How to Market a Hotel Business – A hotel business can be a great investment opportunity to achieve personal financial freedom. To succeed in this business, you need to have a deep understanding of your target audience and how they look for hotels online. You also need to know, understand and effectively plan the marketing strategy according to the research insights. In this book you will learn how to market a hotel business successfully. The strategies discussed in this guidebook have been used successfully by many successful hoteliers to generate targeted traffic from online platforms and how they have optimized their website content using keyword research strategies.
Hotel marketing is a collection of skills that require social understanding, strategic thinking and a plan. HotelPal has provided a complete blueprint to market a hotel business by using expert methods that encompass traditional marketing techniques with digital marketing tools. Even the most seasoned hotel manager will find this guide incredibly valuable.
Table of Contents
Be Easily Searchable Online!
Let’s face it, technology has taken over. Long gone are the days of travel agents. Today’s travelers are empowered to do their own comparative research without even leaving their beds. So if your hotel isn’t easy to find online, no wonder your bookings are few and far between. You need to be EVERYWHERE relevant online for potential bookings so people can find you in the window when they need to book a place to stay.
Most travelers (75%!) start by using a search engine to find places to stay, so stay on top of your SEO. Use popular hotel keywords in your site copy, and make sure your site loads super fast.
Travel companies have high CTR’s and low costs on mobile in particular
But don’t rely on organic optimization alone! The SERP (search engine results page) for hotel-related searches is heavily monetized, meaning people will see ads first. In the example screenshot below, the whole screen is taken up by ads. You need to be bidding aggressively on Google’s Search and Display Networks (don’t forget hotel ads!), Bing, social platforms like Facebook and Instagram, and websites like Trip Advisor and Kayak.
Don’t limit yourself to just one social platform, search engine, or travel website. While it might not be necessary to have a strong presence on every website imaginable, you should dig into your website analytics, find out where people are typically booking from, and create an engaging and competitive presence on those platforms.
Remarket, Remarket, Remarket
Did you know that the abandonment rate for booking hotels online is 75%?! That’s right, a whopping three out of four people start the booking process, get distracted, and abandon their experience. Who knows whether it was the pizza man interrupting their purchase, or a suspicion that they might be able to find a better deal elsewhere. Whatever the reason may be, this does not mean you should give up as a hotel marketer.
Remarketing is a critical component for hotel marketing due to the fact that travelers are distracted not only by everyday distractions (like pop-up phone notifications and crying babies), but to the fact that there are hundreds of other options they can choose from.
With remarketing, you can lower your abandonment rate and close more bookings by showing enticing display ads to people who recently visited your site, in order to remind them you’re there and lead them through the process. Try showing them a deal for a little extra incentive to book with you instead of your competitors, and make the booking process as easy as possible.
Configure remarketing campaigns through Google Ads and social platforms including Facebook ASAP!
Ensure You’re Targeting the Right Audience
What type of hotel are you marketing, and who is your typical guest? There needs to be a different strategy for marketers of a Super 8 Motel off Route 9 compared to the Ritz Carlton on the sandy beaches of the Caribbean shores. These people book differently, travel differently, and have different budgets. That’s why tools like income targeting will come in handy. While this might seem obvious, there are even further ways to break down your audiences when it comes to marketing your hotel.
Many hotels have a variety of customers of different income levels, since they may offer rooms on the more extravagant side (like the presidential suites) and other rooms that are often sold at discount prices. These two audiences need to be broken down and targeted separately. There is even a difference for the same hotel chain in different locations. All of these things are critical to consider when crafting your marketing campaigns.
If necessary, you may need to split your audiences into two, three, or even four separate campaigns to ensure you’re sending the right message to the right prospect. And of course with tools like Facebook’s targeting options this is not as complex as it once was. Just ensure you spend the time to define your audiences so you can craft the right message to the right person at the right time!
Take a look at this Facebook ad, for example – probably targeted at a savvy business traveler with a relatively high travel budget.
But if you work at a hip hotel in LA’s Koreatown, you might want to target a younger demographic of single people, for example.
Focus on Local as Opposed to International
With travel restrictions, some countries requiring people to quarantine upon entry or return, and the overall fear of international travel increasing, some of the most effective hotel marketing strategies during the pandemic are those which focus on attracting local guests from the same country, or from neighbouring countries with similar rules in place.
Focusing on the local market may mean highlighting facilities like your restaurant, gym or meeting rooms and it could also involve promoting one of your hotel rooms as a temporary office, which can be ideal for those working remotely.
Some hotels are also targeting local markets with things like food delivery. A hotel marketing strategy that can be extremely effective here involves turning food delivery into an experience. This means ensuring food is presented well and also including extras with the meal, such as candles, or a QR code with a romantic Spotify playlist.
Provide Value & Flexible Cancellation Policies
With people feeling more reluctant to stay in hotels during the pandemic, it is more important than ever to highlight your USPs. People need to be convinced, so focus on what separates your hotel from rival properties, whether that is your design, your location, the quality of your facilities, the reputation of your restaurant, or nearby attractions.
It is important to focus on the idea of value and providing experiences. You do not necessarily need to cut your rates to attract guests, as long as you deliver value for money. This could mean offering extra services, like room service breakfasts, complimentary drinks, massage services, bike rentals and other things your guests will remember.
You should also respect the fact that coronavirus is going to be on people’s minds and they may wish to cancel their booking, or reschedule for another time. Try to offer a generous and flexible cancellation policy when possible.
Marketing your hotel on Facebook
Engaging with travellers on Facebook has never been easier or more valuable. Consider these statistics:
- 52% of social media users said their friends’ photos inspired travel plans
- 76% post their vacation photos to social media
- During research, 55% liked pages relating to the trip they were planning
- 69% of ads use images while 18% of ads use video
Before you can influence travellers on Facebook, you need to grow your following. You could accelerate this process through paid advertising, but you should grow your audience ‘organically’ as much as possible.
To get more likes through organic traffic there are a number of things your hotel can do on Facebook. Take note of these quick wins:
- Invite contacts and friends
People you already know will be more than willing to support you and you can quickly bolster your likes this way. You can even use the ‘Build your Audience’ feature to import all your email contacts and invite them to your page. - Add links to Facebook on your website and emails
This is a simple way to give your Facebook page more exposure, especially to potential guests. Always ensure your links are correct and functional. - Put up signs
This is as simple as putting small displays on tables, on the front desk, or in rooms inviting guests to like you on Facebook. You could even add links on the bottom of receipts. - Offer incentives and host contests
Even something as small as a free coffee will encourage guests to visit your page. This will give them a chance to look at your posts and like your page. When it comes to competitions, make sure one condition of entry is that people like your page. - Post good quality content consistently
Follow the 80/20 rule: 80% of posts should be about the local area and only 20% of should be about the hotel itself. Use Facebook Insights to see the type of content your fans enjoy, and post between three and 10 times per week. - Cross promote your page on other social networks
If you have Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or other social media accounts for your hotel, post a frequent call-to-action for those users to jump across and like your Facebook page as well. - Fill your profile page with searchable information
Add as much information as possible to your profile page and add as many relevant categories to your page. This information helps Facebook serve up your page to people in various ways across the site. It’s also good for search engine optimisation so use plenty of relevant keywords. - Thank you messages
When people sign-up for your local tourism guide or fill out your contact form, redirect them to another page thanking them for getting in touch. Add some text and a Facebook button to the page asking them to join you on Facebook, while you have their attention. - Engage on posts that mention your business
If another local business or organisation mentions your hotel in a post on their Facebook page and tags your page, thank them, like the comment, and join in with the conversation. Facebook is a community and so a sharing mentality here will serve you and your hotel well.
After this you can begin experimenting with paid Facebook advertising. Start with a small budget and set up a page likes campaign that targets those who have been on your website the past 30 days, who also meet other criteria, such as age or gender.
Once you have established a credible Facebook page and following, you can start using advertising tactics to get more bookings through the platform. There’s plenty of advice to offer in this respect.
Conclusion
A comprehensive hotel marketing resource filled with proven solutions for how to efficiently market your hotel. It’s one thing to own or operate a hotel, but it’s quite another to successfully market the business and educate potential clientele. This book will give you everything you need to market your hotel – through advertising, social media, public relations, and other traditional methods.