Welcome to “The Essential Guide to Digital Marketing for Hotels in 2024”! If you’re looking to improve your hotel’s digital presence and attract more guests, you’ve come to the right place. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the latest strategies to ensure your hotel stands out in a crowded online marketplace. We’ll take it right back to the basics!
Digital marketing for hotels is more critical than ever. With travellers increasingly relying on online resources to discover and book accommodations, your hotel’s digital strategy must be top-notch. From optimising your website for mobile users to making the most of social media platforms like TikTok, we’ll cover the essential tactics you need to implement.
So grab a drink and a snack, and let’s get into it!
6 Hotel Digital Marketing Strategies
1. Set Up a Mobile-Friendly Website That’s Quick and User-Friendly
If you don’t have a mobile-friendly website in 2024, where have you been? It’s a necessity. With most travellers using smartphones to research and book accommodations, your hotel’s website must prioritise the mobile experience. This means designing a responsive layout that adapts seamlessly to various screen sizes and ensures fast loading times. According to a report by Statista, in 2023, ‘mobile devices (excluding tablets) generated 58.67% of global website traffic’.
To optimise your website for mobile users, simplify navigation and streamline the booking process. Visitors should be able to easily find essential information, such as room types, amenities, and rates, without excessive scrolling or zooming. This is a crucial aspect of digital marketing for hotels that cannot be overlooked.
2. Use Data to Guide Your Digital Marketing Efforts
Adopting a data-driven approach is crucial to maximising the impact of your hotel’s digital marketing efforts—the data doesn’t lie! Analyse website and social media metrics to identify areas for improvement and optimise your strategies accordingly. Tools like Google Analytics can track visitor behaviour, conversion rates, and revenue generated from various marketing channels. Use customer data, such as demographics, booking history, and preferences, to personalise marketing messages and offers. This data-driven approach to digital marketing for hotels will ensure your strategies are always improving.
3. Show Off Your Hotel’s Best Features on Social Media
Social media continues to be a powerful tool for hotel digital marketing, especially TikTok. People are beginning to use TikTok to search for hotels or places to stay. Think of all the ‘This is your sign to book…’ or ‘location at the end’ videos.
Develop a strong social media presence by regularly posting high-quality photos and videos highlighting your hotel’s unique features and guest experiences. Engage with your followers by responding to comments, answering questions, and encouraging user-generated content. After all, user-generated content is king!
Engage with Your Audience
Social media is a two-way conversation, so engaging with your followers is important. Respond promptly to comments and direct messages, and show appreciation for positive reviews and feedback. Engaging effectively on social media is a vital part of digital marketing for hotels. If people feel ignored, they might start losing trust in your brand.
Develop a Content Calendar
Develop a content calendar that outlines your social media strategy to ensure consistent and timely posting. Plan a mix of promotional, educational, and entertaining content that aligns with your hotel’s brand and resonates with your target audience. Incorporate trending topics and relevant hashtags to increase visibility and reach.
Collaborate with Influencers to Expand Your Reach
Influencer marketing has become an increasingly popular strategy. Identify influencers whose target audience aligns with your hotel’s ideal guest profile and explore collaboration opportunities. One possibility is hosting influencers at your property in exchange for content creation and promotion on their social media channels.
4. Make the Most of Targeted Social Media Ads
In addition to organic reach, targeted social media advertising can help you reach potential guests who are most likely to book with your hotel. Use Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ads to promote special offers, packages, and upcoming events. Retarget website visitors with personalised ads based on their browsing behaviour to keep your hotel top-of-mind and encourage bookings.
When you scroll through Instagram and see ads like the ones below, they are specifically targeted to you based on your previous search behaviour, demographics, or other segments.
5. Get the Most Out of Email Marketing for Your Hotel
Email marketing is a powerful tool for hotels to nurture relationships with guests and drive repeat bookings. By implementing best practices and leveraging the data you’ve collected, you can create targeted, personalised campaigns that keep your hotel top of mind and encourage guests to book with you again and again.
Build a Targeted Email List
The foundation of a successful email marketing strategy is a high-quality, targeted email list. To build your list, start by collecting email addresses through your website’s booking process and sign-up forms. Offer incentives for guests to subscribe, such as exclusive discounts, loyalty rewards, or access to unique content like insider tips and local event guides.
Make sure you’re collecting email addresses at every touchpoint, including:
- Booking confirmations
- Check-in and check-out
- Guest surveys and feedback forms
- Social media channels
- On-site sign-up forms
Segment Your Email List
Once you’ve built your email list, it’s essential to segment it based on guest preferences, booking history, and demographics. Segmentation allows you to create targeted campaigns that resonate with specific groups of guests, increasing the relevance and effectiveness of your emails.
Consider segmenting your list based on factors such as:
- Room type preferences
- Booking frequency
- Length of stay
- Reason for travel (business, leisure, etc.)
- Geographic location
- Demographic information (age, gender, income, etc.)
Craft Compelling Email Campaigns
With your segmented email list, it’s time to craft compelling campaigns that provide value to your recipients. Your emails should be informative, engaging, and visually appealing, with clear calls to action encouraging guests to book with your hotel.
Some effective email campaign ideas include:
When crafting your email content, create a strong subject line that entices recipients to open your email. Use engaging visuals, such as high-quality photos and videos of your hotel and destination, to capture attention and showcase your unique features and amenities.
Take The World of Hyatt Inclusive Collection as an example. Their email campaigns vary depending on their goals—from hotel spotlights and discounts to post-stay feedback forms. Regardless of the campaign, they always use strong subject lines, great visuals and valuable content.
6. Encourage and Engage with Online Reviews to Enhance Your Hotel’s Reputation
Customer reviews play a pivotal role in shaping the perception and success of hotels. With the rise of platforms like TripAdvisor, Google reviews, and even reviews on social media platforms like Facebook, travellers now have access to a wealth of first-hand experiences and opinions from fellow guests. These reviews serve as powerful social proof, influencing the booking decisions of potential customers – an aspect of digital marketing that should not be ignored.
According to a study by TripAdvisor, ‘72% of respondents always or frequently read reviews before making a decision on places to stay and eat, or things to do.’ This highlights the immense impact that customer feedback has on a hotel’s bottom line.
Encouraging Guest Reviews
Don’t worry about reviews—they can be a great asset! Encouraging your guests to leave a review for your hotel is a smart move. Positive reviews are like gold for your hotel’s marketing. They offer genuine, unbiased feedback that can help persuade future guests to choose your property. You can proudly share these reviews across various marketing channels, whether an ad, social media post, or email campaign.
And if a guest has a less-than-perfect experience, your response is key—never ignore it. To encourage guests to leave feedback, try these tips:
- Include review links in your post-stay emails
- Provide review cards or flyers in guest rooms
- Have staff politely ask for reviews during check-out
- Offer incentives for leaving a review, like a discount on a future stay or entry into a prize draw
Conclusion
So there you have it—the Essential Guide to Digital Marketing for Hotels! The main thing to remember is to focus on creating an engaging online experience and connecting with your audience where they are most active. Remember, it’s about attracting new guests and building lasting relationships with the ones you already have. Stay creative, stay data-driven, and keep evolving with the trends. Digital marketing for hotels is an ongoing process that requires attention and adaptation.
Are you ready to take your hotel’s digital marketing to the next level? Start by assessing your current strategies and identifying areas for improvement. Short on time? Let us handle it for you! At Hummingbird, we specialise in digital marketing for the experience economy, focusing on industries like hospitality.
Recommended read: How to Run Successful Paid Advertising Campaigns for Your Hotel
