You know how sales keep fluctuating if you are in the hospitality industry. Suddenly your revenue increases in the travel season but then everything is slow during off seasons.
It’s the nature of the industry. So, marketing becomes even more important as there are limited time periods when you can attract more customers and increase sales.
But with so many hotels, restaurants and resorts vying for attention, how do you ensure your brand stands out?
Here are some new-age hospitality marketing strategies you can use to get an edge.
Table of contents
- Use SEO to Let Potential Customers Find You
- Do PPC (Pay-Per-Click) Advertising During Peak Season
- Attract Customers with Value-Driven Content Marketing
- Partner with Travel Agencies
- Collaborate with Influencers So That More Users Know You
- Create Seasonal Packages and Offers
- Engage with Guests Through Personalised Experiences
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
1. Use SEO to Let Potential Customers Find You
Search engine optimisation — sounds so technical right? But it’s just about optimising your website so that it pops up on the first page when someone searches for your service on Google.
Take “Resorts near Ahmedabad” for example. Here’s a screenshot of what appears when we search it.
There’s a high chance that users will visit either of these 3 resorts because these are the top 3 that they can find on Google.
To make sure that your business appears in such search results, set up your GMB profile and start acquiring Google reviews.
You can keep a QR code on reception that says “Tell us About Your Experience”. The more positive reviews you get, the higher the chances of showing up in nearby searches.
Additionally, you can post blogs related to nearby attractions or travel tips. You can also contact other blog websites that are relevant to your business and ask them to recommend your place and put a link to your website.
If you manage to get this type of quality links, soon your blogs will also rank and your brand recall will also increase.
2. Do PPC (Pay-Per-Click) Advertising During Peak Season
PPC ads are a great way to get noticed quickly. Platforms like Google Ads let you create ads that appear when people search for keywords related to your business. For example, if someone searches for “best hotels in Ahmedabad,” you want your ad to pop up.
But do it wisely. Recognise your peak time. It could be festivals, weekends etc. Then, plan your PPC campaign around that time to capitalise on the already increased demand.
Create ads with strong, clear messages and use precise targeting to reach your ideal audience. And don’t forget about retargeting. If someone visits your site but doesn’t inquire, retargeting ads can remind them of what they’re missing out on.
Additionally, monitor the performance of your PPC campaigns regularly. Just a heads-up – we are about to throw out some terms related to PPC campaigns.
Don’t worry if you understand it now. Because you can always take the help of a digital marketing agency to implement a PPC ad campaign.
But, read it anyway just so you know what to check when you are presented with the report.
You need to analyse metrics such as click-through rates, conversion rates and cost-per-click to fine-tune your strategy
And then you are supposed to adjust your bids and ad copy based on what’s working best to ensure you’re getting the most out of your advertising budget.
As we said — this execution part will be all done by a digital marketing company. You just have to take a look at the metrics to check whether it’s working or not.
3. Attract Customers with Value-Driven Content Marketing
Content marketing includes every form of content you post online on any platform. It should just match your brand persona and connect with your customers.
You can post relatable content on social media or just educate them and add some value to their life. This enhances brand image and when they repeatedly consume your content, your brand recall also increases.
You can pick any platform based on your budget, hire a content creation agency and start content marketing.
To create a detailed content marketing plan for your brand, reach out to a digital marketing company.
4. Partner with Travel Agencies
People often reach out to travel agencies when they want to travel. They are already willing to spend their money at this point.
You can capitalise on this and attract most of their customers to your hotel or resort.
Here’s how you can build strong partnerships with travel agencies.
- Commission Structures: Offer competitive commission structures to travel agencies to incentivise them to promote your property. Consider providing special rates or exclusive offers for their clients.
- Co-Branding Opportunities: Explore co-branding opportunities with travel agencies to increase visibility. This could include joint marketing campaigns, collaborative promotions or featured listings on their platforms.
5. Collaborate with Influencers So That More Users Know You
Influencers can significantly boost your brand because they already have loyal followers. Just think about it. Why would you follow an influencer on Instagram? It’s because you are genuinely interested in their content.
Take someone like a travel influencer. Their followers are interested in all things related to travel be it hotels, resorts, places to visit etc.
You can find such influencers and offer them a complimentary stay or experience in exchange for promoting your property.
But make sure the partnership feels genuine. The content should reflect the influencer’s style and your brand’s essence.
6. Create Seasonal Packages and Offers
Tailoring packages and offers to fit the season can drive bookings during both peak and off-peak times. Here’s how to do it.
- Themed Packages: Design themed packages around holidays or local festivals. For instance, offer a “Diwali Special” package that includes festive decorations, a special dinner and cultural experiences.
- Limited-Time Offers: Promote limited-time offers that create urgency. A “Summer Escape” deal with discounted rates for early bookings can attract guests looking for summer getaways.
7. Engage with Guests Through Personalised Experiences
Creating memorable experiences can lead to positive reviews and repeat business. Focus on personal touches that enhance the guest experience.
Here are some ideas to make their experience more personalised.
- Celebrate special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries with personalised touches. Offer complimentary upgrades, special decorations or personalised gifts to make their stay unforgettable.
- Provide tailored recommendations based on guests’ preferences. If a guest mentions an interest in local cuisine, suggest nearby restaurants or offer a culinary experience at your property.
Conclusion
If you want to start the implementation of the marketing strategies mentioned here, we recommend that start with the offline strategies that we suggested as you know the industry and would be easy for you to implement.
For example— you can start offering personalised experiences like birthday celebrations or introducing festive offers. That’s what you know the best.
And to execute digital marketing strategies for hospitality business, reach out to us at hello@florafountain.com
Our team will create a special marketing plan for you to increase footfall.
Frequently Asked Questions
Vasim Samadji is a partner at Flora Fountain, where he leads the Business and Marketing Strategy divisions. In a world where everyone is used to sugarcoating, his directness is often considered rude. But that shouldn't be a problem if you like the no-nonsense approach. Because he is a seasoned professional...