Give people a reason to get off the sofa.
Because that’s what you’re really competing with.
This issue is all about social media for attractions, venues and experiences, and what we’d be doing right now to fill them this autumn and winter across Essex.
Not just the attraction down the road. Not just the latest film, the new shopping centre or whatever else is happening that weekend.
The sofa.
People have endless ways to spend their time, so telling them what’s on, when it’s on and how much it costs only gets you so far.
You need to make them want to be there.
The thing you can only see at a certain time. The unexpected moment around the corner. The detail you have to find. The photo you didn’t know you needed. The reason to come back and see what’s changed.
That’s what people are buying.
And social gives you the chance to give people a taste of it before they’ve even walked through the door — enough to spark the thought:
“We should go.”
Because the best attraction marketing takes you from “that looks nice” to “we’re going this weekend.”
What we’re seeing.
The attraction starts before the attraction.
For visitor attractions, family days out, cinemas, shopping centres and cultural spaces, the experience is no longer confined to the physical space.
People are researching before they arrive.
They’re watching videos.
Checking what’s new.
Looking at what other people have done.
Working out what’s worth their time.
And deciding whether it’s somewhere they actually want to spend their Saturday.
Which means your social channels have a pretty important job. To bring people into your brand world and experience before they even attend, by thinking about the details.
Don’t just create content around the experience. Create experiences worth creating content about.
3 things we can’t stop thinking about.
Make it unmissable.
If someone can do the same thing next weekend, there’s less reason to leave the sofa today. Build in moments that are changing, limited or only happen at certain times, then make people feel like they’ll miss out if they wait.
Build in the moments people want to share.
Don’t rely on visitors to film the obvious stuff. Think about the little surprises, discoveries and details that make someone instinctively reach for their phone; then make those moments part of the experience.
Make the next visit part of this one.
The best attractions don’t end at the exit. Give people something to discover, collect, unlock or look forward to next time, and suddenly one visit becomes a reason to come back again.
The would you go? test.
Would I actually get off the sofa for this?
Can I see something I can’t get anywhere else?
Is there something happening now that I could miss?
Can I picture what my day there would actually feel like?
Have I seen something that makes me want to send it to someone?
After scrolling, do I know why I should go, or have I just been told what’s on?
Verdict: Passed
Autumn Winter social opportunities.
Autumn.
You don’t need a whole new attraction. Change something people know, hide something they don’t, or create a detail that rewards looking twice. Suddenly, a familiar visit becomes something worth filming, and worth coming back for.
Half term.
Give families something they can discover, take part in or try together that isn’t just another activity on a list. The more the experience creates a story to tell afterwards, the more naturally the content takes care of itself.
Halloween.
Don’t just decorate for Halloween. Transform something people already know and let them see the change happen.The build-up, the reveal and the finished experience all become reasons to visit and things worth capturing.
After dark.
Don’t simply keep the doors open later. Give people something they can only experience after dark. Suddenly, you haven’t extended the day, you’ve created a completely different reason to visit.
Christmas.
The Christmas tree going up is nice. A Christmas experience that changes, unfolds or reveals something new is much more interesting. Give people a reason to come back, bring someone else and see what’s happened since their last visit.
The unexpected.
Put something somewhere it shouldn’t be. A surprise appearance, a hidden detail, an overnight transformation or something visitors only discover once they’re there. The best content opportunity might be the thing nobody was expecting to see, but gives them something to talk about.
5 social media ideas for attractions this winter.
01. Find the thing people will want to film.
Before planning the campaign, find the moment. What could visitors see, do or discover that makes them instinctively reach for their phone? Build the content opportunity into the experience rather than trying to manufacture it afterwards.
02. Create something that changes.
Give people a reason to come back and see what’s different. A changing installation, hidden detail, seasonal takeover or evolving experience creates both repeat visits and a steady stream of new stories to tell on social.
03. Make one moment genuinely unmissable.
You don’t need ten shareable moments. One brilliant, unexpected, beautifully designed moment is worth far more than a wall of branded photo opportunities. Give people something they’ll want to show someone else.
04. Design for the “send this to…” reaction.
Create experiences that make someone immediately think of a particular person. “Mum would love this”, “we need to take the kids”, “this is so you”.That’s how an experience starts travelling.
05. Give people something to come back for.
The first visit shouldn’t be the end of the story. Build in something that can only be discovered, unlocked or experienced next time, and you’ve created a reason to return; and another reason to talk about you.
Yoghurt’s take.
The best social doesn’t start with a content calendar.
It starts with something worth talking about.
Something unexpected. Something brilliant. Something that makes you reach for your phone, send it to someone or think, “We need to go.”
But that’s only half the job.
The experience gives us the story. Social makes that story travel.
That’s where we come in, finding the moments people will care about, turning them into content that earns attention, and making sure that attention turns into actual visits.
Because the goal isn’t just to make your attraction look good online.
It’s to make people want to be there.
It’s exactly what we set out to capture for Our Colchester’s This City Is campaign, showing people the places worth getting off the sofa for.
Find out more about our Creative Campaigns.
GOT THE EXPERIENCE? WE’LL GET PEOPLE EXCITED ABOUT IT.
You’ve built somewhere worth going.
We’ll make sure people know why.