With hotels diversifying more than ever, offering exciting new services and niche markets, it’s more important than ever to stand out from the crowd and get your business noticed. In an online world where social media rules the waves and internet browsing is a daily staple, not a luxury, how can you be sure you’re using these powerful tools to your best advantage?
You need to know which market you’re targeting, and importantly, why. New customers in a wider area are the goal of every hotel, but where specifically could you improve? Do you already have a very high bedroom sales rate, and are looking to increase your conference bookings? Perhaps your wedding sales are what keeps the venue out of the red, but your restaurant reputation needs work? Is there a particular need in the local market that isn’t being met? Ensure your full team has a clear understanding of which direction you’re moving in, enhance facilities if needs be, and tip the balance of your marketing updates, whilst keeping your proven schedule running alongside.
Beginning with social media channels, it’s important to know how to handle them. Uploading poorly constructed, underachieving ad-hoc content with no real destination can quickly become the norm without a plan or a schedule. Developing a tone of voice and signature style will also dramatically enhance your social media presence to the Instagrammers of the world – sell them your story through beautiful imagery. For day-to-day posts, it’s easy to style images using free photo editing tools available online. Choose a typeface, or a narration style, and stick with it – consistency is key. Keep your content fresh and seasonally applicable, and get ahead of the curve when it comes to advertising for special occasions, such as Mother’s Day. Customer interaction is never more instant than on social media – make sure you respond quickly, keeping it friendly and approachable. Always check your grammar to keep it professional.
Alongside social media platforms, you’ll also need a strong and optimised website. Here is your opportunity to generate sales directly, without the use of third parties who take a cut of your bedroom rate. A clean and crisp site utilising SEO will ensure your website moves to the top of the list in search engines. It’s important to focus on content and keywords, adding them in to your text to develop strong, hard-working copy – find keywords that sell the story of your hotel, not just the practicalities. Is the architecture of the building romantic? Tell your audience. Does it ooze luxury appeal? Sell it. Engage sleek design and professional photography that really enhance your venue; when combined with a failsafe and easy-to-navigate booking system, a booking will be more likely than on an amateur-looking site. The use of videography is also really useful – it allows potential customers to get a feel for the place, link photographs they’ve seen together, and pick out little details that might not be featured in your photo gallery. Don’t miss out on creating a mobile version of your site either – a modified version of your main website, with a simple online booking system, bold imagery, links to your social media channels and easy ways to contact you.
Ideally you need to be linked up with Google Places. 20% of Google searches are location specific, and location driven advertising often provides the highest return. Make sure you’re top of the list when a customer has a need to stay overnight in the area.
Don’t be afraid to monitor and modify as you go. You may find that one approach is working, but another isn’t. Maybe one of the social media channels doesn’t give you any return, whereas another has a huge fan base. Through observation and modification, it’s possible to find the perfect mix of marketing tools that ensure your business’ online presence is visible, hard-working providing a high ROI.
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