Whether you’re running a unique small hotel business or have years of experience managing large-scale hotel groups, there is never a bad time to step back and reevaluate your strategy for hospitality marketing.
NB: This is an article from Travel Media Group
Demand within any market shifts regularly, and new tools are often created to help business owners meet those demands. In the wake of any crisis, marketing strategies for hotels and resorts take a hit, as well, leaving hoteliers wondering what the best course of action may be.
Before anything else, your hospitality marketing strategy has to start with understanding your audience. What type of traveler are you hoping to capture the attention of? Marketing to international travelers requires different strategy than placing the focus on locals. Knowing who you’re targeting your marketing toward can help you identify a clearer objective, resulting in stronger strategies to increase hotel revenue.
Developing workable marketing strategies for your hotel business is a challenge, but we have seven strategies you can start utilizing to drive more guests to your hotel and encourage direct bookings.
1. Leverage Technology to Better Market Your Hotel
No matter the type of property you’re managing, your potential guests will be looking at your hotel online before choosing to make their reservation with you. As a result, one of the best strategies you can utilize involves leveraging the technology at your disposal to showcase all elements of your property. Consider making a virtual tour of your hotel or rooms for guests to get a 360-degree view of the space and get a better feel for what level of comfort they’d like to book. This is a viable marketing strategy for hotels and resorts, and guests will appreciate having the inside view, especially to more anxious travelers who prefer to know exactly what they’ll get before booking.
2. Make the Most of Your Social Media
While many hoteliers may not see the benefit right away, social media is one of the top strategies to increase hotel revenue. Setting realistic goals for yourself and maintaining a conversation with your guests will help build brand awareness, which in turn allows you to shift your messaging to target those interested parties in your hotel. Post specials or deals for events in the area if they’re relevant, or take the time to highlight special amenities or especially hardworking members of your staff. The more you’re able to catch travelers’ attention, the higher chance you’ll have of making conversions.
3. Reward Guest Loyalty
If you find you’re seeing frequent familiar faces at your property, you may want to consider a rewards program to offer to your guests. This can include free or discounted stays, vouchers for breakfast or nearby restaurants, or discounted tickets to attractions or theme parks in the area. Depending on your location, this hotel marketing strategy can appeal to a vast audience, which will ultimately build stronger relationships between you and your guests. Repeat travelers may recommend your property to friends, family, or coworkers who need to travel to the area. Ultimately, rewarding guest loyalty is a marketing strategy for hotel businesses seeking ways to both strengthen their brand image and relationship with guests.
4. Use a Vanity Website
With the use of your own vanity website, you can help drive visitors to your hotel and encourage direct bookings which helps maximize your revenue. With careful attention paid to SEO, this hotel marketing strategy increases your hotel’s searchability. It earns you the eye of curious travelers without needing to invest in additional advertising. Websites are a flexible marketing strategy for hotels and resorts, as you’re able to cross-promote the site on your social media and use it to advertise anything going on at the property, whether it’s renovations or an exciting event you’re hosting.
5. Partner with Local Businesses
The hospitality industry has the unique opportunity to partner with local businesses in the area to enhance their guest experience. Having a partnership with a local restaurant or small business is a win-win in hotel marketing. You’re able to promote a special offer if guests stay at your hotel, which both encourages guests to book with you and helps generate revenue for the business you’ve partnered with. Strengthening relationships with local restaurants through delivery services or discounts can help them to be an advocate for your hotel, as well.
6. Don’t Forget Email Marketing
Email is a powerful tool in your arsenal of hotel marketing strategies. Reaching out to guests after they’ve stayed to encourage them to leave a review helps to boost your review flow, and guests can easily see recent experiences when researching your property. Word of mouth is influential in the service world, as many guests use reviews to gauge what other guests have encountered when visiting your property. Additionally, if you have your guests sign on to a rewards program at your property, you can utilize email marketing to send newsletters about upcoming events or promotions.
7. Evolve Hotel Operations Based on Guest Feedback
An important method to use when improving your hotel’s reputation is being an active listener to your guests. Reputation management is a beneficial marketing strategy for hotels and resorts, as what guests are saying about you will influence the likelihood of other guests trusting your property in the future. Travel Media Group has a uniquely designed 1st Impression Score™ that targets areas that track how guests are viewing your hotel in the moment. It provides actionable data that you can utilize to make swift changes to your property, and continue to track the effect of your changes. Responding to the conversation guests have about your property swiftly and professionally is a hotel marketing strategy that helps you be in control of your reputation.
Having effective hotel marketing strategies is imperative for businesses wanting to gain and maintain momentum in any market
