When it comes to businesses in pretty much any branch out there nowadays – digital marketing is absolutely essential. Many branches are already oversaturated with similar businesses, which makes good online visibility a crucial parameter for success. Having that said though, is there a perfect formula for the way in which you should approach digital marketing? Well, plenty of disagreements exist on how digital marketing should be conducted and what strategies should be implemented. In addition to that, there are a plethora of options out there, which doesn’t make marketing any easier. All this leads to the fact that one can easily get overwhelmed when it comes to choosing what to focus on when comprising a marketing strategy.
All this without a doubt applies to advertising hotels, which is the focus of this article. One key parameter that differentiates hotels from plenty of other business sectors is the impact of local competitors. In order to help you stand out from the crowd and attract more clients to your hotel, in this article, you will find all that you need to know in order to properly advertise your hotel.
Cover the basics – list your hotel on Google!
Every digital marketing strategy for a hotel must start with listing your hotel on Google. Without doing so, there is no point in talking about hotel digital marketing, launching an ad campaign, or working on SEO. The simple reason for that is the fact that the majority of your potential clients are going to look your business up on Google first. Additionally, listing your hotel on Google is free, and it basically serves as an e-card for your hotel.
About your website
Your website is the most important aspect of your online presence, which is why you need to work on it the most. The probability is high that most of your potential customers are, one way or another, going to end up on your website. Be it through ads, social media, or through Google maps – your website is the selling point. So, you want to ensure that when a potential client lands on your home page, they find an engaging, inviting, and informative website. There are plenty of things to cover about what to focus on regarding your website, but here, you will read about the most important aspects.
Mobile optimization is imperative
Nowadays, most people spend more time online on their phones than on their computers. This is exactly why you must focus on making your website optimized for mobile phones. Doing so is especially important due to the fact that when people travel and are on the go and looking for a hotel – the probability is high that they will use their phones to find a nearby hotel.
SEO: focus on on-site Search Engine Optimization first
Search Engine Optimization is arguably the most important part of a marketing strategy as it dictates where your website will land on the Google search page. Basically, when working on SEO, what you want to do is to ensure that Google algorithms pull out your website when a topic relevant to it is looked up.
This can be done in various different ways, but in general, two main categories for SEO are on-site and off-site. Here, you will read about on-site SEO as it is the first step, and it is easier to do. The two main parameters that you should focus on when working on your website are relevance and clarity.
- Relevance: Making your website relevant means that you have to ensure that there is all the information on your hotel that is useful. You want to ensure that your website is packed with relevant content, keywords that support your hotel, and everything in between.
- Clarity: Relevance is one thing, but making your website easily readable is equally as important. If your website has all the data needed but it can’t be found and accessed easily – you will lose potential customers.
Ads are important, but there is more to it
There’s no way to deny the importance and the impact of a regular old ad, but there indeed is more to it. In fact, in recent years, a plethora of alternative marketing techniques have emerged. If you want to take advantage of these techniques, and you probably should – in the further text, you will find out how to do so.
Video advertising
Consumers are way more inclined to get their info through video content rather than reading through a long text. This is exactly why you should focus on providing video content when advertising your hotel. When it comes to hotels specifically, a tour around the rooms, different services that you offer – or even a tour around the kitchen is a great way to go. You can also go a step further and introduce your staff and talk with them on relevant topics, as well as with your previous customers.
Utilize social media as well
Social media is such a powerhouse when it comes to reaching new audiences, so, make sure that you use them! By using social media, you will be able to reach people that are looking up locations in which they either are at the moment or are planning to visit. These are your potential customers, so make sure that you show your hotel in its best light. Be up to date with stories, go live, engage with your audience! Even better so – from time to time, organize Instagram giveaways – those are great for acquiring new followers.
Blogging – the whys and the hows
For a hotel, having a blog on your website is an incredibly powerful part of a marketing strategy. What you want to write about are all the things relevant to the location of your Hotel. So, all the attractions, restaurants, local events, and such. These are the things that people traveling nearby are looking for. Through accessing your articles, a potential customer is going to land on your website and perhaps book a stay.
Finally, what must be said here is that while you should always take time to do your research on your competitors – don’t forget to focus on what makes your hotel stand out on its own. Every hotel is different in various ways, so, use this to your own advantage in order to curate your original story. There is no perfect formula when it comes to digital marketing in general, but there are certain things you can do that apply to everyone. As you’ve been able to see in this article, focusing on discussed parameters is without a doubt going to produce a higher turnover number.
All this being said, marketing strategies should always evolve, which is why you must focus on continuing your research. Always try and observe potential upgrades to the strategy, and try to create alternative campaigns in addition to your primary one. Good luck!