Hotel Marketing Blog
Browse our blogs or filter by a category below.
- All Blogs ()
- Content Marketing (54)
- Email Marketing (46)
- eTourism News (3)
- eTourism Online (19)
- Hotel Marketing (168)
- Industry News (23)
- Mobile (29)
- Online Reservations (11)
- Open Source (1)
- Published Articles (2)
- Search Engine Marketing (90)
- Social Media (186)
- Tech (4)
- Tutorials (27)
- Website Design (7)
Posted on Nov 3rd 2010 by eTourism
In the time of Twitter, Facebook and Web 2.0, most people see publishing a newsletter as an old-fashioned, inefficient way to communicate with their desired audience. But the more savvy resort marketers realise that the benefits of a well-written, attract...
Posted on Oct 29th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
If there is such a thing as the Holy Grail of the resort industry, it should be customer service. After all the effort that's put into the advertising and promotion about a resorts scenic views and top notch amenities, it is actually great customer serv...
Posted on Oct 28th 2010 by eTourism
No matter how unfamiliar you are with Twitter, we will guide you on how to create your first account in less than 10 minutes....
Posted on Oct 27th 2010 by eTourism
ReTweets expand you reach as an individual or company and can contribute additional website traffic, subscribers and customers....
Posted on Oct 26th 2010 by eTourism
For most people, it's not only about being able to say that "I stayed in Hotel So and So." Nowadays, it just feels better for people on their holidays to say, "I stayed in Hotel So and So for only $XX a night!"...
Posted on Oct 25th 2010 by eTourism
Facebook Places may still be new in Australia but it's no reason for your resort not to begin taking advantage of its potentials....
Posted on Oct 22nd 2010 by eTourism
With a business page, you can create advertisements that appear on targeted Facebook pages and allow you to reach a wider audience. With just an email address, you can quickly set up and customise your own business account on Facebook....
Posted on Oct 21st 2010 by eTourism
Google TV has finally unveiled it's first set top box to the public. You can now watch streaming movies, live webcasts, or just about any online content on your very own TV screen....
Posted on Oct 21st 2010 by eTourism
Twitter is not just a social networking device for consumers; it has proven to be a highly successful tool for resorts....
Posted on Oct 20th 2010 by eTourism
For most people who are new to Twitter, it takes a little time to finally understand which Twitter behavior will get you followers and which ones prompt people to "Unfollow"....
Posted on Oct 18th 2010 by eTourism
Microsoft and Facebook recently announced a new partnership that brings "Like" data and profile search to Bing....
Posted on Oct 11th 2010 by eTourism
Recent trends prove that having a good online marketing strategy may well have its advantages when it comes to acquiring resort bookings....
Posted on Oct 6th 2010 by eTourism
If you're not generating enough leads and conversions, your CTA might actually be the problem. So how do you know if your CTAs may actually need a little makeover?...
Posted on Oct 5th 2010 by eTourism
Twitter officially rolls out today this new feature that allows advertisers to pay to boost their audience on Twitter by including promoted accounts on the "suggestions for you" feature on Twitter.com....
Posted on Oct 5th 2010 by eTourism
Your resort's Facebook Fan page may have thousands of fans and a handful or wall comments everyday. But does this mean your Page is truly effective?...
Posted on Oct 1st 2010 by eTourism
Gone are the days that Facebook interaction meant just occasional comment exchange on photo albums, notes and status updates. People now get to share links of articles they liked from other sites or photos they find interesting through Facebook and Twi...
Posted on Sep 30th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Social media is fast becoming an essential part of the marketing mix for different brands. Resorts are now integrating social networking sites into their marketing campaigns; be it to promote their product, monitor conversations about their product, dete...
Posted on Sep 30th 2010 by eTourism
Last week, we blogged that Facebook Places is nearing its official roll out in Australia. Well, today we are very excited to announce that it's finally here!...
Posted on Sep 27th 2010 by eTourism
For Foursquare, it's out with the old and in with the new. Just last week, the social networking site introduced their new and improved version with Foursquare 2.0. Don't worry, this change can be beneficial for your resort....
Posted on Sep 23rd 2010 by eTourism
It always feels good to have a happy guest. It means that you have lived up to your guests' expectations. As a resort manager, you can turn these happy guests into your resort's very own online cheerleaders....
Posted on Sep 22nd 2010 by eTourism
A few weeks back, Facebook unveiled its new geolocation feature, Places"where users can check in at a particular place to share with friends. It was initially available in the United States but was recently launched in the United Kingdom and Japan....
Posted on Sep 20th 2010 by eTourism
Facebook and Microsoft are currently in talks of expanding the search ties the two have been sharing for many years. Sources say that these talks include the possibility for Microsoft's Bing search service to find data from consumer usage of the social n...
Posted on Sep 20th 2010 by eTourism
Every minute, people all over the world upload a total of 20 hours of videos in different channels such as YouTube, Vimeo, etc. As a resort manager you need to ask yourself "How are we keeping up with the growing popularity of videos"?...
Posted on Sep 17th 2010 by eTourism
Have you claimed your resort on Foursquare yet? Recently, Foursquare became more business-friendly after they created a step by step process to allow business owners to claim their venue on Foursquare....
Posted on Sep 17th 2010 by eTourism
Aside from being a great resort, how else can you get more fans on Facebook? If you are running out of ideas, don't worry. We have just the 4 fan acquisition strategies to help your resort's Facebook page gain more fans....
Posted on Sep 16th 2010 by eTourism
Last week, Google unveiled Instant"a new search interface that provides real-time suggested results as keywords are entered into the Google search box. But the main question is: how will this change affect your resort? Will Google Instant "Kill SEO" o...
Posted on Sep 9th 2010 by eTourism
Today, search giant Google introduced a new version of its search engine interface"Google Instant. This new interface provides real-time suggested results as keywords are entered into Google....
Posted on Sep 9th 2010 by eTourism
Nothing confirms how truly phenomenal your resort's services are than people raving about their experience with it through their social networking sites such as Twitter....
Posted on Sep 8th 2010 by eTourism
Keeping a resort blog is a lot more work than most people might initially think. But after a while of blogging and not receiving comments you begin to think, don't they like my blog?...
Posted on Sep 7th 2010 by eTourism
How different is your database from the rest? Like others, yours contain thousands of contact details of past, current and potential guests of your resort"all gathered by you to help build a strong relationship with them through occasional newsletters an...
Posted on Sep 6th 2010 by eTourism
Answering and acknowledging frustrated clients or interested prospects are just not enough anymore when it comes to social media marketing. We have discussed previously on how to deal with Twitter complaints but what if what you have in your hands are ju...
Posted on Sep 1st 2010 by eTourism
If you're running a resort, making new friends is a must to getting new clients. And there's no better place to begin than through the Internet....
Posted on Aug 31st 2010 by eTourism
Every resort has experienced getting small complaints from their guests one time or another, be it because they don't like the scent of the free soap or that the concierge wasn't very helpful. They are usually issues that are easy to address but when they...
Posted on Aug 31st 2010 by eTourism
While posting Facebook status updates is a great way to engage with your resort clients, there are some ways to kick them up a notch to expand your promotional potential"by using tags. The feature was overlooked by many people who aren't staying up-to-dat...
Posted on Aug 30th 2010 by eTourism
Decades ago, hotels had to worry about building a brand, providing a good product with excellent customer service, and maintaining a good reputation within their community. It still holds true today"the only difference is that Internet advanc...
Posted on Aug 30th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
You signed up for Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and other social networking sites for one main reason: to grow your client base. But did you know that using social media also helps your professional networking in more ways than one?...
Posted on Aug 26th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Yahoo! Search Products announced this week that Bing will now officially power Yahoo's organic search results in USA and Canada, more specifically their web, image and video search. However, they have yet to announce its official roll out in Australia,...
Posted on Aug 26th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Social media can be easily measured with various indicators like share of voice, reach, retweets, and comments. But measuring without a clear objective in mind won't bring you closer to success....
Posted on Aug 25th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Hotel marketers already know that content is king, queen and prime minister that's why they have been employing SEO strategies to improve their search performance in search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing. But they should also take note that c...
Posted on Aug 24th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
To date, there are about 1.8 billion internet users all over the world. They could all be your potential customers. How do you reach them?...
Posted on Aug 24th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
After setting up your hotel's dynamic, content-managed website, what's next? Well, you have to test if it works--by saying "it works" doesn't mean it's live and people can actually go to the website....
Posted on Aug 23rd 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Landing pages have become a standard marketing practice for anyone attempting to increase conversion. But to be effective, there's a bit of art and science to what makes a landing page work, so testing and tweaking will always be required....
Posted on Aug 20th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Facebook recently unveiled "Places", their much-awaited geolocation feature. How is it different from other location-based services such as Foursquare?...
Posted on Aug 19th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Most hotels and apartments post photos of products and services on their pages to keep the customers updated. To date, there are many popular tools that you can use when uploading their photos. It all depends on what you are comfortable in using....
Posted on Aug 17th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
While a lot of hotels or apartments sign up on Facebook and Twitter to broadcast their latest service offerings, they forget that to create a strong following, they must first learn how to listen....
Posted on Aug 16th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Not getting the desired number of leads from your hotel's e-newsletter? Chances are, your e-newsletters share the same problem as most: readers don't find it interesting....
Posted on Aug 13th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
From travel itineraries to personal stories or even fun hotel trivia, hotel operators can repurpose their content into something that their prospective guests can access even while on the road....
Posted on Aug 12th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Even in the rise of social networking sites, email remains a critical channel to embrace for B2B marketing success for any hotel, apartment or resort. However, it's a channel that's poorly treated due to our excitement at the extreme ROI potential of soc...
Posted on Aug 11th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
You learned recently that a lot of hotel marketing is happening online. And being a dynamic hotel operator, you signed up for the most popular social networking sites and/or blogs right away. But these are not the only channels you can use to promote yo...
Posted on Aug 6th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Running a resort and an online life can be a daunting task for those unprepared. Planners and pocket calendars may have left us decades ago, but the concept of organising your schedule is still very much applicable to today's digital society....
Posted on Aug 5th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
As widely expected, Facebook has recently announced that it has passed the 500 million member mark. In Australia alone, Facebook was able to garner 9,151,280 members on their site....
Posted on Aug 5th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
For Apple, making the most-wanted gadgets like the MacBook and iPad is not enough. Recently, there have been rumors that the company wants to delve into travel as well with the application called iTrave...
Posted on Aug 5th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
How to Create and use Your HootSuite Account: To create a HootSuite account visit http://hootsuite.com/ and click on the 'Sing up Now' button. Fill in the required fields and click the 'Create Account' button. You have the option to link up all y...
Posted on Aug 4th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Facebook marketing is growing at such overwhelming speeds but it's still a relatively untapped territory for many hotel, apartment and restaurant operators. In our previous blog entry on Facebook Group and Page - Which product should your Resort choose?,...
Posted on Jul 21st 2010 by Bryan Marsh
It is seemingly the important question being asked by Resorts and Internet Marketing campaign managers; Facebook Group or Page? There has been recent discussion as to benefits of Pages and Groups for Resorts wanting to increase their Facebook and subse...
Posted on Jul 14th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Over the past few years, the online travel industry has immerged as one of the most popular and booming online industries. Search engines have readily become one of the first points of call for prospective travelers to research all their travel related qu...
Posted on Jul 8th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
By now everyone in the online world has heard about Google's acquisition of Software Company ITA. We have heard the rumors of Google's potential monopoly of Cyberspace and the online travel industry, but what does this mean for companies already in the ma...
Posted on Jul 8th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
It seems as though everyone's favorite search engine giant Google is not satisfied with search engine dominance, the web has been circulating rumors recently regarding the possibility of a Google version of social networking website Facebook. Faceboo...
Posted on Jul 5th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Google has finally announced the $700 mil deal to acquire Software Company ITA. This agreement is just another step for the search engine giant to solidly its hold on the online travel industry. Google first rumored its intentions to acquire the company e...
Posted on Jul 1st 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Twitter is rapidly becoming one of the most popular social networking platforms. It is continuously being the chosen forum to broadcast breaking news, host online competitions, advertisements as well as being an obvious choice for friends to interact. Twi...
Posted on Jun 30th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
The travel industry is being taking over by internet giants. First Google infiltrated the travel industry with its Google maps, its partnership with online travel guide Ruba and rumoured acquisition of ITA, and now Microsoft is set to enter the industry w...
Posted on Jun 28th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
The internet has truly turned mobile. The popular trend in today's society is mobile internet, and everywhere we look resorts are jumping on the band wagon. Mobile internet allows people to access websites on their mobile phones, literally anywhere " buse...
Posted on Jun 25th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
With the developments of the internet and the increasingly popular trends of Social Media, reputation management has become a defining feature for many online users. Never before has it been this easy for people to find out personal information of other u...
Posted on Jun 23rd 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Gone are the days where majority of hotel bookings were made via calling the hotel direct. In today's mobile and social media society, the growing trend revolves around online; Online Travel Agencies (OTA), hotel websites, and mobile devices. More and mor...
Posted on Jun 21st 2010 by Bryan Marsh
The answer to this questions is technically no, you don't NEED one, but here are a few reasons how your hotel could benefit, and why you might WANT one. The age of the mobile is upon us Mobile technology is no longer something we are anticipating,...
Posted on Jun 18th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
In a recent blog post we explored if starting a blog was right for your hotel. In this post we are going to include some useful tips when blogging. Maintaining a regular blog is a sure way to increase your search engine traffic. A blog works as a...
Posted on Jun 16th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
The new Facebook "Like" button has been active since early april and we are beginning to see some interesting ways that this feature can benefit your Hotel! The new and improved "Like" button is said to act as an open channel, giving hotels the option...
Posted on Jun 14th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Last week we discussed the importance of content in your SEO strategy. This week I want to focus on a specific type of content " the video....
Posted on Jun 10th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
When creating a website it is important to ensure the content included within it is effectively optimised. What this entails is an effective Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) strategy. An effective strategy would see your website rank highly in major searc...
Posted on Jun 3rd 2010 by Bryan Marsh
The blog can be a very powerful tool for your website if you know how to use it effectively. It can also be a major buzz kill if you don't maintain it, and keep the posts interesting and informative. One of the biggest issues with blogs is that people sta...
Posted on May 31st 2010 by Bryan Marsh
The wait is finally over for avid Apple fans, eagerly anticipating the launch of their latest product, the iPad....
Posted on May 28th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Google has taken steps to make its mark in the Travel Industry by partnering up with online travel guide and community, Ruba....
Posted on May 27th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Consumers have spoken and what they like is online videos. Retailers are reacting to the increase of consumers demanding online videos when performing online shopping. The growing trend shows consumers react positively to video's displaying images, visual...
Posted on May 26th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Hotels are becoming increasingly more image conscious, especially when it comes to guests who post their reviews online. Some hotels have started to use information locations, dates and usernames that appear online to discover the identity of a guest....
Posted on May 24th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Popular location-based consumer service, Gowalla is set to assist InterContinental Hotels Group by incorporating mobile devices into their Hit it Big Summer promotion....
Posted on May 21st 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Here at eTourism we pride ourselves on being innovative and technologically savvy. We are continuously updating our website and products to ensure we can offer the very best to all our clients. If you have visited eTourism online recently you would have n...
Posted on May 20th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Now that you have set up your Google Analytics account, let's see how you can use it to view your website's traffic:...
Posted on May 20th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Google Analytics is a great tool which allows you to analyse the traffic on your website. It provides you the tools to view who is visiting your site, what they are looking for and how they are getting to your site. It also allows you to monitor your webs...
Posted on May 20th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
How to deal with negative reviews in a consumer-driven Hotel industry? Social Media is rapidly taking over the way both you (a person involved in the Hotel industry), and the consumers look, feel and think about products....
Posted on May 19th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
With the iPad's impending release and its (already) massive popularity, I thought it was a good time to get you thinking above and beyond when it comes to new technology and your Hotel....
Posted on May 17th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Apple announced last week that the highly anticipated iPad will be available in Australia on Friday 28th of May....
Posted on May 14th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
There is a buzz in cyber space in the wake of Google's release of the new look interfaces....
Posted on May 13th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Twitter has hand selected businesses to participate in the beta testing of the products, having the 'Twitter Business Centre' only available to this handful of accounts. Twitter plans on expanding the accessibility once further testing results have been c...
Posted on May 6th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Google announced its plans to launch its new Search Engine Interface, which according to ITech Report should be visible to Australian users later today....
Posted on May 6th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Social Media is steadily taking over marketing practises in businesses everywhere. If you're still not convinced that social media marketing is the way, here are a few simple reasons why spending just 10 minutes a day on it, can improve your Hotel's onlin...
Posted on Apr 29th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
The Web has recently been bombarded with rumours surrounding the possible transaction between Google, Software Company ITA and their rumoured 1 billion dollar deal....
Posted on Apr 28th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Search engine giant, Google is said to be in talks to purchase Cambridge based Software Company, ITA Software Inc....
Posted on Apr 28th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Last month we discussed the impending changes to the Facebook "Like" button. It looks like the wait for this new feature to become available is officially over. This week the popular social networking group released their new "Like" button for all accoun...
Posted on Apr 28th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
"Web 2.0" is the growing trend in online communities. It involves businesses using online content made by web users, as opposed to traditional publishers. This new trend ultimately incorporates online technologies focused on social media and interacting...
Posted on Apr 28th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Google Alerts is a great tool businesses can use to monitor their online presence. This function allows you to create "Alerts" in relation to particular topics....
Posted on Apr 21st 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Setting up a Foursquare account is a quick and easy way to increase your online presence....
Posted on Apr 21st 2010 by Bryan Marsh
One of the most important factors for your hotel or resort is building a loyal online community. Inherent in this idea is ensuring you have the trust of your followers. So what are some easy ways you can build the trust of the people involved in your onli...
Posted on Apr 15th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
If you haven't heard of Foursqaure by now, here is a quick run down. Foursquare is a location-based social network that allows users to share their location with a group of friends by "checking in". Users can "check-in" to restaurants, business or other v...
Posted on Apr 12th 2010 by Jessica Stevens
Apple is making waves by launching a new program, iAds for mobiles. This new software is the first step made by Apple to enter the business of selling advertising, once again placing itself at odds with Google. Google's AdWords application features a simi...
Posted on Apr 8th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
It's no surprise that social media is the way of the future. Would you like to improve your Resorts social media visibility? Whilst there is no set method of optimizing your Web 2.0 content, there are definitely a few key ideas that Resort can implem...
Posted on Apr 8th 2010 by Max Starkov
Facebook is definitely here to stay and has experienced tremendous growth, but it is not going to replace Google as a travel planning tool anytime soon. Though Facebook initiatives drive traffic to hotel websites, this trackable traffic is not directly re...
Posted on Apr 8th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
In recent years we have seen a shift in the way businesses are conducting their marketing. With the emergence of social media, the internet is becoming a prime source to interact with customers (present and future). Facebook is one of the leaders in this...
Posted on Apr 6th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Google Maps is currently experimenting with a new feature which aims to make planning for vacations faster and more effective. The new feature on Google Maps displays specific prices for selected hotel listings....
Posted on Apr 6th 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Create a Facebook Page for your Business: Setting up a Facebook Page for your business is a quick and effective way to put your business online. A Page is similar to a personal Profile, except that instead of people "Friending' you, public users can be...
Posted on Mar 31st 2010 by Bryan Marsh
Facebook is making a minor change to the way users interact with Product Pages. According to a recent confidential e-mail sent to several ad agencies, the popular social networking site announced they will be replacing the "Become a Fan" button with a "Li...