2016 may have come to an end, but that doesn’t mean you should be slowing up on your hotel marketing efforts as you look forward to the new year. Now that the holiday season is over and we’ve begun a new year, it’s up to you to ensure that your facility stays booked to capacity and keeps guests thrilled throughout 2017. Think you’re up to the task? This two-part series will highlight some of the most important steps you can take to stay current within the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape and to ensure that you connect with as many prospective guests as possible.Make Sure Your Mobile Strategy is Solid
We’re starting here because it’s arguably the most essential aspect of your 2017 marketing strategy. Mobile technology dominates the world of marketing, accounting for a growing number of online transactions, including researching hotels, booking accommodations, and even setting up hotel services prior to the visit. In fact, nearly a quarter of all hotel bookings are now taking place on mobile devices. If you hope to snatch up some of this business (and avoid losing business from customers who refuse to book any other way), you need to make sure that your website is fully optimized for mobile. This is the perfect time to assess how easily your site can be accessed from a variety of both Android and iOS devices, and make any necessary tweaks or changes.
Put Emphasis on Killer Content
A large chunk (between 30-40%) of all hotel revenue comes from organic traffic. This means that a high volume of people are specifically seeking out information that could lead them directly to your hotel’s virtual front door and help them to make decisions about their personal or business travel. It’s your job to anticipate the kinds of things your future guests might be most interested in -- local attractions, seasonal events, hotel upgrades, etc. -- and develop content that centers around these areas. This will boost SEO and help more serious customers find your hotel, thus increasing the likelihood of bookings.
Personalize Customer Relationships
Despite our love for technology, many of us are still craving personal interactions and relationships. Taking the time to focus your marketing and customer service efforts on offering real, genuine interactions with your guests will go a long way in boosting your brand’s image. From hosting, live chats on social media to offering more personalized phone greetings via VoIP phone systems, even the smallest touches can make a major impact.
Be Aware of Ad Blocking Tech
People hate ads, and they’re constantly finding new ways to block out unwanted ads from popping up onto their screens and creeping into their lives. With this in mind, it’s a good idea to adjust your spending and marketing focus accordingly. Much more emphasis should be placed on non-ad marketing efforts, like social media, e-mail, blogging, etc.
Button Up
Talk about the need for instant gratification! If you haven’t noticed already, “Buy” buttons are appearing more frequently on social channels like Facebook and Pinterest as social e-commerce continues to grow. When people read about services that interest them, they want to have the ability to immediately make a decision and follow through with a purchase. Be sure to follow this trend in order to encourage buying behaviors in a social setting.
These handy tips will get you well on your way to making sure that your hotel marketing starts with a bang this year, but don’t stop short of going all the way. Be sure to stop by next week for more helpful advice, and give the pros at PhoneSuite a call in the meantime.
