As one would expect, business space in the hotel industry has a strong foundation. Hospitality is a centuries old practice thought to date back to the earliest civilizations, with the Inns of medieval Europe serving as the precursor to modern hotels. Big name hotel groups like Hilton, Marriott, and Intercontinental have been around for decades, and in all likelihood, will continue to exist for the foreseeable future. For newcomers, gaining a lasting foothold in an often overserved industry is no easy task. As a hotelier with a couple of hard years under my belt and countless lessons learned, here are my five essential marketing techniques in this test of survival.
Channel Management
Widely distributed travel information available online has induced the slow death of travel agencies around the world; a movement enabled by travel sites and efficient channel management. Self-evident by name, Channel managers efficiently organize and connect properties to online sales distribution networks. In practice, hoteliers use channel management companies to connect their properties to sites such as Expedia, Travelocity, Priceline, etc. The channel manager collects and distributes up-to-date information concerning rooms, rates, and availability to multiple online sales forums. Having bookings available online is essential, and from my experience as a proprietor, this convenience can easily enable an increase in sales of up to 90%! See the listings and evaluations on Capterra to assist a business in choosing an effective channel management partner. (http://www.capterra.com/channel-management-software/)
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
For the same reasons that channel management is imperative, so is establishing a well-coordinated SEO base. Google is not only a household name, but it’s also an indoctrinated verb in the English dictionary! When searching for a hotel online, potential customers have two general directions when they decide to book. Either they visit a travel site to book accommodations or they secure a direct booking by searching Google for key terms such as “hotel,” “lodging,” “extended-stay” or similar language and the name of their destination city. When the latter occurs, SEO filters the results by popularity and relevance, so the hotels that maximize their SEO find the top of the list. Reaching the top of this list or at least being on the first page of a Google search is critical for hotels when acquiring direct bookings. See The Beginners Guide to SEO for tips on establishing a solid SEO foundation. (https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo)
Ratings and Reviews
SEO becomes meaningless if as business’s online content is belittled by poor customer reviews. Online reviews are vital to attracting new customers. Whether it be Yelp, Google, or the Better Business Bureau (BBB), reviews directly impact how potential customers evaluate your business. Positive reviews create leads, while negative reviews may prevent a potential client from even making an inquiry. When guests check out, I always make an effort to request that they leave an online review, especially if their experience was a positive one! See A Marketer’s Guide to Accumulating Awesome Online Reviews for some great advice on generating positive reviews. (https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/31852/A-Marketer-s-Guide-to-Accumulating-Awesome-Online-Reviews.aspx)
Social Media
Social Media is the black-sheep of marketing and customer acquisition; nobody wants to acknowledge that it works. Ads are frowned upon as they invade leisure time, similar to a commercial interrupting one’s favorite show. The trick to Facebook ads is to disguise them as meaningful content, similar in concept to blogging. For instance, a hotel could review a local restaurant, and offer happy hour specials on behalf of the hotel. If users follow a business’s content, it serves as a constant reminder. The same rules apply in gaining followers to a Facebook page. Often it’s the content that creates the hook, not the product. Facebook has an entire forum dedicated to business and creating effective marketing campaigns. See the link for additional details. (https://www.facebook.com/business/learn/facebook-tips-recommendations)
Word-of-Mouth Referrals
Word-of-mouth can be a wildfire in any industry. There is nothing better than having a patron make a personal recommendation of your business to another potential customer. A personal recommendation puts the person at ease with making a decision and automatically facilitates some degree of trust. To gain word-of-mouth, a business has to be memorable. The customer has to feel not only that they were offered a unique experience, but also that their business was wanted and appreciated. Simply put, customer service drives word of mouth referrals. If the person feels that the hotel genuinely cares about them, then they will take pride in being a patron. The article _ offers additional sound advice. (https://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/word-of-mouth-advertising)
No comments:
Post a Comment