How to market your garden Tips and Tricks

Sophie Barker

Business Development Advisor

Enterprise Dunedin

How can I attract visitors to my garden?

• Understand the visitor

• Compelling reason to visit

- and to keep coming back

- and to tell all their friends about you

• Get the word out – marketing plan

• Work with your RTO & i-SITE

• Get on the net

• Clustering with like-minded businesses

The 4 Ps of Marketing

Product

Price

Place

?Promotion

International visitors – Gardens = #5

Who is the garden visitor?

What do your garden visitors look like?

Are your target markets?:

Families on holiday with children

Overseas visitors

Families from the local community (high return visits)

Special groups or tours – VIPs, Conferences, Weddings…

Retired individuals coming to your site by bus (coach tours)

General tourists/Cruise coming to your site by coach tour

School groups

Visitors with special hobbies or interests (wildlife watching,

garden lovers, visiting historic homes, etc.

Who is your target Market?

What do they want to do?

• Visit gardens

• Buy Plants

• Be inspired

• Learn

• Meet keen gardeners

• Have fun

• Be entertained

• Tick off a bucket list

• Escape

• Eat

• Sleep

Understanding your market mix Helps you to identify:

Who to market to Where to market What sort of media they like What photos to use How to find them Why they like to visit What motivates them

Our one sentence “Key Selling Message” is ...................................

LEARNING Upon reading our marketing material the majority of visitors will: e.g. be able to find us 1... 2... 3...

EMOTIONAL Visitors will feel: e.g. I’m excited, I can’t miss this 1. -“...” 2. -“...” 3. -“...”

BEHAVIOURAL Key Objectives . Visitors will: e.g. visit, buy, share, eat. 1. . 2. . 3. .

Marketing objectives

Put yourself in the customers shoes – what makes you want to visit a garden?

How do I stand out in the crowd?

The Brainstorm

The elevator pitch

What’s my garden’s unique selling proposition?

Visit my garden because I have the only... the best....

Examples…

First impressions Can you tell within 5-10 seconds for these brochures Subject? Market Group? Offers? Attention? Is it interesting? Benefits?

What catches your eye?

Ten Top Tips 1. Define your ‘product’ and market 2. Visit your RTO/EDA – free advice 3. One sentence ‘elevator pitch’ 4. Understand the travel industry distribution system

and commission structure 5. Marketing plan – write down your goals 6. Get your brochure/ web presence sorted 7. Invest in stunning, quality photos 8. Use PR, write stories, host media 9. Get on the net – Tourism New Zealand, Trip Advisor,

NZGT, Garden sites, social media – interact 10.Make a database, email newsletters, events, return

offers

$$

Tourism Bodies In NZ

Dunedin Railway Station

RTO =

Regional Tourism Organisation

Currently 30 RTO’s in New Zealand Working in partnership with Tourism New Zealand

RTOs are responsible for destination marketing - the promotion of their regions to potential domestic and international visitors

National association tasked with advocacy of the RTO sector and the important role it plays in the New Zealand tourism landscape

Talking with an RTO/Tourism NZ:

3-5 minute ‘elevator talk’

1. Use your one sentence pitch! 2. Describe your garden using images or what is new

this year 3. How long does it take to experience your product/ What are the benefits to the visitor? 4. How many people can visit? e.g. 2 groups x 20 pax in 3 hours 5. Do you package with other operators ? 6. Provide commissionable price 7. Have great quality photos to share 8. Information about accessibility 9. Ensure you are on the TNZ/RTO website. 10. Have your brochure in the local i-SITE

Social Media; Easy Online Tips

• Jump in!

• Tell stories

• Share posts

• Plan content

• Get involved

• Be an expert

•71% of users access social media from a mobile device.

Working together - alliances

• Cluster

• Likeminded and complimentary businesses

• National (NZGT) Local (area)

• Combine resources – market together

NZGT – How we can help ‘Growing excellence for garden visiting’ • Develop a database and website of gardens endorsed by the

RNZIH • Regular garden assessment to offer visitors the opportunity to

visit gardens of a guaranteed quality. • Promote and encourage networking opportunities for trust garden

owners to enhance local and regional promotional opportunities. • Provide regular communication to members about trust activities,

industry news and garden features. • Develop effective relationships with key tourism organisations

both national and regional that raise the garden visiting profile • Create a strong brand presence through consistent use of the

brand in targeted marketing initiatives via web, social media, print (both NZGT and member managed), branded goods and editorial communications.

• Support RNZIH initiatives where they align with the NZGT member interests

What’s your brand – crafting your garden story

Getting free publicity; working with media