be amazed at how affordably you can
get flyers printed in quantity. Sure, it’s more expensive than just running
them through a copier, but the whole goal is to rent lots, and your odds are
infinitely better with the professional flyer.
Print a sample before you do
the whole batch.
Before you print up thousands of
flyers, get a proof from the print shop to make sure you like it. Do one
final consumer test with your customers and ask them “with this flyer, would
you pick it up and come here”. Listen to their response. If the sample is a
dud, then re-do it. Don’t take the easy way out and print something that
could be improved on. If you get your flyer right on the first take, then
you don’t have to worry about it anymore, and you can be confident that you
are not missing any customers with it.
Conclusion.
Putting together a successful flyer
is a lot more work than one that is a loser. But in today’s competitive
world, can you afford to have a lousy flyer in the literature rack?
Remember the old adage “anything
worth doing is worth doing well”. That pretty much sums it up for RV park
flyers, too. |
