How to attract more Mother’s Day visitors
Mother’s Day has always been a popular time for people to have a day out at a visitor attraction, and this year presents an even bigger opportunity for VAs to draw in the crowds.
After two years of lockdowns, chances are that more people than ever will want to get out and about on Mother’s Day, spending precious time together and making memories that last a lifetime.
But how can you make sure they find and choose your visitor attraction for their Mother’s Day outing?
Here are five ideas to help your visitor attraction stand out from the competition and attract more visitors this Mother’s Day.
1. Ditch the pink!
Mother’s Day gifts typically tend to be flowers, chocolate and a card, usually in some shade of pink. But not all mums like pink!
Help children and partners make the mums in their lives feel seen – by them and by your VA – by appealing to mum’s uniqueness.
For example, amusement parks could give adventurous mums the chance to skip the queue on their favourite ride. If your museum covers elements of the gothic, the occult or anything macabre, offer free entry to goth mums. Vegan mums might appreciate a vegan afternoon tea in your VA’s café. Even offering options like these alongside your usual Mother’s Day package will help you stand out from the crowd.
2. Give mums what they really want for Mother’s Day
Research shows that most mums simply want a bit of time to themselves for Mother’s Day. How can your VA help provide this, without sabotaging the traditional family vibe of Mother’s Day?
Could you offer a gift bag full of pampering goodies from local businesses as an add-on package? Or collaborate with local manicurists and masseuses to offer pop-up pamper stations for the day? (Don’t forget to provide a safe place for the kids to play while mum has time out.)
Another strategy could be to offer a Mother’s Day gift package of two parts. The first is a day out at your VA with the family. The second is entry to your VA or an experience for mums to share with their best friends. If your VA is completely family-oriented, you could partner with local businesses to create the second part of this unique Mother’s Day gift idea: collaborate to offer a day at your VA followed by a massage at a local spa, or afternoon tea for two at a local restaurant, for example.
By collaborating to create experiences specifically for mums to share with friends, you’re reaching new audiences, too.
3. Do something for the dog mums
Think outside the box and celebrate dog mums. Yes, dog mums are a thing! This informal term refers to female-identifying dog owners who think of their pets as ‘fur kids’. If you have your doubts, just check out the amount of content published with the hashtags #dogmum and #dogmom!
Create a day out that appeals to dog parents and you gain instant access to the growing, lucrative and loyal market of dog owners. Think specially created dog walking routes, free treats for dog mums and pets in the café, doggy-themed afternoon teas, or ‘adopt a wild dog’ gift certificates. The more Instagram-worthy, the better.
4. Tug on the heartstrings of Gen Z and Millennials
Gen Z and Millennials (those currently aged 10-41) include the people most likely to choose to buy experiences over ‘stuff’ – the ideal audience for visitor attractions.
To reach them, create Mother’s Day-themed content for Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, platforms habitually used by Gen Z and Millennials.
You could show members of your staff having a great day out and bonding with their mothers/children at your visitor attraction. By showing the faces and lives of the people who work at your visitor attraction, you’ll also humanise your brand. If the budget stretches, bring in relevant influencers who can show themselves having a great time at your VA with their own mother or children.
5. Appeal to last-minute gift givers
The biggest spike in spending in the days leading up to Mother’s Day is usually on the morning of Mother’s Day. That’s hardly surprising when flowers are the most popular gift. Pre-pandemic stats suggest that almost 44% of consumers leave their Mother’s Day shopping to the last minute.
For those times when the garage forecourt bouquet won’t quite cut it, make sure your VA’s online gift options, memberships and time slot availability (if applicable) are highly visible online – particularly to men aged 16 to 24, who make up the majority of that 44%.
That means marketing your memberships, Mother’s Day ticket offers and any relevant packages in the café and gift shop right up to the last minute. Bonus boost if your PR team can get them included in any last-minute gift guides, too.
Finally…
Be sure to stock up on and prominently display gifts and souvenirs that appeal to Mother’s Day visitors. And before you hit send on any Mother’s Day marketing newsletters, don’t forget to offer newsletter subscribers the choice of opting out of Mother’s Day marketing.
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