Use anticipation and FOMO

Can you feel the excitement and anticipation in the air?

As the weather warms up, holidays approach and we slowly cast off our Winter vests, it’s uplifting to look forward to the Summer.

Social media is filling with news of last minute preparations for attractions re-opening, and visitors are posting about their plans for trips.

Now’s the time to take advantage of two related factors in your marketing: Anticipation and FOMO (fear of missing out).

When I talk to some business owners about using anticipation to promote, they often say things like:

“I don’t want to raise expectations too much. I’d rather just give people a pleasant surprise’.

But if you don’t use anticipation to help promote your business or to send the right messages to people who’re committing to visiting, you won’t get the chance to pleasantly surprise them because they won’t know about you or visit.

People like to have expectations. Anticipation is a major part of tourism and hospitality. How often would you really disappoint? 

Enthusiasm is infectious.

A touch of FOMO never hurts to convince some people. 

Some won't quite be ready to visit because they don't yet know enough about your area or your business. One way of convincing them is to show what they're missing, and to be really specific about each time of year and what there is to see and do.

Take photos of what’s happening right now in your business and in your area. You might already have some photos of early Summer but dig deeper. Is there a difference between June and July? Between the beginning of June and end of June? You could portray local events, your garden, the food you serve, what's happening in nature, in local attractions.

Try to think about the details, the small differences between each month. You may have to really stop and look because so much happens without us really noticing or we take things for granted. We all talk about changing seasons but at this time of year even a week can make a big difference. 

Posts about these small changes are popular. At the moment there are lots of posts on social media about flowers and buds peeping through. Visitors from outside the area really want to know when the bluebells will be out and at their best.

What knowledge can you pass on? How can you ‘build a buzz’ to capitalise on the sense of FOMO among people who haven’t yet made plans to visit you?

It's worth thinking about starting a 'best time to visit' pictorial calendar. You don't have to do much right now - just take more photos that represent your business and area through the weeks (don't forget to capture the date). 

You'll be able to use these in so many ways, now and in the future. 

Post on social media now with messages such as ‘June is a great time to see/enjoy xxx. Don’t miss out – book zzz for this time next year’. Use phrases like ‘limited places available’.

Set aside time or plan when you can add those images to your website, include in blogs and mailings. Use the passing of time to instil a sense of urgency to encourage advance bookings. 

It is hard to market your business for the future when you're already busy operationally but taking the time to take some more photos is time well spent, not to mention a good chance to take a breather and appreciate all that's good about your business and your area...