The world is a wild place today and as technology progresses ranging from AI to social media with Instagram launching Threads, Elon Musk rebranding Twitter to X and everything else going on we are living in very interesting times. But are hotels getting the most out of their digital marketing strategies today? Let’s review.
After guiding companies ranging from global hotel chains to others (airlines, financial institutions, etc.) for 15+ years we see what’s happening on the surface along with everything else behind the scenes, which is why companies come to us to solve complex problems. And that’s what we enjoy most: Thinking outside of the box.
Going back to some of the most common questions we get related to the hotel/hospitality space, hopefully our feedback on the below questions sheds more light on your businesses and helps you grow:
What are the first steps to marketing a hotel online?
Whether you’re operating a global hotel chain or a cool, boutique hotel in a remote area of the world the core marketing principles still hold true: It’s imperative to use a blend of content and social media marketing to show how you’re different and digitally project the experience that’s to come.
What is the role of a marketing manager at a hotel?
As we dig more into the marketing side of hotels, including the management needed from both a marketing and operations perspective, the role of a marketing manager is to first understand what’s happening on the ground level – both literally and figuratively – as well as finding creative ways to accelerate the positives while fixing the negatives. In a way, a marketing manager acts as your eyes and ears.
How do I promote a new hotel?
Marketing a new hotel is many times an uphill battle, especially when competing against established brands across all price points, and the strategy needed to promote a new hotel is highly dependent on a wide variety of factors ranging from the location, target markets, etc. For example, an inexpensive hotel near a major airport may cater to frustrated guests dealing with flight delays/layovers whereas a luxury hotel in common destinations (Los Angeles, Las Vegas, NYC, etc.) attracts guests that are looking for comfort and a temporary escape from reality.
How do luxury hotels market themselves?
Looking at luxury hotels around the world and how they market themselves, most use a blend of social media ads/marketing with a sprinkle of SEO and PR to hopefully achieve their goals, however that’s not the best recipe for success. With the customer experience space taking off nowadays, focusing on delivering that (the best customer experiences possible) is ultimately what leads to winning in the end (aka: making your guests happy and wanting to come back in the future).
How can social media be used to market a hotel?
Looking at one of the best ways for hotels of all types to market themselves, social media can be both a blessing and a curse in that when done right the results show proof in the pudding, however when done wrong it’s no bueno. Social media marketing is still one of the most important gadgets in your marketing toolbox, though you have to know the best way to use it. And those are the superpowers we bring to the table.
What are the benefits of SEO for hotels vs advertising online?
The ability to attract organic views at no cost per click whether it’s on social media or in search engines is magical, and if you are reading this blog post now there’s a good chance you found it via running a search in Google which proves the point. By delivering helpful, value-added info to the masses ranging from local attractions to iconic restaurants you’ve become a source of information (an influencer of sorts). And most importantly, that allows you to help educate others as opposed to simply pushing ads in front of them.
How much do top hotel chains pay for digital ads?
Budgets for online marketing at top hotel chains around the world fluctuate greatly, and in guiding many of them we noticed how they’re often skewed towards gaps in revenue – like underperforming properties that are costing money vs making money – and taking drastic moves to fix the issues before more losses occur. And depending on what hotel chains are facing they may spend nothing on digital ads per month or $1M+.
What are the actual costs of internet marketing for hotels to win?
The real costs of being a marketing ninja and winning in the hotel space isn’t so much about the dollar amount, but instead the strategy and if it actually pays off in the end. And that’s why hotels, financial institutions and a variety of other companies from around the world come to us for help with solving complex problems.
Since it’s a question we get often, which hotel brand is best on social media?
We have always operated like a special forces marketing team for hotels and other businesses so we can’t share too much information on specific clients or previous projects for hotels, though what we can say is that being organic, honest and social plants the seeds for everything in life.