Market Your SCUBA Store Like Dracula
Dracula could make one hell of a dive store owner. Vampires are immortal, mysterious and quickly bend people to their ways. Since you can’t smell garlic underwater, the only real danger to Dracula would be a wooden spear through the heart. Without becoming one of the undead, let me highlight some of the vampire secrets to running a successful SCUBA store or program.
Suck Your Students In
In most vampire stories, the victim is almost always approached in a crowded environment (usually a party), then is pulled off on their own to be initiated.
Use this same approach! When attending group events (or even hosting your own), drop the hint about the extravagant, mysterious, unknown world that you are part of. They will want to know more, and that’s when you can get them in for a discover SCUBA-type event.
Bonus tip: if you carry a cell phone with a larger screen (such as an iPhone), have your best underwater shots handy to keep them distracted while you bite them.
Come Out At Night
Your job of SCUBA marketing doesn’t run 8-5, so come out when vampires do for some of your more effective marketing opportunities. Attend community events, host a dive club meeting and work on your online marketing. Utilize your normal business hours to provide industry-leading service to your customers and the hours of darkness to lure them back in.
Bonus tip: blog posts, Twitter updates and email marketing campaigns can be setup at night, but scheduled to run during the day when your daywalker customers may be more likely to see them.
Live Forever
Every good vampire knows they need a pupil or companion to help keep them going into infinity. Weed through your students and teach your best staff member how to help you. Nourish them with your blood: a successful dive shop, creative marketing or a well-established program. If you need a break or have a life emergency, your world doesn’t fall apart.
Bonus tip: vampires prefer to hunt in packs, so your well trained, passionate staff can help suck more students in.
Final Tip
You do live a mysterious, seductive life in the SCUBA industry since many people have not explored the underwater world as much as you. Be passionate about what you do, share that passion with others and they will be captivated for a lifetime.
Remember, you can’t smell garlic underwater!
This article is inspired by Halloween and is meant to be entertaining as well as provide some SCUBA marketing concepts.