Continuously optimising your email marketing can be essential for venue operators looking to truly engage their audience and drive revenue. But where do you start? Let’s explore some actionable strategies that can shift your email campaigns from good to great, ensuring your messages not only reach your audience but converts.
Set the Foundations of Success
Imagine having a superpower that allows you to talk directly to your guests’ interests and past behaviours, increasing your campaign results while keeping costs down. Well, integrating your Point of Sale (POS) system—like ROLLER—with an email and SMS marketing automation platform, such as Klaviyo or HubSpot, does just that. Smart Segments ROLLER integrations streamline customer data transfers, enabling you to craft content and offers that speak directly to your guests. No more shooting in the dark; with this setup, every message you send feels personal and relevant paving the way for highly effective email campaigns.
Content and Offers: Tips and Examples
Once you have the correct data flowing into your email platform, a whole new world of marketing possibilities opens up. Let’s dive into how you can leverage this goldmine of information to engage your guests more meaningfully, encourage repeat visits, and ultimately, boost your venue’s revenue.
Membership Upgrades
Remember those guests who visited once and never came back? A targeted email offering membership renewals or upgrades at discounted rates, based on their past purchases, could be just the nudge they need to re-engage. It’s a win-win: they get a great deal, and you increase loyalty and repeat visits.
Recover Revenue with Abandoned Cart Emails
An abandoned cart doesn’t have to mean a lost sale. With carefully crafted emails that remind potential customers of what they’re missing, you can turn hesitation into action. Personalised product recommendations and a gentle nudge about limited availability can make all the difference.
Target High-Value Customers
With ROLLER integrations, deep dive into your guest data to identify high-value customers based on their total spend in your venue over their lifetime. Create special segments for targeted marketing campaigns designed to appreciate and incentivise further engagement from your most loyal guests. Ideas to get you started can include:
- Exclusive previews: Invite guests to exclusive previews of new attractions, events or programs.
- Behind-the-scenes offers: Provide a peek behind the curtain to see how the magic happens.
- Special deals: Create offers tailored just for them, maybe a special anniversary discount or a VIP fast pass to skip the queue.
Minor Birthday Marketing Campaigns
Who doesn’t love a celebration? Targeting parents with offers for their minors’ upcoming birthdays encourages venue celebrations whilst remaining compliant. In fact, many of our clients have discovered that minor birthday marketing flows are one their most effective revenue streams. Powered by our custom ROLLER integrations with email marketing platforms such as HubSpot or Klaviyo, our venues benefit from automatic parent profile linking and data waiver transfers.
Pre-Party Preparation
But what happens after the invite gets a resounding “yes”? This is where automation shines again. For instance, a single birthday party purchase in Hubspot can automatically trigger a series of operational processes behind the scenes. From setting up the perfect party space to ensuring your inventory meets the demand—everything is streamlined. Venues can also automate email and sms communication to remind parents of waivers, theme updates or party add-ons such as birthday cakes and party bags.
Pre-Visit Excitement Build-Up
Get your visitors excited and prepared for their upcoming visit. Consider automating flows based on an order experience with the following suggestions:
- Countdown emails: Start sending these a week before the scheduled visit, highlighting must-try attractions, and any preparations they need to make (e.g. weather-appropriate clothing or pre-arrival tips).
- Itinerary suggestions: Based on the visitor’s previous activities or expressed interests (captured during the booking process), suggest personalised itineraries.
Real-Time Interactions and Location Mapping
A warm welcome goes a long way. Sending welcome emails and SMS that include location mapping can help guests navigate your venue effortlessly, making their experience even more enjoyable.
For a venue such as a zoo, send a text message to guests as they check-in, detailing special events like “Koala Cuddle Time,” including start times and locations. It’s these timely, personalised touches that elevate the standard visit to an unforgettable experience.
Strategic In-Venue Food and Beverage Offers
Imagine receiving a mouth-watering offer for a meal or a drink exactly when you’re in the mood for it. By creating targeted promotions based on the location within your venue, you can enhance the guest experience and boost your in-venue sales. For instance, a bustling theme park known for its thrilling rides and diverse culinary offerings may recognize that mid-afternoon is a typical time when energy levels start to dip, and hunger – especially in children – can turn an exciting day into a less enjoyable one. To help encourage a quick afternoon break, their offer may include:
- A visual of mouth-watering dishes, appealing to both children and adults.
- A clear 20% discount, applicable to any order within the next hour.
- A map snippet showing the short, easy route to the restaurant.
- A simple, one-click option to “Reserve a Table” or “Order Ahead.”
Post-Satisfaction Survey
And after the visit? A post-satisfaction survey can give you invaluable insights into your guests’ experiences, helping you to continuously improve and cater to their preferences even better next time. Consider including a thank you email within 24 hours post-visit. Express gratitude and include a soft nudge towards leaving a review or feedback. If no response is received, try again approximately three days after the visit, sending the survey alone.
Monitor Performance for Continuous Improvement
Last but not least, keeping tabs on your email performance is key to refining your strategies for optimal ROI. Unified reporting metrics offer a clear view of performance, enabling you to make accurate and speedy decisions about what’s working and what’s not. Adjusting your approach based on real data can transform your email marketing effectiveness, turning each campaign into a powerful tool for engagement and revenue growth.
Eager to Dive In?
Successful email marketing for venue operators is about much more than just sending out promotions. It’s about creating a personalised and engaging journey for each guest, ensuring every message is relevant, timely, and compelling. By setting up the right foundations, automating targeted content and offers, and consistently monitoring and improving your strategies, you can elevate your email marketing efforts and maximise revenue. Ready to get started? Book a free consultation and find out how to optimise your email marketing efforts.
