Email remains one of the most powerful ways to strengthen your relationship with your guests, promote targeted offers and drive bookings made through your hotel website.
All businesses want a bigger email contact database, but as any savvy marketer will tell you, it’s not just the quantity of the contacts that matter, it’s the quality. A smaller list of dedicated guests who have a genuine interest in your property is worth more than a list that’s thousands strong but full of generic contacts looking for freebies.
So how do you attract the right kind of sign-ups, and more of them? These tips are a great place to start.
Encourage People To Forward Your Content To Friends And Family
Motivating people to do your marketing legwork for you by forwarding your content to friends and family is an excellent tactic for reaching new subscribers. Simply including a “Share the savings” call to action within your emails can be all it takes. If you decide to try this strategy, ensure that guests can click to compose their message directly online, so you can track how many people have actually spread the word.
Minimize Clicks to Subscribe
It’s a no brainer. If you want people to subscribe make it as easy as possible. Place your email opt-in form in a dominant position on your sidebar so it’s clearly visible on every page of your site. Keep the form itself stripped down and simple. This isn’t the time to collect demographic information – all you need is a CTA, a few fields and a prominent “subscribe” button.
Let Your Guests Control What They Receive And When
If you’re noticing an increase in your unsubscribe rate – it may not necessarily be because people don’t find your content interesting. Perhaps you’re simply sending too much for them. All the major email platforms are giving their users more and more control to customise what ends up in their inbox, so it’s more vital than ever to find your way into your guests’ “Favourite Senders” or Priority Inbox.
If a contact tries to unsubscribe, give them the option to change the type or the frequency of the messages they receive. That way, they’ll be more likely to stay subscribed, more likely to actually read your content and more likely to see you as a trusted sender that only wants to send helpful, relevant content.
Drive Sign Ups On Social Media
How often are you reminding your hotel’s Facebook friends to subscribe? Don’t forget you can also post your newsletter directly to your hotel’s page– a great way to give social followers who are yet to subscribe a glimpse of what they’re missing.
What are you doing to ensure a constant stream of quality email list sign ups? Let us know in the comments below!
RELATED PAGES AND BLOG POSTS:
- 5 Simple Email Marketing Resolutions For 2017
- 3 Email Marketing Mistakes That Make Your Guests Hit “Delete”
- Why Guest Data Is The Secret Ingredient Of Better Email Marketing
