CEO and Project Manager
September 20, 2016
Digital marketing for hotels is becoming increasingly complex. Hotel managers need to not only serve guests, manage rooms, availability and rates, but are also expected to compete for guests on new digital channels and communities that emerge every day. Therefore, many hotel managers are asking themselves how they can expand their brand online while still having time to run their business. In this case, defining a digital marketing strategy is necessary.
The obvious choice has been to hire additional staff, but this tactic is only a temporary solution, as the demand for digital marketing is unstoppable and the problem will continue to grow. The successful solution to this complex problem is a digital marketing architecture and tools that provide a consistent multi-channel experience to hotel guests and prepare hotels for future digital marketing demands.
This article provides a quick checklist of germany email list five important issues that hotel managers should consider when defining a digital marketing strategy for their hotels:
The five main themes in a digital marketing strategy
Hotel Website and Booking Engine are Number One . This is probably nothing new to you, but your hotel website is the best opportunity you have to engage and sell to your guests. On average, guests spend 6 minutes on hotel websites. 6 minutes is more than enough opportunity to engage your future guests with bold images, easy-to-read room descriptions, and enticing offers that make the decision to book simple and predictable. An additional important matter is to show what guests will experience when they come to your destination – ensuring videos are part of your web strategy will impress your guests. So, when was the last time you updated your website? If the answer is more than 2 years ago, your website could probably be a lot better.
60% of consumers are social travelers . According to Forrester, 60% of guests use one or more social networks during their search, selection and purchase process. Therefore, it is critical to manage TripAdvisor ratings, have a visually professional presence on Facebook, and allow guests to engage on Twitter. Use the social network to amplify your message and make sure that the good experiences your guests write about are shared in the various digital communities. For photos we see the best results using Flickr and for videos a dedicated channel on YouTube. And don't forget email: it is still the most widely used mechanism for sharing itineraries and travel ideas.
