It’s no secret: Cyber Monday is a huge opportunity for hoteliers to drive bookings. What began as a one-day online shopping holiday has, over the years, extended into Black Friday and Thanksgiving, with some brands promoting deals even earlier. As a result, consumers aren’t just searching for deals earlier, they’re also making more purchases over a longer period of time. According to Adobe Analytics, American consumers spent $19.62 billion online between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday in 2017, a 15% increase year over year.
With the heavy saturation of Cyber Monday deals online, the market has inevitably become more competitive. However, considering the surge in online traffic and spending during this shopping holiday, hoteliers will miss out if they didn’t participate. From our experience launching Cyber Monday campaigns for our hotel clients, we have uncovered five tips to ensure success in this highly competitive market.
#1: Run your campaign for two weeks, minimum.
As more brands and retailers shift their budgets towards digital channels to promote deals earlier, a one-day sale is simply not enough to generate substantial returns. By launching a two-week sale (beginning one week before Cyber Monday) you can remain competitive during the period when the most people are searching for hotel deals.
To build the most traction and revenue, create a clear marketing plan with timed initiatives throughout the campaign. For example, you may launch emailers and social media promoted posts before the campaign begins so your target audience keeps your brand top-of-mind. Consider the fact that the average traveler takes about 17 days and visits an average of 18 sites before making a booking (Google Research). In order to capture potential guests who may be in the early stages of the travel planning journey, it’s important to give them ample time to move from discovery to planning, and finally into the booking phase.
#2: Promote an enticing discount of at least 30%.
With many promotions saturating the marketplace during Cyber Monday, it’s crucial to provide a strong special offer of at least 30% off. Hoteliers can also include value-adds to make the offer even more enticing, such as a complimentary dining or spa credit. Additionally, you may consider a flash sale during Cyber Monday with a steeper discount of 50% off for a shorter window of time (e.g. one hour only) to make a deeper impact.
If you’re already running a special offer that will be bookable during Cyber Monday, we recommend offering a steeper discount from Black Friday through Cyber Monday to capitalize on the increased online traffic.
And, if you’re located in New York City, Miami, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Chicago, Sojern data reports your city is among the top searched for by North American travelers in Q4. Consider offering as compelling a deal as possible during Cyber Monday.
