5 tips for successful hotel marketing

Thanks to the boundless expanse of the online world, there are now countless possibilities when it comes to marketing. But that is precisely where the difficulty lies – which Marketing initiatives Get yours Hotel, your Bed and breakfast or your Inn Are these worth considering, and do they offer good value for money?

To what extent is Offline advertising in today’s world Is this still relevant? And how can Influencer marketing in tourism Use?

To provide more clarity on questions like these, we’ve put together 5 tips for you on how to organise your hotel marketing:

1 | Analysis of the current situation

The basis for setting objectives is knowledge of the current situation. It is therefore important to draw up a strategic marketing plan that includes the following points (including questions you might ask yourselves):

• Target audience: hotels: Who are our visitors?
• Unique selling point: Why do customers choose us, of all places?
• Strengths and weaknesses: What do we specialise in? Where is there still room for improvement, and in what areas do we deliberately set ourselves apart?
• Competitor analysis: What sets us apart from our competitors?
• Products and services: What do we offer, and how do visitors rate the individual products?
• Vision: What is our guiding principle?

Following a detailed analysis of the current situation, it is clear not only what the current strengths and weaknesses are, but also the direction in which the Positioning The more focused the direction, the better and clearer both the target audience and the external communication will be. Does your hotel specialise in holidays for couples? This clearly sets it apart from family hotels, as the hotel’s offers and prices, as well as its communication channels and marketing activities, are specifically targeted at couples.

2 | Setting objectives & measures

The appropriate marketing measures for the hotel are determined on the basis of the defined objectives. This is best achieved by involving various departments within the organisation. The more the team knows about the brand strategy, the more effectively this message will resonate with guests.

What channels and options are available for hotel marketing?

Offline

• Poster advertising
• Trade fairs & Events
• Direct mail
• Printed materials for hotel furnishings: Menus, Table display, Information signs, Posters
• Printed materials for distribution: Flyer, Information folder, Business cards, City maps

Online

• Website, blog & SEO (organic Google search results)
• Advertisements & SEA (paid Google search results)
• Social media
• Newsletter
• Collaboration with booking platforms (affiliate marketing)

Discuss as a team the appropriate channels, the available resources and the budget, and use this to determine the specific marketing measures.

3 | Why offline marketing and print advertising are still worthwhile

In recent years, online marketing has become increasingly important and the possibilities are vast. However, before we discuss these, the question arises: which offline marketing measures make sense in today’s world?

The Basic range of printed promotional materials is essential for a hotel. From Business cards for individual staff members, via the Hotel signage up to Menus and Information brochures – The hotel logo, printed on the finest paper, plays a central role in the brand’s image.

In addition, there are Direct mail A great way to engage directly with the target audience and draw attention to new offers. Nothing beats the special impression that the tactile experience of a high-quality Brochure leaves a lasting impression. The online world is fast-paced and fleeting! A magazine that you can hold in your hands and leaf through at your leisure is a welcome change that sticks in the memory. 

Also personal contact should not be underestimated. The Participation in local events or even larger events such as trade fairs boosts positive word-of-mouth. Of course, this requires special, branded merchandise such as, for example, a Tent or a Exhibition stand, Roll-ups for information about the hotel, Seating and Giveaways such as sweets printed with the logo. Combined with a competition, the hotel exhibition stand is sure to be THE customer magnet!

Printed advertising has not lost its importance even in this day and age, and promotes personal contact with the target audience as well as a positive image of the hotel.

4 | Social media and influencer marketing in tourism

Once the target audience and potential have been identified based on the current state analysis and the appropriate measures have been developed for the print sector, you will work together as a team to the appropriate social media channels for hotel marketing Make a detailed plan of when, how often and how you intend to use each channel. Also assess your staffing resources and appoint one or more people to be responsible. Unfortunately, even the most carefully thought-out plans will come to nothing if they subsequently fail to be implemented.

For hotels, it is not only suitable Facebook, but also Instagram. In Austria, the number of Instagram users has more than doubled over the last two years. In total, around 2.3 million Austrians use Instagram. For a tourism business in particular, Instagram is the perfect platform for presenting its facilities, style and offerings in a visually appealing way. A glimpse behind the scenes, introducing the team and running competitions are also excellent marketing tools for personal connection with the target audience to set up.

Particularly popular at the moment is the Collaboration with bloggers and influencers, popular figures on the web with large followings. Perhaps a partnership with such social media professionals would also make sense for your hotel, in order to to increase the hotel’s reach and, consequently, its profile. Particularly when a new hotel is opening or a hotel is expanding its range of services, collaborating with influencers is a good way to reach the desired target audience. It is important that the Transparent and authentic collaboration is handled. So only select people for such a campaign who are a good fit for the hotel and therefore represent a target audience that is valuable to the hotel.

5 | Monitoring the success of the measures

If you and your team have worked your way through to this point, congratulations – the bulk of your marketing planning for the hotel is complete. However, before you move on to implementation, there is still one important step to take. You need to determine which specific marketing objectives are to be achieved and with what budget. Only then will you be able to monitor the success of the marketing measures you’ve implemented – by measurable objectives specifies.

Conclusion: Why a marketing plan for hotels pays off in the long term

“A goal without a plan is just a wish!”

In keeping with this motto, a written hotel marketing plan is required, one that is well known to all staff and pursued collectively. In this way, the Consistent and targeted communication are displayed to the outside world. Everyone knows the shared vision and what he needs to do as part of the marketing plan – from the initial idea, through implementation, right through to evaluation.

“If the plan isn’t working, change the plan. But never the goal.”

A goal can be achieved in many different ways. The Ongoing management of the marketing plan helps to highlight which measures are effective and which are less successful. This enables meaningful Evaluation and a corresponding Adaptation of marketing measures - This ensures that the objectives are pursued with determination over the long term and are actually achieved.

Have fun getting creative! :-)