Post by sumiseo558899 on Nov 9, 2024 0:22:40 GMT -8
If you think about it, in the search process, tourism consumers, when they are clear about what type of trip they are going to take, start comparing hotels and establishments. On many occasions, they may not be satisfied with the images that appear on the websites of the commissioned channels and look for more content on the official website of the site. In this case, the conversion opportunities are many.
Obviously, it is also important to take into account that each hotel is unique. Each establishment should have a differentiating value proposition that keeps consumers on its website, whether they access it out of curiosity or directly.
For this reason, implementing a stable marketing strategy is essential. And while it is important to know, in these cases, what the competition is doing, a very common mistake is to think that their business model, their marketing and sales model is the only one that works and is the only one that should be imitated:
2. Copy the marketing model of large chains.
You've heard it said a thousand content writing service times that "what works for some, doesn't work for everyone," right? Well, the reality is that exactly the same thing happens in digital marketing, especially in the hotel sector. In addition to changes in generic search trends, factors such as the exact location of the hotel, the climate and seasonality of the place, the complementary services and activities available in the surrounding area and, especially, the specific type of clients, mean that we must focus our marketing efforts on very specific strategies and campaigns.
In order to market hotel products and services, it is essential that small and medium-sized chains opt for greater personalization in travel experiences and for digital marketing focused on the person . For this reason, in order to be competitive, it is not viable to copy the marketing model of large, established chains that have been applying the same diversified strategies to a very broad target audience for years.
It is more than likely that you do not have the infrastructure and resources to compartmentalize all the marketing and sales sections and, for this reason among others, the model you must follow must be adapted to your resources and needs, combining efforts between all strategies and departments (content, social networks, reputation, e-commerce, revenue...) to achieve a common goal: a sustainable increase in reservations in the long term.
For this reason, you should opt for a Smarketing model ( sales + marketing ) which consists of the effective alignment of marketing and sales teams to work together on all channels (in which your business is present) to generate more leads, that is, to get more potential customers.
In this case, it is also important to keep in mind that, depending on the resources and personnel available, it is better to focus on those strategies that can be optimized. For example, it is preferable to generate content, interact with followers, monitor conversations and respond to their requests on specific social networks than to try to cover each of the existing ones and do a poor job.
For this reason, it is essential to understand what your hotel's customers are like and where they spend time on the Internet. In order to work on the best strategies and achieve a correct alignment of teams and managers, it is necessary to avoid the following errors, starting with:
3. Not analyzing the type of buyer personas your hotel has.
As we have said, the personalization of travel experiences will become increasingly important for the survival of hotels. And this experience begins, is nurtured and ends in online channels, where a wide variety of marketing and sales actions can be planned and implemented. However, the mistake is in thinking that for your different audience segments or niches, the same actions, the same content will be equally effective.
The truth is that the same hotel can have different types of clients, not because of where they come from, but because of consumer preferences and purchasing trends. This means that it is essential to study the behavior of your hotel or hotels' clients in order to define your buyer personas and be able to implement the appropriate marketing and sales actions with each one .
{{cta('bb2971b9-bf36-4c36-8edc-75223dba5208')}}
As we have mentioned, in order to work on the appropriate strategies and be present in the online channels that are most necessary for your potential clients, it is necessary to know what they are like, what interests them, how they progress in their purchasing cycle and, of course, what expectations they have of their holiday experience, of their trip.
Only with this type of data, beyond sociodemographic information, will you be able to create the right content and implement the most effective strategies in each case. For example, if you are developing a campaign to promote a sun and beach hotel, you should not send it to a buyer who you know prefers the mountains and hiking unless it represents added value for some reason.
And obviously, in order to obtain this type of information, carry out such precise segmentation and send such personalized information, it is only possible with a tool that, to this day, many hotels have not thought of including, and the truth is that it can be considered one of the key pieces in the implementation of marketing and sales strategies. This tool is none other than CRM.
4. Not having a CRM with data subject to analysis.
The only tool that can centralize the most relevant data for your hotel in relation to the preferences and actions performed by guests is CRM . In order to base your strategies on people, on buyer personas , it is essential to have this software. Not only is it the central core that allows you to collect important information about your guests and contacts from other systems (booking engine, PMS, website), but it is also the one that allows you to analyze the behavior of the segments and their relationship with each purchase .
In addition, ultimately, it is also possible to observe the effectiveness of marketing actions and the achievement of objectives, especially if this hotel CRM is part of a comprehensive marketing tool such as HubSpot, which, in addition to automating the different actions, allows content to be adapted based on consumer preferences so that they only see what interests them most, thus optimizing conversion. Which leads us to the next error:
5. Do not personalize the content of your communications.
Although personalization is not at its maximum potential when it comes to adapting web pages based on a user's preferences, it is possible to personalize the content offered to different buyer personas via email marketing or messaging. To do this, it is necessary to have the CRM integrated with an email marketing or automation tool , which is why we have talked about HubSpot.
The basis for good communication with your contacts is based on personalization. Using elements that generate engagement and being able to send content that seems exclusively designed for one person (even if it isn't), is what can lead to greater conversion, greater achievement of objectives, and even better campaign planning. But as we say, to segment and personalize you must know the client and have a CRM tool.
6. Not implementing loyalty actions.
If there is another fundamental use of CRM, it is the possibility of carrying out actions to retain the customers you already have. Loyalty systems help to improve the LTV (life time value) of customers, especially considering that the cost per acquisition is always higher than the investment made in loyalty strategies.
In other words, implementing a marketing strategy that allows you to delight and retain customers is less expensive than relying solely on attraction strategies (SEO, SEM) that, while still important, are not the ones that can bring you the most direct bookings. And loyalty, through lead nurturing, is the strategy that most increases your business's chances of increasing direct sales.
{{cta('e48e7f41-39f8-47a9-86c8-6f3b56f6c86b')}}
7. Poor management of your reputation.
We have already mentioned that it is important not to take on more than you can manage. But when it is present on a channel, whether it is a social network, an online travel agency or a reputation platform, it must be taken care of. It is essential to be aware of the conversations that may occur around your brand, the comments about your products or services, as well as the general value that is given to your hotel or hotels.
It is easy to stop working on the brand's online reputation when there is a seasonality and the hotel may be closed. However, during this time of less activity on the different channels, it is still possible to study how to improve not only to make the reputation more positive in the digital environment, but also to work to offer an increasingly personalized and higher quality experience.
Obviously, it is also important to take into account that each hotel is unique. Each establishment should have a differentiating value proposition that keeps consumers on its website, whether they access it out of curiosity or directly.
For this reason, implementing a stable marketing strategy is essential. And while it is important to know, in these cases, what the competition is doing, a very common mistake is to think that their business model, their marketing and sales model is the only one that works and is the only one that should be imitated:
2. Copy the marketing model of large chains.
You've heard it said a thousand content writing service times that "what works for some, doesn't work for everyone," right? Well, the reality is that exactly the same thing happens in digital marketing, especially in the hotel sector. In addition to changes in generic search trends, factors such as the exact location of the hotel, the climate and seasonality of the place, the complementary services and activities available in the surrounding area and, especially, the specific type of clients, mean that we must focus our marketing efforts on very specific strategies and campaigns.
In order to market hotel products and services, it is essential that small and medium-sized chains opt for greater personalization in travel experiences and for digital marketing focused on the person . For this reason, in order to be competitive, it is not viable to copy the marketing model of large, established chains that have been applying the same diversified strategies to a very broad target audience for years.
It is more than likely that you do not have the infrastructure and resources to compartmentalize all the marketing and sales sections and, for this reason among others, the model you must follow must be adapted to your resources and needs, combining efforts between all strategies and departments (content, social networks, reputation, e-commerce, revenue...) to achieve a common goal: a sustainable increase in reservations in the long term.
For this reason, you should opt for a Smarketing model ( sales + marketing ) which consists of the effective alignment of marketing and sales teams to work together on all channels (in which your business is present) to generate more leads, that is, to get more potential customers.
In this case, it is also important to keep in mind that, depending on the resources and personnel available, it is better to focus on those strategies that can be optimized. For example, it is preferable to generate content, interact with followers, monitor conversations and respond to their requests on specific social networks than to try to cover each of the existing ones and do a poor job.
For this reason, it is essential to understand what your hotel's customers are like and where they spend time on the Internet. In order to work on the best strategies and achieve a correct alignment of teams and managers, it is necessary to avoid the following errors, starting with:
3. Not analyzing the type of buyer personas your hotel has.
As we have said, the personalization of travel experiences will become increasingly important for the survival of hotels. And this experience begins, is nurtured and ends in online channels, where a wide variety of marketing and sales actions can be planned and implemented. However, the mistake is in thinking that for your different audience segments or niches, the same actions, the same content will be equally effective.
The truth is that the same hotel can have different types of clients, not because of where they come from, but because of consumer preferences and purchasing trends. This means that it is essential to study the behavior of your hotel or hotels' clients in order to define your buyer personas and be able to implement the appropriate marketing and sales actions with each one .
{{cta('bb2971b9-bf36-4c36-8edc-75223dba5208')}}
As we have mentioned, in order to work on the appropriate strategies and be present in the online channels that are most necessary for your potential clients, it is necessary to know what they are like, what interests them, how they progress in their purchasing cycle and, of course, what expectations they have of their holiday experience, of their trip.
Only with this type of data, beyond sociodemographic information, will you be able to create the right content and implement the most effective strategies in each case. For example, if you are developing a campaign to promote a sun and beach hotel, you should not send it to a buyer who you know prefers the mountains and hiking unless it represents added value for some reason.
And obviously, in order to obtain this type of information, carry out such precise segmentation and send such personalized information, it is only possible with a tool that, to this day, many hotels have not thought of including, and the truth is that it can be considered one of the key pieces in the implementation of marketing and sales strategies. This tool is none other than CRM.
4. Not having a CRM with data subject to analysis.
The only tool that can centralize the most relevant data for your hotel in relation to the preferences and actions performed by guests is CRM . In order to base your strategies on people, on buyer personas , it is essential to have this software. Not only is it the central core that allows you to collect important information about your guests and contacts from other systems (booking engine, PMS, website), but it is also the one that allows you to analyze the behavior of the segments and their relationship with each purchase .
In addition, ultimately, it is also possible to observe the effectiveness of marketing actions and the achievement of objectives, especially if this hotel CRM is part of a comprehensive marketing tool such as HubSpot, which, in addition to automating the different actions, allows content to be adapted based on consumer preferences so that they only see what interests them most, thus optimizing conversion. Which leads us to the next error:
5. Do not personalize the content of your communications.
Although personalization is not at its maximum potential when it comes to adapting web pages based on a user's preferences, it is possible to personalize the content offered to different buyer personas via email marketing or messaging. To do this, it is necessary to have the CRM integrated with an email marketing or automation tool , which is why we have talked about HubSpot.
The basis for good communication with your contacts is based on personalization. Using elements that generate engagement and being able to send content that seems exclusively designed for one person (even if it isn't), is what can lead to greater conversion, greater achievement of objectives, and even better campaign planning. But as we say, to segment and personalize you must know the client and have a CRM tool.
6. Not implementing loyalty actions.
If there is another fundamental use of CRM, it is the possibility of carrying out actions to retain the customers you already have. Loyalty systems help to improve the LTV (life time value) of customers, especially considering that the cost per acquisition is always higher than the investment made in loyalty strategies.
In other words, implementing a marketing strategy that allows you to delight and retain customers is less expensive than relying solely on attraction strategies (SEO, SEM) that, while still important, are not the ones that can bring you the most direct bookings. And loyalty, through lead nurturing, is the strategy that most increases your business's chances of increasing direct sales.
{{cta('e48e7f41-39f8-47a9-86c8-6f3b56f6c86b')}}
7. Poor management of your reputation.
We have already mentioned that it is important not to take on more than you can manage. But when it is present on a channel, whether it is a social network, an online travel agency or a reputation platform, it must be taken care of. It is essential to be aware of the conversations that may occur around your brand, the comments about your products or services, as well as the general value that is given to your hotel or hotels.
It is easy to stop working on the brand's online reputation when there is a seasonality and the hotel may be closed. However, during this time of less activity on the different channels, it is still possible to study how to improve not only to make the reputation more positive in the digital environment, but also to work to offer an increasingly personalized and higher quality experience.