Being a hotel marketer is a tough job. Not only do you need to stay on top of a changing marketing landscape, but you also need to consider unique trends within the hospitality industry as a whole.
Competition is stiff, so it’s critical to have a marketing strategy that’s tailored to your property and takes into account your location, amenities, and star rating. But no matter the size or status of your hotel, there are several techniques you can incorporate to boost your brand.
If you’re ready to take your strategy to the next level, focus on these three hotel marketing ideas to drive more bookings.
Create plenty of multimedia content
High-quality content is a cornerstone of any modern digital marketing strategy, and should be used to attract, engage, and convert your prospective guests into repeat customers.
For hotel owners and marketers, effective types of content include:
- Photos. Share high-quality photos to cultivate a visual library that inspires your audience to follow you. Show off what makes your property special, including natural scenery, in-house amenities, and guest rooms.
- Videos. One of the most engaging content formats, videos grab your audience’s attention while they’re scrolling through their social media feeds. If your videos feature your guests or staff, they can humanize your brand and help viewers connect with your hotel.
- Blogs. Increase inbound demand by publishing blog posts that showcase local events, activities, and tourist attractions. Check out our hotel blog tips.
- AMPs. There’s a reason AMPs or Accelerated Mobile Pages are becoming so popular in the travel industry. This medium lets you mix photos, videos and text to create highly engaging content for users.
Implement SEO best practices
With so much competition in the hospitality industry, it’s challenging to get your hotel to stand out against others in search results. Especially in big cities or large urban areas, your competitors will also be heavily focused on getting their properties to rank highly on Google, Bing, and similar sites.
However, there are some important strategies to abide by when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO). First and foremost, your website should be optimized to attract curious visitors from search engines. This includes:
- Well-researched keywords
- Good readability score
- Fast page speed
- Trustworthy backlinks
- Informative meta descriptions
Second, investing in paid search tactics can help you cut through the noise. Both Google and Bing offer the option to purchase “hotel ads,” where you can pay to highlight your property at the top of search rankings. If you’re in an area with lots of other hotels nearby, this is a strategy that can put you ahead of the competition.
Leverage word-of-mouth marketing
Did you know that 92% of people trust recommendations from their friends and family over any type of advertising?
Encourage your guests to geo-tag your property in their vacation photos, where they’ll be viewed by their social media followers. Their friends and family will perceive your hotel as a fun, happy place where their loved ones enjoyed themselves.
To go beyond your guests’ immediate social circles, you’ll need to build up a solid portfolio of positive online reviews. These coveted testimonials will build your credibility with online researchers who are considering staying at your property.
After your guests have checked out, send them an email or a text message thanking them for their business and asking them to leave a review. Include links to your property on social sites, including TripAdvisor, Expedia, and Google to make it as easy as possible.
As you build your strategy for the upcoming year, keep these hotel marketing ideas in mind. These are just a few tactics that will help you stay on top of the competition.
