Learning about your guests is one of your top priorities as a hotelier. It will give you insights as to the exact products and services they want you to provide.
NB: This is an article from ARO
You likely have vastly different demographics within your guests, and their priorities will vary, however if you can find the common denominators you can provide excellent service to them all.
Some of the best categorisations are:
- solo travellers
- families
- couples
- business travellers
- retirees
- influencers
By sending out surveys you can review what the in-demand services are for each category and provide those services to your guests. Invite your guests to return with a discount and inform them you’ve considered their comments and you would be delighted to welcome them back. You can make them offers for special dates, anniversaries, birthday, midweek or Mother’s Day.
Branding has always been a key point. Marty Neumeier, who’s worked for companies such as Adobe, Apple and Microsoft states that your brand isn’t what you say it is, it’s what your customers say it is. As a hotelier you need to ensure your guests won’t forget your name.
Your business will improve organically when people become familiar with your name, and you can decrease your advertising budget. This is when you can activate your viral marketing channel by rooting your brand in consumer insights. How? Consider these important aspects of successful branding:
- Get to know your audiences. Why is this important? You have an opportunity to prepare the right things for the right people. If more than 60% of your guests are young travellers and influencers, create more spaces and opportunities for them to take wonderful photographs. Then ask them to mention you and tag your website and social media accounts if they are publishing the pictures. If they do that, you can offer them a free drink and make their stay memorable. If more than 50% of your audience is older than 55, consider some cosy and relaxing spaces to make their stay peaceful. Create different experiences based on your audiences.
- QR codes can be miracles. Add them to your custom room key cards, to your restaurant menu, to your Wi-Fi login page and your travel guide attractions.
- Find out what your guests’ issues and problems are during their stay and resolve them for your next group of guests.
The hotel industry is highly visual. People connect images with feelings and experiences. There are so many features to show off, both within your hotel and outside it. Your hotel’s social media is where you will be able to boost brand awareness, highlight your hotel’s special features, location, attractions, and services and you will even have an opportunity to convert bookings. Social media marketing for hotels can do wonders if done well. Here you can find some social media marketing tips to promote your business and visualise your brand:
- Transform your hotel marketing with storytelling using good videos and pictures. Tell your hotel’s story, your renovation story, a day in the life of your chef, staff and even a day of your guests’ experiences. Use videos, IGTV and Facebook videos with good lighting and quality sound. Use a calm song in the background which you can play more than once a day in your hotel restaurant and make it your signature sound. Use your colours and logo to design the covers and captions. This way you connect your feelings, sound, and pictures to your brand.
- Use your social media as a tool that inspires and amplifies travel experiences. Use the attractions nearby, present a local map, go on a local journey and record high quality videos for guests before their arrival. Ask your customers what they would like to know about the area. Make a video of locals answering some of these questions. This would be your competitive advantage.
- Invite influencers with a large audience and ask them to focus on both your hotel’s personality and attractive features! Offer them a free or half price trip. Ask them to write about you on their social media and blogs. Prepare everything for them to take beautiful pictures of your hotel. Social media influencers now play a pivotal role in marketing for a wide range of brands, and influencer marketing is worth investing in.
As a hotelier you should be familiar with viral marketing strategies and tactics. Viral marketing is not just about word of mouth and offline channels; any promotion that causes people to start talking about you voluntarily online is a form of viral marketing. Does it work for hotels? Absolutely.
When somebody stays in your hotel, they’d like to be connected to the feelings and atmosphere in your hotel. Many hotels leverage their revenue launching successful viral marketing campaigns. Bear in mind, strong call to actions play an important role in online viral marketing campaigns. A good idea can be sending an invitation card during a guest’s stay to share an elegant picture of your hotel, tag you and enjoy a complimentary mini dessert or afternoon tea.
Giving your guests a personal experience is invaluable to your brand, and there are many opportunities to create small personalised experiences for your guests such as leaving a postcard or handwritten note in their room or suite. Call your guests by their names, contact them prior to their arrival, find out if they will dine with you or visit local attractions and ensure you help them enjoy their experience.
Personalisation makes people talk about you. It always works, try it!
Storytelling is a crucial step when you are marketing your hotel. Guests will engage and connect with unique and human stories from your staff, local residents and previous guests. Why should people book with you? Forget about rates and even location and ask your staff and guests to answer this question as honestly and authentically as possible. Then start telling stories about the answers you obtained. (e.g. the story of a local historic landmark or story of when staff were particularly helpful)
Honest answers about what people enjoy during their stay with you will cause a positive circular effect, and more guests will mention these things in reviews. Keep in mind, there is a direct relationship between guest ratings and turnover. People define the experience, and experience is the marketing.
