Simple Marketing Strategies for Retreat Centers

Oct 28

The RCC Community Call on October 25th featured a presentation and Q&A session with marketing consultant Rebecca Churt. This call was a valuable resource for retreat centers seeking ways to engage current and potential guests more meaningfully and effectively.

View the full meeting video by clicking the image above.

Or scroll down for takeaways from the conversation.

About Rebecca Churt

Rebecca Churt’s mission is to help spiritual centers transform the way they lead from the inside out. With a Master’s in Business Administration from MIT and decades in leadership at heart-centered and mission-oriented organizations, Rebecca skillfully combines passion and experience to reshape institutions and leadership.

Rebecca has provided marketing and leadership planning at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, The Open Center of New York, Upaya Zen Center, Findhorn Foundation, and several mindfulness technology startups.

“Marketing” Isn’t a Bad Word

Marketing isn’t about “making things pretty,” and it’s not about how you want to present yourself to the outside world.

Marketing is how to look at things from your customer’s point of view.

Marketing drives revenue—new customers and repeat business.
Marketing supports guest experience from first touch point to last touch point.
Marketing is an integral part of a hybrid experience.

Demographics

Different audiences need different methods of engagement:

Younger generations like Gen Z are engaged mostly online.
Millennials and Gen X are engaged both online and offline.
Boomers are engaged mostly offline.

Print Campaigns

Direct Mail

Think about making your direct mail campaigns more relational - talk with people instead of at them.
Make communication personal. Send messages like: “We miss you,” and “Happy birthday.” This communicates warmth and hospitality.

Catalog

Consider making one catalog for new guests and another catalog for your core audience. The catalog for new guests should introduce and welcome folks to your center’s culture and environment.
Promote your programs at least three months in advance.

Signage

“Welcome” signage is so important - it sets the whole tone for a guest’s visit. Example: Kripalu has an entrance sign that says, “BREATHE. You’ve arrived.” That sign is the most-photographed thing on site, and is often tagged and re-shared in social media posts.
Make sure you have clear wayfinding signage set up at your center. Make it easy for guests to locate the main office, their rooms, facilities, trails, etc.

Digital Campaigns

Booking

What is your booking process like? How hard is it for guests to book?

Guests call to book when they want recommendations or need guidance. Be sure to list your phone number.
A guiding hand helps people take action. If you want guests to follow-through on booking, etc., be available to support them through the process.

Website

Try visiting your website from the perspective of a guest.
Be clear about what you offer. What makes your center unique?
Be clear about what a guest can expect when they visit your center. Share pictures of your property and rooms. Be upfront about what you do and do not offer. Not having enough information about the space can be enough to stop someone from booking.
Be clear about what programs are online, in person, or hybrid.

Email

Collect email addresses at every opportunity. People who give you their email are people who want to hear from you. Keep an organized database or list of email addresses.
Automate as much as you can.
Establish a three-part email introduction series for new email subscribers. Start with a simple thank you/welcome. Follow-up a week later with more information about your center or programs. Continue by suggesting ways to get involved.
Guests who have booked a stay: Email them with points of contact, pre-arrival info, tell them what to bring, how to find the office, etc. This will help people feel held when they come to visit.
Email a post-stay follow-up: Ask guests what their experience was like.
Fundraising
- Simply asking goes a long way. Example: A fundraiser for Upaya Institute and Zen Center celebrating Roshi Joan’s 80th birthday. A three-email campaign raised $80k.

Surveys

When was the last time you surveyed your audience? Ask them: What are you hungry for? What can we offer?
Surveys help you understand who your audience is: their age, location, and their wants/needs.
Send out surveys once per quarter.

Social Media

Email is the #1 driver of engagement, social media is #2.

Social media reaches a different community and has different community-building tools.
People love quotes with beautiful images. Keep your posts relevant to what you offer. Intersperse lighter posts with denser site or program information.

Online Reviews

Make sure to set up profiles on multiple travel sites/review engines like Tripadvisor and Google Search. This helps you show up in search results.
Try to address guest complaints/issues internally before they become external. Negative reviews can affect other potential guests.
Ask guests who have had a positive experience to leave a rating and a review. Ask for permission to share their reviews on your website.
Younger generations want to know guests and staff alike are having a positive experience.

Recession-Proofing

With a coming recession, you should be focusing on the near-term, not the long-term.

Double-down on your core audiences and return guests.
Pare down your workload where you can. Ask yourself: What can I set down/save for later in order to focus on my most important tasks?

Q&A Takeaways

After the presentation, Rebecca fielded questions from the community and offered some additional insights.

Make sure you have Google Analytics set up for your website. It will help you keep tabs on your traffic and find out where you need to focus your marketing.
- If traffic is down, then you have a brand awareness problem. Focus your marketing more on brand building/awareness.
- If traffic is up or on-par, then guests aren’t clear on your offerings/programs. You need to focus your marketing more on programming.
Build your email lists organically. Don’t buy leads. For best results, people should voluntarily give you their contact information.
“Hybrid” can mean multiple things:
- In marketing, there’s a hybrid of print and digital.
- In programs, there’s a hybrid of onsite and online.
To deepen/strengthen relationships with your guests and staff: Ask them what they need/want - don’t guess.
Surveys can be biased. Focus on groups you haven’t heard from and ask yourself who you want to engage with more. Reach out in more ways than by email. Have in-person conversations. Engage marketing firms who can do secondary market research for you.
Renting venue space to outside groups comes with benefits and pitfalls. There’s potential for mutual support and cross-promotion, but be sure your missions and goals are in alignment.