Promoting Holiday Gift Certificates
Advertise and Promote Your Offerings this Holiday Season.
Projections have predicted spending to exceed 1 Trillion dollars on gifts for holidays this year, and there is some extra good news for the activity and tour industry: Millennials are indicating that 52% of their holiday spending is going to be on experience-related purchases compared with 39% for older consumers. It certainly isn’t just Millennials though, vacations are projected to see a 27 percent increase in consumer spending between 2015 and 2019, the strongest growth of any spending category. Trends are indicating that people are desiring experiences with their family and friends that make them feel good, over purchasing more stuff. This is a great reason to promote the experience that your business has to offer. Even though we just went through the busiest time of the year for gift purchases, there are still opportunities to begin selling gift certificates and gift cards via the upcoming holidays.
Gift Cards and Gift Certificates are both must-have offerings during holidays such as Valentines Day and Mothers Day but should be promoted differently. Often, a gift card is an amount purchased that will go towards the total amount of an invoice. To promote a gift card is to promote your overall business. A gift certificate, on the other hand, is great for promoting specific packages, activities, offerings or events. Gift cards and certificates have remained the most requested holiday gift for 9 years in a row; people prefer to receive a gift they can redeem at their leisure. And, 65% of gift card holders spend an extra 38% beyond the value of the card.
Promoting gift cards and certificates is a great way to keep sales going through the low season. 6-10% percent of gift cards/certificates will never be redeemed, equating to a larger profit margin than selling your service directly to the end-user. Advanced payments are also beneficial to your business as it may cover expenses, improvements or capital investments in your off season.
Tips for selling holiday gift cards and certificates:
Create Urgency
When a sense of urgency or scarcity is created in an ad, let’s say a Facebook ad, typically it encourages people to not “put off” checking into your offering. Check out this article on creating a Facebook advertisement that instills a sense of urgency and how it can yield higher conversion rates.
Target Your Promotions
Consider taking some time to hone in on the exact target audience you want your promotions to be seen by. Facebook is making targeting easier and easier for business to do these days. And, Facebook happens to be a great platform for businesses targeting travelers as it is the platform most often used for people sharing their photos and experiences. Check out this article on 10 ways to target travelers with Facebook.
Create Irresistible Packages
If the holidays transpire during your low season, brainstorm ways to entice gift givers to purchase a package from you even if they might not redeem it for several months. Is there something branded that you can send with the certificate that will be enjoyable to open during the holidays? How about getting some Hydro Flask’s and having them engraved with your brand/logo? Hydro Flasks are increasingly popular these days as they keep drinks both hot in the winter and cold during the summer; there are all different sizes and shapes that appeal to your target market. Visit their site here.
Advertising Gift Certificates
When advertising for this holiday season, it may make the most sense to advertise gift certificates for certain activities. This way, you can promote a few exciting product offerings at an attractive price to draw the attention of gift givers.The Flybook is the most advanced activity and tour operator booking software for companies that offer any combination of tours, rentals, activities and lodging. Manage all your needs in one place with online reservations, digital waivers, guide assignment, marketing automation and more.Tour by IndustrySCHEDULE A FREE DEMORead Next: Activity Industry - Online Conversion Best Practices