Where do you get your customers from?

[The Chairman]

Wow Frank... that was AWESOME! Thanks for pointing me to this thread.

Here's the magic: If you are doing the Social Media for your business: You're doing it wrong and are working too hard. Most people treat Social Media as if it were traditional marketing where THEY do all the talking. If you are the most ardent voice for your product/service/business then you are doing it wrong. Take a page from Tom Sawyer and enlist others to paint your fence. Frank does it. I do it. You can do this in many ways too. The easiest way is to simply ask your existing clientele for help. Ask them several times to talk about you everywhere: Facebook, ScubaBoard and wherever they may post. Bribe them with contests, perks and what ever else you can think of if that's what it takes to get them talking. Just get them talking. Then be sure to share THOSE comments on your facebook page and don't forget to thank them for their kind words. If you do it right, like Tom Sawyer, you'll have others painting your fence making you look GREAT. Don't wait for problems to arise: prime the pump and get the talking about you so when the naysayers come along, they'll have to shout to even start to be heard.

 

[grouchyturtle]

We don't accept walk on customers (keeps us away from sales taxes)

What does this have to do with taxes? If anything, I'd think people who book in advance, especially if paying on your site, is more traceable VS. a walk who's paying cash.

 

[grouchyturtle]

Very true NetDoc! It's also about posting interesting and fun content that people are going to want to comment on VS. just marking BS which so many companies do with their pages.

 

[Wookie]

What does this have to do with taxes? If anything, I'd think people who book in advance, especially if paying on your site, is more traceable VS. a walk who's paying cash.

CHARTERS are exempt from sales tax. The collection of sales tax is up to the charterer. Walk-ons are part of your trip, therefore you are subject to sales tax. If you fish, your trip is exempt from sales tax. We don't fish, but if you had all of the proper permits, you are exempt. Voyages to nowhere in federal waters are exempt from sales tax. That's a casino boat law that applies to me, too. They don't specify it for casino boats, but that's why the law was written.

 

[Tortuga James]

is more traceable VS. a walk who's paying cash.

careful what you say....you may get a visit from the men in black.

 

[Tortuga James]

If you are doing the Social Media for your business: You're doing it wrong and are working too hard. Most people treat Social Media as if it were traditional marketing where THEY do all the talking. If you are the most ardent voice for your product/service/business then you are doing it wrong.

It took me a while to figure that one out. Great advice, Doc.

 

[The Chairman]

It's also about posting interesting and fun content that people are going to want to comment on VS. just marking BS which so many companies do with their pages.

Hopefully, this kind of marketing is just the tip of your iceberg. Recently, Frank just posted this thread: Safety on the Dive Boat Did Frank openly sell his trips? Absolutely not. However, was this a great way for Frank to sell his trips? You betcha. I would suggest to Frank to BE SURE that he thanks any post like this one: Safety on the Dive Boat He just called the MV Spree a "Class Act". Moreover, I would also offer this bit of additional unsolicited advice: Share these types of comments on your Facebook page.

Unlike most unsolicited advice, unsolicited praise is always welcome and is far more believable to the casual reader than you making the same statement. Think about it... Everyone expects Frank to refer to the MV Spree as a class act if for no other reason than he's selling his services. The perception is that his perception of the MV Spree is unduly biased by his investment of time and money. On the other hand, Akimbo has no apparent bias caused by commerce. His statement is 100 times more believable and a hundred times more powerful. Posting these testimonials to your Facebook and liking them only encourages similar behaviors. In management it's called catching them in the act of committing excellence and it's a simple yet effective way of getting social with your media.

ScubaBoard is an untapped Gold Mine when it comes to finding butts for your boats. You don't have to believe me on this. Just read what Frank said in post #8 of this thread. Yes, we sell advertisement here and its cost effective compared to any magazine or other online community out there. That being said, our biggest marketing tool is free and you are missing a lot of free advertising by not encouraging your clients to post their trip reports right here. Frank capitalizes on that by advertising here as well, but he develops his clients well.

Want an easy way to do this? Buy a 100 of our stickers from the soon to be opened ScubaBoard store. I think they are $30/100 for the large and $20/100 for the small. Print out a sign that says "Go ahead and talk about us on Facebook and ScubaBoard!" Give each and everyone of your customers a sticker as they leave your boat with a personal request that they comment about their trip fully and honestly. Heck, you can even bribe them to do it by offering a give away for those who do this.

 

[grouchyturtle]

CHARTERS are exempt from sales tax. The collection of sales tax is up to the charterer. Walk-ons are part of your trip, therefore you are subject to sales tax. If you fish, your trip is exempt from sales tax. We don't fish, but if you had all of the proper permits, you are exempt. Voyages to nowhere in federal waters are exempt from sales tax. That's a casino boat law that applies to me, too. They don't specify it for casino boats, but that's why the law was written.

Here's the part where I become more confused. What distinguishes a charter from a walk-on? After all, someone who books in advance and a walk on are both paying for the same service.

Or is it because charter falls under the whole online sale being exempt loophole?

 

[The Chairman]

I'm sorry to say that although Scubaboard is a great resource to put your name out there, it's been my experience that the majority of SBer's are cheap and are only loyal to you if you can give them a deal. And yes I still have a SB rate for those that do happen my way.

This statement is worth going back to. If you promote your product or service as the "cheapest" don't be surprised if people come to you for the cheapest rate and expect that. If you build your clientele on getting a ScubaBoard discount, don't be surprised that this is what they will come to expect from you as time goes on. You will often reap what you ask for and that's not Social Media, but rather plain and simple loss leader marketing. Trying to be the cheapest is a fool's errand and the outcome is usually bankruptcy court. Social Media is getting others to talk about you. Sure, you can bribe them with discounts at the beginning, but you should include some sort of sunset on those discounts. Social Media is getting others to tell every one else just how GREAT you are and how you are WORTH the extra money. Rather than getting cheap customers, you'll be getting the discriminating people who don't mind spending more for an awesome experience.

Remember: if your message is that you are cheap, you'll attract cheap customers. If your message is that you are well above average then you'll attract above average customers. It's not rocket science and it doesn't matter what booking engine you are or are not using. Booking engines aren't social media and while they have a number of benefits, promoting your dive business isn't one of their strong points. Building your reputation through others is a bit daunting at first and requires a certain panache as well as a desire to experiment and the ability to fail. The rewards for the creative and persistent are nothing short of phenomenal. You'll have to be patient and willing to learn but there are a lot of customers waiting to be won over.

 

[grouchyturtle]

CHARTERS are exempt from sales tax. The collection of sales tax is up to the charterer. Walk-ons are part of your trip, therefore you are subject to sales tax. If you fish, your trip is exempt from sales tax. We don't fish, but if you had all of the proper permits, you are exempt. Voyages to nowhere in federal waters are exempt from sales tax. That's a casino boat law that applies to me, too. They don't specify it for casino boats, but that's why the law was written.

Can someone please explain this in terms an idiot can understand...or direct me to their accountant, lawyer, etc?

Isn't just about every day charter considered a voyage to nowhere? Therefore nothing is taxable, yet... I've paid taxes on dive trips in FL. I even did a Groupon snorkel trip once in Key Largo, and they collected taxes. I've seen a lot of boats in the Keys, especially fishing boats with the "cash only" price. I can only assume to avoid paying taxes. What is a charter vs. a walk on? Part of your trip? Isn't that all one in the same? Are we simply saying, if they book and pay ahead of time, whether online or over the phone, that that's not taxable vs. them paying in person (at your business)?