Relationships matter—especially when your company expands into a new market. When taking that first bold step into uncharted territory, it's essential to create a great first impression to help grow your business. By establishing strong relationships from the start, companies can attract new customers, build solid partnerships and promote themselves professionally.Here are ways that tour and activity businesses can embrace a new venture with enthusiasm and make a big splash within the community:

Get an insider's view via the local visitors bureau

When expanding into a new market, a visit the tourism office and/or the CVB (Convention and Visitors Bureau) should be one of your first stops. That way you can begin to build a mutually beneficial relationship with people who fully understand the area. By leveraging the existing knowledge and know-how of this very experienced and well-connected team, you'll gain a treasure trove of advice, such as optimal ways of attracting both tourists and locals. You can work together to create special discounts and events, and they can introduce you to other local businesses for rewarding cross-promotional opportunities.

Connect with the media and blogger community

Early on, it's a smart choice to schedule a special “media day" and invite local journalists, bloggers and social media influencers to participate in one of your activities at a complimentary or low rate. Then, encourage them to tweet, post or snap the fun. This will generate online excitement about your business while increasing your local reach through first-hand endorsements from well-respected individuals. You can also offer freebies, give-away items, and special coupons for them to pass along to their readers and followers.

Embrace the community

It's a win-win when businesses get involved with local events and charitable organizations. Community relations and philanthropic efforts can also result in increased exposure, as tour and activity companies can foster positive relationships with schools, churches, small businesses and local groups. It's also important to identify a few non-profits and charitable causes that mesh well with your company's sensibilities and vision. For example, your new city may have annual 5K runs, Earth Day celebrations, or perhaps a “pet adoption day" where you can donate your services or offer special discounts to participants.

Hotels and resorts: Gateways to your future customers

A natural match that can be overlooked by many tour and activity companies is working with hotels to increase sales and attract new customers. In addition to establishing strong ties with on-site concierges, it's wise to meet with the sales and marketing team as well, as they can help create packages and programs for guests that include your tour offerings. And be creative—hotels are always seeking to promote and advertise new activities for potential guests.

Social media marketing: More than a hashtag

Every tour you conduct in a new market has the potential to attract new customers as well as return customers. In addition to promoting your usual social media channels, keep the momentum going online by creating hashtags that reflect the theme of your activity and your new market by name. For example, if your company specializes in food tours, you can create a hashtag like: #PhillyFoodieTour2016. More specific hashtags can capture a particular day or event, such as #SaturdayBeerTrailPDX or #NYCGhostTour2016. This encourages existing customers to get involved via social media, attracts tourists visiting the area and can provide you with a record of that day's online and mobile interactions.

Every tour you conduct in a new market has the potential to attract new customers as well as return customers

Make mobile booking easy

Many people search on their phones for last-minute things. In fact, Google even confirmed that more searches now happen on mobile devices over desktop. Optimizing for mobile search can help people find you (for ideas check out our blog on how to make your site mobile-friendly).But don't stop there! Besides searching for things to do, people want to book on mobile too. Make sure it's easy for them to make a reservation via their smartphone by using an online booking system that is optimized for mobile. Check out Peek Pro to see how you can easily increase your bookings through an easy-to-use mobile checkout flow.

Not every customer wants to pay a premium for a tour or activity. Many are simply looking for the best bang for their buck. And at select times—either during the off season or slow weekdays—you're more than willing to offer discounts. To market these deals to those budget-conscious travelers, you may likely throw it up on a daily deal site. But that may not be the best idea.Why not? Well, according to Boston University researchers, daily deal sites can lead to negative online reviews. In other words: Listing your offerings there can do more harm than good. So what's a tour and activity operator to do? That's "easy"—define and implement a marketing and advertising strategy that attracts budget-conscious travelers while maintaining a positive reputation among all customers. That will help you reach this lucrative market without compromising the value of your offerings or jeopardizing your brand.Here are some of the most impactful ways to do just that:

Run Your Own Deals on Social Media

Make your social media accounts, such as Facebook and Twitter, the only source for securing a great deal or discount from your company. You can run limited-time-only offers, seasonal specials or discounts on packages throughout the month or season. Create a sense of urgency by emphasizing that these deals are only available for a short time. Create custom banner ads and posts promoting these special offerings. These can include such things as a photo with colorful text attached to it or something as simple as a "Sale" stock image with details about the offer.Tip: You don't need to be a master of graphic design to create graphics for your social media channels. There are many free tools that can help you easily create all of your social media graphics. A few of our favorites are Canva, available both on desktop and mobile, and Landscape by Sprout Social.And if your discounted offer depends on a promo code, make sure to share it. If you're looking for places to post them beyond your own social media accounts, check out this blog post on where to distribute promo codes.

Cater to Budget Seekers with Localized Blog Posts

If your company maintains a blog, publish a series of posts centered around topics of interest to budget travelers. Ideas on free and low-cost things to do in the area (including a brief mention of any specials and packages your company is offering), tips on saving on gear purchases and ideas for planning a budget vacation to your destination are a few ideas. These posts can be a great way to generate interest in your blog and you can drop the link on social media sites to further promote them.By sharing valuable knowledge about your local area, the posts can pique the interest of a budget seeker without going to the extreme of drastically reducing your prices. These types of posts appeal to a wider audience and can position you as an authority on frugal activities or experiences—without positioning you as a cheap destination—as your readership grows.

Sharing valuable knowledge about your local area can get the interest of a budget seeker, without having to lower your prices

Focus on Value over Price

Whether you offer upgrades on certain booking options, 2-for-1 ticket specials during certain times of the year or seasonal specials, make sure to emphasize the value of your offerings over their price. Focusing less on the what the customer is paying and more on the experience can send the message of a positive experience at a reasonable cost versus positioning your experience as a cheap way to have fun.For example, a rainforest tour operator who offers package upgrades can focus on the value of adding a photo package or bringing a friend for a discount instead of promoting the actual price of each add-on.

The Bottom Line

When you want to target budget travelers for the off-season, use an approach that doesn't risk damaging your online reputation. Being strategic will make your offerings more attractive, whether to locals looking for something to do or travelers who need to pinch some pennies.

As a business owner, the last thing on your mind might be how to use the local media to increase your tour and activity bookings. But it shouldn't be. As a tour and activity operator, you can increase your media influence—and thereby, your bookings—with a few strategic PR (public relations) tactics.Put your company center stage with these simple tips:

What's new? Be a trendsetter and stay newsworthy

Journalists and bloggers are always seeking new, compelling story ideas. When your business is a “new kid on the block," you may be newsworthy, but as time passes, you'll have to do more to attract media attention.As someone who's already close to the tour or activity market, you're naturally on the frontline of hot tourism trends that are worthy of coverage, such as an increase in multi-generational travel or changes in how travelers use technology. By making the media aware of these stories, you can position yourself as an industry “expert."

Create relationships with local media

In the tourism world, it's essential to build on-going relationships with the local media from reporters (TV, print, and radio) to bloggers to social media influencers. Be sure to connect, follow and engage with these trendsetters on social media channels by commenting on their articles—ideally before you ask them to write about your business.If you do reach out to journalists with information, keep your message short and sweet, and be aware of deadlines. If the news is time-sensitive, try to give them a head start. And if a journalist accepts complimentary services (some won't due to ethical concerns), you can invite them to check out your tour or event first-hand so they can share the experience with their colleagues and possibly with their audience.

Build on-going relationships with local media reporters and social media influencers

Show off your knowledge: Be a speaker!

Your local community most likely hosts a multitude of events throughout the year. Volunteering to speak, hosting a discussion or joining a panel will automatically position you in a favorable light as a subject matter expert. If possible, record your speech so you can share it online and use it for marketing your services. Keep in mind that in exchange for speaking, participants are frequently offered the opportunity to “promote" or “plug" their own business.Opportunities like these also give you the chance to interact with other area businesses and organically meet media members, who may be seeking quotes or sources for future tourism stories. For example; Nate Martin, Co-Founder and CEO of Puzzle Break, shares his extensive escape room knowledge with others by blogging and presenting at industry conferences.

Be prepared! Create a professional press kit

Most tour operators understand the importance of a professional, aesthetically-pleasing website to attract customers, but journalists and bloggers often need more robust information than what's normally on a company site. Be prepared for media inquiries by developing a press kit in advance.At the minimum, your press kit should contain: a one-page document with your company's intriguing “background story"; bios of the key players in your organization; and a one-page fact sheet that lists important bullet points about your company (like tours offered, pricing information, etc.). A few fun facts are always a bonus (and often lead to interesting local stories). A link to professional photos, as well as emails and social media handles, should also be front and center.For example; Trapped OKC shares on their about page why they started Trapped and bios of the founders, Michelle and Matt.

Utilize free PR tools.

Even if you don't have the budget to hire a PR professional, you can use a few free online PR tools that will help you directly connect with media outlets. One favorite is HARO (“Help a Reporter Out" ) that allows you to sign up for alerts that assist reporters to quickly connect with sources. Another valuable tool used by many businesses and individuals is Google Alerts, which enables you to set up a multitude of email notices based on keywords of your choosing. In addition, LinkedIn can help you connect with local media members directly, as contact information such as email address and phone numbers are easily available.By using any of these tactics, you can increase bookings by making your presence known in the media.

As a tour and activity operator, utilizing an online booking solution is mission-critical to running your business smoothly. With more than 57% of travelers booking online, you could be missing out on easy revenue and customer growth. However, picking an online booking software that not only works for your business, but also partners with you to help your business grow, is not always as easy as it sounds.

To help you in your decision, we’ve created this simple online booking software checklist:

1. How stable is the company?

Ensuring the company has the strength and capital to be your long-term partner is critical in your decision. Find out who has invested in the company and how much capital has been raised. See if their investors are key influencers in the industry, backed with years of expertise and relationships that can help your business. Ask whether they are profitable, and if they have the cash to invest in growing their team and product.TIP: If the investors have made an ongoing investment in the company to support its continued growth, that’s a strong signal the company has what it takes to be a long-term partner for you.

2. How experienced is the management team and board?

Evaluate the backgrounds of the leadership team and board of directors. Make sure they have the experience needed to help your business succeed.TIP: Look at the LinkedIn profiles of the company’s leadership team. When the founders have invested years into the company, it’s an indication they’re in it for the long haul. Plus, if members of the leadership team have strong career paths at successful companies, these are the types of people who can likely help your business grow and succeed.

3. Is the company investing in continually improving its product and services?

Ask about their level of investment in product development, along with examples of important products the company has released recently. When companies continually add product updates and features, this is a strong signal: Not only are they investing in their product, they’re listening and responding to their customers’ needs.

4. Who is on their team? Is the company growing?

Ask how many employees they have in product and engineering. Also, inquire about the ratio of salespeople to product and engineers. When a company's employee base is product- and engineer-focused, it validates that they are investing in the product.

5. What do their employees say about working there?

Take a look at the company’s culture: Many companies share a behind-the-scenes view on their social media channels.

Now that you have evaluated the company’s stability and experience, it’s time to dig into the product itself:

6. Is the online booking software easy to use?

If a product is difficult or non-intuitive for your employees and customers to navigate, it will never work for your business. That’s why ease of use is top on many businesses’ priority list when selecting a new online booking solution.TIP: Think about how your business runs its day-to-day operations. Look for a system that has a centralized, easy-to-use calendar to keep your business organized. Also, keep in mind how easy it is to onboard new staff.

7. Is the product customizable to fit the needs of your business?

Tours and activities come in all forms. Look for a system that can be customized according to your business’ needs. For example, if you are a bicycle rental company, can the system handle multiple bike rental times and equipment add-ons, such as helmets?

Look for a system that can be customized to your business' needs

8. How will the booking functionality help increase your sales?

Today’s customers book their activities in a variety of ways. For example, some like to pre-book far in advance, while others might book via their mobile phone while traveling. If your system won’t let them book how, when, and where they want to, you are at risk of losing the sale.TIP: Look for software that allows bookings online via your website, your social media channels, and even through a mobile app.

9. How strong is the company’s mobile offering?

Look for a system that has both iOS and Android mobile apps that let you and your staff manage all bookings, reservations and communications via smartphone. Most companies only offer a mobile-responsive or mobile-friendly design, which aren’t optimized for running your business on the go.

10. Does the online booking solution offer customer support and account management?

Just because an online booking system is, well, online, doesn’t mean it has to be online only.TIP: Look for a solution that has a dedicated customer support and account management team to partner with your business in order to help you succeed.

11. Does the business provide additional support with marketing and selling your tours and activities?

Look for an online booking solution that can be your marketing partner. For example, Peek has an OTA marketplace, peek.com to help increase your bookings.

12. How does the software handle customer and staff communication?

Communication is key, but it can take hours to do. By picking a system that automates most communication, you can spend less time in the office and more time doing what you love.TIP: Look for a system that sends emails to your customers both pre- and post-activity. This allows you to identify any additional information needed, confirm the customer’s purchase and ask them for reviews.Don’t forget about guide communication. Look for an online booking software that can help you manage your staff by texting and/or emailing them as needed.

13. What price is right for your business?

Everyone cares about cost, and striking the right balance of affordability and quality is important. You’ll want a system that fits your budget and provides the right functionality—both now, and as your business expands.

14. What are the total costs?

Read the details and do the math on the fees, including all-in credit card fees and monthly fees. Evaluate savings from lower credit card fees, and compare vs. other fees that may be included. Many companies will say they are “free”, but in fact, they pass on the higher fees to your customers instead. Others may have limitations on the number of bookings per month that you can process. Gain a clear understanding of these pricing policies.

15. How should you compare the credit card fees?

Examine the credit card fees in detail. Many banks will charge 2.5-3.5% per transaction. Even if you use Square, they will charge 2.75%. Alternatively, using an online booking software that acts as your processor can drastically reduce credit card fees by as low as 1.99%.

Evaluating online booking solutions? See how Peek Pro can help streamline business operations and grow bookings.

Remember when you were a kid, and your parents always told you to use "the magic words"? You know, please and thank you? Well, as it just so happens, the same rule applies well for businesses too, especially in emails.That's based on statistics from Remarkety, which show that "Thank You" emails can produce repeat customers. So if you're not following up with your customer after their visit, you may be missing out on a golden opportunity to sell a tour or package, or have the customer refer you to a friend.Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing that magic "Thank You" email:

Add Some Value

In addition to simply saying "thank you" to a customer for their patronage, use the follow-up email to take the relationship one step further by adding some extra incentives or a call-to-action. These can include:

Discount for a Future Booking.

Offer a discount on a future tour or activity, or give them an offer code they can redeem any time for a future booking. Setting a time-frame can be helpful during slower seasons when you want to generate more bookings to fill open slots quickly.

Refer a Friend Request.

Make the assumption that the customer enjoyed the experience and would be happy to refer a friend. Give them a prompt by offering a referral bonus for sending customers your way. You can ask customers who referred them during the booking process so you can send the referring customer a gift or token of your appreciation, such as a special offer, discount on a booking, or a souvenir.

Request for a Review or Testimonial.

Make it easy for the customer to write a review on your Google business page by linking to the page directly within the email. You could also recommend other sites you are listed on to encourage the customer to follow the link and post a review.See Also: 7 Simple Ways to Ask Customers for Reviews Without Annoying Them

Craft a Compelling Subject Line

Statistics show that 35% of email recipients open an email based on the subject line alone. This means you need to be as creative as possible with your subject lines or risk being deleted — or worse, being marked as spam, since 69% of email recipients report email as spam based only on the subject line.When you're sending a thank you email to a customer, you want to make sure the message is clear and includes a mention of a discount or other freebie you are sharing in the email — the incentive to click and read. Digital Marketer reports the top performing subject lines are centered on self-interest (what the recipient will get for opening an email, such as a free gift or a discount); curiosity (teasing the recipient to have them wonder what's inside); or an offer (details about a giveaway, free gift, or any other freebie).

Be as creative as possible when writing subject lines to increase your email open rates

Close Out Strong

Be personal and bold to close the email with the company owner's name and a digital signature. Anything you can do to personalize the message will help the recipient remember your email, and possibly, follow the directions you have provided. Including a photo of your venue or embedding a YouTube video can also make your email stand apart from the rest.

Add Additional Links

Make sure to link to your website and include URLs of any social media profiles. This opens up multiple avenues for your email recipient to contact you and engage with your company. It's a simple but effective way to generate new fans and followers across social media.

The Bottom Line

It's important to follow up and thank customers by email, as it can lead to increased future bookings. With so much business at stake, it's important to have a well-thought-out thank you email, especially one that either provides an incentive or a firm call-to-action.

Having an immaculately designed website is all well and good. But if no one knows your business exists, it's sort of like planting a tree in a forest—you'll be quickly drowned out by your surroundings. So what's the secret to standing tall and getting noticed in the forest that is the Internet? social media.

• 46% of web users turn to social media when making a purchase.
• 8 out of 10 small businesses use social media to drive business growth.

Tour and activity operators who are sharing photos, videos, and updates across today's widely-used social networks and taking the time to nurture their online presence could capture the lion's share of online attention.Here are some of the most impactful ways to create a strong social media presence for your tour or activities company.

Be Creative with Facebook Updates

Facebook is one of the simplest social media platforms for small business owners. But the key to building a successful Facebook page is to provide content that increases engagement with your brand. You want Facebook users to leave a comment, share the post, or click through to your website to complete a booking. A lot of that has to do with timing. According to Hubspot, the best time to post on Facebook is on weekends between noon and 1 p.m., on Wednesdays between 3p.m. and 4 p.m., and on Thursdays and Fridays between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.Find out the best times to post on your business's Facebook page by looking at its insights, on the "Posts" tab.It also matters what you post. Instead of just sharing news or updates in text form, get creative with your Facebook marketing strategy by incorporating short videos as status updates, sharing albums of recent events and activities at your location, and by posting high-quality images regularly. The experts at Convince & Convert reveal that multiple photo posts increased click by 1,290% in a Facebook case study and using photo albums to share these photos—not just uploading single photos—increased reach by 5.1 times.For example, take a look at what 9/11 Tribute Center is doing. They have a very high user engagement on their page thanks to frequent video updates, user tags using relevant hashtags, and a variety of interesting photos—including albums.

Stay Active on Instagram

You might as well not use Instagram if you're posting dull, blurry images. But you don't have to be a professional photographer to make the most of this photo-centric platform: Make filters your best friend. Buffer reveals the Mayfair filter brings in the most interactions.For a real life example, check out @TheRideNYC on Instagram. They share a variety of images and videos that really showcases the experience of being on THE RIDE. They even re-gram photos and videos from their customersBut it's not enough to simply post photos every now and again. Drive engagement by using hashtags of relevant keywords — #travel, #[your city], #travelideas, #vacation, etc. — so that Instagram users who are not following you can find you when searching for these types of photos using Instagram's search feature.

Drive engagement on Instagram by using hashtags of relevant keywords

Update Information on Local Listings Sites

Several online listings and local review sites give business owners permission to update their public listings with a detailed description about the business, business hours, contact info, a website link, and even photos. Do an online keyword search for your business to see what shows up and what local listing pages look like.You can 'claim' your page with Google My Business to provide a description and other details you want to share with a prospective customer who stumbles across your listing during an online search. The Signpost Local Marketing Blog points out 35% of consumers use Google as their first choice for online business searches, so claiming your business page is an easy way to increase your online visibility. Make sure to include all cities you serve, a working link to your website or a booking page, and high-quality photos so that potential customers can identify you.Check out Wild Thyme Cooking for a real like example. They have updated their Google My Business to include a variety of photos, from site location details to their customers having fun cooking up a storm.

The Bottom Line

Maintaining an active social media presence offers many benefits to tour and activity operators in a world of ever-increasing internet usage. Use these tips to share, like and tweet your way towards a strong online presence.