Every campground is different. Each offers unique experiences suited for specific groups of people. Just because you don’t offer glamping like the campground 4 miles down the road does, doesn’t necessarily mean you need to. You just need to define the target campers you want frequenting your campgrounds. Identifying these groups makes it easier to market to the correct campers you want to be driven to your campground. So, how do you define and better yet, target the perfect campers for your campground? Let’s dive in.
The first thing you need to decide on is how much of your campground you want to be short term and how much you would like to be long term.
If you are looking for short-term bookings, step one is identifying the types of customers. This is crucial so you can target each with the correct amenity offerings and messaging on your website and throughout digital marketing. Again, there are many groups you could be looking to target, but below are the most common we have seen from the hundreds of campgrounds that trust Bonfire with their campground management software.
Families
Amenities - Amenities such as fishing, canoe rentals, swimming pools, and playgrounds will go a long way with keeping kids busy and are things parents love to see when booking a campground.
Language - On your website, you should use images of children having fun and highlight reviews talking about their family trip. Your website needs to highlight the family activities your park offers. Take for instance Jelly Stone’s title on their website, “We are not just in the camping business, but the family entertainment business as well.” Everything on their site highlights their family activities.
Other considerations - Adding cabins for large family groups to rent helps get the grandparents (RV owners) to stay there while also providing a space for the whole family. On your website, highlighting early low noise times will keep those looking to stay up late away. We would even suggest that at online checkout you highlight that those staying there agree to a 9 pm or 10 pm no noise policy or risk getting sent packing.
Young College Kids
Amenities - Amenities such as kayak rentals, hiking trails, fire pits, built-in BBQs, and low rates, will help attract this crowd.
Language - Just like with families, making sure the images on your website include images of younger campers is crucial. Your customer needs to envision them at the campground when booking. Additionally, buy one site, get one half off, will go a long way with those who might not have too much money to spend. You shouldn’t plan on making a lot of money upfront from the bookings, however, by offering commodities such as toothbrushes, firewood, and s’more kits, you will make a lot of money while they are on your property.
Other considerations - Adding in callouts to 12 pm or even later low noise times would be something good to consider. After all, these young adults are probably looking for a less expensive way to have a good time than anything else.
Older Retirees
Amenities - Amenities such as fishing, swimming pools, and easier nature hikes go a long way.
Language - On your website, you should use images of older retirees bird watching and hiking. You need to use language specifying that your campground is the perfect place for retirees.
Other considerations - Just like for families, highlighting early low noise times will keep those looking to stay up late away. We would even suggest when they checkout online to highlight that those staying there agree to a 9 pm or 10 pm no noise policy or risk getting sent packing.
Millennials
Amenities - This is where glamping would come into play. Millennials love to get away while not actually getting away. Allowing them to feel like they are a part of the great outdoors while keeping a lot of the modern luxuries of a home will go a long way. This includes offering wifi. Click here to read how to extend and amplify the wifi at your RV Park. Millennials also enjoy group activities such as morning yoga, guided foraging hikes, and other out-of-the-box offerings. Anything to help them brag to their friends about their experience.
Language - On your website, you should highlight amenities first, leading with wifi and glamping offerings.
Other considerations - Just like with college students, making sure your office is stocked with extras is crucial. From firewood to s’more kits, to charcuterie boards and even disposable cameras, you will make a killing in sales from those who stay there.
LGBTQ
Language - For this subgroup, we only focus on the language and images used on your website. We have seen a push everywhere to be more inclusive, which is a move in the right direction. However, many in the LGBTQ are wary of RV parks or campgrounds, especially in smaller towns. The simple inclusion of a rainbow flag or even a callout about inclusivity on your website will immediately open you up to be appealing to this community. After all, the LGBTQ community makes up 10% of campers.
If you are looking for long-term residents, then the availability and amenities need to fit what long-term residents are looking for. Additionally, you will want to think about the type of long-term residents you want. There are several subgroups for long-term residents - Temporary Jobs, retirees, general residents.
Temporary Jobs
Amenities - Many RV Parks, especially around oil fields, see much of their business come in from 6-8 week bookings from those who have jobs in the local area. Normally, these people are away from their families so Wifi is critical to stay connected to their loved ones. Laundromats will be a big deal as well as a connection. Offering weekly free community dinners or campfire get-togethers on the weekends would go a long way with those uprooting their normal life for the RV life. Additionally, offering RVs people can rent that are fully stocked when they move in might be a better fit than a long-term hotel room. This would allow you to steal some of that business while also giving you an asset to sell down the road with zero mileage.
Language - Highlighting that your campground is perfect for those in the area for jobs might make your park stand out from the rest. Making sure the maps show how far they are from job sites directly on your site will make it a no-brainer when booking.
Other considerations - Just like for families and older guests, highlighting early low noise times will keep those looking to stay up late away. We would even suggest on checkout to highlight that those staying there agree to a 9 pm or 10 pm no noise policy or risk getting sent packing.
Retirees
Amenities - Amenities such as fishing, swimming pools, and easier nature hikes go a long way.
Language - On your website, you should use images of older retirees bird watching and hiking. You need to use language calling out that your campground is the perfect place for retirees.
Other considerations - Just like for families, highlighting early low noise times will attract retirees and keep the night owls away. We would even suggest that online checkout highlights that those staying there agree to a 9 pm or 10 pm no-noise policy or risk getting sent packing.
Like any great business, figuring out your target market is crucial in making sure your park is successful. Highlighting various amenities as well as using key language on your website as well as in your marketing campaigns will lead to more bookings from the customers you want staying at your campground. Once you identify one, two, or more groups you wish to go after, build out pages on your website for each. Then, when marketing makes sure to send each specific group to that area of your website. For more on how to use Facebook, Instagram, and email marketing to reach these customers, click here to read our blog on Marketing for Campgrounds 101.
Whichever route you choose to go, we are here to help you every step of the way. From providing unique URLs for online reservations to helping set up easy online payments, we’d love to talk about how Bonfire can help your park. Drop us a line at howdy@letsbonfire.com.
