Ramp It Up! Marketing Ideas To Help Increase Your Sales

 

Need some marketing ideas to promote your Sea TREK location? We’ve got some great new suggestions that can help you increase awareness and drive traffic to your site.

Vehicle wraps
We’ve all seen them- bright and colorful advertising wrapped around cars and trucks. Potential customers see these vehicles as they travel around. They’re hard to miss, which is a good thing! This is a great way to reach potential customers who are a captive audience at traffic lights or while riding in a taxi. Some companies pay their employees an incentive to wrap their cars, which increases visibility. Think about all of the places your employees drive to, and how frequently your “moving billboard” will be seen!

“We incorporated the truck wrap just a few weeks ago, and I have already had 20 calls, 10 of them for SeaTREK. The wrap is currently our biggest form of advertisement! I believe this is something all operators should use.” -Anthony Leonce, Sea TREK Manager, Sea Adventures, St. Lucia

SSS is currently offering to design a vehicle wrap for you, free of charge. Our fab Designer, Christina, will create your wrap! Login to your mySeaTREK account for more info. 

NEW! Helmet Display System

Want to get lots of attention at your location? Check out the new Sea TREK Helmet Display System! This marketing “eye candy” is best placed at or near your ticket counter. Your potential customers will get to try on a Sea TREK helmet and gain a firsthand perspective. The helmet is attached to a cantilever system with a perfectly balanced counterweight. The display also comes decorated with your company logo and branding.  The bright colors and “touch and feel” opportunity are sure to attract more guests. SSS provides the whole package at a great price. Contact us today to get your order into production!

 

Incentivize

You staff will be encouraged to sell if they have their eyes on a prize! Create excitement by holding special staff incentives. A fun incentive for staff members can create a friendly competition. Upselling Sea TREK photo packages for example, and offering a prize (and bragging rights!) to the team member with the most sales, will help you increase profits and build team member loyalty.

 

“Book now” Buttons and Calls to Action

Websites such as TripAdvisor now let guests book directly from their site. Any business that has a TripAdvisor page can set up a “book in advance” option; enabling guests to read reviews and book a tour all in one convenient location. TripAdvisor takes a small percentage of the sale, but the exposure and "instant booking" opportunity makes it a worthwhile investment. Other popular 3rd party travel sites where operators can promote and sell excursions are viator and expedia.com.

 

Living Classroom

Sea TREK is a memorable way to take kids from a traditional classroom to a “living classroom.” Transport kids from books to real life! Work with local schools to include a Sea TREK experience within the marine science curriculum. This hands-on approach strengthens the educational pursuit through entertainment, while providing a rewarding outlet for your business to give back to the community. These programs are also excellent PR opportunities!

 

Visit Your Local Concierge

Hotel guests frequently take advantage of the onsite Concierge Desk to help them find fun things to do. A trip to your local Concierge may be just the ticket to bring in more guests to your location. Make sure your visit is friendly, informative and concise. Introduce yourself, leave your business card or contact information, and invite the staff to come try a complimentary Sea TREK experience firsthand. A small map of your location along with the discount coupons for hotel guests is also helpful.

 

Build “Character”

There’s no denying the popularity of “full size” cartoon characters and animals (a.k.a. adults dressed in costumes). Build a social media campaign around your unique mascot by featuring him on your social pages and website. Have your character available for selfies at your location. This new team member could be just what you need to draw in traffic! He will fast become a recognized symbol of your brand.

 

Special Events

Are you having a special event? Take lots of photos and videos of participants (make sure you have their permission first!), and share them on a special events tab on your Facebook page. Tag the participants for additional shares, likes and comments. Utilize this tab for future events, showing how much fun everyone had at this event. Our partners at Clear Lounge Cozumel are currently celebrating their 2nd anniversary; they're hosting daily dance parties and promoting the fun on Facebook Live. The videos are getting a ton of attention, likes and comments. 

Send Invitations

Invite media personalities and/or popular travel bloggers to partake in your TREK, in exchange for a write-up, review or broadcast.  Make sure you link any article or video review of your tour to your social media pages, so that future guests can see the recognition you’ve received. 


What new marketing ideas have you implemented at your location? What is your best traffic-driving tool? Share your business-building ideas below!

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2017 - The Year of Travel

Most of us have at least one bucket list item that includes travel, and 2017 is an excellent time to take advantage of once in a lifetime opportunities. In fact, Travel Pulse Magazine has declared that 2017 should be your “Year of Travel”. There are unique experiences to be had across the globe this year, many of which are one-time offerings. Don’t miss out on the following 2017-specific events.

Total Eclipse, US

A total solar eclipse, when the moon completely blocks the sun, is truly a rarity. The next eclipse will be visible on August 21, 2017 in parts of Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina. Otherwise you'll have to wait till 2028 in Australia! Check out greatamericaneclipse.com for a list of ideal viewing areas.

Ella Fitzgerald’s 100^th Birthday, New Orleans

The New Orleans Jazzfest falls just a couple of days after the late, great Ella Fitzgerald's 100th birthday. The festival runs from April 28-May 7, and the Ella tributes will be overflowing amid the modern and traditional jazz, zydeco, pop, soul, rap and rock performances. Special performances by Dave Matthews, Stevie Wonder, Harry Connick Jr. and many other well-known performers will leave you star struck. For information on performances and other events, check out www.nola.com for details.

Cannes Film Festival 75^th Anniversary, France

The world's best-known movie festival always puts on a show, but on its 70th anniversary, you can expect something special. U2 performed a 10-minute free concert on the steps of the Palais for its 60th. How will they top that next May 17-28? See http://www.festival-cannes.com.

Canada’s 150^th Birthday, Ottowa, CA

Ottawa kicked off Canada’s 150^th Birthday celebration with more than 400 youth, each carrying a torch, forming a human chain from the Ottawa 2017 Cauldron to Parliament Hill. But the fun doesn’t stop there. Exceptional events like the pyro-musical fireworks, concerts, and the very cool Kontinuum, the ultimate underground experience with a futuristic and immersive multimedia production. The entire country will celebrate by having free admission to the National Parks throughout they year. Read about these unique events and activities here. 

100^th Anniversary, Finland

This year, Finland is celebrating a century of independence from Russia. The festivities were launched with vibrant blue and white fireworks in Helsinki on New Year’s Eve, 2016. The theme of the celebration, “Together”, reaches out to Finns and friends of Finland to unite over events that honor the country’s culture and history. Luminous light art installations will come to life, outlining Finland’s natural and historical sites. Children (in life and at heart) can revel in the world’s only Moomin Museum, inaugurated for Finland 100, complete with over 2,000 original works from Finnish children’s books. Read more at http://www.ottawa2017.ca/. 

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – 125 Years, Great Britain

For fans of Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal of Britain's infamous detective, there's reason to celebrate! 2017 marks the 125th year of Arthur Conan Doyle's The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

Visit Sherlock and Watson’s famous address, 221B Baker St. While it doesn’t actually exist, the exterior of their flat as seen in the series is shot on a quieter west London road at 187 North Gower Street. Other opportunities sure to be of interest to Sherlock fans include, The Sherlock Holmes Museum, a Grade II-listed building devoted to the detective. It features a re-creation of his sitting room, and a gift shop. The Sherlock Holmes Pub in Westminster is stuffed with memorabilia, including Dr. Watson's old service revolver and his favorite food, Cumberland sausages. Details can be round here.

50 years Summer of Love Festival, San Francisco, CA

For San Francisco visitors, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the cultural revolution that rocked Haight-Ashbury. The City will celebrate with major exhibitions at some of the region’s top museums, featuring art, photography, posters, fashion and musical events. There will be lively festivals, special events and performances reflecting the Summer of 1967, and a wide variety of opportunities to explore what that period meant to the people of San Francisco. The celebration will also include a range of service and volunteerism events inspired by the original Summer of Love. Wear a flower in your hair and take a step back in time! More information is available at sftravel.com/summer-love-2017.

The Virgin Islands Become Part of the U.S., 100^th Anniversary

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the transfer of the islands of St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas from Denmark to the United States. Located about 40 miles from Puerto Rico, the islands offer numerous opportunities for exploring the natural world and the history of the Caribbean. Visitors can snorkel Hurricane Hole off St. John, a vibrant coral reef filled with a rare abundance of species, or stop by the Whim Plantation Museum on St. Croix to see an authentic Dutch sugar estate from the 1700s. To make this adventure even more enticing, the U.S. Virgin Islands Centennial Commemoration is offering $300 in spending credits for anyone who comes to one of the three islands for three nights or more, books their travel before October 1, 2017, and stays at a participating hotel. For more information about the festivities, go to www.visitusvi.com/. While visiting St. Thomas, you can also check out Coral World Ocean Park a 5-acre attraction with exotic aquariums, marine pools, and Sea TREK helmet dives. Check out Coral World's website for park hours and directions.

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Sea TREK Smiles

March “Month of Smiles” Social Media Campaign

Sub Sea Systems and Sea TREK engaged social media users with the 2^nd annual “Smile a Day” campaign throughout the month of March. The campaign aimed to increase awareness about the Sea TREK experience and Sea TREK destinations around the world, and to earn organic likes and follows. Each day in March, a Sea TREK photo along with a guest’s testimonial was posted across Sea TREK’s social media channels.

The photos and testimonials captured the true emotion of the Sea TREK experience from the guests’ point of view. All of the content was sourced from real reviews on TripAdvisor, Facebook, blogs and Yelp.

Sea TREK saw an increase in activity across all social media platforms. The Sea TREK Facebook page received new followers and over 60 reactions and shares; Instagram had over 220 engagements, while Pinterest resulted in 533 impressions for the newly created Sea TREK Smiles board. Not bad for an unpaid, organic campaign!

Are you utilizing your positive quotes and reviews on your pages? What are some of your favorite “awareness” campaigns from social media? Share your favorites below!

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NEW FEATURE! Tips & Tricks for Travel Savings!

Want to see the World, but your bank account will only allow you to take a quick Uber to a nearby park? We would love to help you reach your dream destinations! We are introducing a new segment of the Sub Sea Systems blog, offering you money-saving travel tips and the inside scoop on travel deals. I’m Terrie Carrozzella, your “hostess” for this special travel series.

The first article takes a look at savings options via frequent flyer miles and hotel points programs. Opportunities to fly and stay in hotels at little or no cost are there for the taking, if you know where they’re hiding. Here are some ideas on how you can collect these freebies.

Airline or hotel-sponsored credit cards

The vast majority of airlines and hotels offer credit cards that give cardholders frequent flyer miles or points for stays. Typically, you can expect to earn a point or two per dollar charged on these cards. However, it’s the initial sign-up bonuses that make the big difference! Many credit cards promoted via airlines and hotels even offer bonuses such as a free round-trip flight or a free nights stay, if you spend a certain amount in a set period of time. While initially this may seem like a daunting task, consider making all of your purchases for that period with the card, no matter how small. Use that credit card instead of hauling out your checkbook or throwing down your ATM card.

Here are a few examples of the cards I recently obtained, and what I did with them:

Hawaiian Airlines MasterCard from Barclay

Current bonus: spend $1,000 in three months and receive 50,000 miles.

I obtained this card about a year before I wanted to travel. I easily got to the required purchases by using this card for groceries, gas, and my morning coffee run. I added in a couple of trips to my local takeout counter and renewed my pet insurance a few weeks early, so that I could easily fulfill the requirement. My husband got the same card and paid for our car insurance, his monthly wine club subscription, and our propane bill. We each earned 50,000 miles each before the third month even arrived, and booked our flight to Hawaii.  We still have miles left over! Savings = $2,600!

With a similar program, we obtained America Express cards for Hilton points, and after spending the required amount, booked two nights at the Grand Wailea Resort (Waldorf Estoria). We only had to pay for parking and the obligatory resort fee.  Savings equate to approximately $950, allowing us to stay at a hotel that would typically be out of our reach financially.

Of course, the value of these credit cards only exists if you pay your balance every month. Incurring charges and paying fees defeats the purpose. You also need to be aware of annual fees that many cards charge. We typically opt to cancel our cards before we incur any fees. Note: most cards require a waiting period before you can reapply (but when you do, you get the bonus miles again!)

If you are not comfortable juggling credit cards, or you’re about to make a major purchase like a home or car and don’t want your credit rating to go up and down, there are other ways to obtain miles and points.

Give up Googling

There are companies online that offer bonuses for utilizing their search engines to do your internet sleuthing. For example, mypoints.com offers points if you download their “search and earn” feature. Additionally, you can take their surveys or click through ads, and earn points that you can then trade for airline and hotel gift cards. Want more points? Make online purchases via the mypoints site rather than going directly to shopping sites like JC Penney, amazon.com and homedepot.com; click through their links on mypoints instead.

Take Surveys

If you have a few minutes per week to dedicate to your goal of free travel, consider taking online marketing surveys. These surveys are not constructed to annoy you with spam, but are utilized to gather information for new products, or for bettering existing products. Taking surveys not only gives you a voice in product development, it will reward you with points, miles, and other bonuses. Check out e-miles.com, e-rewards, or points.com. Jet Blue has started its own earning program via True Blue, which combines survey taking with ad click-throughs, to enable customers to earn and save money toward that trip of a lifetime!

Discount Gift Cards

A fair amount of savings can be obtained by purchasing discount gift cards for airlines and hotels. Raise.com, a discount gift card site, can be used to purchase a variety of gift cards at a reduced price. If you sign up for their emails, once per week you will receive a list of additional discounts available for the following weekend. It’s important to verify your cards when you receive them, and be aware of the rules and restrictions found on the raise.com site.

These are merely a few ideas on how you can earn miles and points, and get to the destinations on your bucket list sooner than you might have imagined.

How do you save money on travel? Share your tips below!

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Terrie Carrozzella is the Web Designer & Social Media Manager for Sub Sea Systems. Want to contact Terrie about Sea TREK helmet diving, Clear Lounge underwater oxygen bar, or FunCat electric catamarans? Email her here!

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Selecting The Best Watercraft for Your Family

Everybody needs time to relax, and what better way to do so than on your own watercraft? There are many options available to enjoy family and friends time on the water. But how does one decide on the best option? Whether it is a fishing boat, a thrilling PWC (personal watercraft, such as a Jet Ski), or a leisurely, motorized water vehicle, here are some things to consider when determining what will work best for you.

Find Your Perfect Fit

Activity level — The types of activities that you and your family enjoy are first on the list of considerations. Are you expecting a fast-paced thrill ride, zipping to the opposite side of the lake in seconds, or do you prefer a peaceful outing?  Do you want a workout, or do you want the watercraft to do the work for you, so you can enjoy sightseeing or fishing?

Comfort and Accessibility — Consider who will share in your adventure. A large family with boisterous children may be uncomfortable on a traditional fishing vessel, and Mom and Dad might not love the idea of jetting across the water at warp speed. Some family members might embrace the sun, while others might appreciate a cooling shade that offers protection from damaging rays. Available on-board storage is yet another factor. If you tend to travel with a lot of “stuff”, you will want to ensure that adequate space is available.

Transportation and Storage — Easy access to your watercraft is another consideration. What size is the dock you will be utilizing? Will you pull the vehicle out of the water when not in use? How will you get it out of the water? The location of your dock, the ease with which you can move the vehicle, and the size of your storage area all play a roll in your decision-making.

Safety and Reliability — Your selection is going to be an investment, both in the initial purchase and the upkeep. You want to make sure that whatever you buy, your new recreational vehicle will have a long lifespan and require as little maintenance as possible. Durable materials such as polyethylene, marine grade aluminum, and mold-resistant seat material offer longevity. In electric vehicles, battery upgrades can offer longer running times and a worry-free ride. Safety on and around the vehicle is also an important consideration if you plan to swim near the watercraft. Would you love to give your younger family members a chance to drive, at a safe, manageable speed? What is the stability rating of the watercraft? These are all important safety factors that you must consider.

Environmental Concerns — motor and noise pollution are real concerns facing today’s water recreation lovers. If you will be enjoying waterways near homes, or are going to spend time on your favorite lake where people swim or fish, motorized vehicles can often be a detriment to the health of our precious resources. Noise levels of motorized vehicles not only contribute to a negative experience for those aboard, but are also frowned upon by neighbors in close proximity. An electric (& solar charged) option offers a quiet ride that is environmentally friendly.

The FunCat– a motorized catamaran for safe, family fun!

Sub SeaSystem’s FunCat is an electric, solar charged catamaran that is designed and built for comfort, stability, safety and reliability. The watercraft is powered by electric motors, so there is no paddling, sweating, or manual labor involved… your only exertion is the push of a button!

A combination of adults and kids can sit comfortably on its spacious chaise lounge seat, which reclines in two positions and includes a retractable bimini shade for UV sun protection. Two watertight storage compartments provide an accessible and convenient place to keep your towels, water bottles, sunscreen and snacks for later. They can even be used as an ice chest!

A lightweight trailer is available for easy transportation of your FunCat to your favorite lake. And, two large handles on the front of each pontoon make it easy to pull the FunCat from the water up onto the beach when you’re ready to hop off.

Easy-to-use controls allow almost anyone a chance to drive, while the pontoons house environmentally friendly motors that are safely recessed and tucked away.

The FunCat’s electric motors offer a quiet, relaxing ride, so that your family can enjoy a calming trek across the water. New, innovative upgrades include eco-friendly solar panels that can be retrofitted to any FunCat, utilizing the cleanest energy source available, the sun! Recreation lovers can also upgrade to Lithium Ion batteries, which provide a longer battery life, huge performance gains and extended fun on the water.

Find out more about FunCat and special, pre-Summer pricing, saving you over $700!

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Fun Fan Art and a Cool Contest!

Did you know…the cult hit series “Stranger Things,” an American science fiction-horror series created for Netflix, has encouraged obsessed artists to create some incredible fan art?! The show’s most popular character, Eleven (or El for short), is frequently depicted in this new insurgence of pop culture.

In the series, Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown, has some intense experiences. In season 1, episodes 5 and 6, El is dropped into a tank of water, donning…you guessed it…a Sea TREK helmet! The art community responded with some pretty fantastic imagery of El in the helmet. Check out a few we found!

Image Source - Pinterest

El donning her helmet has proven so popular, even the company Funko has gotten in on the fun. They’ve created an adorable vinyl figure reflecting “Eleven Underwater.” Available online, this toy is sure to appeal to any fan of the series.

Want to create your own fan art, and win an Eleven Underwater doll? Sea TREK would love to see your artistic interpretation of Eleven in her helmet. Upload your fan art to Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, and add the hash tag #ElevenUnderwater. We will select one winner to receive a fun and funky El doll. The winner of this contest will be chosen by Sub Sea Systems on Monday, March 20^th, and notified via direct message.

So, get your pencils, markers and brushes dusted off, and get creative! We can’t wait to see your interpretations of El in her Sea TREK helmet! 

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