Hospitality marketing is a tricky business. But it’s one we’ve settled into quite nicely here in our resort town of Myrtle Beach, where nearly 500 reside along or near our coast. We know that the No. 1 goal in your hotel ad campaign is to be, well, No. 1, amidst the competition. And that takes the know-how of our team to drive direct bookings to your front desk, not your neighbor’s.
We share our successful strategies in hospitality marketing
“To hit a home run in a resort ad campaign, you have to create something to disrupt, to break through the clutter and give your customers something they genuinely want,” says Rob Wilkes, VP of accounts at 73 Deville. “Because they will listen if what you have to say is something worth listening to.”
How do we connect with the right pitch for that home run ad campaign? Our strategy combines 50-plus years of experience in this industry, along with solutions that utilize monthly traffic-generating promo campaigns; responsive, mobile-friendly web designs; SEO; pay-per-click search campaigns; metasearch via TripAdvisor and Google Hotel Finder; email promotions to guests; social content publishing and advertising and more.
According to Wilkes, design, imagery and copy need to collectively speak your audience’s universal language and leverage the things that strike emotional nerves. And that goes for online and offline; your brand needs to stay consistent across the board.
“To make your audience laugh – to make them think or feel – that’s what wins,” he adds. “Once we nail down the concept, we make it count by finding the perfect channels to distribute the message. The best campaigns come at you from every angle – from guerrilla stunts to digital platforms to engage consumers and inspire them to act.”
Here are some more detailed tactics we put into action:
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- Digital marketing: From social media creation, management, ads and monitoring to website design, SEO and digital display ads, we’re armed with the online marketing tools to book your reservations into overdrive.
- Website engagement: Online bookings are king, which is why you need to have your website looking its best, 24/7 – no matter the season you’re in – so that potential guests will stick around for a while. Simple, enticing, streamlined, click … Book!
- Enlist content marketing: Extend further than the “heads in beds” concept and really build a solid trust between your guest audience and your hotel and brand through a blog on your website. When you talk about topics they want to see and hear, their engagement and your authority increases!
- Target TripAdvisor: 60% of American tourists go to TripAdvisor before they go anywhere. We know the tips on how to increase your rankings on TripAdvisor, which includes tactfully asking your guests for a review.
- Host an Event or a Package to Tie Into a National Event: If your hotel is hosting an event or convention, we’ll help get the word out via press releases, which will not only increase media attention, but also more potential guests. We’ll also help you come up with a package that’s synchronized with a national event (i.e., Super Bowl, Country Music Fest, etc.) to entice more guests.
- Stay Social: Whether you’re retargeting an ad for your hotel on the Facebook pages of your previous guests or having a conversation with your guests via Facebook posts, social media is a must. That’s because 42% of Facebook users post more about travel than any other life events. But don’t stop at Facebook, pin pretty photos of your property on Pinterest or post them on Instagram – even offer awards and incentives to guests who make fun videos of your hotel and post them to social media. Videos are the most viewed items on Facebook, and Google continues to push YouTube videos in its rankings.
If you’d like to check more into our hospitality marketing prowess, give us a call 843.222.0605 or email Rob@73deville.com so we can sit down with you and come up with a plan.
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