Take a look at your hotel promotion toolbox to see if you have what you need to survive in the struggle for guests and profits. Glossy flyers, glamorous magazine articles and discount marathons – previously your hottest tools – are now outdated, and if you’re still using them, it’s probably time to look into upgrading.
The fact is that the Internet has redefined hotel promotion, and a widespread presence in traditional media outlets is no longer enough to impress your customers.
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As more and more travellers turn away from high-gloss hotel advertisements on valuation bargain sites, blogs, and other social media channels, it becomes increasingly necessary to come up with new concepts to attract them.
When set up against the seemingly thoughtful and personal opinions present on social media platforms, even the most eye-catching hotel display ad can have a hard time attracting attention. That is, if it even gets the chance to pass the many ad-blocks available today! How can your hotel advertisement reach these customers, just one click away?
Service is your best Hotel Promotion!
The truth is that, today, your’re better off investing in your service than in expensive hotel advertisements. Your guests’ ratings are essential for a successful hotel promotion! Ensure credible customer feedback by staying up-to-date on your guests’ opinions on all the most popular platforms. This is where a well-known hotel public relations tool comes into play: crisis management! Try to deal with criticism constructively, apologize for bad service and mention how you try to improve it… All of this will help to promote your hotel.
Hotel public relations in Web 2.0
A successful hotel PR still needs to tell a good story, and your hotel promotion can benefit from the new online marketing trend of “digital storytelling”. More than ever, you need original ideas if you want to create additional value for your hotel. So remember that “Content is King”! Look out for relevant topics and knit your own story into it, try to derive individual offers from it. Which trends are hot? How can you follow up on that? Don’t hesitate to use humor to draw attention to yourself! Set your own trends and set out to be the “First hotel to… “
Once you have a good story, you can think about relevant channels on which to spread your content. Would it be worthwhile to create a hotel advertisement for your YouTube Channel, for instance? Should you be more present on facebook? Remember, the more unique your hotel story, the more likely it is to be shared on social networks. And by attracting this kind of attention you can more successful push your hotel promotion!
Sure, hotel promotion. But do you know your target group?
Consider the history of your building and establishment, as well as the specifics of your region. Hotel promotion also means finding the potential in things that may at first glance seem disadvantageous.
For example: guests of a hotel near the Baltic Sea are regularly disappointed if it is not a short way from the beach. This inevitably leads to a declining number of visitors.
What this means: you are addressing to the wrong target group! In this case, successful hotel advertising should target cyclists and hikers, for instance, and guests who prefer lonely landscapes. Marketing cooperations with hiking clubs, bike clubs, outfitters, etc. could be interesting and suitable, and hotel public relations campaigns would be more promising. Which websites does your target group visit for information? Get your hotel ads placed there!
Communicate with your target group!
Try to determine which themes and target groups can be addressed with the appropriate marketing mix on the appropriate channels. The use of email newsletters, for instance, can be an efficient way of addressing appropriate topics to clearly defined target groups and redirecting people to great deals on your website or Facebook profile.
Use your website!
Finally, do not underestimate the effectiveness of your own hotel website as a hotel advertisement tool! Your successful hotel promotion begins with a clear website with an attractive appearance.
Analyze the usability of your site: how complicated is the booking process, can the customer get in contact with you, do you communicate your offers in a clear and attractive way? The more easily guests can navigate your website, the more likely they are to stay on it and to book directly with you.
One thing is for certain: The internet is not a hype issue that will eventually pass. But this modern-day challenge does not have to be a handicap!
Consider the challenges of Web 2.0 as an opportunity to position yourself successfully as a hotelier on the internet!
Learn more!
Get more tips on how to improve your Online Website so that you: Get more reservations! Fil more rooms! And turn one-time guests into repeat customers! Download our Whitepaper “Hotel Website Secrets”
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