Hotel Marketing Solutions!
How to Start Marketing a Hotel
Are you a hotel owner looking to skyrocket your bookings, and attract more and more guests? Wish to take your hotel to the next level? It seems difficult, but with the right marketing strategies, it’s definitely possible.
Picture your hotel as a grand, majestic ship sailing through the vast ocean of the hospitality industry. You, the captain, are navigating through challenging waters and searching for new places to explore. But to truly succeed, you need a crew that works together to keep the ship afloat and guide it carefully toward the desired destination.
Marketing is like the wind that propels your ship forward, delivering your message to potential guests. With the right marketing strategy, you can steer your ship toward success and dock at new ports filled with eager guests.
In this article, we’ll provide you with the tools you need to employ a powerful marketing strategy for your hotel. From building a website that highlights your amenities to utilizing social media to reach a wider audience, we’ll help you navigate through the challenges and make your hotel stand out from the rest.
But let’s not forget the most important part of your voyage, your guests. They’re the ones who bring your ship to life with their stories, laughter, and memories. We’ll also show you how to create an unforgettable experience that will leave your guests excited to return and sail with you again and again.
Now’s the time to hoist the sails and batten down the hatches. We’re setting sail toward marketing success!
Design Your Hotel’s Digital Dreamland
In today’s digital age, having a well-crafted website is essential for any business, especially those dealing directly with customers. With even the smallest businesses having their own websites, it’s crucial to make your pages stand out with a touch of creativity and an eye for design in the crowded digital marketplace.
For hotels, a website is the digital equivalent of its physical space, and it’s where potential guests go to get a glimpse of what your hotel has to offer. A well-designed website can be the difference between a guest making a reservation or bouncing to another option.
To make your website stand out, it’s important to reflect your hotel’s personality. Use colors, fonts, and imagery that align with your hotel’s aesthetic and vibe. After all, your website is your hotel’s digital dreamland, so it should accurately represent the physical space. Incorporating impressive photography can help captivate the audience.
Practicality is also key when it comes to website design. Even if you have the most beautiful website in the world, if it doesn’t load properly or is difficult to navigate, it won’t be effective. Make sure your website is user-friendly and easy to explore. Consider including a booking system that allows guests to easily reserve their stay with only a few clicks. Also, don’t forget to optimize your website for mobile devices, since many people will be browsing on their smartphones.
Spread the Word on Social Media
Various social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are among the best tools at your disposal to effectively market a hotel. By using these platforms, you can build a strong connection with your fans and potential guests.
You should use high-quality photos and videos to introduce your hotel and services to your followers. You can also share updates about upcoming events, promotions, and new offers. It’s important that you value your followers, read their comments, and take time to answer their questions. Sharing user-generated content and running contests on social media are two of the most efficient ways to attract new followers, which will ultimately lead to attracting new guests to your hotel.
Don’t forget to track your social media metrics using Google Analytics to measure your progress and make informed decisions on how to improve your social media presence.
Partner With Online Travel Agencies
Partnering with online travel agencies (OTAs) is a simple but effective way to market a hotel. OTAs like Expedia, Booking.com, and Hotels.com allow users to compare prices and book accommodations all in one place, this has made them a popular choice for travelers.
Start by trying to discover the most popular OTAs in your target market. Then you should create profiles for your hotel on those platforms. Some business owners think that when they’re done with building the profile it’s over and they leave the rest to the OTAs. But you should always keep an eye on it, constantly update your hotel’s information and upload excellent photos to keep the audience interested. You can even consider offering exclusive discounts or perks to encourage guests to book through your OTA profiles.
Keep in mind that these platforms charge a commission fee for each booking, make sure to factor in these fees when determining your room rates and making your budget.
Collab With Local Businesses
By partnering with nearby tour operators, restaurants and attractions, you can offer unique packages to increase bookings.
Find companies that align with your hotel’s brand and values. Approach them and ask for a partnership that benefits both parties. For example, you can work with a local tour operator and offer a package that includes a tour of the city and a stay at your hotel. You can also offer discounts to guests who dine at a local restaurant or visit a nearby attraction.
You can even create a dedicated page on your website to highlight your partnerships and provide information about the packages and special offers.
Collaborating with local businesses also leads to positive word-of-mouth marketing and helps build relationships within the community. Encourage your guests to share their experiences on social media to further promote both your hotel and your partner.
“Wow” Your Guests
Every professional hotelier knows that successful hotel operations and satisfied guests go hand in hand. Excellent customer service can ensure that your guests have a memorable and enjoyable stay at your hotel. It’s not just about meeting guests’ basic needs, but also exceeding their expectations and leaving a lasting impression.
You should train your staff to be friendly, welcoming, and responsive to your guests’ needs. Encourage them to go a step further and anticipate your guests’ needs and make suggestions based on their personal interests.
It’s very important to listen to your guests’ feedback and reviews. Encourage them to share their thoughts and concerns, and respond promptly and professionally to any issues or complaints. Reassure them that they’ll not encounter such problems again.
Don’t underestimate the power of small acts that can make a big impact. Simple gestures, like a handwritten note or a complimentary drink, can make your guests feel special and appreciated. Remember, your ultimate goal is to increase the number of loyal, satisfied guests who come back and recommend your hotel to others. And you’ll only succeed if you provide exemplary customer service.
Implement a Referral Program
After making sure your guests leave the hotel with a smile on their faces, you can encourage your satisfied guests to recommend your hotel to friends and family by implementing a referral program. Offer a reward or incentive for both the referrer and the new guest. This could be a discount on their next stay, a free upgrade, or a complimentary service, such as a refreshing spa treatment.
Connect With Your Guests Via Email Marketing
When thinking of the best ways to market a hotel, email marketing might be the last strategy that comes to mind. But you shouldn’t underestimate the huge impact of this powerful tool. Email marketing is a cost-effective way to keep your guests engaged and informed about your hotel’s latest news, promotions, and special offers.
People receive tons of emails daily, most of which are of low-quality content. Craft engaging and informative email content that will capture your guests’ attention to make sure your email won’t end up being just another unread one in people’s inboxes. It’s a good idea to segment your email list by demographics, preferences, or past booking behavior, and personalize your messages accordingly. Use their first name in the subject line and tailor your content to their interests.
Remember to include a clear call-to-action in your email, such as “Book Now” or “Learn More.” Make it easy for guests to take action and book their next stay with you.
Get Found Online Effortlessly
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a strategy used to improve the visibility of your website on search engine results pages. When potential guests are searching for hotels in your area, you want to make sure your website appears at the top of the results. There are several tactics you can use to improve your SEO.
The most important thing is to create valuable and informative content that addresses your guests’ needs and interests. With the help of keyword research tools, you can identify the terms that your target audience is searching for online and incorporate these keywords into your content in a natural way.
Invest in Paid Ads
While organic reach through SEO and social media can be effective, sometimes you have to spend money to market a hotel and reach a broader audience.
Before investing in paid advertising, try to define your ideal guest. Consider various factors such as age, income, travel habits, and interests. Then, choose the platform that fits your target audience and business goals. Some popular options are Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Instagram Ads.
Set a budget for your advertising campaigns and decide on a bidding strategy, such as cost-per-click or cost-per-impression. It’s important to create visually appealing ads that attract the audience’s attention and make them not only click on your ad but also engage and take action.
Attract More Guests with Enticing Offers
Special offers might be all you need to encourage travelers to choose your hotel over competitors. Here are some ideas:
Seasonal Offers
Offer special deals during peak travel seasons to bring more guests to your hotel. Also consider special offers for holidays, summer vacations, or winter vacations.
Long-stay Discounts
Provide discounts for guests who book extended stays at your hotel. This can be a great way to attract business travelers or guests who are looking for a longer getaway.
Bundle Deals
Bundle hotel accommodations with other experiences, such as spa services or dining credits, to create an attractive package deal for guests.
Last-Minute Deals
Offer discounts for last-minute bookings to fill any remaining rooms and allure spontaneous travelers.
Finally, Partner with a Marketing Agency
If you want to market a Hotel in a competitive environment, you need a well-trained, professional team by your side who can manage your brand promotion campaigns and meet your expectations.
Partnering with a marketing agency can provide you with access to a team of marketing experts who have experience, knowledge, and advanced skills in a variety of marketing channels and can help you develop and execute a marketing strategy that is tailored to your specific business objectives.
Moreover, not every business can afford to hire an in-house marketing team. If you are looking for a more cost-efficient solution, you can easily find a marketing agency and scale up or down your services as your business needs change.
SEO Audits & Analysis
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- Before we begin we first learn more about you, your business and your goals. From there we set a baseline by conducting Local SEO Audits using Moz, Yext & BrightLocal. This gives us a starting point to research and analyze so we can grow with you.
- Then we structure and build your account. From there we create your ad groups, ads and keywords. Finally we end with testing your campaigns and setting up reporting.
GMB Makeover & Citations Building
- Month 2 we focus more on taking action and implementing changes and optimizations, mostly through your Google My Business account and BrightLocal account. We also start building a lot of 3rd party citations and directories to get noticed by search engines. GMB is the best place to start so we really focus on that to begin.
Bookmarks & Backlinks
- Our 3rd month focuses more on backlinks using bookmarks, web 2.0 sites, and blogs. These could include social media sites, 3rd party blog sites, and more. We also focus on creating or accessing content that we can use on GMB and 3rd party Local SEO sites to get more awareness and engagement.
Management & Optimizations
- Moving on after month 3 we will focus purely on optimizations and management, followed by reporting. Each month we provide a monthly report, along with a strategic SEO overview. Management involves ongoing GMB updates, posts, and content. Along with that we focus on backlinking and on-page website SEO to improve your overall digital presence in the eyes of search engines.
Partnering with a digital marketing agency can provide several benefits to a hotel, particularly in enhancing their Google Business Profile on Google Maps. A digital marketing agency can help optimize the hotel’s Google My Business listing by ensuring that the profile is complete, accurate, and up-to-date with all relevant information. This can improve the hotel’s visibility on Google Maps, making it easier for potential guests to find and book the hotel.
Additionally, a digital marketing agency can help the hotel collect and manage customer reviews on Google, which can boost the hotel’s online reputation and attract more bookings. By partnering with a digital marketing agency, a hotel can gain a competitive advantage in the crowded hospitality industry.
- Setting up, managing and optimizing your Free Google Business account that helps rank you in the local map pack. This includes editing your information, adding content, optimizing core features, and getting you more reviews.
- Our team can also manage your messages, Google Posts, review management, adding content, and more.
- This is a key advantage for Local SEO for a Renovation Company
- This involves getting your business information and website cited and published in various directory websites, local listing citation sites, and other free and premium resources that Google cares about. These citations are essential to represent your NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) as well as your website.
- Momentum will submit and manage your citations using BrightLocal, Moz, Yext and even manually submitting citation sources.
- Google cares about your overall digital footprint and engagement. They want to know and understand your business and that you’re active online. SEO has become more social based on the experience and engagement of your customers. We make sure your social media accounts are set up, optimized, and active. Our team also creates social bookmarks on 3rd party citation sites that Google can index.
- We also submit your social bookmark profiles and links to over 50 key social sites that will count towards your backlinks. These count as high-authority trust flow backlinks.
Local content matters too. This specifically refers to posting to Google My Business, social media, and your website. You can cross-post and cross-promote similar content as well. Google My Business allows you to use “Google Posts”, as well as pictures, videos, and Virtual Tours.
Here are the Top 5 Local SEO Content you can post. Make sure your local content talks about your products and services so Google recognizes those keywords.
Most local content we focus on using Google My Business with Google Posts, Google Photos, Google Virtual Tours, and Google reviews.
Google Reviews and other 3rd party review sites are essential to ranking higher in Search Engines. Google has always cared about showing the businesses with the most and best reviews.
Try reaching out to your customers for a good review or to share their experience. Then make sure to reply to each review. Yelp, Facebook and TripAdvisor (as well as industry related review sites) are important as well.
Momentum focuses on getting more google and yelp reviews for your business, along with responding and managing these reviews, to improve your overall Local SEO.
Putting It All Together for a Killer Marketing Plan
With the plethora of marketing options available to you, it’s easy to see why marketing a hotel can sometimes seem challenging. However, if you apply the strategies outlined in this article, you’ll be well on your way to attracting more guests and increasing your revenue. Remember, you shouldn’t invest all of your time and money in just one strategy. It’s important to use a mix of marketing tactics to get your hotel’s name out there and appeal to a wide range of potential guests.
So, get creative, have fun, and don’t be afraid to try out new marketing ideas and strategies. With the right mix of tactics, you can attract more guests and keep them coming back to your hotel over and over again. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or need some extra guidance on how to market your hotel, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We offer a range of resources and services to help hotel owners explore the world of marketing and increase their bookings.
