We have recently launched a new website for VA Clare Valley, primarily a boutique wine business producing international quality wine, as well as olives, olive oil, red wine vinegar and honey.

Wineries are in a class of their own when it comes to marketing. They’re an attraction and a store, and often a restaurant and accommodation provider too.

VA Clare Valley’s focus is on selling produce, and the site has two objectives:

1. to attract potential visitors to South Australia’s Clare Valley wine region and encourage them to visit the cellar door, and
2. to enable produce to be sold online.

Our keyword analysis told us the words and phrases potential visitors and customers are keying in, and this guided us in structuring the site content.

Searchers are likely to find the site through destination searches on Clare Valley, and product-related searches. Google Analytics will enable VA Clare Valley to monitor this and adapt their content accordingly.

Many of the destination visitors are likely to be self-drivers, so the Getting Here section, with clear maps, is vital for conversion.

The Cellar Door & Shop enables VA Clare Valley to take orders online using PayPal, which takes a commission on sales of between 3.5 and 4%.

This article explains the benefits of using PayPal to sell online, and how to set this up yourself.

Above all, the site has engaging content likely to appeal to its prospective audience and convert them into paying customers - whether online or face-to-face.

US tourism marketing consultant, Tim Warren, is inviting adventure travel professionals to submit contributions for a new book: 33 Adventures Every Entrepreneur Must Do Before You Die.

You can find out more at this link, but here’s the essence of what he’s looking for:

We seek short compelling stories, exciting tales or insightful anecdotes (100 - 400 words) from your guest or your own stories about a guest/visitor experience you feel represent how your trips “Enhance Quality of Life”.

If you have submitted an entry to the OM4Tourism Hidden Jewel Awards, you will already have these stories at your fingertips.

There’s no catch to the submission, and if you get noticed, you’ll get the benefit of distribution to a wide network of interested readers via Tim’s online marketing and media publicity channels.

For small operators in particular, knowing your market is at the root of business success. It means that not only can you offer exactly what they’re looking for, but you can reach them and communicate with them effectively.

The Rainbow Connection is a useful example of a business that has a clearly defined market, and uses that knowledge to build business.

As the first and only gay and lesbian designated accommodation in Central Australia, the business is ideally positioned to corner a growing and lucrative market segment. Around 80 per cent of guests come from overseas.

“Our guests are looking for stylish, soft adventure experiences and iconic visitation,” said The Rainbow Connection’s Phil Walcott.

“They are aged from early 20s to late 70s, gay or lesbian (including transgender, intersex etc.), cyberspace savvy, professional, with a medium-high level of disposable income.”

Knowing the market well means understanding that a significant proportion of guests will find the accommodation through online search, coming directly to the site or via the major gay and lesbian online associations: GALTA (Gay & Lesbian Tourism Australia) and IGLTA (the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association).

Phil is Regional Director of GALTA for the Northern Territory and finds that ‘bundling’ of product through GALTA is a highly successful strategy. GALTA works hard to support similar businesses around Australia and has a presence at significant events across the country.

Linking to organisations and agencies that target your market is essential, and needs to go beyond listings to proactive packaging and participation in collaborative marketing initiatives.

“We have benefited from forging strong links with mainstream operators locally, domestically and internationally, and with RTAs [regional tourism associations], STOs [state tourism organisations], ITOs [inbound tour operators] and Tourism Australia.”

Phil also seeks out links and listings on other relevant sites and ensures that The Rainbow Connection is marketed through the international gay and lesbian Spartacus Guide.

Getting the word out is only part of the picture though. Once travellers find the site, effort goes into personalised email contact, and The Rainbow Connection keeps in touch with past guests through email, encouraging word of mouth marketing.

This is a market that values personal service and attention to detail, so this kind of follow-through is vital.

Significantly, the marketing strategies that The Rainbow Connection has found most effective don’t involve expensive advertising campaigns. Online marketing is bringing and retaining virtually all their guests, along with a presence at carefully targeted events, and one important international guide listing.

Success comes from a clear knowledge of where their prospects are, how they research travel, and what they are looking for.

When Jane Morgan joined the Cosmos Centre four years ago, she had the task of reaching an international market with no budget.

Her target was self-drive tourists from the UK, Ireland and northern Europe, who often travel during the traditional low season. Now, these visitors, along with New Zealanders, make up 5% of their total visitor numbers and interest is growing. How did she do it?

With a tour ticket price at $20, she knew that wholesalers and ITOs wouldn’t look at the product, so she worked closely with Tourism Queensland (TQ), the Outback Queensland Tourism Authority (OQTA), and Britz Maui’s Make Tracks magazine.

The Cosmos Centre is part of the Queensland Heritage Trails Network, which has its own site, guide book and marketing initiatives.

These strategies, together with online search, are bringing the majority of the Centre’s visitors. Strategically placed brochures in other regional towns - produced as part of their domestic marketing - also help to attract self-drive tourists, including overseas visitors.

Jane’s next step is to get wholesalers and ITOs interested in a new package she is developing.

“Because of our ticket price we are developing a package called Stars, Spas & Station Stays, encouraging visitors to experience our unique outback experiences,” said Jane. “Once these packages are developed, they can be pre-sold and their ticket price will be attractive to international wholesalers and inbound operators.

“We still have no budget, so our main push remains the TQ and OQTA websites and their attendance at international trade shows.”

Another possible option for the Centre is to set up a blog to attract an audience interested in astronomy, both in Australia and overseas.

The third in my series of posts profiling small tourism operators looks at Bright Brewery in Victoria’s High Country.

The brewery uses fresh mountain water, local ingredients and craft brewing techniques to produce a range of beers. As well as being open every day for drinks and meals, and offering tasting tours, the iconic experience is the Brewer for a Day event.

While their key target markets are within Australia, Bright Brewery’s Fiona Reddaway believes this energetic experience is substantial enough to attract overseas visitors in its own right.

“We’re talking with Tourism Victoria about the most suitable markets, and the ways to reach these markets,” she told me.

One vital strategy has been to create packages and full experiences. For example, the Brewery has been working with other microbreweries and local tourism authorities in North East Victoria to create Victoria’s High Country Beer Trail - an initiative that packages the diverse beer experiences of this cluster of microbreweries set in stunning locations.

Bright Brewery’s local packages include accommodation and have been publicised in the print media through North East Victoria Tourism Inc. (NEVTi), which has promoted Brewer for a Day at Bright Brewery as one of the top five High Country experiences.

“We are working with organisations like NEVTi to promote the Brewery Trail as well as Brewer for a Day to international visitors, and to tap into Tourism Victoria programs currently targeting the international market,” said Fiona.

The overseas market for Bright Brewery is interesting - committed beer lovers from Europe, Japan and New Zealand who are predominantly male and in their 30s-50s.

Publicity has helped get the word out and is highly valued by the team, with a segment on Getaway that was aired around the world driving more traffic to the Bright Brewery website. The bulk of bookings for the Brewer for a Day experience have come through email marketing to the Brew Crew subscribers, with some arriving via online search.

The Bright Brewery website works well - it’s easy to see what experiences are available, how to book them, and how to subscribe to the Brew Crew newsletter.

So the core overseas marketing strategies chosen by Bright Brewery are:

• Work with regional and state tourism organisations to glean advice and tap into promotional programs.
• Work collaboratively with other operators to create full experiences and packages.
• Pursue publicity through print and broadcast media.
• Market online to an opt-in email list and funnel site visitors into bookings.

Many tourism operators fall into the trap of thinking they don’t need to be marketing online if the bulk of their clientele are over 50. They continue to focus resources on brochures, direct mail and advertising, believing these are the only ways to reach their prospects.

Yet, according to an eMarketer report, 75% of baby boomers (over 50s) were active online in 2006. This figure is projected to reach 83% by 2011.

More recent Australian statistics tell us that more than 87% of our baby boomers go online at least once a month - a sizable chunk of your market.

And Roy Morgan Research found that 10% of Australian baby boomers booked their holidays entirely online in 2005. This is a significant figure, given that across the board, travellers tend to research online and book offline.

“Baby boomers are diverse, notoriously difficult to pigeonhole and sometimes overlooked by marketers, who are generally more interested in catering to younger and more active consumers,” said Paul Verna, eMarketer Senior Analyst.

Even if you’re not targeting over 50s, you might want to consider whether your product can adapt to this age group, as they are also among the most affluent market segments. Many remain active well into retirement and retain the sense of adventure that infused the 1960s and 70s.

“Boomers wield enormous economic clout and are increasingly turning to online and mobile channels for a wide variety of needs, including e-commerce, financial services, travel, entertainment, health and wellness information, news and user-generated content,” said Verna.

As for the over-60s, who retired before web surfing had the chance to enter their vocabulary, many are nevertheless enjoying the convenience of researching travel without leaving the house.

“Silver surfers - also known as ‘the silent generation’ - are also typically passed over by online marketers,” said Verna.

“Nevertheless, their spending power and growing presence online should serve as a wake-up call to marketers who might have their sights set elsewhere.”

eMarketer puts the percentage of online silver surfers at 35% in 2006, projected to reach 46% by 2011.

This is also a group who responds to personality, expertise and specialist knowledge - something that a blog facility provides in spades - and appreciates the ability to communicate directly with a real person before booking. Again, small operators can offer this online more easily than large ones.