What actually works when guest journeys aren’t linear For operators already using (or considering) Zapier If you’re using Zapier with FareHarbor, your setup probably looks… Read more: Why Zapier Isn’t Enough for FareHarbor Email Marketing

Many tour company owners we speak with are skeptical about using email to boost revenue, because building lists and sending blasts just doesn’t work very… Read more: The 3 Elements That Make Email Finally Work for Tours

We’ve spoken with hundreds of tour operators over the years about email marketing, but it only took a handful of these conversations to begin to… Read more: Email Marketing – Where Do I Even Start?

Let’s be real: FareHarbor does a lot of things well. Booking system? Solid. Tour management? Tight. And they do send some emails—confirmation, one reminder, maybe… Read more: The Perfect Marketing Mix That FareHarbor Starts—and TourAdvantage Finishes

“Planning a trip to Asheville—any recs?” That’s the kind of question people are typing into ChatGPT. Or Google. Or their AI voice assistant. They’re not… Read more: Why Tour Operators Should Care About AI Trip Planning

I just got back from a big marketing conference—and yep, I took notes. Not the “hire a full-time team and launch a TikTok campaign” kind.… Read more: 5 Tiny Email Tweaks That Quietly Boost Bookings

You know you should be working on your automation—but you’re struggling with what to say. Good news: AI tools can help. Great news: you don’t… Read more: Write Better Emails, Faster: How to Use AI Without Sounding Like a Robot

(And no, it’s not because you “forgot to send a newsletter”) Let’s be honest: most tour operators who are doing email marketing are still seeing… Read more: 5 Reasons Why Your Email Marketing Isn’t Working

A recent Litmus report (via EMarketer) showed what most of us already are aware of in our inboxes: clickthrough rate (CTR) is the top KPI… Read more: Why Automated Emails Outperform Blasts (and How Tour Operators Can Push CTR Even Higher)

Tour email isn’t guesswork. Three truths and one lie. Spot the lie, then steal the plays that actually convert. Timing beats a discount. Truth. Timing… Read more: Email Automation Myths: Three Truths and a Lie

If you’ve ever said this out loud—or just thought it while skimming another marketing to-do list—you’re not alone. Between managing staff, answering guest questions, and… Read more: “I Don’t Have Time for Email Marketing”

Let’s talk about CRM. If you’ve ever asked, “Does TourAdvantage work with HubSpot?” or “Can I track my corporate leads in Pipedrive?”—this one’s for you.… Read more: Stop Losing Group Leads: TourAdvantage Now Connects to Your CRM

You’re already spending the money. You’re just not getting the return. You didn’t do anything wrong. They booked. They showed up. They had a great… Read more: The Hidden Cost of Doing Nothing (That No One Talks About)

FareHarbor just shared that U.S. summer travel is down about 10% this year. That means fewer fly-ins… and more open spots on your calendar. We… Read more: In a Summer Dip? This Quick Tactic Might Not Be for Everyone—But It’s Worth a Try

“Email automation” sounds like one of those things you should be doing—right after you fix the van, update your pricing, and find one more guide… Read more: What Should I Automate First? (A Starter Guide for the Overwhelmed)

Intro What Is the FareHarbor Distribution Network? It’s a FareHarbor program that lets you earn commission by selling tours from other FareHarbor operators—no extra software,… Read more: How to Make Extra $$ With FareHarbor’s Distribution Network + TourAdvantage

It’s mid-season for many of you, and things are busy. You’re giving solid tours, juggling bookings, managing people, probably doing some troubleshooting before breakfast. You’re… Read more: What Guests Are Saying Behind Your Back (and How to Fix It)

Most tour operators don’t spend much time thinking about their email sign-up form. I get it. You add a little box in the footer, maybe… Read more: Pop-Up vs. Embedded Forms: Why One Tour Operator Made the Switch 

FareHarbor is great at what it does — bookings, payments, etc… all in one place. But when it comes to pre-tour communication, there are some… Read more: Your Guests Need More Than One Reminder Email

Let’s say you run scenic trains across the state—three of them, each with its own brand, website, FareHarbor dashboard, and team. Totally separate operations. But… Read more: Multiple Dashboards, One Customer: Here’s the Missing Link

When someone visits your site but leaves without booking, it can feel like watching a fish slip off the hook. Luckily, both FareHarbor and TourAdvantage… Read more: FareHarbor Cart Recovery + TourAdvantage Browse Abandonment: A Full-Circle Solution

You know the type. Booked the tour two weeks ago. Calls the morning of asking what time it starts—and shows up 15 minutes late with… Read more: Why Your Emails Need To Know About Your Custom Field Data

Totally fair question. If someone only books one tour and never comes back, it might feel like email marketing is a waste of time. But… Read more: Can Email Really Increase My Revenue If I Only See Customers Once?

Ever clicked onto a website, thought about buying something, and then left without pulling out your wallet? Yeah, me too. And that’s exactly why lead… Read more: 8 Lead Magnets That Can Turn Website Visitors Into Paying Customers

“Social media is the best way to get bookings.” You post great photos, write engaging captions, even throw in the occasional giveaway. And while people… Read more: How to Use Email to Turn Social Media Followers Into Paying Customers

A first-time customer is great. A repeat customer? That’s gold.  When someone comes back to book again, they’re showing you they trust your business, love… Read more: Why Recognizing Repeat Customers Matters for Your Tour Business

We see it all the time. A tour company spends time and money building an email list—past guests, inquiries, website visitors—but that list just sits… Read more: What’s the Biggest Mistake Tour Operators Make With Their Email List?

If you run a tour company or an experience-based business, you’ve probably heard about email marketing. Maybe you’ve even sent out a few emails promoting… Read more: The Difference Between Email Marketing and Email Automation

I’m a fan of integration tool Zapier. I really am. I use it for my business in all sorts of ways. But it’s not the… Read more: What’s Wrong With Using Zapier for Your FareHarbor Email Marketing?

Whether email marketing is part of your tour company’s strategy or not, you should read and understand this important message. On February 1st of 2024… Read more: Feb 1st, 2024 Email Deliverability Requirements – A Guide for Experience Providers

We all know that waivers are the best way to protect your company from liability. If you choose the right waiver system, there’s hidden ROI that can more than help pay for the cost.  Email collection.

Let’s talk about an upsell that’s often overlooked.  The coveted post tour upsell.  The repeat customer.  The goose that lays the golden egg.  Remember that… Read more: Secrets of the Post-Tour Upsell

You’ve decided to automate an upsell email, and now it’s time to craft it. You sit down to a blank page… without a clue what… Read more: What the heck goes in an upsell email?

Forrester research tells us that recommending another product as an upsell can add 10%-30% to your bottom line. What does it mean to upsell? Simply… Read more: Upsell Best Practices for Tour Operators

Our email partner Drip just released original research from a study of 1 billion pop ups. Here are three key statistics from that report and… Read more: 3 Lead Magnet Stats That Tour Operators Need To Know

We are often asked if it’s necessary to have a lead magnet professionally crafted in a sleek, printable PDF and the answer is no.  In… Read more: Does my Lead Magnet need to be a beautiful (and expensive) PDF?

We’re continuing our discussions about lead magnets this month. Specifically, how you should follow up after the lead magnet is delivered. Because dropping your lead… Read more: Turn Your Lead Magnet Into A Money Magnet With A Follow Up Series

The average opt in rate* for lead magnets is just under 2%. If you’re looking to match that average (or blow it out of the… Read more: Build email segments with your lead magnet… and get more sales

If you have an offseason don’t miss the opportunity to spend at least a portion of it on advanced email marketing opportunities. Not just any email marketing, but thoughtful, in the moment story telling that will help maximize on the upcoming rush.

For those who see even a small amount of purchases up to 3 days in advance, here are three “set & forget” workflows to maximize your bottom line.

Triggering your campaigns based on the date of the booking is great, and head and shoulders above what most experience providers are already doing. But to really take your campaigns to the next level consider making use of the date and time the event actually takes place.

Browse Abandonment: sending the right message to the right person at the right time.

When we hear that an experience provider is reluctant to implement cutting edge, e-Commerce level email marketing strategies, it’s usually for one primary reason.  … Read more: Do I Really Have the Time for Effective Email Marketing?

Someone walks up to your ticketing area and tells you they are interested in what you offer, but they’re just not ready to buy. Would you turn your back on them? Walk away without responding? If you do that in real life – or in the virtual world – you are leaving a ton of opportunity on the table.

Segmentation. It its core, segmentation means placing your customers and prospects into various groups, or “buckets”, on order to market to them more effectively. It’s all about telling your customers and prospects a story. And not just any story – a story that is customized for their individual persona.

One of the questions we get frequently is whether or not email is worth the investment for tour businesses with little to no repeat business. While emails sent after the tour is taken will probably annoy your customers more than help them, there are email marketing techniques you can use to generate more revenue and create value for your visitors. Here are three email campaigns that will most benefit tour operators who seldom get repeat business.

In August 2018, SEMrush commissioned Forrester consulting to explore how organizations are using their various types of marketing research data across channels. They suspected that the marketing research was only being used within one area of the organization, rather than across multiple areas.

We love MailChimp. It’s an Atlanta company like Sunstone, after all…and we spent many years leveraging their platform with success. But as our needs expanded (and the needs of our clients) we had to break off our love-affair with MailChimp and look elsewhere.