Hospitality email marketing is nothing new.
NB: This is an article from Revinate
Hotels have been leveraging this channel to reach guests for decades. But even if sending newsletters and promotional offers seems like second nature at this point, you probably have room for improvement. With a more strategic approach to data collection and email marketing, you can enjoy a higher ROI of both time and money.
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Before getting into some specific tips that can help ensure your campaigns are effective, it’s important to understand why email marketing is so important in the first place.
Get ready for a primer on why emails should be a core part of your overall marketing strategy.
The importance of hospitality email marketing
While email might seem outdated compared to channels like social media and web chat, it’s just as relevant as ever. Consider these stats:
- Statista research shows more than 4 billion people around the world use email, and that’s projected to grow.
- A survey of online shoppers shows that email is the best marketing channel for influencing purchasing decisions — it beats out direct mail, digital ads, social media, and text messages.
- For every $1 spent on email marketing, the return is $36.
Clearly, emails aren’t going anywhere. It’s a great way to reach current and prospective guests. That said, you need to be thoughtful about your execution. While that might sound daunting, it doesn’t have to be. You just need to follow some hospitality email marketing best practices.
Hospitality email marketing dos and don’ts
To help you start crafting your email marketing strategy, take a look at which missteps to avoid and which tactics to start leveraging. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but these suggestions will give you a solid foundation.
DON’T SEND LOTS OF GENERIC EMAILS TO EVERY GUEST
One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to hospitality emails. Every guest is unique. While some absolutely love spa experiences, others can’t stand the thought of spending 1 hour on a massage or other treatment. Families also have far different preferences than solo travelers.
Even if you have offers with more universal appeal, resist the urge to send those emails to your entire database. Doing so can overwhelm guests with too many emails from your hotel(s). This can lead them to unsubscribe and even prevent them from booking future stays.
