Our business model is unique in that we benefit from both traditional advertising and newer digital advertising. Below is an overview of the types of marketing and advertising we recommend you consider as you plan your promotional activities for the upcoming season. We understand all rental locations are not the same, and so take this into consideration when laying out your specific marketing plan. A friendly reminder, that you should be spending 4%-6% of gross sales each season on marketing and promotional efforts.  

TRADITIONAL MARKETING OPTIONS 

• Brochures and Flyers: Distribute brochures and flyers at hotels, tourist information centers, and other popular tourist destinations in your town. Our rack cards include eye-catching graphics, a clear description of our rental services, and contact information.
• Local Magazines and Newspapers: Consider placing ads in local magazines and newspapers that cater to tourists.
• Banners/Large Signs/Wayfinding Signs: Large banners act as billboards and are a great way to reach a wide audience.  Consider placing a banner near a busy street or main road to attract the attention of passersby.  This can be very helpful if your bike fleet cannot be seen from the street.
• Visitor Maps: Many cities offer free visitor maps that are distributed to tourists. Consider placing an ad for your location(s) on the map, along with a special offer to entice visitors to rent a bike from you.
• Event Programs: Sponsor or advertise in local community event programs. This can help you to reach a large audience of people who are interested in exploring the city.
• Local Business Partnerships: Partner with other local businesses in the area such as hotels, ice cream shops, or other tour operators. You can offer a cross promotion discount, or a commission for referring customers to your business, which can help you to increase your rentals and reach a wider audience.
• Promotional Offers: Make sure to take advantage of Annual Pass, 2^nd Hour Free, and other promotional discounts and share these with customers. The Perfect Coupon Clover App allows you to track all discounts in one place so you can see how your ads and promotions are performing.

DIGITAL MARKETING OPTIONS 

• Influencer Marketing: Find influencers, travel writers, and bloggers in your area who have a significant audience on their platform. You can reach out to these influencers to offer them a free bike or boat rental in exchange for promoting your business to their followers. This can help you to increase your reach and build brand awareness among a wider audience. (WFR Central can help you execute all of these steps.)
• Email Marketing: Collect email addresses from your customers (either through a paper survey or directly through Clover) and send e-blasts to inform customers about new product launches and exclusive offers.  This is an easy and free way to communicate directly to your customers. Email marketing software can be used, but there are also free options like Gmass that can connect directly to a Gmail account.
• Social Media Advertising: You can opt to use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to advertise your location. Facebook and Instagram offer advertising options that are targeted to specific geographic areas. By setting up an ad campaign, you can target potential customers in specific proximities to your location areas who are interested in specifically in outdoor activities, and/or family entertainment.

We are happy to walk you through the steps on how to run any of these programs and can provide support with the design and content for your print ads, and artwork. We tailor your messaging to appeal to your specific audience, and use language that highlights the unique experiences we offer. Please reach out to Marketing@wheelfunrentals.com for any questions or support requests about the above items.