WAIT! THERE IS MORE.... …for a peek inside flash sale campaigns for Mountain Creek and Boyne Resorts, go to saminfo.com/this-issue.
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a really niche product, those channels also allow me to segment down to make sure I’m only paying to show that to folks who are very relevant to the offer. Social doesn’t have the segmentation, but it does have a short shelf life and low cost. So pairing email/SMS with social would probably be where I’d focus.” “We use all available channels: web- site, email marketing, onsite (‘four-wall’) marketing, organic social media, paid social campaigns, and occasionally, dis- play advertising,” says Reynolds. “A coor- dinated, multichannel approach is key to maximizing visibility and conversion.” Lambert suggests sending reminder emails at certain points during a lim- ited-time sale (“Only 12 hours left to book!”), or inventory updates during a limited-quantity sale. For the latter, Boyne-owned Sunday River ran a presea- son ticket sale a few years ago with lim- ited inventory of the best prices and sent emails over a three-day span with sub- ject lines: “50% Gone: Tickets from $49;”
“85% Gone: Tickets from $49;” and “Last Call: Tickets from $49.” If it feels authentic to the way you normally communicate with your guests, it’s worth exploring. DON’T: Forget to Test Your Tech Don’t let your technology fail you in your moment of need. Make sure your website, your sales system, and especial- ly your staff overseeing it all are prepped and ready to go. “Resorts typically use their existing e-commerce platforms unless the promo- tion is being run through a third party,” says Lambert. “The key consideration is ensuring that your platform is capable of handling increased traffic and transaction volumes during high-demand windows.” Snow Partners’ cloud-based sales system auto-scales based on demand, allowing it to handle spikes in traffic and transaction volumes without per- formance issues, says Reynolds, adding, “Any platform that can’t scale or handle
high-volume sales would be a serious limitation. Today’s consumers expect a seamless experience and have very lit- tle patience for slow or broken checkout processes.”
FLASH BACK
The various incarnations of flash sales can be a game-changer, as long as you don’t overdo it and accidentally condition your guests to become deal-crazed addicts. Your north star should be the deep understanding you have of your guests. The rest of the recipe includes a dollop of urgency, a pinch of strategy, and just enough chaos to make things interest- ing. The right mix can drive big results and even bigger guest engagement. So, test your tech, pick your products wisely, and hype up each sale like it’s the can’t- miss offer of the year. Do it well, and your guests won’t just spend their hard-earned dollars with you—they’ll happily set alarms to do so.
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