Use Facebook advertising for your yacht charter business

• 24.10.2023.
• News, Social media

The sea is "calling" your potential guests, but you don't know how to offer them the perfect yacht and unforgettable experiences? Have you tried using Facebook? It is not only used for sharing pictures, statuses and "daily dose of charter" - it is a powerful platform that can help transform your charter company.

Facebook, with over 3 billion active users worldwide, has long been “the platform” for advertising and marketing.  
   
The advantages of social networks are numerous, but most importantly, they are free.  
   
Everyone, or almost everyone, has Facebook. Your competition primarily uses it (or they should) to increase the visibility of their yacht charter company. And how to reach potential guests.  
   
And so can you.  
   
The unique feature of social networks such as these is that you can target a specific group of people, depending on what kind of audience you want to attract.  
   
You can also target an audience that is already yours. 
   
So, what is ideal, apart from being a free platform for the presentation of your yacht charter, is that advertising on Facebook also leads to an increase in business. And that, of course, entails an increased number of reservations.  

 

What you need to know and understand about Facebook advertising  

With its several billion monthly users, Facebook is where you should be.  
   
If you already are, surely you would also like to make the most of Facebook, right?  
   
Surely you would like to find clients among so many users? And how to do that? With the help of advertising.  
   
You will find those who "dream" about sailing the Adriatic on Facebook. So, you need to target those very people. Those who want to spend a week or two on a charter yacht, have recently searched for nautical destinations, or may have recently purchased nautical equipment? Facebook has tools that allow you to find them. And what they are looking for, you should offer.  
   
Just like with digital marketing campaigns, before you even start being active on Facebook - think about what you want to achieve. Is it more bookings? Better recognition of your yacht charter company, your brand?  
Based on this, you can also choose the suitable ad format.  
   
As in everything, preparation is required here - try all the options for the best results.  

 

How to establish a strategy for Facebook advertising?

Do you have luxury yachts, sailboats or vessels for rent of any other kind? They will not rent themselves moored in the marina. You will advertise them on all possible channels and in all possible ways.  
   
On Facebook, you should also make sure that your vessels are the ones that people will choose. How to do it? With the help of a good strategy.  
   
Do you want inquiries about your vessels? For the success of the strategy, we recommend following these steps:  

1. Define your goals  
   What exactly do you want to achieve with advertising - increase bookings, brand recognition or attract a specific target group.  
2. Target audience  
   Who do you want your yacht charter to attract - families with children, couples looking for adventure, entrepreneurs on team building or groups of young people looking for something new.  
3. The right ad formats  
   Facebook offers different publishing and advertising formats: video, pictures, stories or Carousel. Choose the one that suits you best, but also with the help of which you can present yourself in the best possible way. And you can use a combination of everything.  
4. Set a budget  
   Determine how much you are willing to spend and how you will allocate funds (e.g., per day, per ad).  
5. Ad design and following trends  
   Create attention-grabbing ads - use high-quality images of your vessels, persuasive CTAs (calls to action) and clear messages. Follow the latest trends in digital marketing and adapt your strategies to them.  
6. Segment the audience  
   Target ads based on demographics, interests, behaviour or previous interaction with your Facebook profile.  
7. Optimise for mobile devices  
   The vast majority of users browse Facebook on mobile devices, so make your posts and ads mobile optimised.  
8. Track and analyse  
   Use Facebook Insights and Pixel to track campaign performance, conversions and ROI.  
9. Test and adjust  
   Regularly check the effectiveness of your ads and adjust your strategy according to the results. Test different ad versions to see what works best.  
10. Evaluate and also adjust  
    After the campaign ends, evaluate what worked well and what didn't and adjust those results for some future campaigns.  

Your engagement with the audience is also extremely important. Interacting with people who follow and comment on you and responding to their queries and messages is vital to build loyalty and trust.  
 
None of your potential future guests wants to not receive an answer to their inquiry...

    

Define your target market and who you want to reach with your Facebook ads  

The question is - how do you make sure your vessels are the first thing people see?  
   
If you are targeting families looking for a yachting holiday, you will want to show how your vessel is ideal for children too; and while they play on the deck, the parents enjoy the sun. 
    
If you are targeting young people, fun on board and marine activities are the content that will attract them. For those who want to see and experience something new, you will show "Adriatic hidden gems" and the like.  
   
Before you place your next Facebook ad, ask yourself, "Who is my ideal audience? What makes them special? And how can the vessels in my fleet meet their needs?"  
 

 

How to choose the right type and format of ads that will suit you best  

What is the key when choosing the first type of Facebook ad? You need to know precisely what you want to achieve and what kind of story you want to tell about your charter.  
   
The way you "invite" your guests is essential.  
   
That's where you'll make the most of multimedia's power - a natural, high-quality picture of your boat is the way to show your audience what they want to see on Facebook. Choosing the "right" ad also affects how your message will be received.  
   
If a picture speaks a thousand words, then a video speaks several billion. A video showing your yacht sailing at sea, with people enjoying on deck, can capture the dynamics and atmosphere in a way that a picture can't.  
   
On the other hand, if it is necessary to place several different yachts in the ad, a Carousel ad, where you can display several images in a row, is the best choice. Users can browse the various options and find the one that suits them best.  
   
And if you want to share reviews of your satisfied guests or a special offer you have, you can also use sponsored posts. They fit naturally into the newsfeed and can encourage interaction.  
   

How to properly plan and implement and how to make the most of your marketing budget

Let's start with the basics - how much are you willing to spend? You may have a fixed monthly amount or be working with a more flexible budget that can be adjusted as needed.  
   
In any case, the budget definitely needs to be adjusted. For example, if you notice that a video showing yachts at sunset brings more inquiries - redirect more resources to those ads.  
   
But maybe ads with guest reviews will do better towards the end of the season. That is why regularly monitoring the results, analysing the data and adapting is essential.  

  

Measuring the success of your Facebook advertising and tracking return on investment  

It's not very easy to navigate without a compass, is it? Similarly, with Facebook advertising, you need tools to point you in the right direction.  
   
And here we come to the analysis. Suppose your goal is to attract more visitors to your website, increase bookings or simply increase the recognition of your charter company. In that case, you can start tracking what is relevant.  
   
If your goal is to increase bookings, you should monitor conversions - that is, how many people who click on your ad make a booking. If you notice a lot of clicks but few confirmed bookings, you may need to change your approach.  
   
Facebook's analytics tool can show you demographics about the people who respond to your ads, which regions are most active, or what time of day your ads are most effective.  
   
But, our recommendation is - don't forget your own instinct. If you feel something is wrong, step back, reassess and adjust. If, from your experience with vessels, you think that the right time has come for an advertisement - why not.  
   
   
Maybe a short, intensive campaign before the season will be enough for you. And perhaps longer-term, but constant advertising accompanied by regular posts, would be the best choice.  
   
Imagine that you are the owner of a physical store and are thinking about when to put your new collection in the window. Would you do it only before the holidays when you know traffic is higher, or do you think your "goods" should be on display all year round?  
   
It's the same with Facebook advertising for your yacht charter company. Short, intense campaigns can generate increased traffic before the season. Still, a constant presence builds recognition and trust throughout the year.  
   
If you feel lost in this sea of possibilities, maybe it's time to work with the experts. They will manage your Facebook ads and posts for you - in the best possible way.  

  

FAQ  

Is Facebook advertising effective?  

Yes, if used correctly, Facebook advertising can be highly effective. Through a targeted campaign, using ads targeting boating enthusiasts, many yacht charter companies are recording higher bookings thanks to a strategic approach to Facebook advertising.  

What do I need for Facebook advertising?  

To get started, you must have a Facebook business page representing your company or brand. Next, you'll need a specific budget to invest in ads. You can also start with a small daily budget to test different ads.  
In addition, without a clearly defined strategy, you risk wasting resources, so you have to know who you are targeting, what kind of ads you want to create and what results you expect.

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