Author: Kevin Wieging
For many seasonal operations, fall marks the end of high demand for outdoor rentals, especially in weather related locations where temperatures begin to drop. Demand may also fall due to back-to-school for the kids and the start of a busier life with more commitments and less of the free time summer might provide. For those not affected as much by change of temperature, outdoor celebrations remain an option for rental opportunities and avoid the excessive heat of southern summertime temperatures.
Many IOA members establish businesses as a supplement to an established career path that they’d like to eventually exit in pursuit of a full-time business ownership commitment. Bigger isn’t always better, however, and developing a business structure to accomplish your goals is important. Husband and wife teams are also great and stepping through the growth in accomplishing full-time business can be managed by one or the other and still allow for a “regular job” that is the safety net for no fear entrepreneurial development!
Regardless of your vision for growth in business, effective marketing ideas allow you to achieve your goals. Growth simply comes from having more demand and wanting to say “YES”, more times than “NO” based on availability. Then structuring business operations to achieve that successfully! Custom inflatables can be priced at a premium and sometimes pricing an inspiring design for a significant price for quick ROI equals a good direction for being pushed through scary times profitably!
Filling in the seasonal nature of business operations is a significant indicator that you’re ready to develop your business as a full-time sustainable business operation supporting you and your staff. You’re also welcome to share and comment on what works for you?
Business Management Software
Growth 100% is attainable by understanding you numbers and performance metrics in order to make good decisions. This is the basis for marketing decisions as well, and the #1 marketing tool would be to have this ability to evaluate performance through business management software. IO, ERS, BCN, are all supporting members of IOA and highly recommended for their ability to provide online booking, review of performance over time and historic comparison.
Does your software allow you to automate everyday tasks that take up time, provide a convenient online reservation process, send out reminder emails or text messages to re-book seasonal events, or utilize the same functionality for great customer service through developing a confirmation process. Business management software is the foundation for operations and my best recommendation for managing decisions for marketing growth and development.
IOA Member PRO Tip: Create a “NEW for 2027” inventory category to highlight attractions that are seasonal or NEW attractions you purchased. They can also be organized in the slide, combo bouncer, obstacle course, but also distinguished as new and easy to find on your website as “New” or “Seasonal”. A suggestion for Halloween if new to offering seasonal, invest in a Scarecrow type design that could also be used early fall and extend for more opportunities outside of just a “Halloween Party” event.
Pricing should be set based on demand and rental opportunities. INCREASE your rental rate above your normal rental rate. Social posts with Hullaballoo Sales provide a corn maze/ scarecrow theme design that creates IMPACT.
Email Communication with Newsletter or Promotions
Email marketing remains one of the most effective and highest-returning digital marketing channels, delivering an average return of $36 to $45 for every $1 spent. Email marketing to existing customers also substantially improves retention and allows for a passive marketing channel direct with those we’ve established a relationship with. Don’t make it become too passive however! Inspire opportunities for actionable results. Unlike relying on FREE social media posts that reach a tiny fraction of followers, Opt-in Emails land directly in the user’s inbox.
You also OWN your list for direct contact with your most valuable clients. Winning brands focus on education, product success, and community building rather than constant hard selling. AI personalization also allows for real-time behavioral triggers and predictive content. Again, evolution is moving fast but digital email marketing is not overly complicated to continue with marketing development. Letting existing customers know about new seasonal items well in advance drives seasonal in demand booking for unique attractions you could lead the way in your market to provide!
IOA MEMBER PRO TIP: IOA has a member benefit to provide the best rates for email marketing through Constant Contact. *IOA members receive up to 20% off pricing for with annual payment or 10% if paid monthly.
Direct Mail Postcard Marketing
Yes, direct mail is an effective marketing tool that delivers high response rates and strong consumer engagement in a digital-first world. Maybe because those utilizing direct mail has decreased, however, what is old can be new again! Using a postcard marketing approach does not even require opening and a physical paper marketing piece stays in the home an average of 17 days, whereas digital social ads and emails vanish in seconds.
How well have you targeted your audience? What is your offer and information communicated? How well is it illustrated? Seasonal units and specific themes create a very visual need for marketing efforts within the inflatable industry. Effectiveness for best practices requires precise targeting, but this is a direct reference back to the importance of your business management software.
Precise targeting could also reference area schools, churches, chamber of commerce, community fairgrounds, and event venues. Add digital links with QR codes, and consider a combined approach with digital marketing for cost effectiveness. PTO mom’s really love a great postcard illustrating the most creative inflatable designs that set you apart from competitors.
IOA MEMBER PRO TIP: The image from EZ Inflatables social media highlighting the GLOWING lighting for the jack-o-lantern design is an “ATTENTION-GRABBING” image for a postcard design. The design is focused on Halloween but can command a premium cost if wanting to lead marketing with unique designs! Leisure Activities Fall Festival Arch is also a great postcard image to create an entry to an entire space that could be a large “Fall Festival” program. Both of these images also using AI! Is that a good thing?
AI Generated Social Media Promotions- Entertainment Value!
Alvin Bearden of WOW inflatables, Georgia has mastered the AI promotional video for social media and generating AI photo enhancements. Alvin also presented at IOA Conference and indicated the key to AI, is admit or create the content acknowledging that it is NOT REAL. Make it “obviously AI” for content video but it is important to share real content and real images of your equipment as well. Especially with product descriptions.
“AI enhanced” photos can make the grass greener, the location tropical, but they should not change the actual image you are providing to the client. Marketing is an appeal to emotions for making a decision. AI is a useful tool not fully understood yet but gaining momentum for the possibilities it creates for businesses in both marketing and day to day operations.
Alvin recommends the Gemini Omni Model (Google) for ease of use and ability to create images into video. Gemini also allows you to edit inside video to fix what you may not like (different shirt, change of colors, or scene). It is also an affordable model to start to understand AI. To get started and decide how to mix your marketing correctly.
IOA MEMBER PRO TIP: We can debate AI. Do we agree or disagree? Do we agree or disagree on “Direct Mail”? I agree, nobody wants to see the same Chat GPT flyer design. If eating at a restaurant, see pics of actual food instead of AI generated images of similar food you did NOT cook isn’t best application for AI. But we are a very visual industry.
AI use should be used responsibly. Customers are getting an eye for what is “real” and what is “real fake”. Manage your marketing to achieve intended results with all the tools available. Editing and creating visual images with Canva online for easy access editing or adobe for more professional results.
Happy Halloween!! Hopefully a few tricks were provided and ideas to create a marketing mix on your own. HEC Worldwide provides a good mix of AI and traditionally edited images, but you can see what is available and make a commitment to purchase a new Halloween Theme attraction. It’s also recommended to network with others, and you understand your local market the best. Develop a marketing program you have input in implementing and work with professionals for the right mix and right results.
Hiring a professional marketing agency is a reasonable step and can help you achieve your desired results using a mix of resources. Establishing a marketing budget is an important part of achieving your goals for growth. Purchasing a truck load of NEW inflatables and hoping they rent isn’t a strategy for success. Nor are social media marketplaces and posting for FREE and hoping to inspire sold out Saturdays! Event Hawk is an IOA Expo exhibitor and BestLyfe Group has been a marketing partner with IOA. Both are also active members of IOA.
