Why is Hotel Digital Marketing Important?

The simple answer to this question is ‘We live in a digital age, that’s why!”. Let’s face it, technology has become an integral part of daily life, at work, in our homes and on our holidays.

Every day billions of prospective customers type their holiday dreams into the address bar of their browser, hoping that a search engine will unearth all that their heart desires. 

From rustic camping sites to five-star all-inclusive game reserves, adrenalin adventures to romantic island hopping, the question has to be, “will they find You?”. Among the tens of thousands of answers that the search engines give them will your pension, game lodge or B&B stand out?

Convenience for Consumers

Digital Marketing is no longer limited only to the internet these days. It includes any means of communicating electronically such as mobile and virtual reality too. For those in the hospitality industry digital marketing means any device that can accommodate online bookings.

It’s easy to see why.  A recent survey discovered that almost 80% of travellers prefer to book their accommodation online.

It’s no longer enough to just provide the basic details of your offering and leave the rest to luck, but how do you get consumers to click on that magical ‘Book’ button?  

Focus Points

There are several ways to ensure that you get the best ROI on your investment in online marketing for your hospitality business. While paid advertising does have its benefits, statistics show that many consumers find this form of marketing intrusive. Irritation is not an emotion you want to engender in your client base.

There are far better, and more economical ways to go about wooing guests into your beds. 

Content Marketing

Investing in informative, engaging content is the best way to attract the attention of new customers and keep existing customers enthralled in between visits. No matter how incredible your hospitality offering is, nobody that searches for accommodation online (and that’s almost everybody) will find it without content. 

Once you have informative, enticing content on your website and appealing descriptions of your facilities, your job is not done however! By updating information as it changes and adding new and interesting content you increase your chances of discovery. 

Think of your website as a full time sales consultant. It must be able to give prospective customers all the information they need, all the time.

If you do not have the time or personnel to invest in content creation, there are many reputable online marketing consultants who specialise in hospitality marketing. 

Paid Search

Paid search is still used way too sparingly in hospitality marketing. So far, organic search still leads the way when it comes to results. However, when you are competing for the same keywords as thousands of other operators you need all the help you can get.

Ultimately, paid search has no purpose unless you have great content to back it up. Google will still choose which ads to show based on organic search results. 

Social Media marketing

In an industry based on good vibes and memorable moments, social media and marketing services is absolutely vital. Travelers love the interactive nature of social media, it is a cheap yet visual form of hospitality marketing. Sponsored posts are inexpensive and highly effective in targeting relevant customers via their news feeds.

Again quality is key in this area of digital marketing. 

Email Marketing

When done right, email marketing is one of the best ways to keep customers interested in your hotel, resort or lodge. Targeted emails can generate over 50% of all digital revenue provided you don’t overdo it – stick to one quality and targeted communication per month. 

Staying on Track

Measuring the outcomes of your marketing efforts and doing something with the results is an area where hospitality providers fall short. Another one is using the same outdated tactics over and over again. 

Develop a digital presence today and stay on top of the latest trends. There is plenty of help available if you need it.