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Ten things their digital marketing team/agency wishes hotels knew
My team was in charge of digital marketing for more than 50 properties. The budget we used was in the seven figures (USD) per year. The ROI and CPA requirements were stringent. The team frequently lamented that a distribution, E-commerce, revenue manager, or general manager did not understand what it took to run a successful digital marketing campaign.It was incredible to see so many ideas, tactics, and team members come together beautifully in a perfectly choreographed delivery of amazing numbers like 20 in ROI and under 2% in CPA when it worked. When that happens, the properties know how to handle it properly.Preparation period/ optimization timeWhen it comes to guest…
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Does your hotel need an app?
For most hotels, the answer is still “No". It's time to skip, move on, and browse away!However, if you're interested in how guest behavior has changed as a result of the pandemic, what hotel apps can do these days, whether they can drive revenue, and whether they're a good fit for your property, keep reading.Let us begin with the guest behavioral changes hastened by the pandemic.They can use an app to order food from the comfort of their own homes.Shopping apps allow users to order almost any product and have it delivered to their home.They have access to any type of entertainment on demand.Most apps learn about the user and…
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My Digital Detox Journey-Part 1
Do you feel confined by your digital devices? Do you find yourself endlessly scrolling through feeds and getting lost in one app after another? Are you unable to tell whether you are enriched by your phone or is it simply draining you? Is everything a blur, whether it be work or life? Maybe there is something for you in this post. Read on. (I know. I know. The irony of someone who has built his career around digital technology talking about digital detox is not lost on me!) This subject has been talked about and written about a lot. I'm not sure I have much to say about digital wellbeing.…
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Hotels—what is your online identity?
The question of online identity sounds simple. Most hotels would put their hand up and respond by saying it is their hotel/brand website, of course. Is the answer more complex than that?Your identity Is it your website?Is it your property listing on OTAs?Is it your FB profile?Is it your IG profile?Is it your Twitter profile?Is it your TikTok profile?Is it your Youtube channel?Is it your app?Is it your (Google/Apple/Bing) Maps listing?Is it your Line app profile?Is it your WeChat profile?Is it your advertising and paid marketing?It could be one of these or all of them. However, just as your personal identity differs from that of your parents, spouse, siblings, friends, acquaintances, and…
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The Great Talent Crunch in Hospitality-Commercial Edition
Several hotel general managers have approached me for assistance with recruitment. In order of the number of requests, here are the positions they seem to be having trouble with:Revenue ManagersDistribution/ E-Commerce ManagersSocial Media ManagersMarketing ManagersCommunication and PRDigital Marketing ManagersThere are challenges elsewhere, but because I specialize in the commercial arena, the requests I get are in this area.Hiring anyone to fill vacant positions has been a challenge, let alone talent. If what is happening in the US and Europe is any guide, the talent crunch is not going to ease for a while, even in Asia. Here are some thoughts on what hotels can do to tackle the issue and still…
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Incorporating a New Process, System, or Tech in Hospitality
I have observed hospitality to be a very process-driven industry. For most serious hotels, SOPs on everything are sacred. If you are an outsider, it may be a little hard to appreciate the complexity. There are so many moving parts: systems, people, vendors, contractors, etc. If you have any experience running a household, just multiply it by the number of rooms a hotel has to get a feel for it. Processes have served the industry well in standardizing the quality of product and service offerings. However, when you are in the business of digitisation like me, you come in to disrupt. Introducing a new system or process is always hard.…
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Is the direct booking strategy still worth pursuing?
"Hey, business is slowly but steadily returning," a general manager said. “I don't see why I should have to invest in advertising up front. It may end up costing me more than I pay the agents."This is a common refrain, and I appreciate it. Direct is difficult for many independent hotels and small groups. If you don't know what you're doing, you could end up spending far more than it would cost to distribute through third parties.There are several reasons why hotels ignore the direct channel.CostsTalentKeeping up with the ever-changing trendsOTA dominationNo understanding of distribution costsLack of analysis and data practicesPast practices: ‘It has always been this way.’InertiaThere could be…
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Hotels, do you have the right commercial team structure post pandemic?
The extent to which the post-pandemic landscape has changed is largely determined by your vantage point. Some transformations have been dramatic and long-lasting. Others will succumb to human nature and relapse. How prevalent is mask wearing in your locality now?One thing is certain: most hotels face significant challenges in terms of hiring and retaining talent. It is critical to have an optimal team structure not only to address changes in consumer behavior but also to respond to rapidly shifting demand.My observations are as follows.Consumers have become more digitally savvy and expect connected product and service delivery.Social media usage has increased, but it has become more fragmented across generations and geographical…
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OTA Promotions-How to Decide?
OTAs generate a mountain of data. I am not talking about the visitor behavior data on their website. I am talking about what hoteliers do on their extranet. Hoteliers are enticed by the same tactics that allow OTAs to get their website visitors to click on a button, navigate to a different page, or make a booking.Discounting or participating in a campaign is as easy as clicking a button now. A constant stream of competition and market data encourages you to participate in a new campaign or keeps you there. It's no surprise that most hoteliers feel left out if they don't have one of these offers on their OTA listing. How…
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Hotel Distribution: As Simple or Complex as you Make it
A variety of factors influence hotel distribution strategies. Many people find it simple. They decide on a strategy, a plan of action, and they follow it. Their distribution system works well. It is effective.However, distribution is a nightmare for the majority of hotels. There are so many competing elements that effective management is difficult. Everything here appears to break faster than a hotel's ability to fix it. It's no surprise that most GMs and their corporate counterparts are constantly in the fire-fighting mode. This is an attempt to deconstruct the distribution strategy and then apply a complex and simple execution, but first The core: you have control over most of these.Rate structureRevenue…
