Some Practical Internet Marketing Strategy Tips for Hotels
Despite unpredictable economic conditions, one truth endures for the hospitality industry – there is always room for improvement to the guest experience. In tough economic times, improving the guest experience is a worthy investment because the seeds of loyalty blossom into a strong relationship when the spending freeze thaws. In ideal economic times, competition peaks and the key differentiator guests evaluate when determining where to spend their time and money is the experience. Positive statements about “improving the guest experience” are a constant in marketing meetings – but how? When resources are scarce, but investment in the guest experience is paramount, an efficient and accountable approach is vital. The most modern, effective, and accountable approach for improving the guest experience is found in direct digital marketing.
Direct digital marketing is a digital marketing method that delivers relevant marketing communications that are addressable to individuals through the primary online channels of email, Web, and mobile using an email address, a Web browser cookie, and mobile phone number, respectively. Hotel guests value personalized, relevant interactions whether they are on property, reading an email, booking a stay online, or reviewing a text message.
SEO: Increasing your hotel’s website position on Google does not have to break the bank
The term “search engine optimisation” often strikes fear into the hearts of hoteliers and can be especially daunting for the independent hotel that has no marketing or PR department to charge these activities with. But SEO doesn’t need to be scary or costly if you break it down into segments and allocate time to each. This article will focus on 3 areas of search engine optimisation; content, link building and social media. Each plays a vital role in increasing your hotel’s website positioning in Google for your chosen keywords.
In order to understand the purpose of these activities, it is first crucial that you understand the fundamental reason the search engines reward websites with higher positions in the way they do. As an avid user of Google, I know I can rely on it. It doesn’t let me down. If I type in a keyword, Google returns relevant results for me. But Google has to do better than that – millions of websites competing for the 'top spots’ are relevant to my search. Google’s reputation as the ‘search engine of choice’ rests firmly in the hands of measuring criteria, otherwise known as “algorithms” and if it fails, the risk is that searchers go to an alternative engine. But, how does Google choose which websites to reward with page 1 search results for a given search term?
A student request - we encourage hoteliers to participate and help out...thank you!
Dear all, My name is Iro Depasta and i am a postgraduate student on Tourism Management and Marketing at Bournemouth University.
I am now conducting my dissertation on "The Implementation of Online Advertising in Hotel Industry" and i have prepared a questionnaire in order to study the area of online advertising tools. You would be really appreciated if you could answer the below questionnaire which aims to investigate the existing and emerging online advertising tools utilized in the hotel industry.
I would be really grateful if you could dedicate a few minutes of your time participating in my research and enhancing the quality of my research results. Thank you in advance. Yours Sincerely, Iro Depasta
Aloft Hotels launches funky new website with gaming and high tech guest interaction
Aloft Hotels Launches Ground-Breaking Online Experience for the High-Tech, Gen Y Traveler. Aloft becomes the first hospitality brand to incorporate original gaming into its Web experience
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.® (NYSE:HOT) and its high-tech, style at a steal AloftSM Hotels brand, today announced the launch of the newly expanded Aloft Web site, www.alofthotels.com/explore , featuring a range of interactive features never before developed by a hospitality brand. The site includes a guided insider’s tour of the hotel, maps and city guides for each location and engages visitors through a series of original, branded games that bring the Aloft experience to life.
Hotel Internet Photos and Videos - The power and reach of user generated content
A picture may be worth a thousand words…but most hotel PR & Marketing managers today would be at a loss for words at the plague of user generated photos out on the Internet today. Hoteliers may need to get used to the fact that competing with their ‘official’ previews of what to expect, past guests have provided quite an unflattering visual footprint for those to follow. It’s no secret that hotels pay thousands of dollars for painstakingly taken, doctored photos that would entice even the most hardened globetrotter to positively drool in anticipation…and hit that book button. Great pictures DO sell.
Hotel Internet Marketing in 2009 - 6 Experts and Bloggers share their thoughts and best practices
This year promises to be a challenging one for hoteliers. The internet offers a great source of inspiration and a superb platform for efficient marketing. Here is a collaborative document that shares the thoughts, ideas and best practices of 6 hospitality industry experts and bloggers on the key developments and recession-beating tips for 2009:
As we mature into the Web 2.0 world and slowly inch our way to a more Semantic web, technology has made collaboration, connectivity and finding what you want easier than ever possible before. Combine available technology with the challenges posed by the Recession and the timing for a Revolution of “Choice” is absolutely perfect!
Today, hotel guests have the option of various online tools that aid transparency, search and booking. However the research and booking process can still be pretty clunky and fragmented. I believe we need to move beyond the era of Search and Booking Engines to building superior “Experience Engines”.
The Hotel Tweetosphere - Hoteliers take to Twitter to connect with guests
The Hotel industry has always been sluggish on the uptake when it comes tech trends. Now, with the recession beating down the door, hoteliers may just have to get creative like never before. Social media, reputation management, blogging, etc are all fair game which have only a few early takers. However this number is likely to rise as more marketers look for new, lower cost ways of guest engagement. Here is an article from HoteleMarketer.com on the Twitter basics every hotelier should be familiar with...
Hotel Online Marketing Jobs - Finding the best Hospitality eMarketers and retaining them
When the going gets tough, Hotel eMarketers play harder: As the world gets harder, better, faster, stronger in many respects, so do the ripple effects of world events. The recent attacks in Mumbai are a prime example - hotels the world over are now scrambling to take a re-look at their security measures. In terms of broader trends, the worrying shifts in climate pales in comparison to the economic downturn now upon us. Experts claim that this recession is the worst since World War II. The world has always gone through natural economic cycles where every decade or more we take a step back and reevaluate just where we’ve been going wrong…but with increasing interconnectedness, reliance on virtual financial models and technology, the house of cards has become ever so precariously balanced.
The great thing about tough times is that it separates the boys from the men! It’s a cleansing process so to speak…one that rids us of old inefficiencies and forces us to look at better, smarter ways of living and doing business.
Hotel Online Marketing Jobs - Finding the best Hospitality eMarketers and retaining them
When the going gets tough, Hotel eMarketers play harder: As the world gets harder, better, faster, stronger in many respects, so do the ripple effects of world events. The recent attacks in Mumbai are a prime example - hotels the world over are now scrambling to take a re-look at their security measures. In terms of broader trends, the worrying shifts in climate pales in comparison to the economic downturn now upon us. Experts claim that this recession is the worst since World War II. The world has always gone through natural economic cycles where every decade or more we take a step back and reevaluate just where we’ve been going wrong…but with increasing interconnectedness, reliance on virtual financial models and technology, the house of cards has become ever so precariously balanced.
The great thing about tough times is that it separates the boys from the men! It’s a cleansing process so to speak…one that rids us of old inefficiencies and forces us to look at better, smarter ways of living and doing business.
Video: Beyond traditional media - Inbound Internet Marketing with Alanis Morissette?
A funny but on-the-mark video on the subject of "Inbound Marketing"...essentially non-intrusive...pull vs push marketing which has become a trademark of the Web 2.0 revolution and beyond. Enjoy...
The Virtual World - A Successful Confluence of eCommerce and PR
One of the top trends in the ever-changing structure of Public Relations is the digital and interactive communications. Hospitality industry experts are focused on Customer Experience Management, Reputation Management, and Brand Communication. In the traditional manner, this focus is conveyed through offline and print publications. eCommerce has influenced all of these.
The major functions of Public Relations that eCommerce has changed are Media Relations, Internal and External Communications, and Branding.
5 Hotel Internet Marketing Trends to watch out for in the next 5 years
5 Future Developments that will revolutionize Online Hotel Marketing: “For tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today”, says a famous proverb…and what better fit to apply this than in the world of technology and marketing?
The breakneck speed of tech evolution is inspiring (and often scary) but the two keywords that will set winning developments apart from the ‘also ran’ are ‘love’ and ‘simplicity’. It doesn’t take a degree to understand that people adopt technologies that fuel their imagination & passions…and the rate of adoption is in close sync to the simplicity of its interface and operation. Great technology needs to adapt to the needs of the user and future breakthroughs will bear testament to this.
Youtube launches HotSpots to track how users view video
Google's Youtube is launching yet another in a series of excellent analytics tools this week. Called "HotSpots" the Youtube analytics tool will allow users to analyze how their videos are viewed and how parts of their video are received by their audience. An article by AdAge takes a look at the new feature:
HotSpots plays a video alongside a graph that maps whether the audience is lower or higher than average for a particular length of video. When the graph goes up, the video is "hot," and more viewers are watching -- because there's either less attrition or some viewers are fast-forwarding or rewinding to isolate a particular point in the video. When the graph goes down, the video is "cold" because viewers are leaving the video or skipping to another part of the content. Another service, Visible Measures, also measures this sort of audience engagement within a video, among other things. Source
Four Points by Sheraton launches online web store - Simple Pleasures and Smiles for Sale
Four Points by Sheraton today announced Simple Pleasures and smiles for sale on the brand’s newly designed retail web site - fourpoints.com/store. Much more than sheets and beds, the Four Points retail site is dedicated to curating items that will surprise and delight. Are you a fan of the Four Points Chief Beer Officer or Best Brews program? The beer-loving public can proudly wear specially designed vintage t-shirts proclaiming their love for all that is beer. Looking for something salty or sweet? The new site features a selection of yummy treats from pie and pretzel making kits to Dale & Thomas popcorn samplers. And for those in search of some fun, nostalgic kids’ games and fancy free summer items are also available.
