The Wisconsin Association of Campground Owners focused on providing legislative updates during the second day of its conference in Stevens Point, Wis., on Thursday (March 13).
The association welcomed a variety of state officials to its annual event to help park owners better understand the legislative issues that are impacting their parks. State officials also hosted several educational sessions in an effort to answer questions and listen to concerns from park owners.
Other educational sessions tackled a variety of issues, from marketing to legal topics and more.
Kristine Valk, vice president and director of training for Merchants Bank, and a popular speaker at WACO’s annual conference, hosted several sessions on Thursday, including one that focused on turning current campers into promoters. The idea being that current campers can be utilized as influencers to attract more people to a park.
She kicked off the session by asking if current park owners had a “Fan Page” on their websites. A Fan Page is a space dedicated to highlighting all of the positive things current campers are saying about a park. Through reviews, pictures, social media highlights and more, these pages help prospective campers better understand what a park has to offer and what other campers have experienced during their stay at a particular park.
“This is something that you get to control and it is a great way of showing other prospective campers all of the fun that people are having at your park,” Valk noted.
One session attendee noted that they also produce a blog which helps to engage with campers.
Valk said that utilizing current campers as influencers is a very cost-effective way of marketing. It offers something that other campers can relate to because they see their peers enjoying their time at your park.
It starts by identifying the right people to help promote your park, including people who currently camp at your park, people in the demographic you are looking to highlight, campers who are active in doing things at the park and campers who are active on the park’s social media page or who are actively posting about staying at the park.
Valk highlighted that park owners can even actively post and search for influencers by describing what they are looking for and what the expectations are. A rewards program may also be utilized to encourage campers to become influencers and help promote the park. Rewards programs may include a certain percentage off a stay for a successful referral, certain perks at the park, discounts and more.
Some basic rules for influencers may include the number of posts they are expected to share on a monthly basis, tagging requirements…etc. Valk noted it is also important to track the results.
“This way influencers are confident that they are getting compensated for the work they are doing and you know how this program is impacting your park,” she said.
Valk also spoke about the importance of building long-term relationships with influencers and how guest reviews and employee performance can play into this as well.
Today, WACO is set to open its trade show, which features over 150 vendors. The tradeshow extends into Saturday as well.
The conference wraps up on Sunday morning.
To learn more about the event, click here.
App My Community has also developed a conference app, click here to download it.
