Marketing Strategy vs. Marketing Tactics
Why Holiday Parks Need to Know the Difference
If you’ve ever tried to ‘do marketing’ for your holiday park and found yourself drowning in social media posts, last-minute promotions, and a never-ending to-do list, here’s the plot twist… you might be working on tactics without a proper strategy.
And if that sentence made you slightly nervous, don’t worry, you’re not alone.
Many holiday park owners and managers confuse the two. It’s not their fault; the marketing world has a bad habit of mashing them together into a vague smoothie of “stuff we should be doing.” But if you want your park to stand out in a crowded market, you need to understand the difference, and use it to your advantage.
This is where holiday park consultants like me, and my virtual CMO services, come in. Let’s break it down.
1. What’s a Marketing Strategy (and Why Should You Care)?
Think of your marketing strategy as the sat nav for your holiday park business. It’s not just telling you which way to turn; it’s programmed with your destination, your route, and your arrival time.
A marketing strategy answers the big questions:
Who are you trying to attract? (Families? Retired couples? Adventure-seeking millennials?)
Why should they choose your park over the one down the road?
What makes your park special? (Spoiler: “We have a pool” is not special, unless it’s a pool shaped like a giant ice cream.)
Where and how will you communicate your offer?
It’s your master plan. It’s the ‘why’ and the ‘where we’re heading.’ Without it, you’re just hoping that chucking random Facebook ads into the void will somehow work.
2. What Are Marketing Tactics?
Tactics are the actions you take to implement your strategy. They’re the Instagram reels, the Google Ads campaigns, the seasonal email blasts, the flyers you drop into welcome packs.
They are important. But, they’re only as good as the strategy behind them.
For example:
Running an Easter competition on Facebook? Tactic.
Creating a digital loyalty scheme for returning guests? Tactic.
Partnering with local attractions for bundled offers? Tactic.
These are all brilliant… if they fit into a bigger, thought-out plan.
3. The Funnel: Branding vs. Direct Sales Activities
One of the biggest mistakes I see in holiday park marketing is treating every campaign like it should deliver instant bookings.
Here’s the reality: top-of-funnel activities, the branding, awareness, and ‘hello, we exist’ work, are designed to plant seeds. These include things like:
Content marketing (blogs, videos, behind-the-scenes posts)
Destination-led Instagram stories
Partnerships with influencers or local tourism boards
They’re about getting your park on the radar of your ideal guest long before they’re ready to book.
Direct sales activities, on the other hand, are designed to convert interest into action, right now. These include:
Flash sale email campaigns
Retargeting ads on Facebook
Last-minute deal Google Ads campaigns
Both are essential. But here’s the trap: when sales teams are held solely accountable for revenue, they often lean heavily into the ‘quick win’ direct tactics. That can work in the short term, but without ongoing top-of-funnel work, you’re left with a shrinking pool of warm leads.
A balanced strategy gives you both, the brand equity that makes people want to stay with you, and the conversion tactics that get them booking.
4. Channel-Specific Sub-Strategies
Even within your tactics, different platforms need different sub-strategies. Facebook Ads and Google Ads might both be ‘online advertising,’ but they work in totally different ways.
Facebook Ads are interruption-based, you’re catching people while they’re scrolling, so you need eye-catching creative, a clear hook, and messaging that sparks curiosity. Perfect for mid-funnel engagement and retargeting past visitors.
Google Ads are intent-based , people are actively searching for terms like ‘dog friendly holiday park Cornwall.’ Your copy needs to be direct, relevant, and laser-focused on capturing those ready-to-book customers.
Then there’s email marketing, organic social, influencer partnerships, AI Search, SEO… each has its own rules of engagement. Which is why a ‘one size fits all’ approach just wastes budget.
5. Leadership and Persuasion in Marketing
Good marketing strategy isn’t just about numbers and keywords; it’s about leadership and persuasion.
Someone in your organisation needs to champion the long-term vision, ensure every campaign ladders up to that vision, and have the persuasive skills to get buy-in from all stakeholders.
Without that leadership, marketing becomes reactive. A competitor launches a deal? You rush out one too. A staff member says ‘we should do TikTok’? You start dancing in the car park. Strategy stops being strategy and becomes a series of disconnected reactions.
6. Not All ‘Strategies’ Are Created Equal
Here’s a marketing truth bomb: not every organisation talking about strategy is actually trying to drive your revenue.
Take local tourist boards or Business Improvement District (BID) companies. They do valuable work, promoting the wider region, encouraging footfall, raising the area’s profile. But their goal isn’t necessarily to fill your lodges or get families booking your glamping pods. They’re playing the long game for the destination as a whole, which is great… but it’s not a substitute for a dedicated holiday park marketing strategy.
Then there’s the B2B tangle. You might have a corporate partner pitching a joint promotion, a supplier suggesting you ‘should do more trade shows,’ or your industry association pushing a generic campaign. These things can help… but without your own strategy, you risk being pulled in a dozen directions that don’t serve your goals.
The point is: your park’s marketing needs to be built around your objectives, your audience, and your bottom line. Collaborations and community initiatives are brilliant, but they should be plugged into a clear, measurable plan, not left to run you ragged.
7. Marketing Task Managers vs. Marketing Strategists
Here’s another common mix-up: a marketing task manager is not the same as a marketing strategist.
A task manager executes , they schedule the Facebook posts, update the website, send the newsletters. They keep the machine running day-to-day.
A strategist designs the machine, they decide why you’re on Facebook in the first place, what your website should be saying, and how each newsletter fits into your bigger picture.
Both roles are important, but without a strategist, your task manager risks becoming a glorified plate-spinner, busy, but not necessarily moving the business forward.
8. Why Work With a Holiday Park Marketing Consultant?
Here’s the thing: you could figure this all out yourself. But as a holiday park consultant specialising in marketing, I’ve seen the pitfalls, the missed opportunities, and the quick wins that most park owners overlook.
I help you:
Define a rock-solid marketing strategy tailored to your park’s unique selling points.
Identify the tactics (and sub-strategies) that will actually work for your audience.
Avoid wasting budget on shiny new tools that don’t move the needle.
Create campaigns that attract not just bookings, but repeat guests who rave about you.
And because I also offer virtual CMO services, I can act as your part-time Chief Marketing Officer. You get the brains of a senior marketing pro without the full-time salary cost. I handle the strategy, oversee the tactics, and keep your marketing consistent, so you can focus on running your park.
9. The Cost of Getting It Wrong
Let’s be blunt: marketing without a strategy is expensive.
You can easily spend thousands on beautiful brochures that never get picked up, or Facebook ads that reach the wrong audience. Worse, you might accidentally send mixed messages to potential guests , leaving them unsure about what you actually offer.
When your marketing is strategic, every tactic supports your bigger goals. Your messages are consistent. Your offers are clear. And your budget works harder for you.
10. How I Build Holiday Park Marketing Strategies
When I work with a holiday park, I take them through my 3-Step Holiday Park Growth Framework:
Discover – We dig into your audience, competitors, and existing marketing. This is where we uncover hidden opportunities (and plug leaky holes).
Design – We create a tailored marketing strategy with clear goals, positioning, and messaging.
Deliver – We map out and implement the right tactics, measuring results and adjusting as we go.
The result? Marketing that actually delivers bookings, builds brand loyalty, and positions your park as the must-visit destination in your area.
11. A Quick Analogy for the Road
Imagine your holiday park is a campfire.
Your strategy is deciding where to build it, what wood you’ll use, and how you’ll keep it burning all night.
Your tactics are the matches, kindling, and marshmallows.
You can have all the marshmallows in the world, but without a plan, you’ll just be sitting in the dark holding a sticky stick.
12. Final Thoughts
If you want to grow your bookings, attract the right guests, and keep them coming back, you need to stop throwing random marketing tactics at the wall and hoping they stick.
A solid strategy will give you clarity, focus, and confidence ,and when paired with the right tactics, it will turn your holiday park into the go-to destination in your region.
If you’re ready to stop guessing and start growing, I’d love to help. As one of the UK’s dedicated holiday park consultants offering virtual CMO services, I can give your marketing the direction (and execution) it needs to thrive.
📩 Get in touch today to book your free strategy call — let’s make your marketing work as hard as you do.
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