Site reservations and general stores shouldn't be the only revenue stream for your campground. In fact, almost 27 percent of total income earned from a camper was generated from sources other than campsite reservations, according to a study by the Journal of Travel Research. You can tap into several revenue opportunities to maximize sales from each and every camper that sets foot on your campground.Here are just a few ways to optimize your campground's profit centers.

1. Recreational Equipment Rentals

Not all of your campers will have enough room in their RV or vehicle to bring along recreational gear and equipment such as kayaks, canoes, or even pop-up tables for meal time. Make things easy for your customers by offering equipment rental options for a modest fee, and set up a pickup station or area where staff can keep track of inventory and store it safely after each use.

Create packages for newer campers who need basic equipment such as a grill, tables and chairs, or other necessities to round out their experience.

Create packages for newer campers who need basic equipment such as a grill, tables and chairs, or other necessities to round out their experience. If you are using a campground reservation system like Peek Pro, you can manage equipment rental inventory and payments all in the same system.

2. Special Events and Activities

From hosting fun holiday events like carols and s'mores around a big bonfire, or providing live entertainment during the summer months, ticketed events are a great way for your guests to build fun, lasting memories at your campground. These might appeal to both campers and visitors in the area looking for something to do during a vacation. If you open up these events to the public, could also attract locals and garner some attention from area businesses during the season.Make sure to promote these events heavily on social media sites, and set up a Facebook event so the general public can easily find it when they're searching for local things to do on the Internet. You could also list your event with area magazines and publications as part of your promotional efforts.

3. Lessons and Workshops

Lots of campgrounds offer activities such as painting lessons, tie-dye t-shirt making classes, and games. While these mainly cater to children, such workshops are a big revenue generator. Additionally, watersport activities like kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding can be turned into educational opportunities for first-timers or beginners. Offer lessons as part of your roster of daily activities on the campground for an extra fee. Another option is to host educational workshops, such as seminars or hands-on activities from nature guides, teachers, and other experts to give campers something to look forward to during their visit.Consider partnering up with local instructors who can offer services your staff isn't trained to provide, so that you can offer a variety of experiences for outdoor enthusiasts.

4. Breakfast or Meal Service

Give campers the option to purchase a meal onsite so they can save time and effort during their vacation—some visitors will probably appreciate less time doing dishes, and more time going on hikes in the surrounding area! As long as you have a food and beverage license for your operation, you can set up a dining area to serve meals as part of the camping experience. Use this food and beverage cost calculator formula provided by Buzztime to estimate your total investment for managing food costs and setting up reasonable pricing. Consider selling meal tickets as part of the camping reservation or sell meal plan packages for guests who may want to enjoy multiple meals onsite during their visit.From offering memorable experiences to renting equipment, there are several ways to enhance your guest's outdoor stay, while generating revenue beyond the campsite reservation. Explore some of these ideas to leverage your campground's profit potential.

During the time between a customer's booking and their onsite arrival, tour operators have a unique opportunity to curate an experience that really wows their guests. Though some travelers are more spontaneous than others, most enjoy having at least a short list of activities they absolutely must do at their destination. In any case, they could always use your help navigating the city and packing for their journey.Here are some simple ways you can enhance your guests' vacation experience long before they arrive.

1. Help guests build their itinerary

As we've suggested before, “Take the time to ask guests about their travel planning and offer to help them plan the rest of their trip with local recommendations." One way to do this is to provide a "destination cheat sheet' for download on your website or send guests a PDF via email as a complimentary service to help them get to know the area.With your recommendations, be sure to group activities that are located in the same areas. Add estimates for how long visitors should spend on each destination and note opening and closing times for those amusements. This helps travelers avoid wasting precious time revisiting a neighborhood only to see one or two things they missed on an earlier visit.

2. Prepare travelers for the adventure

Caught up in the excitement of their upcoming trip, guests may forget to prepare their travel documents, get necessary vaccinations, or pack essential items. To save travelers from an embarrassing encounter at the border, tour operators can share information visitors from other countries will need to know prior to travel.Email guests packing tips. For instance, if you're located in a mountainous region, advise guests to bring sturdy hiking boots, especially if you offer outdoor excursions. During the rainy season, recommend packing waterproof or water-resistant shoes. Remind travelers about what not to bring as well.Finally, share a few fun language lessons. For guests who speak the same language, provide a list of common slang non-locals might not be familiar with.

Tour operators can share information that visitors from other countries will need to know prior to travel

3. Invite visitors to eat like a local

On Facebook and Instagram, it can feel as though travelers spend more time documenting their meals than their journey. Indeed, one of the most exciting things about travel is experiencing local culture through its cuisine.Of course, many first-time visitors may not know what to eat or where to eat it. That said, tour operators can offer their best recommendations for specific dishes to try and restaurants to visit.

The Bottom Line

By simply sharing extra information (and providing concierge-like services), tour operators demonstrate their commitment to an exceptional customer experience. In return, guests will reciprocate with positive reviews and referrals to help you grow your business and bookings.

Americans—more than 40 million a year, to be exact—continue to head to the hills for that weekend camping trip. And while the activity of camping hasn't changed much in the past 30 years, the needs and habits of today's campers continue to evolve. Large tents have been replaced for lightweight models; small RVs have been traded up for larger, tech-infused vehicles; and tech-savvy travelers are now booking their camping getaways online.Here is a closer look at the needs and travel habits of today's campers, and how your campground can best cater to them.

Understanding Travel Needs and Booking Behavior of Today's Campers

Experts at Virtuoso have found that baby boomers and millennials travel for very different purposes. Boomers see travel as an opportunity to enjoy quality time together and value escapism. They're not afraid to splurge and prefer to travel with families. Millennials, on the other hand, tend to travel for personal fulfillment and look for customized experiences when traveling. Also, most prefer to travel with friends.Knowing this means you can tailor your offerings and marketing messages for these two distinct groups. Baby boomers may be attracted to camping packages that include a trip to an area day spa, for example, where they can unplug and de-stress. Millennials may be more eager to book packages for groups with kayaking lessons, paddle-boarding adventures, or other outdoor activities they can enjoy with friends on or near the campsite.

Upgrading Campsites and Amenities to Appeal to Today's Campers

Your campground may not be able to accommodate larger RVs or provide enough electricity to support some of the upgraded vehicles, gear, and accessories today's campers rely on. Consider expanding parking sites (by trimming trees and shrubs) to accommodate for larger vehicles. (Class-A RVs can be as long as 45 feet, so you should have at least one spot that could easily fit this type of vehicle.) Also, many campsites aren't able to support the 50-amp plugins required by some newer RV models, so consider updating your electrical outlets if you can't handle this type of setup.A large portion of campers will be looking for some type of hiking activity, according to the Outdoor Foundation. These hiking enthusiasts will often rely on GPS devices and smartphone apps to map out their routes. In order to stay connected and maximize their experience using technology, these campers need high-speed Internet access. Campgrounds and RV parks that offer free WiFi access and connectivity amenities, such as power outlets to charge phones and camera batteries, will be a more attractive destination for the modern traveler.Another interesting fact: 52 percent of campers between the ages of 18 and 34 years did online research to buy items for their camping trip and then purchased in-store, according to the Outdoor Foundation. Be the campground that sells accessories and other items—from extra batteries for portable coolers to basic cooking utensils—through your own online store or at your campsite to cater to these shoppers. This will also open up another revenue stream for your campground business.

Be the campground that sells accessories and other items through your own online store or at your campsite to cater to these shoppers

Providing Mobile Booking Options for Today's Campers

The vast majority—90 percent—of millennials book travel online, according to Virtuoso. Take advantage of online reservation software, such as Peek Pro, to incorporate online and mobile booking options into your website to capture this large segment of the market. This will make it a cinch for campers to reserve spots that fit their RVs, or to make reservations for outdoor gear and supplies.Also, as Skift points out, personalization in travel is one trend travel operators simply can't ignore2. Instead of booking a campsite and settling in for the day, campers may be interested in enjoying localized experiences during the trip. Offering the option to customize a camping experience—such as adding a workshop or educational tour to the visit, or giving guests a chance to have food or groceries delivered from area businesses—can make for a personalized experience.And don't overlook social media activity. Encourage visitors to use Instagram and Twitter to share their photos and updates while mentioning your business. This allows them to join a community of fellow travelers while helping your business become more visible in the social media sphere.The American tradition of camping isn't disappearing anytime soon. But the needs of today's campers continue to evolve with technology. Catering to today's tech-savvy campers with online booking options and introducing modern amenities into your campsite will help keep your booking calendar full year-round.

If you've spent some time surfing the web, you know there's no lack of advertising space on a myriad of websites. But what you may not realize is many of these advertising spots are "for rent." Dubbed remarketing (or retargeting), it's all about enabling companies to show relevant ads to people who have initially expressed interest in what you have to offer online.For instance, did you visit a clothing site and later that day, on another website, see an ad for the article of clothing you looked at ? While it may appear that the stars are aligning to help you rationalize that purchase, it's actually Google's remarketing engine at work. And, it may just be the tool to help drive more online sales for your tour or activity company.

What Is Remarketing/Retargeting?

We interviewed Margot da Cunha, previous content marketing specialist at WordStream, a Google Premier SMB partner focused on search marketing. According to da Cunha, remarketing, also known as ad retargeting (these terms are used interchangeably), is “essentially when you cookie your past site visitors to follow them around with ads on various sites they browse."In a sense, it's kind of like an acceptable business form of stalking. If someone comes to your website and is looking into purchasing a kayak tour experience, but then gets distracted and pulls up a new website, a visual prompt advertisement of your choosing will show on other websites they visit, such as Facebook, to "remarket" to them. The hope is that they'll see the image of the kayak they were researching on your site, along with your carefully crafted advertising message, and realize that it might be time to head on back to the page or shopping cart they abandoned.

Does Remarketing work?

“Most people who are doing paid search, who start to then embrace remarketing, are blown away by the results," da Cunha says. “It works because you're targeting people instead of just keywords." In other words, you know they're more qualified than people who just stumble upon your ad, because they've actually been to your website before and shown an interest.There's no tried and true statistic on how exactly retargeting will help your business, but in general, anytime you're advertising to people who are interested in what you have to offer, the better the results will be. “Conversion rate increases with exposure," says da Cunha. "The more your target sees your ad, the more likely they are to convert." And, don't worry too much about people becoming annoyed because “your odds of overwhelming the audience, because of the way Google controls things, are pretty low."

Retargeting works because you're targeting people, not keywords

How do I get started?

The process to set up remarketing efforts for your tour, activity or rental business will be fairly straightforward. If you already have a PPC campaign running through Adwords or Wordstream, there is a simple setup process, which you can learn more about here: How Does Google Remarketing Work? It involves modifying your website pages with a small piece of tracking code (called a tag), creating a list of people you would like to remarket to and deciding how often you want them to see your ad.You can get as general or specific as you see fit when it comes to setting your criteria (who sees it and how often). Here are few scenarios of people you can target with ads of your choosing:

• Everyone who has visited a certain page on your website.
• Only people who visited a specific landing page (for instance, your wine tasting ticket purchase page), but didn't convert.
• Only those who placed a bike or kayak in their cart, but then abandoned ship.
• Only people who purchased a Halloween escape room adventure last year, who you want to casually remind to do so again for the upcoming season.

What's it going to cost ?

Similar to Google Adwords, you can spend hundreds, thousands or even more on your remarketing campaign. As with any new service, it's best to start by allocating a reasonably sized portion of your online marketing budget, along with tightly defined goals, so you can measure how remarketing affects your conversions.The broader your remarketing campaign's criteria, the higher your cost will usually be. You can fine-tune and set frequency caps (i.e. this person can only see this ad a certain number of times per day) and duration (i.e. this person will no longer see this ad after 30 days) as you see fit to manage costs.Wordstream does have some recommendations when it comes to duration and frequency based on recent studies and experience:

• Duration should be set to three times your average sales cycle for best results.
• Setting the frequency to unlimited is worth it. Even if you set frequency cap to unlimited, those people will only see it an average of 3.71 impressions per day.

There's no time like the present to get started with remarketing for your tour, activity, or rental business. If you're interested in learning more (which you should be), check out this guide: Complete Guide to Content Remarketing.

Feeling slightly overwhelmed by social media, wondering how to maximize your efforts on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking platforms? Well, you're not alone. Manta.com surveyed more than 1,200 business owners to find out which social platforms are the toughest to maintain for small business owners and found that Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter ranked high on the list.

‍

But if you're letting that frustration get in the way of maintaining an active presence on the main social media sites, you're squandering a gold mine. Online travel industry statistics from Funsherpa.com reveal 87 percent of travelers used the Internet for a bulk of their travel planning and 50 percent of travel companies surveyed reported that direct bookings were generated from social media.

‍

To make sure you're making the most of social media, follow these 11 online marketing strategies.

‍

1. Create a realistic plan.

‍

Don't think that you have to be on every single social media platform out there. Instead, be realistic: Consider how much time you can dedicate to pulling together content for your social media channels and how frequently you want to post to each site. Also keep in mind that fans and followers are going to expect you to comment or reply back, so you need to make time for that. Marketing experts share their insights on "The Art of Response on Social Media" for Entrepreneur magazine and point out that most commenters expect a response within 24 hours. In order to not spread yourself thin, choose up to two platforms that you can realistically stick to a schedule with so that staff members can handle all social media tasks and interactions with ease.

‍

2. Don't be overly promotional.

‍

While social media platforms are great avenues to share what you have to offer, the true purpose of staying active on these sites is to generate interest in your business, gain fans and followers, and share interesting content. Avoid spamming fans and followers with updates about your specials, ads about your offerings, or anything that sounds like a sales pitch. Focus instead on sharing unique and interesting content that your fans and followers will want to share on their social networks. This might include video of behind-the-scenes footage of chefs preparing meals for a food tour or a short introduction from the captain of a boat tour company. Or, it could be something as simple as a photo gallery of a sneak preview of upcoming tours of the season, or a short article from the owner of a canoe tour company about what to look forward to in the area this travel season.

‍

Sharing this type of content that your fans and followers end up sharing without directly asking them is is word-of-mouth marketing in action on the social grid and can help you maintain a loyal following for the long haul.

‍

3. Keep things short and simple.

‍

It's a great idea to describe a tour or activity with creative copy and entice your viewers but you want to avoid writing mini paragraphs when posting on Facebook or Instagram. The experts at Wishpond point out that posts shorter than 250 characters have 60 percent more engagement than longer posts. Whether you're sharing details about a recent kayaking trip or posting an update about an upcoming promotion, keep the message short and sweet — preferably just a few lines.

‍

4. Engage with the community.

‍

Whether you're busy on Facebook, are just getting started with Twitter, or are active on sites like Pinterest and Instagram, you need to take the time to engage with other users in order to build your online presence. Sharing unique content is just one part of the puzzle. As a tour and activity operator, utilize the tools of each platform: seek out locals by entering you location in the search feature on various sites, using hashtags like #travel or #tours, and connecting with complementary businesses such as the chamber of commerce, area hotels and resorts, and other business contacts. The goal is to interact with the community and, eventually, earn your following.

‍

You need to take time to engage with other users in order to build your online presence

‍

5. Get on a Facebook Page updating schedule.

‍

Updating Facebook regularly with photos, video clips, blog posts, and information about your tours or activities can engage your fans and help prospective travelers learn more about what you offer. The key to success with Facebook marketing is making sure you post enough but not too much — the experts at Buffer recommend posting a maximum of two times per day, seven days a week between the hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

‍

6. Use scheduling tools to be consistent.

‍

When you've determined how often you want to post to social media sites and have a schedule to work with, consider using apps and tools like Sprout Social, HootSuite, or Buffer to schedule all of your posts to go live at certain times of the day. This can take the stress of administrative tasks off the shoulders of staff members, who are better off spending their time helping guests with customer service inquiries or taking care of tour-related activities.

‍

7. Use the right keywords and hashtags in your tweets.

‍

If you're active on Twitter, make it easy for prospective travelers to find you with Twitter's search features. Debbie Hemley, a social media consultant and blogger, tells Social Media Examiner that it's a good idea to make a list of keywords that best describe your business and industry. Using hashtags to accompany your tweets such as #travel, #kayaking, #[destination] can help you attract followers.

‍

8. Share experiences on YouTube.

‍

Demand for video content is growing rapidly — Cisco reports that consumer Internet video traffic will account for 80 percent of all traffic in 2019. Sharing videos on YouTube can foster loyalty, inspire potential customers to find out more about you, and makes it easy to drop video links on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites. You can share everything from snippets of a tour experience to customer testimonials.For example, Boggy Creek Airboats in Orlando, Florida, features several videos from their most popular routes, along with clips of guests enjoying the experience. One of their intro videos has garnered more than 226,000 views.

‍

9. Post regularly to Instagram.

‍

Instagram is a popular photo-sharing site that also offers the option of sharing short video clips. You can include information about your company in a few sentences in the bio along with a direct link to your website or booking page. Hawaiian Paddlesports does a great job of posting shots of its outrigger canoes and beach activities, garnering hundreds of likes on many of its photos. You can do the same and tag all of your photos using relevant hashtags — a simple way to stand out on Instagram as users enter hashtags to find photos of interest. Make sure to tag almost all of your photos with your destination and use keywords like tours and the industry you are in for maximum exposure.

‍

10. Get active on Pinterest.

‍

Photo-sharing sites like Instagram and Facebook aren't the only places to generate likes and attract followers. Jump on Pinterest so you can share your photos on themed boards related to the services you offer and connect with travelers or complementary businesses. You can post everything from creative ads to promote specials you are offering to candid photos. Take a look at the Pinterest boards of MSH Hawaii Tours for inspiration. The company has created 14 boards with different themes and generated 100-plus likes to date.

‍

Whether your goal is to increase bookings, maintain a positive online presence, or connect with customers and local businesses in new ways, adopt some of these social media habits to stay one step ahead of the competition.

‍

Read about Dylan's Tours and how they became one of the largest operators in San Francisco

There's a reason camping trips become family traditions: It's the bonding that occurs from being away from the daily grind. It's the people you meet. It's the memories formed that will last a lifetime. And these all come about through one thing: the unique traditions and activities campgrounds organize for their guests.Campground owners are constantly discovering new ways to inject thrill and excitement into traditional campground activities to make camping trips more exciting than ever. Here are ten unique campground traditions and activities.

Camp Towanda in Honesdale, Pennsylvania

Health and nutrition are two pillars upon which Camp Towanda has built itself. And the campground's owners found a perfect way to blend that philosophy into a memory-making tradition: Watermelon League, an annual summertime event in which campers compete for prizes in a watermelon eating contest. It not only encourages campers to make healthy eating choices (one of the camp's core goals) but also creates lasting memories for competitors.

Health and nutrition are two pillars upon which Camp Towanda has built itself.

Campgrounded, which has locations in CA, NC, NY, and TX

One way to bring campers together: team spirit. And Color Wars, a traditional camp activity that divides campers into different teams, is the perfect game to facilitate that spirit. In Campgrounded's Color Wars, there are four teams: red, yellow, green, and blue. Players from each team show off their skills in an array of creative activities like relay races, capture the flag, scavenger hunts, trivia, egg roulette, frozen t-shirts, and more.

KOA Meadville in Meadville, Pennsylvania

The Brookdale Family Campground bases its big event around the campground's lake. The Duct Tape & Cardboard Boat Regatta, a Brookdale staple since it was invited to join Kampgrounds of America (KOA) in 2011, is a wacky, fun-filled event in which campers assemble boats made of cardboard and duct tape and race across Wagon Lake—all for different prizes.

Buttonwood Campground in Mifflintown, Pennsylvania

Who doesn't love chocolate? Buttonwood Camp holds an "Everything Chocolate Weekend" complete with chocolate sundaes, nighttime chocolate candy hunt, and a chocolate pudding slippery slide. They sure do know how to have fun—all while appealing to your taste buds and appetite.

River's End Campground & RV Park in Tybee Island, Georgia

Every year, River's End Campground morphs into Pirates of the Caribbean-mode during its Tybee Island Pirate Fest. The event lasts a whole weekend and includes a pirate costume contest, treasure hunt, parade, fireworks, and more. Sounds like a great time the whole family can enjoy.

Point Cabins & Camping in New Castle, Pennsylvania

This May, Rose Point Cabins will hosts its 4th Annual Cornhole Tournament. Cornhole is a favorite game at campgrounds across the country. For those unfamiliar, cornhole is an American pastime game, in which players toss bean bags aimed at two cornhole boards that sits approximately 30 feet apart. The player to reach 21 points first wins.

Rockbrook Camp in Brevard, North Carolina

Arts and crafts are a campground favorite. Rockbrook Camp lets campers show off their artistic abilities with tie-dye and other arts and craft activities, while also creating mementos and keepsake memorabilia. Your arts and crafts events can be coupled with a talent show, costume event, and other unique event ideas.

Digital Detox (by Campgrounded) in Anderson Valley, California

"Calling all urbanites. Stash away your cell phones and tablets upon arrival and reconnect with your inner child." These are the rules at The Digital Detox Camp, a campground where adults go to unplug from the everyday stresses of city life. Follow their lead and create your own digital free zone—even if it's zoned to a small designated area, or just for a day or weekend.Each year for Father's Day weekend, Indian Trails has its annual Hawaiian-themed Pig Roast weekend. The campground's owners put together a series of activities for kids and their families to enjoy such as a pig roast, arts and crafts for kids to create gifts for dad, a bean bag tournament, and close out the weekend with free coffee and snacks for dads.These are only a few ways that campground owners are organizing festive events for campers. As an owner, you may want to borrow from any one of these event ideas—but be creative and put your own spin things. Host activities in honor of a holiday or create an event and make it an annual occasion. Camping is supposed to be fun. So, be quirky, wacky, and just plain weird to make your events memorable and your campground a legacy in the lives of the families you host.

If you're looking for a solution to manage your campground and RV bookings, as well as your activities, check out Peek Pro.