What are the best types of online campaigns for your hotel to run? Confusion abounds on this topic.
Many hotels have questions about which types of campaigns are best, what return to expect on them, and the true value of those campaigns. For campaigns for a specific special offer or a rate plan, there are clear goals and targets.
However, prospecting campaigns – ones designed to introduce your hotel to new audiences and increase brand awareness – are part of a bigger picture. They help your hotel in the medium and long run, not just the short term.
In the online world, where so many things can be easily tracked, many of us assume we can track anything and everything – however, sometimes it’s more difficult to see the real value of a campaign. Here’s why these prospecting campaigns are so important:
The Modern Marketing Mix
Branded campaigns and non-branded search campaigns are essential parts of the modern advertising and marketing mix for hotels. To some hotels, these campaigns, especially non-branded ones, may seem like optional or minor activities. In reality, they are vital to your online presence and brand, which in turn likely makes up half or more bookings for your hotel today.
The way I like to think about branded campaigns vs non-branded search campaigns or display campaigns is as follows.
25 years ago, even 10 years ago, you would have placed an ad for the hotel on the yellow pages. The yellow pages would be an equivalent of your current branded campaigns. Other examples would be listings in wedding magazines and other industry publications.
You used to have a pretty good estimation of how many people were in possession of the yellow pages and how many copies of magazines were in circulation at that stage. At the same time, one could infer that people who reached you via the yellow pages already were familiar with the hotel and your brand. That is, they were actively looking you up and seeking out your hotel.
