Email marketing is one of the most viable and cost-effective ways for your hotel to reach guests and increase bookings. It has the advantage of being able to attract new customers, retain existing customers, promote and strengthen the reputation of your establishment.
Depending on the profile of your customer (potential or existing) and the degree of the relationship between him and your structure, you can send different types of emails such as acquisition emails, promotional emails, loyalty emails (for wish a happy birthday) or even engagement emails that prepare the customer’s arrival at your hotel.
Attention ! Always remember that an email should always be personalized ( personalization marketing ). By following this rule, your customers will feel valued and will want to book with you or spend more on their stay.
OTAs: key role in your marketing plan
Online travel agencies ( “OTAs”) have revolutionized the travel industry by bringing together essential information for travelers in one place to compare options, prices, reviews, etc.
They are one of the main channels in the distribution strategy that hotels have to market and sell their room nights.
OTAs allow hoteliers to access customers that would be difficult for them to reach directly, for example international travelers.
They reduce the number of unreserved rooms, particularly during off-peak periods. OTAs are often the best way to sell out available rooms , like that last-minute night in the middle of a busy week that’s still free.
Today, many travelers begin planning their trip on OTA sites like Booking.com , Expedia.fr , Hotels.com or even Airbnb, during the inspiration search stage of their trip.
They use online travel agencies as a showcase to see what is available in the market. In this research phase, the future traveler will be able to consult around 40 hotel websites to narrow down their choice.
Good to know: After consulting an OTA, many customers go directly to the website of the hotel of their choice and, if they find it user-friendly, book directly. This is called the Billboard effect, because the OTA acts as an advertisement for the hotel.
It is therefore crucial for accommodation professionals to be present on a wide variety of channels to increase their visibility and online bookings . This multi-channel presence allows potential customers to be reassured about the reliability of the establishment.
Promote your hotel through travel influencers
Influencer marketing has become an integral part of a winning social media strategy for players in the hotel sector. And that’s understandable since hotel influencers are an excellent source of social proof for their establishment.
Incorporating this aspect into your existing hotel marketing strategy involves finding influencers who best fit your property.
Choose influencers who are relevant, have a broad enough reach, and whose content resonates with the audience you want to attract. For small establishments like lodges or guest houses, it will be preferable to choose micro-influencers for their better conversion rate (due to their authenticity).
Takeaway: The credibility of a successful influencer lies in their authenticity. Too much product placement or saturated content will negate its credibility.
We have therefore seen that the hotel marketing strategy is more than essential to attract customers and generate reservations.
If you want to know more, it may be helpful to reach out to hotel marketers for advice tailored to your property.
That’s good, at Awkaï we are experts on the subject and we can give you all the information you need to develop your hotel online. Our solution is absolutely aimed at ALL hoteliers and accommodation and tourism professionals.