the tour guy

Howdy.

The Tour Guy2

As travelers - when we visit a new place, we have needs.

Sometimes we need a local’s perspective. Sometimes we need to go swimming some place with a waterfall. Sometimes we need a ride.

the pain points

THE TOUR GUYdream big on your vacation

The Tour Guy4

Austin is the Capital of Texas and the Live Music Capital of the World. These distinctions, coupled with exceptionally strong housing and job markets, ensure a constant influx of new visitors and inhabitants to our city. Every week in Austin, there is a festival, a conference, a graduation, a seminar, a concert, a sporting event, and/or anything else. Our visitors want to have a good time when they are here and tap in to what makes this place unique.

4

market opportunity

The Tour Guy5

Primary Market Validation - interviews

The Tour Guy6

Primary market validation - survey 1

The Tour Guy7

Survey 1 - 38 Responses

Finding Things to do

Transportation

Airport/Flights

Kids

N/A

Cost

Time

0 4.5 9 13.5 18

BIGGEST PAIN POINT


The Tour Guy8

Local/Insider

Customized/Personal

Misc

Historical/Cultural

0 3.5 7 10.5 14

Ideal TOUR



The Tour Guy9

Local/Insider

Sightseeing

Transportation

Eat, Drink, Shop, Have Fun

Other

0 3.5 7 10.5 14


MOST IMPORTANT THING


The Tour Guy10Survey 2 - 17 Responses

6%

94%

YES NO

18%

82%

YES NO

If there were a service where you could call a local and ask them for recommendations, would you be interested?

Under similar circumstances, if there were a service where you could fill out an online form listing your likes, dislikes, and goals for your trip - and then receive a personalized itinerary within the hour, would you be interested?

1) 1)

2) 2)If so, what would you be willing to pay for this service, if it proved valuable?

If so, what would you be willing to pay for this service, if it proved valuable?

Avg - $10.64 Avg - $9.14


The Tour Guy11

• Based on the surveys, reliable transportation and finding things to do are the biggest pain points of being in a new city.

• People want unique, local, and customized options when they travel.

• Everyone is different in how they wish to connect to good times when they visit, vacation, or go on business trips.

• Enter - The Austin Tour Guy.

findings

The Tour Guy12

Market Validation

The Tour Guy is not just a tour guide. He’s a comprehensive solution to any and all needs of the modern traveler.

Transportation

Phone Consultations

Personalized Itineraries

Tours

Dance Lessons

Blogs, Reviews, Videos

solution/services offered

The Tour Guy13

Competitive Analysis and value proposition

All of these options are great in their own right, albeit with deficiencies. The Tour Guy’s value is in combining these resources in a convenient, accessible way.

TOURS

TRANSPORTATION

RESOURCES/Info

Dance Lessons

ATXcursions, Austin Detours, Access ATX Google, Lonely Planet, Yelp, Trip Advisor

Cabs, Cap Metro, Limo Service, Ride Share Two Left Foots, Austin Swing Syndicate

pros: cons:

pros: cons:

pros: cons:

pros: cons:

nice vehicles, organized, funoverly structured, touristy, pre-set

price, luxury, conveniencequestionable working knowledge of the city, won’t let you DJ

fun, cheap, knowledgeable instructorsonly one: I have better bad jokes

vast amounts of accessible informationtoo much data, not human,

passive, no dialogue

The Tour Guy14

Market ValidationBrowse Web

and Social

Fill OUT CONTACT FORM

CALL DIRECTLY

CONSULTATION CUSTOMIZED PACKAGE AND QUOTE

GO

how it works

The Tour Guy15

Market ValidationGain credentials and legitimacy

Showcase expertise

Acquire Customers

1

2

3

marketing objectives

The Tour Guy16

Market Validation

1) gain credentials

Safety and credentials will be concerns of any one seeking any type of guide. The Austin Tour Guide Association certification will help address this concern. It will also provide me with a valuable historical background of the city, which I currently lack.

Once certification is complete, ATGA markets their guides on their website and on affiliate visitor websites, like the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau’s.

The Tour Guy17

Market Validation

2) showcase expertise

This will be done by creating content to be distributed through The Tour Guy’s various marketing channels. This will include videos, reviews, editorials, emails, and anything else.

The purpose of this content is to showcase a unique love and perspective of the city, coupled with a playful and engaging personality. This part will be easy, especially when they see me Two-Stepping in my Pink Gorilla suit.

The Tour Guy18

Market Validation

3) Acquire Customers: Initial PPC Campaign

I bid on the keywords listed on the previous slide. So far, some of them are getting decent traction. “Things to do in Austin,” and “Austin Tour Guide” have above a 7% CTR. An average CTR for Google AdWords is around 2%. There are too many factors to consider right now to estimate on actual

conversions once they get to the website, but at least people are clicking on the ads.

“Things to do in Austin” is costing about $0.49 a click. A decent conversion rate once they land on the website is anywhere from 2-5%. So for every $49 dollars spend on PPC, I can expect 2 - 5 conversions. Pricing and estimates will vary, but the tour guides I talked to make anywhere from $50 - 100 dollars an hour with a minimum # of hours. Taking this into account, the ROI on a campaign like this would be high.

The Tour Guy19

Market Validation

3) Acquire Customers: Initial PPC Campaign

The Tour Guy20

Market Validation

3) Acquire Customers: ATGA WEBSITE

As discussed, after certification, ATGA lists their guides on their website. They are currently #1 in SEO rankings after a search of “Austin Tour Guide.” They also list their guides on affiliate websites, like the Austin Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. This will be a very valuable buffer while I establish my own marketing mix (web, social, digital, on and offline, guerilla, etc.).

The Tour Guy21

Market Validation

Early

January ‘17

Mid

January ‘17

Early

February ‘17

Mid

February ‘17

Early

March ‘17

Late

March ‘17

April

Begin Tour Guide Certification

Build Contacts/Partnerships

Hotel Concierge Services, The Broken Spoke, The White Horse

Finish Touches on Website,

Social Pages, and Content.

Begin Creating content for

website and Social Presence,

begin building website to store

Create Marketing

Materials (flyers, brochures,

guidebooks), Compile Contact

List for Email Marketing

Finish Tour Guide Certification, List on Austin Tour Guide Association Website, Tours by Locals, and other Tour Operator Websites

Launch

Begin PPC campaign and distribution of marketing materials, Begin tours

LauncH roadmap/Timeline

The Tour Guy22

Financial Analysis/Growth Strategy

The first three years will be focused on:

1) demonstrating profitability 2) showcasing steady, if modest growth 3) establishing partnerships 4) creating strong relationships and reviews from customers

If these criteria are met, The Tour Guy will seek additional funding for expansion. This funding will be used to acquire a party bus and additional employees.

thank you/feedback/questions