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transaction. The layer of insight behind this idea is that Was the source of that new email address a sign up form
when someone signs up for your newsletter or enters a mar- on your website or a contest? Assume this is their first intro-
keting contest, that individual is saying that your resort duction to the resort and start to feed them more of your
product is relevant enough to be worth this simple, non- story and experience.
cash transaction. Did that new email come from a transaction? Assume that
What happens next in a business-to-business world is their first, in-person experience with your mountain and
would be a careful drip of content that complements start to help them see what other pieces of the experience they
the original purpose that enticed a subscriber to join. could participate in. Get them excited about coming back.
Content, features, advice, and more would come every
couple days for weeks, or even months, to build a rela- AUTOMATION
tionship with the prospect and generate a desire for the
company’s products. The most important word in this conversation, however, is one
In other circles this is called “lead nurturing.” In skiing that’s been intentionally omitted thus far: automation. Because
it may be called the most underutilized opportunity around. each of the messages mentioned so far can be totally automated.
But like other forms of small data, existing campaigns built One of the most powerful things about small data is
on this single data point of when an email address was cap- how easy it can be to sync these bits of information to your
tured are already starting to pay off in a big way. email marketing platform. Sometimes, in the case of join
date, they’re already there. Campaigns known as recurring, drip,
Welcome or autoresponders can then be built on these data points to
The first, and most obvious, step is a welcome email—a cam- automatically trigger perfectly timed and targeted messages
paign that thanks a new subscriber for their unofficial trans- without lifting a finger.
action and begins to tell the resort’s story. And just like a For arrival dates seven days in the future, send those
pre-arrival email, it’s okay to cross promote, because in giv- helpful upsells or more accurate directions. For arrival dates
ing you their email address, these people have raised their one day in the past, offer the guest a chance to stay an extra
hand and said, “Yeah, I’m interested in your resort.” Here day at an enticing discount.
are examples of information you can include in the wel- When you can combine an easy-to-find, insight-filled
come email: data point with marketing automation, you can drive rev-
enue and satisfaction without hiring another team member
“Download our app for the latest snow and without adding any undue burden to your existing
conditions right on your mobile device.” team’s load.
That’s the power of small data.
“Check out upcoming events and deals on
lodging packages.”
BIG & SMALL
“Follow us on social media too. Click here There is absolutely amazing value in big data, but resorts
to like our Facebook, Twitter, and should balance their digging with the simple campaigns and
Instagram accounts.” initiatives that take advantage of data points that have been
sitting right on the surface all along.
The open and click rates on these emails is more than 2.5 These and other small data insights are everywhere and
times that of a newsletter simply because it uses a piece of largely untapped. Arrival dates and email capture dates can
small data—the join date—that illustrates who to send it to be joined by booking date, scan dates, last email open dates,
(right person) and when to send it (right time). and more to create powerful opportunities for marketing SKIDATA is a pioneer and global leader in access and ticketing solutions for mountain
relevance and measurable revenue. destinations and winter sports regions. For over 35 years, SKIDATA has been helping
Follow-Up Get excited about the possibilities of big, but don’t forget clients increase revenues and optimize business processes. With integrated solution
The next big win for marketers is a steady drip of follow up the power of small. models based on state-of-the-art technology and user-friendly designs, your customers
messages after the initial welcome. Only a few resorts are will benefit from the greatest possible convenience and the best possible service.
truly taking advantage of the thousands upon thousands of Gregg Blanchard is the director of communications for database
new emails that are added to their database each year by cre- marketing provider Ryan Solutions and creator of resort market-
ating a series of follow up campaigns. ing hub SlopeFillers.

www.skidatausa.com
26 | NSAA JOURNAL | WINTER 2016

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