Social media is busier than ever and if you’re not using it to market your hotel, you’re missing out on a serious opportunity to build a close online relationship with customers that will boost your hotel’s popularity, inspire trust and see an exponential rise to your booking numbers.
Forging an online strategy for your hotel is a highly effective way to take your business to the next level in an ever-competitive online market - it takes day-to-day work, but the results you’ll see moving forward are thoroughly worth getting excited about.
Take Advantage of the Free Platforms At Your Disposal
Facebook is a powerful tool for your business: without having to conduct a search on Google, customers can spontaneously discover your hotel through shares and ads as they’re simply going about their routine social media checks. In addition to Facebook, take your social media campaign further by cross-sharing your content across other popular platforms such as Instagram, Twitter - even YouTube - to exert your social media presence.
By creating quality content that is eye-catching and personalised, you’ll enjoy free marketing through real-time likes, comments and shares which can quickly result in bookings. For your hotel, go the distance to create a continuous stream of content that guarantees increased demand:
- Local Events - associate your hotel with upcoming nearby events. You can even add a personal touch by showing how just as excited you are to attend.
- Offers - promote your offers with a simple post. This can easily be shared amongst friends, reeling in even more to take up on your offer.
- Holiday Tips - entice customers with what they could be enjoying by booking at your hotel. This can be anything from the best local attractions to a fresh menu at a nearby restaurant.
- Updates - have an exciting update? Let both new and previous guests know about an exciting new feature at your hotel.
Be visible in the feed with an eye-catching picture that’s sure to command attention, then personalise your content with a more conversational than promotional approach that encourages engagement. Additionally, don’t pass up on sharing content related to your hotel, such as local tourism developments and guests’ photos (with permission) - this is easy to do and will help to flaunt your online influence.
Use Email Marketing to Reach Out to Customers Directly
Email is another effective tool and a quick method to communicate directly with customers on a broad scale. While social media can market your hotel in real-time across various platforms, email is a more direct approach that can be used a multitude of ways:
- Follow-ups - get a rating or request a review with a friendly email. It’s not only a great way to bolster your reviews list and receive constructive feedback, but an effective subtlety that shows you care about their stay.
- Invites - invite previous guests for a return break, perhaps with an exclusive offer. Get in touch before the time of their last visit, as they could well have a repeat escape in mind.
- Holiday Greetings - are the holidays coming up? Send out a greeting and let everyone know what’s happening your end; your customers might be craving a change of scenery over the holiday period.
With each email, ensure it stands out in the inbox with a fetching subject. Take your email campaign up a notch by implementing a working design with your logo as well as automated tags that address your customers by first name. By keeping on top of your social media activity, you can even build up your email subscriber base, meaning more customers to engage with at a moment’s notice.
What have you included in your online marketing strategy? Let us know in the comments below!
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