As a sports rental company, you’re not just loaning out equipment by the hour—you’re providing customers with an experience.But one of the biggest mistakes rental companies make is not portraying that experience online. For sports rentals, this should start with exciting and inspiring images.Luckily, you don’t need expensive equipment or a professional photographer to take photos from "so-so" to "spectacular." Here are seven easy and effective tricks for taking better photos with your iPhone:

1. Use the Rule of Thirds

One of the easiest but most overlooked photography techniques is the "rule of thirds." It works by placing the object along one of three intersecting lines—the "thirds."The key is to situate primary and secondary focal points along the grid’s intersections..It’s easy to do if you enable the grid on your iPhone camera. Simply...

1. Go to your iPhone's settings
2. Scroll to "Photos & Camera"
3. Enable the camera grid.

Voila! Now the grid will show up automatically, making it easy to practice the rule of thirds.

2. Follow the Action with Burst Mode

Another challenge sports rental companies face is that many of their best images are action shots featuring hard-to-capture movement.The result? Blurry photos that do nothing to boost your brand. The solution? Burst mode. Where photos capture static moments in time, and video captures the action in its entirety, burst mode takes a series of stills that follow a motion.To shoot in burst mode, hold down the shutter button until the phone begins taking continuous shots. You can then view all photos in the series, delete the ones that turn out blurry and post the ones with a real "wow" factor.

Use Burst Mode to take a series of still pictures following a motion. Delete the blurry photos and post the "wow" action shots

3. Switch to Manual Focus

Most of the time, the iPhone's automatic focus is a real lifesaver. But when the camera auto-adjusts to spotlight the wrong thing, it can be a real frustration. Using manual model lets you take control, drawing attention to particular areas within a frame.To switch to manual, just tap the screen and hold on the spot you want to use as the focal point. A small box will appear to confirm your selection. Once it's set where you want it, just snap and go.

4. Lead the Subject with POV Shots

Want to make people online feel like they are experiencing your activity? Shoot from the perspective of the subject.Using point of view, you can help customers imagine what it'll be like to invest in an experience—putting them directly in the driver's (or paddler's) seat.

5. Leave a Mark with Geotagging

iPhone photos will record exactly where a picture is taken, if geotagging is enabled. And while privacy issues are involved when dealing with shots that were snapped in, say, your kitchen, tagging your photos with towns, roads and sites can gain the attention of locals and visitors alike when you're out exploring the world.And if you're wary of geotagging all your pictures, you can always tag your photos on Instagram, which allows you to add them to a photo map or set your business as a permanent location with its own name.

6. Capitalize on Contrast

Even lackluster photos can benefit from an HDR (High Dynamic Range) filter that dramatically improves detail.When getting ready to take a photo, HDR is at the top left of the camera app. Choose Auto, On, or Off. It works best when a picture has contrasting colors with areas of brightness and darkness, giving an epic feel to any image.Bonus: Didn't think to turn on HDR? Running your photos through filters can give them the same magical quality. Two of our faves are Snapseed and eyeEm.

7. Pair inspirational copy with inviting photos

Whether sharing your photos on Instagram, Facebook, or your own website, think about how the text can complement and add excitement to your image.Add excitement to your photos by including text with action words, authentic emotion and, yes, exclamation points (but try not to go overboard).Wondering how to get started on social media? Take a look at our 10 Social Media Marketing Tips for Tour and Activity Operators.Remember, you’re selling an experience! Pictures convey the excitement and value of offered services. Get out there, get your iPhone ready and make the next photos you post spectacular.

Cauldron Skittles aren't the only goodies in store this October. With a few tricks, turning the Halloween season into a treat for your tour or activity business is as easy as polishing off an entire bag of Mini Snickers while watching "Young Frankenstein."The spooky season presents a number of ways to generate extra revenue, even if fall is your slow time of year. You don't need a giant pumpkin-sized budget to get the attention of new and existing customers—try these 10 creative Halloween marketing campaign ideas instead.

1. Run a Halloween-themed promotion

Whether you promote a "monster sale" or create Halloween-themed promo codes using words like "trick" or "treat," select a few tours and activities to be eligible for a discount through October 31. For instance, Travelocity runs Halloween-themed campaigns each year with big savings on certain hotel bookings. Pro tip: Travelocity's promotions typically last a few days or weeks, which creates a sense of urgency and prompts customers to book quickly. Generate additional buzz about your promotions by sharing them on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, coupled with an email blast to all customers in your database.

2. Add some spook to your experience

'Tis the time of year for unique, after-dark experiences—take advantage of it!If you host any type of outdoor excursion or activity, turn Halloween night (or the Saturday closest to it) into a special event. For instance, San Francisco Fire Engine Tours runs a spooky tour through the Presidio District every October. Do you offer guided hikes? Kayak/SUP excursions? Sightseeing tours? Brainstorm ways to put a "spooky" or "autumn" twist on your experience. Invite people to dress up. Share scary stories. Serve pumpkin-flavored treats along the way. 'Tis the time of year for unique, after-dark experiences—take advantage of it!

3. Run a social media costume contest

There are certain things you can count on in life, and Halloween is no exception. Every year, Trader Joe's will roll out a gargantuan inventory of pumpkin-spice flavored goods (yes, we're excited about it). ABC Family will play "Hocus Pocus" at least a thousand times. Someone you know will put their baby in a pumpkin and take a bunch of pictures. And people will get really, really excited about dressing up. Time to tap into that costume fervor.Consider hosting a costume contest with prizes, and make it easy for guests to participate via social media. Simply ask them to post a costume picture to their Instagram, Facebook or Twitter account (you can keep the contest open to multiple channels, or just one), tag @[your company] in the post, and use a specific hashtag that you came up with. Once the contest is over, post submissions to your company's Facebook page and ask for votes from fans, or simply select a winner privately and make an announcement around Halloween. Take a look at how HootSuite executed its costume contest: They asked entrants to snap a picture and post it on Instagram with the hashtag #OwlWeen as part of the entry process.Consider dedicating a page of your website to showcasing costume images that your customers tagged you in. This allows guests to browse and enjoy the online event before and after Halloween revelries. Social media contests connect you with customers, build your social following and even generate some search traffic if contest results are posted directly on your website.

Ask customers to participate in a social media contest, like posting their Halloween costume with a special hashtag

4. Hold an open house with a fall or Halloween theme

Turn any open space in your calendar into an opportunity to host an open house event, introducing your business to locals and travelers for the season. This can help attract new clientele and promote your business to locals in a relaxed and informal way. Consider hosting a giveaway or series of raffle prizes that include tickets to your tour or activity at a later date, or offering special booking rates for all open house attendees.

5. Throw or sponsor a party

If you've hit your slowest season of the year, think outside the box to generate some revenue, such as hosting a Halloween party at your business location or by becoming a major sponsor for a larger event in the area. Promote the party on all social media channels and get it listed on community websites so locals know you're hosting one of the biggest bashes of the year. Create a Facebook event for the party to help generate interest, and send event invites to business and personal contacts.

6. Entice subscribers with virtual trick-or-treat bags

Have some fun with your email marketing over the Halloween season by running a themed campaign enticing recipients to open their email for a "trick or treat." Those who receive a "treat" might get a deep discount on their next booking or a special offer, such as buy one ticket, get one free. The "trick" email could contain playful, creative content such as a digital postcard. Create a teaser headline to increase the email open rate, and run this campaign for several weeks leading up to Halloween to engage subscribers. Promote the trick-or-treat bags on your website with a simple message that states, "subscribe now for your FREE trick-or-treat bag."

7. Host a Halloween flash sale throughout October

Flash sales are a great way to prompt quick bookings. Drum up more business on those slow weekends or over Halloween week by dropping prices on certain tour and activity packages for a few hours at a time. Make sure to promote these heavily across all social media channels, and send out an alert to your email subscriber list so customers can look forward to the sale.

8. Offer free tickets to Halloween events in the community

Dedicate a portion of your marketing budget this holiday season to purchasing a certain number of tickets to local events, such as Halloween parties, pumpkin festivals, craft fairs, Oktoberfests, etc. Offer these tickets as a free gift for all bookings completed by Halloween. It could help fill empty spots on the calendar, and also encourage the event organizer to promote your business on their end.

9. Offer Autumn weekend packages with multiple activities

Inspire travelers to make the most of their experience by staying the entire Halloween weekend and booking more than one tour or activity with your company. Promote a "Halloween getaway" or "Halloween weekend escape" on your website with recommendations on where to stay, other activities in the area, and tips on where to eat. Paint the location as an ideal retreat destination—with your company's experiences as the highlights. Offer complementary add-ons that might sway travelers to book more than one activity at a time, such as instructor-led sessions before a kayaking excursion, one-on-one time with a chef during a food tour, a horseback ride with optional wine tasting afterwards, etc.

10. Promote gift cards or gift certificates

Lasso your share of early bird shoppers by encouraging them via email, social media and on your website to purchase gift cards before the holiday season officially begins. When it comes to gift cards in general, consider the benefits of an online booking software that can simplify both the purchasing and redemption process.The leaves might be falling, but your business momentum doesn't have to. Try some of these Halloween marketing tricks, and see how they treat you!

Let's be honest. No one likes negative reviews. And while Estaban Kolsky of ThinkJar, says that 13% of dissatisfied customers will tell 15 or more people, negative online reviews can be even more damaging—and have a more lasting impact than word-of-mouth.Escape room players leave negative reviews for a variety of reasons—some might not finish the game, others might find broken game pieces and still others might not find the room ready on time. But whatever the reason for a subpar review, you can improve the customer's experience by replying to the review.Here are a few of our favorite ways to reply to reviews:

Tough first impression? Ask for a second chance.

No one said that playing an escape room is supposed to be easy. Many players will not finish the game in the time allowed. If the game is too hard, players can leave with a bruised ego, while if the game is too easy, players can feel like they didn't get the best experience. It's a delicate balance to achieve.Read Kenny C.'s review of X-Room Real Life Escape Room on YelpAs a first time player, Kenny didn't know what to expect, but he describes in detail how the room master flat-out told his team the answers, leaving Kenny and his friends with a negative first-time gaming experience. Kai, the owner of X-Room Real Life Escape Room, responds to Kenny with an honest apology for his subpar experience and asks him to come back and give them another shot.We love this because Kai honestly expresses his own disappointment with Kenny's experience. He even goes one step further by asking Kenny what day he came in—letting Kenny know that he will do more research on what went wrong.

Respond to negative reviews with a genuine apology and ask them to come back to improve their view of your business

No one's perfect. Ask why only 4/5 stars.

One way to gain valuable feedback from your customers is to ask for more feedback on why they didn't give your business a perfect rating.Jamie, an avid Yelp reviewer, gave Adventure Vault 4/5 stars on Yelp. Everything is positive in her review, so it's hard to tell why she gave the business only four stars. So, the owner did the easiest thing—asked her. This kind of interaction shows that the owner is actively reading reviews and is open to feedback on how to improve.Read Jamie C.'s review of Adventure Vault on Yelp

Create return bookings by thanking positive reviewers.

Big Sky Breakout does a great job of thanking their positive reviewers. They have 35 reviews, all 5-stars, on their Facebook page and they have thanked almost every one. Big Sky Breakout makes a point of not only thanking their reviewers but also inviting them back. What a great way to engage directly with their customers and create return bookings. Love it!Responding to reviews, negative or positive, is a great way to improve your customer's experience and help gain return bookings. Remember, today's reviewers can lead to tomorrow's bookings.

As a business owner, the way you respond to negative reviews can have a big impact on your bottom line. What some miss, though, is how much positive reviews contribute to a customer’s purchase decision. More than 72% of respondents in a local business survey said positive reviews make them trust a business more. Research shows customers spend up to 31% more on a business with excellent reviews.These statistics demonstrate it’s high time for tour and activity operators to be more proactive in encouraging positive reviews, especially given these eye-opening figures: 83% of satisfied customers are willing to refer a product or service, but only 29% actually do.Here are five easy ways to encourage positive reviews.

1. Ask for Reviews On Site

The best time to ask for a review is while the activity is fresh in your customer’s mind. Get them before they sit in traffic on the way home, sleep on it and go to work the next day. The happy memories get more out-of-focus with every minute that passes.If possible, have a tablet or computer handy with review sites loaded up and ready (like Yelp, TripAdvisor, and your business’ Facebook page). If that’s not feasible, ask customers to visit a specific site and write a quick review with their smartphone. Just the act of verbally asking for a review can be enough to get people inspired.

2. Send a Follow-Up Email

A week or so after the activity, send an email to your customer. Let them know your goal is to create the best experience possible, and that you value their feedback. Thank them again for coming, and provide links to places they can write a review. With online booking software, you can automate these emails to make sure you reach everyone in a timely fashion.

Send a follow-up email to thank your customer and ask for feedback (with links to review sites)

3. Offer an Incentive

Of course, it wouldn’t be appropriate to bribe a customer for a positive review. But offering a small incentive for writing a review (regardless of its tone) is different—the goal is to get feedback, not to game the system. Encourage people to participate by offering a discount on a future booking, or running a monthly contest where writing a review is the entry ticket.

4. Respond to Reviews

Show customers that you’re available to talk by responding personally to each review. It’s a good idea to make accounts on review sites so you can create a dialog. And, of course, respond to messages on Facebook and Twitter as promptly as possible.You don’t need to be present 24/7—it’s OK to post hours of operation on your Facebook page. Just strive to be responsive when you can be. When your future customers see you read and consider reviews, they’ll be more likely to write their own.

5. Promote Great Reviews (and Reviewers)

A little recognition goes a long way to developing a community of enthusiastic reviewers. Let your past, present and future customers know you value their input. You can feature great reviews on your social media pages and your website, and give a shout-out to the reviewer by name.When a customer has a negative experience, they won’t hesitate to let you know. But the ones who have a great time most likely need a little encouragement to write their review. It’s important to encourage a dialog with customers on either side of the spectrum, to resolve negative reviews and cultivate an environment of positive feedback.

Instagram has become a social media phenomenon. The innovative photo-sharing app is considered the fastest-growing social network with the highest level of engagement. Popular with individuals and businesses alike, it's become a necessity for tour and activity business owners to use as part of their marketing efforts.Instagram allows companies to showcase their services and personality by quickly sharing “real time" photographs. This provides opportunities for attracting potential customers and communicating to your existing client base. But surprisingly, there are still many travel and tour operators that don't use Instagram to its full potential.Here are some quick and easy ways to incorporate Instagram into your company's daily activities:

Quality over Quantity: It's all about the photos

Luckily, you don't need to be a professional photographer to post amazing Instagram images. But you do need an impressive and consistent photo “feed" that appeals to your customer. Check out your own favorite Instagram pros and experiment with the many diverse filters before posting your favorites—and if you want to try more fun filters, apps like “Snapseed" offer a multitude of cool options. But quality is imperative to any photo, so be selective when posting pics that capture the essence of your tour company.Quick tip: To lighten darker photos, use the “brightness" button first (before using a filter) as that usually quickly enhances the image.With millions of users worldwide, Instagram allows companies to follow and regularly interact with your neighboring businesses as well as friends and customers. These can include your own employees, vendors, local tourism boards, reporters, area hotels and restaurants. Following other users, as well as liking and commenting on other posts, will result in increased exposure and potentially lead to new customers who discover your company online.Quick tip: Make new connections every day. Through repeated interactions with your followers, you can inspire local friends and businesses to mention and tag your company as well.

Start your activities with a fun hashtag

Kick off your activity with an Instagram shout-out. Let clients know your Instagram handle and to tag you when they post photos.Plus, if you create a clever hashtag to go with each activity, they'll be inspired to post more photos and interact with your company (and each other) more frequently. As an added bonus, hashtags like #WineTastingWednesday and #FabulousPhillyFoodTour enables you to easily track ongoing interactions. If you take photos, make sure to “tag" or at mention your participants to encourage continued social media banter.

Create a clever hashtag to go with your activities to encourage more engagement from your customers

Quick tip: If you have an especially creative and lively group, encourage them to come up with the day's hashtag.

Fun and Games

Another way to engage with your customers and add an extra level of excitement and interest is to host an Instagram photo contest. For example, you can suggest that customers post photos (with creative captions) surrounding a certain theme or place you visit on your tour. The added element of competition can inspire visually interesting shots and clever descriptions, too.Quick tip: Contests can be done daily, weekly, monthly, or whenever you wish.

Analyze this

After mastering Instagram, a great way to monitor your followers, interactions, and overall activity is by signing up for services such as iconosquare. This site provides analytics and even specific tips, such as the optimal time of day to post. (The program offers a free trial for new customers).Quick tip: There are many services like these, so check out your options before choosing one.

Looking for more easy tips on how to use social media to attract new customers?

Check out our blog, How To Create a Strong Social Media Presence.

There's stiff competition for attention in the tour and activity industry. Customers have far more options than time, so to thrive your company needs to provide a customer experience that inspires repeat visits and positive reviews.Customer experience includes the actual activity, but it’s more than just the hour or two they spend with you. The experience begins the first time the customer encounters your company and continues well after they've gone home.Great customer experience involves providing flexibility, increasing options, and removing obstacles. Here are a few examples of how online booking software can help improve the customer experience at every stage:

1. Customers Can Book on Their Terms

Some business owners still make customers book on the company’s terms. “You must call two weeks in advance between the hours of 10am and 2pm.” “You can only book in person.” “You have to send an email.”With online booking software, the customer is in charge of the experience. They can book online, over the phone, or in person. Booking can be on the day of the activity or weeks in advance. But don't think that means your schedule becomes a free-for-all—admins can set parameters for how soon before an activity a booking can take place and how far out your activities are available.

2. It’s Easy to See the Schedule

Online booking software takes the guesswork out of scheduling for customers. The software can show, in real time, what appointments and equipment are available. Instead of calling the business, or going back-and-forth via email, customers can see their options and pick the perfect time. The process is transparent, simple and removes a massive obstacle.

Online booking software shows real time availability so customers can see their options and pick the perfect time

3. Flexible Payment Methods

The days of the “CASH ONLY” sign are numbered. Imagine your customer’s relief at not being confronted with an astronomical ATM fee just to do business with you. Or how delighted they'll be to arrive with the booking already paid, ready to embark on the activity.With the right booking software, customers can pay ahead online, with a card at the moment of sale or even in cash if they really want to. The more flexibility you offer, the better the customer experience.

4. Reminder Emails Keep Enthusiasm Up

Comprehensive online booking software includes the ability to automate emails before and after the activity. Customers receive a thoughtful reminder of their upcoming trip, with some tips for what to expect and what to bring. These emails keep the customer excited for the activity, set expectations and improve their in-person experience.

5. Customers Can Make Changes

The same flexibility the software brings to booking and payment extends to last-minute changes on the day of activity. If the customer wants to add a person to their party or reschedule, they may be able to handle the change themselves through the software. But even if they need to speak with you directly, you'll immediately know whether you can accommodate the change, so customers won’t have to wait while you flip through printed (or handwritten) pages or squint at spreadsheets.

6. Follow-up Emails Continue the Positive Experience

Like the reminder email, follow-up emails can be automatically generated and sent after the activity. These emails give you an opportunity to thank the customer, ask for reviews and offer a discount on their next booking. This level of attention makes the customer feel appreciated and assures them that you value both their business and their feedback.You're in the business of helping people have a good time. The right online booking software support that mission from the moment a customer decides to book with you to the moment they become a repeat visitor, and that's a win for you both.