Hotel Marketing
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Ten questions hotels need to ask to tackle China as a source market
Most hotels in the region are exhaling a collective sigh of relief as China opens its borders and eliminates quarantine requirements. Any hotelier who is serious about taking on this market must ask the following questions to assess their readiness and develop a strategy. Do I go after this market myself, or do I leave it to OTAs and other agents? What proportion of business should come online versus offline? Do I really need a discounted rate or an offer? Will it leak outside of the Chinese market if I do? What has changed in China in terms of digital marketing post-pandemic? How can I reactivate my Baidu, WeChat, Meituan,…
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What are the most important review sites for hotels?
For hoteliers, TripAdvisor and OTA reviews have always had a higher mind share. According to ReviewPro, TripAdvisor’s 2022 share of reviews hovers around the 10% mark. Close to 73% of all hotel reviews come from Google and Booking. Let us zoom out a bit because the review ecosystem is much larger than just hotels. According to a recent Reviewtrackers report (link in the comments section), 88% of business reviews (not just hotel reviews) are found on just four websites.Google (73%).Yelp - 6%Facebook - 3%TripAdvisor - 3%👉🏼 Thanks to Android phones and Google Maps, Google can prompt users to write reviews based on the locations they visit.👉🏼 It is part of a…
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Why do hotels make such a big deal out of one-day festivals and events?
One question I've had is why hotels feel the need to devote so much of their marketing budget, content space, and effort to single-day festivals or events. To be sure, they are a good way to promote yourself and catch the attention of some people. But ignoring all the other guests who need a place to stay for a long time before and after the event seems like a missed opportunity. Consider Loy Kratong or Christmas (or add your own festival here). They get a lot of attention in marketing plans and are promoted weeks or months ahead of time. Packages and offers compete with everything else for promotional space…
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Top five elements influencing conversion rates on your hotel website or app
There are various outside elements that determine how well your website or booking engine converts visitors into bookings. I'd say that most of the convincing happens before guests even come to your website. However, once they are on the booking engine, the following are the most important considerations:✅ Pricing is by far the most important consideration. You convert more if you have the "best rate guarantee" (BRG) and your rates are better or the same as elsewhere online.✅ Choices: More guests will book when the options for accommodation types, pricing, and packages are balanced.✅ Visuals: It helps if you can include a hero shot as well as links to the…
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Don't post anything until you've answered these questions
Most hotels and businesses are preoccupied with what they want to sell and say. They scarcely pause to ask, "Is this what the customer wants?" If you do not answer the following questions before posting any content, you are doing it incorrectly. (website, social media, a blog, email, advertising, and a press release) What issues or pain points are you addressing for your guests? How does it express your brand and unique selling points? Do you address them as individuals? What would you think of the material if you were the guest? What do you want the visitor to do after viewing the content? The more questions you can confidently…
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Steal this Hotel Marketing Content Framework
Everyone knows how important it is to have the right content for the right guest at the right time. However, most hotels struggle with content and advertising strategies. I hope this helps hotels be a little more strategic about what they put out there. I should add that this should be a source of inspiration. Make it your own by customizing it.What are your content difficulties for social media, advertising, your website, and your blog?
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What Characteristics do the Best Social Media Managers Share?
Social media is a very important way to get the brand's message out, connect with guests, and make sales. My team was in charge of setting the strategy and guidelines and hiring social media talent at the property level. Here's what the great ones do.
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Five Mistakes Hotels Make with Competitive Set
Competitive benchmarking is an invaluable tool. I've seen it go wrong in a variety of settings. The following are the top five. Anchoring price at a fixed position: Always pricing exactly x amount below or above a competitor. Alternatively, set the price exactly between competitors A and B. Not looking beyond the official comp set: On OTAs and Google/Maps, an entirely different set of competitors may be taking business away from you. Not looking at extranet for who they are or not looking at “Similar hotels nearby” is a mistake. Pressured into picking a wrong competitive set: Owners and top executives may put pressure on hotels to choose a competitive…
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Digital Marketing Managers are from Venus, and Revenue Managers from Mars
Here is a cheat sheet for digital marketing managers. If you want to know what your revenue manager means, this is it. Rate hurdle Minimum order value Group ceiling Maximum order quantity (specific product) Average daily rate (ADR) Average order value Average length of stay (ALOS) Average quantity Segments Sell channel categories Revenue per available room (RevPAR) Average revenue (per store) Total revenue per available room (TrevPAR) Total revenue per (available store) Gross operating profit per available room (GOP PAR) Gross profit per (available store) Net revenue per available room (NRevPAR) Net profit per (available store) Revenue generation index (RGI) Market (click) share Market penetration index (MPI) Market share ranking …
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Revenue Managers are from Mars, and Digital Marketing Managers from Venus
Here is a cheat sheet for revenue managers. This is what your digital marketing team or agency means when they talk. Prospecting 🟰 Demand generationImpressions 🟰 InfluencingWebsite visits 🟰 Direct guests (potential)Engagement 🟰 Tentative (guests)Bounce rate 🟰 WashBooking funnel 🟰 Sales process (online)Conversion rate 🟰 Pricing effectivenessConversion window 🟰 Lead timeCPA (Cost per acquisition) 🟰 Distribution costGeotargeting 🟰 POS (Point of Sale)One way to learn something new is to find a way to link it to something you already know.What would you like to add to this list?