Guest experience has evolved from just loyalty programmes to creating immersive experiences across the entire guest journey.
Only careful observation can reveal what one’s customers want, need, and expect and how their purchasing decisions would evolve. Marketers should therefore be prepared to tweak their marketing efforts based on the progression of scenarios and the related customer behavior. Let us understand how to map these and learn about those key marketing tactics to employ in the post Covid world.
Among the many noticeable changes in the last 12 months has been people’s approach to gifting.
Marketing is only as effective as its execution. The message being communicated to future and existing guests, and how it is sent, can make or break campaigns.
Creating the right marketing strategy for your hotel has become a meticulous task. Guest experience is becoming more personalized and customized, especially post-COVID. Even the slightest mistake can lead to a potential marketing disaster. With social media, guests have the privilege of reporting their experiences to a larger audience with minimum effort. This can negatively impact your online reputation. So how do we personalize the guest experience with minimum errors and ensure an unlimited supply of happy hotel guests? The answer lies in the guest list itself, of course.
In the recent past, hotels have shifted focus to acquiring more reservations while pocketing the highest profits. By 2023, it is predicted that over 700 million people will be booking their hotel rooms online. This is a great chance to employ an online hotel booking system that will create a commission-free booking source. And, with the right marketing and sales strategies, it is possible to build a sustainable direct reservations channel.
A recent survey conducted by Oliver Wyman found that cleanliness was the most important factor (after price) that impacted the decision to stay at a hotel. While “clean” may be a casual term, the underlying message is clear. Travellers are looking for “virus-free” accommodation. In fact, 83% of travellers would prefer to stay at a hotel that advertises precautionary practices on their social media or other channels. The hospitality sector is known for its focus on quality and customer satisfaction.
Seasonality is unavoidable and affects the travel and tourism industry more than it does any other economic sector. Irrespective of the size or the location, the most common problem that all hoteliers face is optimizing the occupancy in hotels during the low season.
The events of 2020 have leveled the playing field for hotels across the industry. Implementing a strong hotel marketing strategy is crucial now more than ever. According to a recent study by HubSpot, 70% of businesses are investing in a digital marketing strategy. In this age of technology, intuitive and relevant hotel promotion should be the center of your hotel’s marketing strategy. Marketing your hotel helps increase its reach, attract more guests, and boost hotel revenue.
We’re starting to see the beginning signs of hospitality’s recovery, with more and more glimmers of optimism on the horizon. In North America, we’ve seen multiple weeks of occupancy levels at or near 50% in some markets (according to STR). Globally, we’re seeing booking trends and search traffic point to a release of pent-up travel in the leisure segment.