Hotel website, automated emails, reviews, OTAs, digital ads, social media, Google. There’s no shortage of ways to market your hotel.
NB: This is an article from WebRezPro
But for busy hoteliers with mounting priorities and limited resources, how do you get to them all? With so many marketing channels and blogs with bright ideas, it can get confusing about which shiny new marketing trend you should hop on board with.
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The reality is, for many hoteliers, doing it all isn’t an option. It comes down to priorities.
We’ve narrowed down top marketing priorities for independent hoteliers in the coming year to help you decide where to focus your energy and get the most bang for your buck. And remember, you never have to do everything all at once! It may be as simple as creating a list of priorities and ticking them off when you get to them. You got this!
Google Up!
Yes, yes, there are other search engines out there but the reality is that Google dominates when it comes to travel planning and can help your hotel get out in front even if you’re on a budget.
Google Business Profile: To get the most from Google and heighten your visibility, claim and update your Google Business Profile – which automatically adds your hotel to Google’s Hotel Search. Manage and optimize your description, add photos, confirm your location, and manage and respond to reviews. Check out our blog post on Google Business Profiles for Hotels for more details.
Google Free Booking Links: That’s right, we said free. With a verified Google Business Profile, your hotel is eligible to add a booking link to your listing, which integrates directly with your booking engine. As a Google partner, WebRezPro integrates with the platform for distribution on Google Hotel Search, ensuring that your room availability and direct pricing are up-to-date and accurate. Our article on Google Free Booking Links for Hotels will help you get started.
Google Hotel Ads: If you have the budget, Google Hotel Ads can get you listed within the top four paid results. The cost is based on bids and depends on how competitive your region is. It’s worth experimenting with since the ROI for Google Ads is 3.75 on average.
Online Travel Agencies
While direct bookings are optimal, Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) are essential for increasing awareness about your hotel. While OTAs can charge hefty commissions, the expense is worthwhile since many guests begin their search with OTAs.
Choose the Right OTAs: Due to fees and commissions, it may not be feasible to list your property on every OTA so begin by choosing the OTAs that are right for your hotel based on your target market, cost, functionality, and reputation of the OTA.
Optimize OTA Profiles: Make the most of your OTA profiles with updated information, compelling imagery, and special offers—and don’t forget to manage reviews!
Automate Online Distribution: Two-way integration between your property management system and OTA channels allows you to manage all connected platforms from one place. Automatically updating rates and availability across the board, channel integration maintains rate parity and avoids double bookings.
