How to Maximize the Occupancy of Your RV Park
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RV park owners make a decent initial investment in their venture. However, running a fully operational RV park also means ongoing operating expenses. Hence, sales and marketing efforts to maximize the park’s occupancy rate are on every RV park owner’s list.
Post-pandemic, RV owners travel more often and don't mind bringing their entire family along, including pets. If you are an RV park owner, you can make the most out of your business with a little extra effort.
One of the most effective ways to guarantee that your park is consistently occupied is to offer reasonable rates that are competitive with other parks. Offering seasonal discounts to attract guests in slow periods is also beneficial.
In addition, improving amenities in your park also plays a crucial role in attracting more visitors. Some basic amenities include playgrounds, swimming pools, Wi-Fi, onsite laundry facilities, easy parking, and convenience stores or markets.
Turning your RV park into a pet-friendly vacation spot is also a great idea because pet-friendly parks will likely attract more guests. Be sure to highlight your park's pet policy on your website.
Above all, your RV park must be easily visible to your audience. Employing various marketing techniques, such as social media, email marketing campaigns, and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, can help you maximize your investment.
Let’s dig deeper.
Make a Strong First Impression
You may have only 10 to 20 seconds to impress online visitors checking out your RV park and its amenities before they go to the next listing on a booking platform.
If you succeed in leaving a great first impression on these visitors, they will likely try out your park at least once. Hence, the easiest and most effective way to increase the occupancy rate of your RV park is to post a detailed list of all facilities and amenities your park offers. Also, don't forget to post high-resolution pictures of the most attractive areas of your campground.
However, ensure this information is updated and that your RV park has all the amenities and facilities you advertise.
Upgrade Services
Travel trends reveal that RV parks that invest in upgraded amenities can boost their revenues and receive higher ratings. Ensure your park offers top-notch services to make your guests comfortable and secure.
Popular services and amenities include a business center, cable or satellite media access, and strong Wi-Fi.
Create Mailing Lists
Develop mailing lists of your top weekend guests and stay in touch with them by sending out monthly newsletters. Customized and personalized emails can include information on special deals and midweek promotions. Let these guests know that midweek is the ideal time to visit your RV Park since it’s less crowded. Offer them special discounts to guarantee more bookings throughout the week.
In addition, make sure you print business cards and flyers to place them in strategic locations like restaurants, public spaces, and libraries.
Special Deals and Packages
Occasionally, brainstorm promotions that will be too tempting for clients to refuse. However, the key is not devising packages that deeply affect profitability.
For instance, if your RV park provides extra amenities like laundry facilities, playgrounds, boat rentals, mini-golf or other leisure activities, bundle them with lodging to offer an attractive offer. Offering discounts on cabins, yurts, and park model homes can also be excellent incentives.
Allocate an Advertising Budget
As a campground owner, you must spend money on advertising to increase your park's occupancy rate. Promoting your campground on local, regional, and national print media, radio, and television are old-school promotional methods that still work.
Place your flyers and banners in key locations near your RV park. Organizing roadshows in your community or sponsor local events to raise awareness of your campground. But that’s not enough. Leverage the internet to promote your RV parks on social media. Popular platforms include Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Social media allows you to turn your business into an active competitor in the market. The platforms open both indirect and direct lines of communication with your followers. Use social media accounts to discuss, collect feedback, and network with key stakeholders. As the level of engagement on your social media accounts increases, your RV park will have more exposure and better chances of attracting potential guests.
Collaborate with Influential Stakeholders
Another effective strategy to maximize your RV park’s occupancy rate is partnering with key industry influencers. For example, you can partner with social media influencers who are passionate RV camping enthusiasts. Other stakeholders include tour operating companies.
Tour operators plan and execute holiday tours and monitor trends in the vacation rental industry, and can help you design attractive packages for potential guests. You can decide the percentage they will get for each client who comes from a referral.
Create a Loyalty Plan
Set up a loyalty plan if you want to increase the occupancy rate of your RV park. A loyalty program allows you to reward your most loyal members. In addition, people who benefit from your loyalty program can spread the word about your RV park.
For example, guests can earn points based on the total dollars spent. RV owners can make a specified number of points to upgrade their status, as defined by each loyalty level. As a result, your guests can enjoy unique benefits, and you can attract more repeat customers.
Use an Effective CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Software
Communicating with potential customers becomes easy when you have a customized CRM system. With this system, you can introduce new products, conduct quick surveys, and send customized emails to your existing customers. Above all, you can quickly receive feedback or complaints from your guests.
Conclusion
Now you know how to increase your RV park’s occupancy rate. Let’s quickly recap the strategies we listed above:
- Upgrading your RV park amenities
- Offering incentives or discounts
- Forming important partnerships
- Creating a loyalty program
However, it's crucial to remember that an RV park's longterm success depends on its capacity to adjust to changing consumer needs and technologies.