(1:03) This Marina Minute was inspired by an article I read in Entrepreneur by Jeff A. Lamb about how to create marketing buzz on a shoestring budget. It touches on topics I have addressed before but ones I feel can never be discussed too often. Plus I liked the way the ideas were described.(0:58) He states, "Determine when your customers want your product. This is critical and easy to mess up. Nobody wants a product all of the time. Throughout the day, consumers' desires change. Personally, I don't want food when I'm not hungry. I don't want to sleep when I'm not tired. I don't want to replace my car when mine is working just fine. When I'm searching for cheap flights to France, I am not particularly interested in buying a French press."
(0:47) So the question is where are boaters and what are they doing when they are most likely making their decisions about where to stay? Unless you have been on a deserted island for the past 5 or 10 years, you know that word of mouth has become more important than ever. Consumers use the internet to seek out the real unvarnished and uncensored opinions of others. The impact of this powerful marketing tool has increased exponentially making customer reviews critical. It is how their decisions are made.
(0:34) Boaters will seek out reviews when they are in that decision mode. Make sure you have been cultivating reviews so that you have not only a high star rating but a high volume of reviews. After all, which restaurant would look more appealing on Urban Spoon: a 5 star restaurant with 3 reviews or a 5 star restaurant with 100 reviews?
(0:26) Mr. Lamb goes on to write, "Be at the right place, at the right time. So how do you get there when consumers want your product or service? All other moments and ways of getting to them will never compare to marketing that finds its way to this magic instant in time."
(0:18) The old way of marketing where you plaster your message everywhere in hopes of being remembered doesn't apply today. There is far too much information out there and it is way too easy for consumers to turn you off. The key is having relevant content presented when the boater is exploring charts, planning routes, and even underway. These are the moments when decisions are made.
(0:08) Remember, your promotional messages are displayed in every marine navigation application that supports ActiveCaptain data. Use them to tell boaters why your marina is the best choice for them.
(0:02) And that's the marina minute.
