With nearly 120,000 fans on Facebook, 2,500 check-ins on Foursquare and over 4,000 followers on Twitter, the Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA is certainly doing something right when it comes to making an online presence. With such a strong fan base, Busch Gardens utilized their social media outlets to invite some of their fans to participate in their Howl-O-Scream Fright Night, or #HOSFrightNight as the Twitter followers may call it.
About 40-50 fans and followers were invited to the park last Saturday for a social media event and I was lucky enough to be one of them. Nothing better than a free pass that usually costs $64.
After checking-in to the social media booth and receiving a specific t-shirt and pin (depending upon on how you were contacted for the tickets), invitees then participated in a meet-up with all the “social media influencers” — at least that’s what our tickets called us. Intricately decorated candy apples, smores and other treats were snacked on while fans participated in a raffle and a quick Q&A with the producer of Howl-O-Scream. Six of us ending up winning a VIP tour of the park that included cutting all of the lines for the haunted houses. We even had the make-up artist create a vampire look for each of us.
Others took part in the park’s “scare cam.” A video camera was hooked up to individuals capturing every emotion while trekking through a haunted house. The footage will soon be up on Williamsburg park’s website. Quite the clever online marketing idea if you ask me.
Every social media winner and guest won reserved seats for their evening musical show, which usually ends up sold-out each night.
Busch Gardens’ Facebook has several pictures from winners documenting the night as well as a couple of blog posts. Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay has also grasped social media. Today they announced plans for future rides via Facebook rather than an official PR statement.
The Communications Manager of Busch Gardens Williamsburg says he has hopes to possibly re-create a social media experience for their Christmas Town attraction. Does that mean we get to cut the line to meet Santa?
What do you think of Busch Gardens and their social media event? Do you think other amusement parks should follow suit?