For zoo administrators and marketers these days, attracting visitors is a top priority to sustain their missions and provide memorable experiences for people who visit the zoo.
In this guide, we'll walk you through five fail-proof tactics to increase bookings, introduce enticing vouchers for diverse audiences, and make the admission process as smooth as a lion's purr.
Online Marketing and Social Media Presence
In today's digital age, establishing a strong online presence is paramount for any business, including zoos. Your online presence serves as the gateway for potential visitors to discover the wonders of your zoo. Here's how to make the most of it:
Offer Peek-a-Boo Behind-the-Scenes Tours
Among the most magnetic draws for visitors is the allure of what happens behind the curtains. Why not tease them with glimpses of those intimate moments?
Showcase exclusive exhibits and behind-the-scenes tours, emphasizing the raw and beautiful moments with your favorite animals and the conservation magic you weave.
Picture this: Your zoo or organization rolls out the "African Safari Whispers" tour, allowing guests to hand-feed giraffes and be storytellers of wildlife conservation. Display this tour on your online platforms, captivating audiences with immersive snaps and clips of joy-filled moments.
Tailored Vouchers for Every Visitor Type
Leverage your online strength to unleash the charm of vouchers. Craft enticing voucher deals that resonate with varied visitor profiles – from buzzing families and wise seniors to eager students, children, and nature aficionados.
For instance, whip up a "Family Fiesta Voucher" covering entry for a family of four, a delightful meal at your zoo's eatery, and a sprinkle of adventure with a kids-centric guided tour. Paint this offer across your digital channels with vibrant graphics and heartwarming family snapshots, spotlighting the unmatched value and delightful zoo experience day ahead.
Introducing a Breeze of an Online Booking System
Enhance the visitor experience by implementing a user-friendly online Zoo booking system. Make sure your website provides a straightforward interface for selecting preferred dates and times. For a hassle-free entry process, consider utilizing a reliable booking management tool like Ticketinghub.
Educational Programs and Events
Zoos aren't just for seeing animals; they're great places to learn and understand more about wildlife. Offering educational events can attract more visitors. Here's how to do it:
Provide in-depth insights in your programs
Add special guided tours to teach visitors about animals and how zoos help them. Promote these tours to schools, animal lovers, and people who love and care about nature.
Think about having a "Day as a Zookeeper" event. Here, people can spend a day learning how zookeepers take care of animals. Share stories from those who've enjoyed this event on your website and social media.
Create special packages for schools
To get more schools to visit, offer special deals that include a zoo experience visit and a learning session. Emphasize how these trips can help children and students and adults learn in a fun way.
For example, work with local area schools to offer a "School Day at the Zoo" deal. Along with seeing animals, students can have a special tour that links to what they're studying. Share feedback from schools that have enjoyed these trips to encourage more to join.
Use a Simple Check-in System
To make entry easy for big groups and deal holders, think about using a mobile app or a QR code system. This can help groups get in faster and start their zoo experience and adventure without any delays.
Imagine having an app that lets people skip the regular queue. Encourage visitors to use this app by offering a special deal for the first time they try it. Show them how easy it is with short videos on social media.
Membership Programs and Loyalty Incentives
Offer premium perks
Becoming a member should feel like getting a backstage pass. So, why not offer exclusive tours of attractions, just for members? Let folks know that when they sign up, they're getting more than just entry—they're stepping into unique adventures. Paint a vivid picture with photos and stories from members who've had a blast on these special tours.
Think about introducing memberships something like a “VIP Tour Pass” for the year. With this, members can drop by for exclusive tours anytime they want. And to make it more enticing, create a fun video showing how much fun members have on these tours.
Exclusive workshops and more
Membership should offer more than just coming and going. Spice things up with workshops or other exclusive events included in the membership package. This way, you're catering to all sorts of visitors and making membership even more tempting.
For our older visitors, imagine a "Golden Years Pass." Apart from the usual benefits, this could have early bird-watching sessions or relaxed tea-time meetups. Share stories of seniors bonding over these upcoming events, making the zoo experience not just a good place to visit, but a community to be part of.
Easy Membership, Happy Members
Make the whole membership purchase process hassle-free. Invest in a system that handles vouchers and keeps track of membership perks smoothly. That way, members can enjoy their visits without any hitches.
Partnerships and Collaborations
Team Up with Local Establishments
Forge alliances with local hotels and travel agencies, integrating special events, zoo tours or exclusive voucher packages into their offerings. This not only amplifies the attraction for tourists but also broadens the horizon for potential new visitors.
Consider launching a "Zoo Retreat Package" in tandem with a hotel. Here, visitors get the dual advantage of a comfortable stay combined with an exclusive moonlit tour of the zoo. Publicize this synergistic collaboration through a joint press announcement and feature information about it prominently on both the zoo's and hotel's digital platforms.
Broaden Your Reach
Strategically partner with neighboring businesses to circulate vouchers tailored for diverse audiences – from bustling families and seasoned seniors to nature aficionados. An idea could be a "Feast & Roar" voucher, blending the thrill of a zoo visit with a delectable dining experience at a partner restaurant. Jointly market such initiatives on various platforms, ensuring the buzz is audible across both the zoo's and the restaurant's customer base.
Extend these collaborations to schools, community hubs, and eco-aware entities. Displaying these alliances on digital channels not only amplifies outreach but also reinforces credibility and trust in engaging the community.
Seamless Communication for Smooth Entries
Cultivate robust communication pathways with partners to synchronize the admission process for voucher users. By ironing out the wrinkles in communication, guests experience a frictionless transition from partner amenities right to the zoo's gates.
Highlight this effortless entry as a cornerstone of the partnership perks, ensuring partners and visitors alike recognize the value in the streamlined experience.
Customer Feedback and Improvement
Seek Valuable Insights through Reviews
After wrapping up each unique tour, reach out to attendees with a gentle email nudge, directing them to respond to a survey. Their insights can be pivotal in refining the experience – be it tweaking the tour length or zooming in on specific wildlife encounters that resonate most with guests.
Here's how TicketingHub makes collecting online reviews easy.
Dive Deep into Visitor Feedback
Take a closer look at the responses and preferences shared by voucher users. This intel can guide the design of future voucher packages, ensuring they hit the mark for varied visitor segments. It's vital to have a feedback channel on your digital platforms for these voucher holders to engage.
For instance, if families express a liking for a certain tour and receive a voucher but voice a desire for more engagement, it's worth weaving in more hands-on, interactive segments into that tour. And with platforms like Ticketinghub, collecting and actioning this feedback becomes a breeze!
Monitor and optimize
Monitor the efficiency of your online booking and admission management system continuously. Use the feedback as a compass, ushering in changes that trim down wait times and elevate the visitor journey. Regularly spotlight these upgrades to underscore your dedication to delivering a seamless zoo experience and visit for everyone.
Simplify Zoo Management with Ticketinghub
To streamline the admission process and enhance visitor satisfaction, consider using Ticketinghub's advanced booking and admission management system.
Ticketinghub offers a user-friendly platform that allows visitors to purchase tickets online, choose preferred entry times, view more and even redeem vouchers seamlessly.
What does Ticketinghub bring to the table for zoos?
- Direct Online Ticketing: Visitors can effortlessly purchase tickets directly via your website.
- Voucher Management: Navigate and oversee voucher usage effortlessly with Ticketinghub's smart framework.
- On-the-Go Access: Guests can tap into their tickets on mobile devices, negating the need for paper versions.
- Personalized Booking Interface: Shape the reservation journey to resonate with your zoo's identity and specifics.
- Instant Analytics: Harness insights on visitor patterns and inclinations to refine your promotional efforts and on-site logistics.
Embedding Ticketinghub in your entry management approach paves the way for a frictionless guest journey, letting you zone in on curating those unforgettable zoo moments.
Final Thoughts
Zoos serve as more than mere animal showcases—they're epicenters of learning, preservation, and thrill. By rolling out these core tactics, ranging from bespoke to general zoo tours, crafting vouchers for diverse audiences, and ensuring fluid entry logistics, zoos stand to amplify attendance beyond reservations and craft indelible visitor memories.
It's pivotal to note that streamlined admission platforms, like Ticketinghub, play a pivotal role in curating a delightful visitor trajectory environment.
Lean into these TIPS, remain attuned to guest insights, and the roadmap to a flourishing zoo venture becomes crystal clear.
