What’s Hot? 2017’s Digital Marketing Priorities for Hotels
Anyone who has any familiarity with digital marketing – which nowadays should surely include every independent hotelier – ought to be aware it’s a sprawling arena that’s constantly changing and evolving. But as we segue from 2016 into 2017, what’s the direction of travel in digital marketing right now…?
The future is mobile-shaped
Long gone are the days when desktop and/ or PCs were the be-and-end-all of online usage. Last autumn, mobile and other handheld devices finally overtook desktop as the primary source of Internet access. Simply for that reason alone, mobiles and mobile-optimised websites have to be at the centre of any and every hotel’s marketing strategy.
And there’s much to be said too for mobile-related products like Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) device, which cleverly speeds up the loading of a site once a user’s reached it. Why? Because it’ll help ensure more users are retained on your site – research suggests that most people move on from a site if it takes more than three seconds to load. And hoteliers can’t afford to overlook downloadable applications (apps) anymore; they’re fantastic for brands that specifically want to focus on customer experience and delivery, offering so many opportunities for connection, interaction and retention of pre-existing and current hotel visitors.
Get your approach to organic search right
It’s true that the pages of organic search (on search engines; primarily Google), which rank the most popular choices at the top of their first page, are getting ever more crowded and competitive. Like it or not, that’s inevitable given the importance of organic search to modern marketing; it’s what – above all other methods – most consistently delivers quality visitors to sites. And, for hotels, that means travellers looking to book directly. So, ignoring the need for smart and effective search engine optimisation (SEO) to make the most of hotel search engine marketing and ensure you get people visiting your site and booking with you, simply isn’t an option.
Be warned, though, if you’re driving traffic to your site and it doesn’t look appealing, you’re more than likely throwing away all your investment on it. Equally, though, it’s not just about aesthetics; the text is as important as the site’s imagery and video when it comes to retaining visitors and persuading them to book with you directly. So, if you want to drive more hotel bookings, it’s critical to be serious about filling your site’s pages with intelligent, informative, high quality content. Indeed, it’s crucial for SEO purposes too, of course, that the content’s rich in relevant keywords in order to drive visitors to the website in the first place.
Being smart about social media
Finally, since becoming so popular they’re now ubiquitous; platforms like Facebook and Twitter have ensured social media’s become an essential component in the hotel industry’s marketing arsenal. With their outstanding capacity for engaging and interacting with users (who aren’t looking to just visit your website and so potentially book directly, but share your content – promotions, deals and amenity details – with countless other users), social media networks offer enormous branding opportunities. And when leveraged correctly can serve as a decisive first step in the customer journey.
That said, social media’s also an arena that can become flooded with new and exciting, flashy things – for instance, any number of trendy tools – so much so that, on occasion, it can be easy to get side-tracked and waste time on evolutions that aren’t going to improve your hotel’s social media standing. In which case, it’s critical to remain focused and keep your eyes on the prize. And it’s precisely that reason why so many hoteliers are turning to reputable agencies like Digital Hotelier who are experts in making the most of the marketing opportunities social media platforms can offer.
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.