Capturing the Millennial Market: Driving Direct Bookings From Today’s Travellers
If you’re over the age of 35, talking to a young person nowadays can be like trying to converse with an alien. Every older generation seems to say that of the younger generation, of course; but with the digital technology boom of the last few years – and the fact that ‘millennials’ are so up to speed on the appropriate terminology as well as all the technology – their approach to the world can seem, well, other-worldly to others.
However, there is something young people like to do just as much their older counterparts; that is, booking a room in a hotel for some time away from home. The difference here is that they’re increasingly conducting the entire process online and via the latest digital innovations. And that means that, as a hotelier, you have to get up to speed and keep up with this key group in order to connect, interact and do business with them. But how? Here are four key areas to consider…
Embrace the Internet
The vast majority of young people (that is, 16-34-year-olds) are online every single day of the year; in fact, as many as 90% of them are. To reach them you need to be properly active online by establishing a solid Internet presence. For this, you need to focus on two fundamental things. First, you must have a strong, responsive website; modern and dynamic design-wise, it should list your hotel’s amenities, contain high-quality imagery and reflect the property’s personality. And second, there’s social media. Social platforms are simply a terrific opportunity to connect with this target audience on its home turf, while enabling instant customer service and feedback and the chance to reach more and more of them as they share your content and spread awareness of your brand.
Organic search is awesome
Research suggests that, when they’re interested in buying something, most of today’s young people (55%) do their research online; more specifically, they rely on search engines and the vast majority of the time that means Google’s search pages. If you’re a hotelier, you simply have to bend to their behaviour here. But how? By investing time and energy in search engine optimisation (SEO). Put simply, SEO revolves around using Google-accepted strategies to boost your site’s ranking on its search pages.
To pull this off, the tried and tested technique is by filling several of your site’s pages with informed and well-written content that features keywords – phrases relevant to your hotel business that will match the ‘search words’ people type in to Google, thus showing up in search and leading them to your site. Sure, it sounds pretty simple explained like that, but in practice it’s obviously more complex and time-consuming. In which case, you’ll likely find it best to turn to a digital marketing specialist like Digital Hotelier for this work – certainly if you want to harness the power of SEO to direct potential customers to your hotel booking engine for website.
It’s all going mobile
Last autumn the amount of time spent accessing the Internet via handheld devices overtook that spent doing so on desktop (PCs) for the first time. And it’s a trend that’s not going to reverse any time soon. Smartphones and tablets aren’t the future when it comes to online engagement with consumers – especially the oh-so tech savvy millennial demographic – they’re the present. It’s that simple. To that end then, it’s absolutely crucial your website, if it isn’t already, is mobile-optimised; that means ensuring it can be accessed and functions and appears equally as well on mobile as it does on desktop. So much so, in fact, that Google is starting to penalise non-optimised sites in its search ranking (you can’t afford for that to happen!).
The power of video
Finally, let’s not beat around the bush here; online video is a huge deal to millennials – the statistics are pretty staggering. At least one in every four of them access Youtube on a daily basis and two in every 10 claim they find the site (and its content) more interesting and relevant to them than TV. Yes, really! No wonder video’s seen as incredibly ‘viral’ then. It’s a very powerful tool when harnessed smartly to capture the attention and imagination of young consumers; its immersiveness yet brevity – and repeatability – makes for an unbeatable combination.
Moreover, clever marketing bods have coined the phrase ‘micro moments’ for the brief instances when consumers are successfully engaged by modern marketing and research suggests that video is an incredibly reliable source of them. Google UK’s own stats claim that – remarkably – when people are thinking of taking a trip, 65% of them are using video; while 63% are doing so as they decide on their accommodation. In short, if you’re not including video in your online marketing mix – on your site and social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter et al) – then you simply must start right now!
Welcome to the 21st Century… if you haven’t done so already, it’s time to get your business on board the digital marketing train, before all your competitors disappear down the tracks. But where to start? One of the most popular forms of paid search marketing – advertising that exploits the power of search engines (i.e. […]
Converting Lookers into Bookers: Building a Hotel Distribution Strategy That Works
It’s an understatement to say that, in recent years, marketing a hotel has become more complicated. The digital revolution has expanded booking opportunities – leading to a dizzying array of online travel agents (OTAs), website opportunities and social media platforms to take advantage of, and direct booking engines to build and deploy. So, where does […]
Personalisation Leads to Higher Engagement in The Hotel Business
In the hospitality and travel market, email marketing can be personalised effectively. This is accomplished through a variety of simple techniques. By building customer profiles for your niche market, it becomes simpler to personalise emails that will address every client individually. Tips to use personalisation as part of hotel marketing solutions: Use names: The easiest […]
For any business to succeed it has to have a strong reputation in the market. While the reputation of any business was subject to word of mouth publicity, things have changed in this digital age. Now it is the virtual world or the internet, which makes or breaks a business’s reputation. Reputation does matter As […]
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.