Every independent hotel wants to boost its retention rates. Loyal, repeat guests play a crucial role in driving direct bookings, increasing revenue and generating free word of mouth marketing in the form of reviews and referrals. So how can you retain more guests in 2019?
Know Your Guests
Do you have guests that stayed for a special anniversary? Valentines Day? Or perhaps you have guests that book in regularly to visit friends or relatives in the local area? Record their reasons for booking, their interests in local sites and attractions and use this information to create personalised, targeted email marketing campaigns for them.
Of course, you’ll need to start by segmenting your contact lists by demographic and stay information. The more you know about your guests, the more you can tailor your approach for maximum impact.
Drive Loyalty Using Retargeting Ads
Make use of the wealth of analytics, social and booking data at your fingertips to run a retargeting advertising campaign, aimed specifically at guests who have booked with you before. There are numerous third party tools that will help you create web and social retargeting campaigns from scratch like PerfectAudience and AdRoll, as well as built-in retargeting features on Facebook and the other major social networks.
Offer Exclusive Discounts
Offering enticing discounts and special packages for returning guests is a powerful way to drive further bookings from returning guests. Make your offers limited time only and include a compelling call to action in your messaging to maximise the effectiveness of your campaigns.
Continue Providing First Rate, Personalised Service
It’s a no brainer: the most effective way to make guests want to stay at your property again and again is to offer the kind of friendly personalised service and attention to detail that naturally generates 5 star reviews!
What strategies is your hotel using to retain more guests in 2019? Let us know in the comments below!
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