In a world that’s forever changing, and where we lose the attention span of people more quickly, the game of advertising starts to become a tricky one. So, we’ve rounded up some of the top ways you can advertise your hotel or property online. Once you understand your audience, and you have all the tools and people in place to make their visit one that they won’t forget, it’s time to hit the gas on your marketing and advertising to fill your occupancy. And we’re here to help!
SEO (search engine optimization) is having a strong digital marketing strategy that focuses on your website's presence online and on search engines like Google. Most hoteliers outsource their online marketing, but understanding the basics of how to ensure you're in a good place is extremely important for your all-around marketing strategy. SEO begins with your domain and stretches across all marketing channels.
First, you’ll want to understand who your target audience is. Are you mostly advertising to corporate business professionals to drive group bookings? Are you a property that specializes in weddings? Are you more after transient tourists? Knowing your key audience will help you identify what your keywords will be. Once you identify your keywords, you’ll want to get to content creation. Update your website landing pages to include these keywords. This will help your website rank higher when people are searching. In addition, creating blogs and content that include these keywords will help your name rank higher in the search results.
Having a creative social media presence is always a great way to build brand awareness. As of 2020, people spend an average of 145 minutes scrolling through social media, so making sure your content is fresh, captivating, and will catch the attention of someone quickly scrolling through. Showcasing your picture-worthy spaces within your hotel, or sharing pictures of recent events held in your property is a great start.
There are many ways to build a following on your social media pages, but the most organic and easiest way to do that is through contests, asking your current followers to tag their friends and share your page for prizes. Looking to enhance your contests or reach a wider audience? Put a small spend behind it to sponsor the post or partner with a local influencer!
Speaking of influencers, this is definitely something you should build into your budget if it makes sense for your property. Today, the more modern reviews are from influencers. Most people before they purchase something read about the product or location before making a decision. Then there are the people who buy things just because someone said it’s cool. Finding local “micro-influencers” or people who have a large following but not millions, is a good starting point. Having them join your hotel and share their experience with their followers will no doubt peak the interest of a few new guests.
Online booking networks such as EventUp, Venues by Tripleseat and TripAdvisor (plus many more) are great databases to be a part of. The more you can get your hotel or property listed, the better your chances of being found when people are searching. In addition to getting listed, making sure your contact information is accurate, your pictures are professional, clear, and attractive, and all the information listed is up to date. This will sometimes be your first impression on a future guest, ensuring your listings look good and are accurate are instrumental in making their visit with you a good one.
As a hotelier, you have a good idea of your annual trends. You keep track of local events happening that will for sure increase your heads in beds, and you know when you have your slow weeks and months. When you’re putting together your annual plan, it’s always a good idea to have some last-minute promotions in your back pocket, so you can easily launch them when you’re lacking room sales. Launching a paid campaign with an immediate call to action, “This Weekend Only, Buy One Night Get Your Second Free” will surely get your brand out there, and also drive you some last-minute business.
Advertising is surely a fun game. Who are you targeting? What’s your message? When you get their attention, how can you quickly turn them into a sale? Most hoteliers and marketers are analyzing their marketing strategies daily to ensure they’re doing everything they can to get heads through their doors! These thoughts above are some of the more creative ways you can advertise your space! Have more? Share them with us!
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