Know Your Audience

When promoting mountain biking take into consideration the type of customer who your business is currently attracting and which type of customer your business would like to attract more of in the future.

It is worth considering which trails are in your local area.

For example there is likely to be family trails near you. When targeting families, use images which feature families having fun together on the trails.

The escapism into the beautiful Scottish countryside will be a draw for many mountain bikers. You may wish to use inspiring images of riders in the wilderness in your promotion. We have a range of images which can be downloaded to be placed for free in your marketing materials.

If you need more assistance please contact us on info@dmbins.com

Back

5 Online ideas

1. Sign up to mountain bike or holiday forums/websites (trailscotland.co.uk or singletrackworld.com/forum - DMBinS is not responsible for content of external sites) to get first-hand knowledge of what riders are looking for – and what they’re not looking for! For many mountain bikers, these sites are essential when booking a holiday.
2. Your website will probably be your visitors’ first experience of your business. Create the right welcoming picture for mountain bikers by using imagery of people out on trails.
3. Promote your key selling points – like your drying room, or lock-up facilities, or home-cooked packed lunches, or what you differently(?) – so they won’t look elsewhere!
4. Talk about your local trail centres by name on your website – it will help boost the profile of your business to mountain bikers through Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
5. Add some links to other activity websites, local trails, and wildlife centres to show you’re genuinely interested in what your visitors want.
6. Ensure you’re mentioned on your community or local business association websites. Would they include a link to your site?

This is an excerpt from the excellent Tourism Intelligence Scotland ‘Mountain Biking Tourism in Scotland Guide’ download your copy now!

Back

4 Offline ideas

1. Talk about mountain biking opportunities and local trails in your promotional materials, and include some photos so readers know that you welcome mountain bikers.
2. Collaborate on packages or joint marketing with other local businesses/your local destination management organisation.
3. VisitScotland has a variety of opportunities for promotion to visitors as part of seasonal or themed campaigns – speak to your VisitScotland contact for more information.
4. VisitScotland invite journalists from the UK and overseas to Scotland for familiarisation trips throughout the year. Some of these visits may be themed around activities, and your business could get involved.

This is an excerpt from the excellent Tourism Intelligence Scotland ‘Mountain Biking Tourism in Scotland Guide’ download your copy now!

Back

Combining Text With Your Images…

Although your marketing now looks good is it saying the right things….

Mountain bikers are, generally, a friendly, chatty and down to earth kind of bunch.

They will prefer your text to be chatty and informal and (where appropriate) using humour never goes amiss.

However many of the mountain bike enthusiasts can spot a ‘charlatan’ at quite a distance so it is best to be honest and where you feel out your comfort zone refer them to the mountain bike specialists in your local area (see point 3 of this toolkit – working in partnership)

It is a common held belief that mountain bikers all speak in some crazy, rad, wacky, far-out dude language. Whist a minority might occasionally throw in an awesome into conversation – we would recommend using plain but enthusiastic language when trying to encourage them to buy your products.

Back

Working in Partnership

Marketing and promotion works better if you have like-minded partners…

One of the keys to working in partnership is to find businesses who share similar values and standards to your own.

Knowing your own customers and market and finding what quality of experience, how much they are willing to spend and their expectations is key when deciding which businesses you would like to work in partnership with.

Once you have found businesses with the same etho’s to your own begin the process of finding packages which benefit both of your businesses and the customer. This can often be tricky but if the customer enjoys their experience they are very likely to recommend it to their friends and, remember, the easiest group to market to are your existing customers – by providing extra reasons for them to visit your business the more likely they are to keep returning to you!

Back

How to Download the Images?

The images are located on the grey strip below the banner, follow these steps to download any images you wish to use on your marketing:

1. Scroll through and select the image(s) you wish to download.
2. Click on the image.
3. The image will load in a new window.
4. When image is fully visible on the screen.
5. Right click the image - a list of options will appear.
6. Click on 'Save image as...'
7. Save the image in your files and use as you see fit.

Please credit the photographer for all images used.

Please let us know (by email?) if the images have helped you improve your marketing.

Back