With couples booking surprise retreats, professionals travelling for events and families visiting their loved ones, the festive season can mean a busy time if you’re a hotelier, especially when it marks a crucial period during which you can market your name to a wider audience and promote more direct bookings.
By putting in a little extra effort, you can tap into the most important time of the year for giving and indulgence with a few simple marketing tips that will generate a buzz around your hotel, strengthen the bond you have with your guests and increase your direct bookings long into the New Year. Here’s how:
Get into the Festive Spirit with Special Offers and Promos
Christmas is the best time to introduce new specials and promos that will turn heads and boost bookings. Exclusive deals, pampering services, complimentary drinks and Christmas dining - both onsite and with local partnerships - are just a few tempting things that you can offer exclusively to guests who book direct via effective promotion across your online platforms.
Target your repeat guests who tend to book at the end of the year, or devise a competition or giveaway that will bring attention to your social media pages with advent calendar-style posts that reveal surprise details each day. In a whirlwind of Christmas marketing that can easily get tiresome - even ignored altogether - make sure your content stands out with eye-catching headers and bold festive photos that entice and excite.
Promote Festive Activities and Local Events
Your location is sure to have its own unique festivities and events in the lead up to Christmas Day, so let your customers know! Christmas markets, tree lightings, festive shows, kids workshops and Christmas menus all add to the excitement of experiencing Christmas in a new location, which you can advertise, alongside your accommodation, in an SEO blog, website landing pages or a well-organised stream of social media posts.
For a personal touch, invite your audience in on how you’re preparing for Christmas - this can be a quick photo or vlog showcasing your brand new lobby Christmas tree, the festive lights you just hung up or exciting seasonal additions to your Christmas menu, which guarantee to create affinity with both new and old guests.
Up Your Engagement and Don’t Forget the New Year
It’s the season to be jolly, so get in the spirit and up your social engagement for both online customers and currently booked guests - simple but effective, this will inspire likability, 5-star reviews and the incentive to return in the future. While this keeps you busy, don’t forget that a short and sweet online greeting via email or social media can be quickly scheduled ahead for Christmas Day.
Last but not least, make your Christmas greetings an opportunity to extend exclusive customer offers for the New Year, including promotion of upcoming local events and any deals you may have for Valentine’s Day - the next busiest season to look forward to!
What’s your holiday marketing campaign each Christmas? Let us know in the comments below!
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