All companies in the hospitality industry need to market their services on the internet to adapt to this technology age. There are more people searching for hotels online because it saves time, and they can look at several different hotels at once.
Though there are millions of internet users, there is stiff competition in the hotel digital marketing world. A client needs to feel that what is offered is the best, and there is no better offer anywhere else on the web world. Failure to do that, a digital marketing campaign will be fruitless.
Benefits of Digital Marketing
Hotels and other key players in the hospitality industry must embrace digital marketing to enjoy benefits like:
Global reach
As soon as a website is created and optimized for the target internet audience, a hotel’s services are available to masses around the globe.
Reduced overhead expenditure
Overheads incurred in land-based marketing campaigns, such as printing costs, are eliminated by creating online marketing campaigns.
Engagement
A digital marketer gets platform to interact with potential customers and discover their needs, likes and dislikes. It is a quick and effective way to survey the market.
The digital marketing platform evolves daily, with the introduction of new strategies as others become redundant. Hence, a digital marketer for any hotel needs to know what works and what doesn’t.
Tips for Every Hotel Digital Marketer
If you want your hotel to remain relevant in the internet world, here are a few things you can incorporate in your digital marketing strategy.
Create a Mobile Friendly Website
A mobile responsive website is a necessity in order to reach out to the millions of mobile gadget users. Statistics from the world’s most popular search engine, Google, show that before an internet user books a flight or a hotel, he/she visits several websites.
You want your website to be one of the popular options, and to actually be available to different users regardless of the device they are using. Most websites can be viewed on desktops and personal computers, and as a digital marketer, you want mobile device users to get the same quality of the website on their phones or tablets.
Your design team will customize images, the page length and width, among other features, to the mobile device browsers. Hence, within the hour or so an internet user takes to find a good booking site, he/she will find your website and actually decide to stay.
Failure to have a mobile responsive website will increase the bounce rate as users look for a website that allows bookings from the mobile without taking ages to load a page.
Use social Media Wisely
Previously, companies would post on their social media accounts often, thinking that it would help them remain relevant. Now, digital marketers know that the audience wants to feel appreciated.
Hence, the content must be interactive. It must elicit some action from the audience, such as inciting them to book, share the information or simply like the offer.
Aim for shareable content only. This will boost your reach in social media platforms fast. With consistent posts, the audience accepts your brand and you will see more people looking for an opportunity to be identified with your company.
Additionally, learn how to use promotions and giveaways with social media marketing. These gifts not only build loyalty but they also increase your outreach and draw new internet users to your social media pages. You can also organize weekly or daily competitions that boost traffic to the website or build brand awareness.
You can also use social media platforms to request for reviews from clients. When people are searching for hotels online, they go through reviews to gauge what their experience will be, based on what other clients went through. Request customers to review your hotel; at times, you will get negative comments, but with efficient crisis/reputation management skills, you can always make potential customers feel that the situation is under control.
Take Advantage of Digital Marketing Tools
There are so many efficient digital marketing tools that can help you manage multiple accounts and channels.
For example, there are tools for scheduling marketing campaigns and social media management. You can have different messages for each platform, and still post them simultaneously.
However, as you do that, avoid making this process look unnatural or forced. The audience will notice. In addition to what you post, always have timely replies to queries or comments. You will have to manage your time wisely so that you can check the comments and feedback several times daily.
Keep Learning to Have an Effective Digital Marketing Strategy for Hotel
Digital marketing is a requirement for a hotel that wants to tap the millions who are looking for hotels online.
A digital marketing strategy must conform to the marketing goals, the audience’s needs as well as the hotel’s budget. If you’re looking to boost your hotel business, contact our team at Juicebox today. Our team of experts can help you create a comprehensive digital marketing strategy for hotel to reach your target audience. Let’s work together!
