Hotel online gift voucher sales generate significant revenue for the hotel industry.
NB: This is an article from Net Affinity
For guests, gift vouchers are a great go-to option when buying a gift for their family and friends. Gift vouchers are an income source that can be easily overlooked and even ignored by smaller hotels, but if they’re regularly incorporated into your marketing plan, they’ll pay off.
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Social Proof
We naturally rely more and more on the opinions and recommendations of our peers; in fact, “social proof” is perhaps the most effective marketing strategy a company can employ. By offering gift certificates, you give happy customers or those who have faith in your reputation a means to put their recommendations into practice.
Your brand advocates will also make additional purchases because many voucher buyers are loyal to the hotel they are supporting and frequently buy for many friends or family members. While we’re talking about loyalty, why not think about giving loyal customers a discount code?
Ultimately, the success of your gift voucher sales is determined by the quality of your product and communications. If the quality of your product is strong, people will like it and will be happy to recommend it to friends or family.
Who’s it for?
Avoid a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Start by building your voucher strategies around your customer personas, knowing the needs and wants of your audience will help you to build the right voucher offerings and price points for your target audience.
According to Google Analytics demographic data, 61% of hotel gift vouchers sold are bought by females (this is based on voucher purchase information analysed from our clients’ data over a 12 month period). However, men spend marginally more on average – an additional 3%. Good to be aware of!
Remember you can create a combination of experience and monetary vouchers depending on the needs and wants of your audience.
Now, onto pairing the right target audience with the right dates! Make a list of the key ‘gifting’ dates throughout the year and highlight them in your marketing plan.
Some considerations to include within your voucher calendar include:
Black Friday/ Cyber
Think about what kind of voucher packages you can offer at a discounted price for Black Friday/Cyber Weekend (for example, ‘Dinner for 2’ / ‘Afternoon Tea for 2’). With a good black Friday voucher offer, you can get a kick start on your Christmas voucher sales.
