Hotel marketing is a relatively new field, and one that is constantly changing as the digital age continues to create new rules.
Long gone are the days where hotel establishments could market themselves solely in the local area and reap the rewards of doing so.
Now, hotel businesses need to be creative and willing to experiment with new ideas on a regular basis in order to find out what works for them.
Even once you have found out what works for you, an element of experimentation can keep your hotel branding fresh, and help you reach wider audiences.
This is why we have put together a list of hotel marketing tips you can switch up and try out week after week.
Offer Complimentary Stays To Travel Influencers On Instagram
No modern day marketing campaign is complete without a budget set aside for influencers.
Having established itself as a viable field over the last few years, 36% of people reported discovering brands and businesses via an influencer on Instagram in 2018.
One of the big reasons why Instagram is so successful is because millennials now account for two-thirds of buying power online, according to Digital Authority Partners.
They also spend far more time than average on social media at around five hours a day, giving you plenty of opportunities to target them with your advertisements.
As a hotel business, marketing yourself using travel influencers is a great idea as they will have an engaged audience who are often looking for new places to travel to.
To get the most out of influencer marketing, don’t just stick to larger influencers; smaller travel influencers can have just as engaged audiences, perhaps even more so, and may result in more sales than if you were to solely focus on larger Instagram stars.
Post Image-Related Updates On Social Media
You might already know the importance of social media for hotel marketing, but if you are using it as a big part of your marketing plan, it’s important that you know how to use it.
One of the big things is to make sure that you vary up your posts so they aren’t heavily text-based as people have short attention spans, and are likely to forget what they have read.
In fact, research shows that including an image alongside relevant information allows people to retain 65% of the information they have heard three days later.
This is compared to the small 10% someone will retain if they are only presented with text.
You could switch up the images you post each week to see which resonates best with your audience.
This might sound difficult, but the photos you include on social media could be as simple as displaying the new breakfast menu, or highlighting local events in the area.
You could even turn testimonials into pictures and post these on your social media so people remember the good things said about your business days later.
Create Digital Guides
In the digital age we live in, there’s less chance that someone will find value in a hotel brochure found in the lobby.
Instead, be creative and create digital guides that highlight your hotel and the exciting area around it.
By doing this, and making them available online, you are making your local area more appealing, and increasing opportunities to persuade people to stay with you.
To experiment with this on a weekly basis, why not think about producing digital guides for specific seasons, festivals, or other special events that are happening in the area?
You could even target specific sections of your target audience, such as couples, families, or adult-friendly breaks to show that you appeal to everyone.
Ask Customers For Feedback On Social Media
Despite millennials spending five hours on social media, research shows that the average across generations works out at around 136 minutes a day.
This means that you need to actively work on engaging audiences to make sure that they are paying attention to your brand online during the two hours they are online.
As a hotel industry, this could include asking for feedback about your hotel, or recent changes you have made.
This will encourage conversations that make people feel valued, but it can also help you to market new changes by asking for feedback from regular customers.
By being subtle about this, you could experiment with this on a weekly basis, and find you’re receiving a lot more feedback and interest from people who have seen these posts over time.
Respond To Reviews On Popular Review Websites
In modern times, keeping on top of reviews on popular review websites has been crucial for any business wanting to manage their online reputation.
A recent tripadvisor survey found that 83% of people will “usually” or “always” reference reviews before deciding to book a hotel.
For this reason, you need to make sure you are regularly responding to those who make reviews about your website.
Not only will responding to five star reviews look great, and offer you opportunities to market yourself as a great company, but it also makes your hotel brand seem more personal.
When doing this, however, it’s also important to respond to reviews that aren’t so pleasant so that people can see that you are committed towards solving problems and providing the best experience possible. Or, alternatively, work with a company that can help you out throughout the process (here’s a great list to choose from).
All of this proves that you have good customer service, something which is extremely valued by consumers in the twenty-first century.
Summary
At its core, hotel marketing is about doing whatever it takes to stand out from the crowd and provide consumers with a personalized experience.
A large part of this involves customer service, like responding to negative reviews and asking for feedback, but it also involves being creative about how you complete your marketing efforts.
You need to think carefully about how you present yourself on social media, and how you are going to build your hotel brand’s awareness online.
By putting the above into action you are sure to create a more effective marketing plan that leaves you with a higher amount of regular and one-off hotel visitors.
To read more on topics like this, check out the lifestyle category.
