Marketing a hotel has always involved a certain level of innovation. But nowadays, it requires true grit and creativity to attract new guests. After all, our world continues to change, and the way we do business tends to follow suit. Explore this comprehensive guide and discover how effective marketing strategies help ensure that new guests want to book with you!
Get a Firm Grasp on Your Business and Brand
Before you can start attracting new guests to your hotel, take some time to re-examine the building blocks of your business. After all, hospitality has changed quite a bit over the last few years. It wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility that your establishment has evolved, too. That’s why it’s beneficial to go back and review a few of its key components, such as:
- Core values (what does your hotel represent?)
- Mission (what does your hotel aim to accomplish with its services?)
- Brand (what colors, logos, and verbiage are synonymous with your hotel?)
There’s a good way to see if any of these things need to change. First, jot down some bullet points that describe what your answers would have been when your hotel opened. Then, jot down what you think your new answers are next to the original list. Be honest. When you compare the two, you’ll see if you need to make any changes to the critical elements of your establishment.
Offer New Guests Rewards for Staying With You
Today, most cutting-edge marketing strategies utilize digital solutions. That said, there’s still value in more traditional options. This is especially true when you couple them with the digital strategies we’ll discuss later. One thing that never seems to go out of style is offering new guests rewards for doing business with you.
Perhaps you start offering spa gift cards to new guests who book four or more nights with you. This would create an incentive for your guests to stay longer. Moreover, it would leave the impression that you appreciate their business.
This means garnering more business and an increase in customer retention. Just remember that rewards—like gift cards—are most effective when melded with other strategies, like social media and your website. Fortunately, there are many gift card systems for small businesses that make it easy to combine these things and keep the customers rolling in.
Make Sure Your Website’s Top-Notch
Once you have a firm grasp on your hotel’s key elements and rewards you plan to offer, it’s time to start talking about how to market them. In an era of all things digital, your best bet is to create a top-notch website for your hotel.
It’s not enough to build a few basic pages, either. If you hope to compete with the countless hotels on the world wide web, you’ll have to step up your web design game. Specifically, you need to ensure that your website is interactive, intuitive, and easy to use.
More than that, it needs to showcase your business’ values. You can showcase the hotel’s grounds, suits, and amenities through pictures and customer testimonials. Just remember that your website is essentially your pitch. Make sure you transform visitors into future guests by building a website that meets the following criteria:
- Important information is easy to find
- Your toolbar is intuitive and straightforward
- Your loading time is as minimal as possible
Another valuable tip is using the “serial position effect.” This is the idea that users will pay the most attention to information at the beginning and end of your web pages. Thus, you should put your call to action, like “book now” or “contact us for deals,” in these spots.
Create SEO-Optimized Content To Strengthen Your Online Presence
Having a well-built website is only half the battle, though. If you’re looking to get in the thick of attracting new guests at your hotel, you need to up the ante with SEO-optimized content. SEO content is essentially articles, product pages, and blogs that meet specific standards and increase virtual traffic on your site.
The more easily people can find your hotel online, the better your chances of attracting new business are. Many establishments choose to start with an SEO blog when using this marketing method.
Doing this allows them to attract more potential customers to their site. Plus, these blogs provide informational content to visitors.
Invest in High-Quality Video Marketing
Hotels are in the business of selling gorgeous locations, immersive experiences, and worthwhile amenities. But if no one sees these things, no one will want to book a stay.
Would you want to reserve a weeklong vacation at a hotel without getting a glimpse of what you’re paying for? The answer is likely no. That’s why high-quality video marketing is such a popular strategy in hospitality. Many hotel owners use video marketing to showcase their:
- Selection of suites
- Hotel grounds
- Amenities (think spa facility/pool)
- The best features of the hotel's location
From aerial drone footage to traditional cinematography, there are various ways for your hotel to take advantage of video marketing. Just ensure that you invest in high-quality work and accentuate the most valuable aspects of your establishment.
Then, use as many avenues as you can to promote this material. Your website is an obvious choice. But don’t be afraid to think outside the box and try other channels. Local TV ads or VR experiences are excellent options if you’re in a position to do something like that.
Take Advantage of Other Digital Outlets
Nowadays, digital marketing options are pretty limitless. You have websites, SEO blogs, vlogs, and more. But among all these choices, it’s wise not to overlook other beneficial platforms, like social media. Over time, these sites have become incredibly proficient promotional tools. You can use them to:
- Showcase your hotel experience through pictures and snippets
- Contact customers directly and respond to feedback
- Offer promotions, discounts, and deals through live giveaways
Additionally, you can link your official website and booking pages to these platforms, making your business more accessible. Social media also opens you up to customers you might not have access to otherwise.
