Category: Marketing

The booking confirmation email

The booking confirmation is the first communication your client will receive. In addition to reassuring the guest that the booking has been made, it allows them to check all of their stay’s details. The booking confirmation should therefore contain information such as: dates of stay, room rates and/or package chosen, number of people, type of room as well as all policies regarding the cancellation or modification of the reservation. The  guest can refer to this email whenever they want to verify any information. Given this is the only information the customer can refer to while waiting for their stay, this email could also contain information regarding arrival times and check-in procedures (if your hotel has them). It can includes self-service kiosk check-in, or any other method allowing the customer to check-in more easily. The first communication highlights the services available in your hotel. Even though the customer has chosen to stay in your hotel, they may not be aware of all the different possibilities offered on site and thus the booking confirmation allows them to explore these and plan their future stay even further.

The booking reminder email

The booking reminder email is a communication sent to the guest a few weeks, days or hours before their stay. This communication will remind the guest that their stay is coming up and will also remind them of the cancellation policy. Indeed, the earlier the customer cancels, the easier it will be for you to re-let the room. This communication can also be used to give them information which will simplify their arrival, such as online check-in, pre-check-in, quick check-in lines at your front desk or any other services which could prevent them from waiting. With this email, you will be able to help your client plan their stay by sending them links or information necessary to book additional services offered at your hotel. For example, you

can include the restaurant menu, the spa treatments, the seasonal activities currently being offered, as well as any links for online reservations or procedures to make a reservation. Moreover, this email could contain the local attractions that you wish to promote and, if applicable, the necessary information to make reservations. Finally, since the customer is preparing for their trip, this communication should contain a link allowing them to program their GPS via their cell phone. You can also share useful information on how to get to your hotel and suggest a list of items your clients should bring such as a swimsuit and sandals if you have a pool.

The thank you email

The thank you email is sent after the customer’s stay. It essentially includes a few words to thank the customer for choosing your hotel. It can also contain several important elements that will allow you to receive feedback but also build customer loyalty. The thank you email could include a satisfaction survey which, if connected to online review platforms, can allow you to act on your e-reputation. In any case, a satisfaction survey will allow your customers to give positive feedback but also to share any negative experiences. If the feedback you send following their negative comment is adequate, it may prevent them from writing their comments directly on online review platforms. It’s also an opportunity to build customer loyalty, by offering them an offer for a future stay or promoting future opportunities to stay in your hotel.

The invoice 

In addition to being environmentally friendly, sending the invoice by email will simplify your front desk’s operations since you will no longer have to print clients’ invoices and wait for the printer to deliver the document. Therefore, you should encourage receptionists to send the invoice by email and make this communication as pleasant as possible so that the guest remembers that receiving an invoice from your hotel is an experience in itself. Don’t forget to include a thank you note and a way to contact you may they have any questions.

The cancellation confirmation email

This communication might seem unnecessary and yet it remains an essential communication since a customer who cancels their stay should be perceived as a missed opportunity which may come up again soon. Therefore, it is important to emphasize to your client your disappointment of not being able to receive them but also to include all possible means to contact you in order to resume a reservation. This can be a phone number, the link to your online reservations or your front desk’s email.

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Your Property Management Software can also send other communications such as a rental contract, a notice of a deposit charge, etc. Each communication should be personalized, polished and carefully thought out so that the guest perceives the quality of your hotel together with the support and help that you offer them to make their stay unforgettable.

Optimize your website

First, start by optimizing your website. 

Your website being the online storefront of your hotel, it must be appealing to attract potential customers and make them want to stay with you.

By taking care of the visuals, the room descriptions and the information about your packages and promotions, you optimize your SEO and while being more likely to appear in the top results of search engines such as Google. You should also make sure that navigating your website is easy and intuitive and most importantly can be done quickly if you want to convert visitors into potential customers.

Moreover, it could be helpful to install a live or automated chatbot on your website in order for visitors with questions to be able to get immediate answers.

Choose an efficient booking engine

Integrating a booking engine on your website will allow your customers to book directly, without having to call or send an email. This is a way to shorten the booking process while giving you an additional chance to convert your visitors into customers. 

Therefore, your booking engine should be secure and accessible on all mobile devices. Make sure to showcase your brand image with your logo and your colors, to choose high quality pictures and to take care of your offers’ descriptions so that they are visible, readable and easily understandable.

Invest in remarketing 

Your website’s visitors often start making a reservation via your booking engine but do not validate it due to either a suboptimal navigation, incomplete/unclear information or unattractive/uncompetitive prices.

With remarketing, you can target these unconverted visitors by sending them promotional newsletters if they have registered their email address or by setting up remarketing campaigns via your social media.

Watch your online reputation

Your hotel’s online reputation is a key factor in your potential customers’ final decision. Online reviews, ratings and comments about your hotel can indeed positively or negatively influence their choice. You may want to highlight positive customer testimonials on your website and social media to let potential clients know more about your previous customers’ experience. This is turn will encourage them to book in your hotel while consolidating your online reputation.

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Increasing direct bookings is paramount to ensure your hotel’s profitability. There are several ways to increase your hotel’s online bookings, including optimizing your website and choosing an efficient booking engine. Investing in remarketing actions and taking care of your online reputation will also encourage customers to stay with you.

Make publications regularly

Most importantly, keep in mind that your publications are a sales pitch. They must reflect the image that you want to convey about your property and they must help you stand out. Using photos or videos, you should highlight your hotel as well as its infrastructures. These can include your restaurant, your pool or your spa.
Instagram publications allow you to reach a wide audience thus it is important to take care of the text that accompanies your photos or videos. This text must be clear, valorizing and of course without spelling mistakes. The content published must be in accordance with your brand image but also with your audience if you want to create interaction. Publishing regularly will also help you to develop your reputation and create a sense of belonging among your subscribers.

Post interactive stories

Many properties use Instagram stories to interact with their audience. These are temporary, last a maximum of 15 seconds and are visible only 24 hours. Stories are a great way for your followers to get to know you better but also for you to learn more about them. For example, you can ask questions to your audience, make a survey, broadcast a live, make room tours, promote your activities and packages, conduct interviews with your employees and much more. All means are good to promote your hotel in an original and authentic way while sharing positive emotions that create a relationship of trust with your followers. Also, using storytelling rather than purely advertising arguments will allow you to multiply the digital word of mouth effect around your brand but also to reinforce the feeling of belonging in your community through multiple interactions.

Use content generated by your own customers

There is nothing more authentic than content generated by your own guests! By definition, user-generated content includes all the content created by Internet users for free and which is community-oriented. These can be photos, videos, reviews or stories.Therefore, this marketing strategy can only be beneficial for you. It is free and allows you to generate interest around your brand while strengthening trust and the feeling of belonging with your customers. Nevertheless, don’t forget to ask your guests if you can re-share their content and make sure that the content published about your hotel has a positive effect on your brand image.

Add hashtags to your posts

Hashtags are keywords that allow your content to be found quickly in the Instagram search bar. These should be short, concise and relevant. Creating your own hashtags will further encourage your customers to use them in their posts or stories and help you build your e-reputation. Also, it is proven that posts with hashtags generate much more engagement than posts without hashtags. In addition to gaining visibility, you gain subscribers and attract potential customers.

Create your Instagram store

It is proven that 8 out of 10 users follow their favorite brand’s Instagram account and 80% of followers use this social network to learn about various products or services. Therefore, creating your Instagram store will allow you to promote your packages, activities and gift vouchers and therefore increase your related sales.

Organize contests and collaborations

Partnering with an influencer or a local company for a contest or collaboration could help you gain visibility and increase your number of followers. An influencer is a person with a large number of followers who creates and spreads content on their social networks. For example, they can share photos, videos, stories of their stay at a resort and may also give advice or talk about their experience in order to make their followers want to live the same experience. However, most of the giveaways and collaborations are not free, so it’s important to choose who you want to collaborate with. Make sure that there is a coherence between the influencer or company you partner with and your brand identity and values. Their published content should align with your audience’s interests.

Set up campaigns on Instagram

Finally, setting up campaigns on Instagram is a costly but effective strategy if it is adequately done.

Initially, you should define the main objectives of your web campaign (gain visibility, increase traffic on your website, increase sales) and the audience you are targeting by filtering by location, gender, age and activities.

Then, you have to choose the right visual, the right content and the right redirection link in order to make the users want to click on your campaign’s call-to-action button. Finally, don’t forget to measure the results of your campaign by relying on performance indicators such as the number of views, the click rate, the conversion rate and the number of sales. From these, you will be able to see what was effective and what could be improved for future campaigns.

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Instagram has become an important and strategic platform for hoteliers to promote their establishment and services.

With the competition on Instagram being very tough, your goal is to go beyond simply promoting your hotel. You need to showcase your brand and differentiate yourself while ensuring the image you are conveying aligns with your hotel’s identity.

Before the stay

Before your guest’s stay, it is important to initiate communication, especially with the help of booking confirmation emails and personalized stay reminders sent by your hotel management software. These emails will add value to your hotel due to their content and your guests will see it as an effort on your end to make their stay a success.

Regarding these emails, personalization is key if you want to attract the attention and curiosity of your customers. For example, you can promote your various offers and services, including activities, spa packages and restaurants. Increasingly, properties are communicating with their customers by text. To do so, you can take this as an opportunity to ask them if they require assistance to organize their stay while showing them that you are available if needed.

During the stay

Your customers’ arrival is a key point of contact that should not be neglected. Indeed, your customers’ first impression is crucial as it directly influences their overall satisfaction.

A kiosk becomes essential if you want to offer a modern and personalized welcome to your guests. You can speed up their check-in and avoid queues that are harmful to their satisfaction. You can also have a concierge at their disposal to give them information regarding what they can do during their stay and to better advise them. For guests who are used to staying with you, you can offer them a special welcome, such as an upgrade or personalized welcome gifts in their room, which they will greatly appreciate.

Throughout their stay, it is essential to make your customers feel special and pay attention to them. They must feel listened to, taken into consideration and made to feel at home. Do not hesitate to communicate with them by email or text to make sure they do not miss anything and that their stay goes well.

After the stay

Once your guests have left your hotel, customer loyalty can continue to be built. It is highly recommended to send them a thank you email to thank them for their trust and to learn more about their stay through a customer satisfaction survey. This is important because it will help you know if your customers are satisfied or not, what they liked and disliked and what could be improved.

Overall, this satisfaction survey will help you improve the guest experience you offer. You can also encourage your customers to leave online reviews on your social media platforms or on the most popular platforms such as Google, Booking.com, Expedia. Your goal should be to turn your guests into true ambassadors of your hotel. If they are satisfied with their experience and loyal to your hotel, they will not hesitate to refer you to their friends and family. Do not underestimate the power of word of mouth, especially digital word of mouth!

Also, email marketing is a great way to communicate if you want to stay in touch with your guests. By sending personalized and targeted newsletters, not only do you showcase your offers and services at a lower cost, but you also ensure your customers keep you in mind.

Finally, it is important to be active on social media to build your community while running campaigns to increase the visibility of your offers and services in order to increase your bookings.

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Offering an outstanding experience to your guests is an essential factor to build loyalty. Indeed, it’s proven that a guest is more likely to pay more for a better experience. Marketing plays an important and useful role since it promotes customer loyalty by creating a lasting and trusting relationship with your guests. In addition to retaining your guests, you also increase your income and your notoriety in the long term.

Being present and active on these platforms offers the opportunity for your property to learn more about your potential customers, adjust your offers and services and to promote itself by using personalized and attractive content.

It seems obvious that the influence of social media on travelers is undeniable, but how do these social networks manage to convince them?

Content sharing

Using social media allows properties to promote their offers and services through quality, targeted and attractive content at a reasonable cost. Also, more than 60% of travelers love to share their travel content, whether during or after their stay, so why not take advantage of it? Indeed, their own social platforms are transformed into a true digital album that introduces other travellers to new destinations and makes them want to book their next stays. Therefore, encouraging your guests to share content on social media would promote your property and its guest experience for free to a larger audience by catching new customers’ attention. It could then lead to future bookings.

Interactions between travelers

More often, travelers are not sure about the destination to choose or even which accommodation and activities to book. They feel the need to escape and relax and therefore use social media to find inspiration for their next trip. As a result, travelers don’t hesitate to interact with other travelers, ask for advice and tips and most importantly, check online reviews on Google or Tripadvisor. In fact, it is proven that 63% of Millennials consult social media to choose their next destination and nearly 84% of them read comments and reviews before making their reservation.

E-reputation

In a hyper-connected world, building and consolidating your e-reputation has become a real priority. Indeed, the online reputation reproduces the effect of a digital word of mouth, meaning that everything Internet users say about you has an impact on your property. Plus, many travelers trust what they read on social media, which means the better your property’s online reputation, the more travelers want to stay at your property and the more your number of bookings will increase. 

On the contrary, a bad reputation online can lead to a bad buzz or a crisis situation. It becomes important to ask your guests to leave reviews on your social platforms, but you must regularly check it in order to identify and respond to good and bad reviews.

Influencer marketing

This marketing strategy involves using an influencer’s awareness to promote your property. In fact, influencers are excellent brand ambassadors who will not only allow you to enlarge your visibility and your audience, but also generate interactions around your brand. This partnership will help you enhance the experience offered by your hotel and increase your bookings. Note that there are several types of influencers, depending on their number of followers. Each type uses different communication channels, produces different types of content and has different audiences. Moreover, the role of these people is to influence the purchasing decision of Internet users, while remaining as transparent as possible. Indeed, it’s proven that 85% of consumers prefer to trust an influencer rather than a brand directly.

Before signing a partnership, make sure that the chosen influencer shares the same values as your property, and that their content reaches your audience. Also, don’t forget to set your goals, your marketing budget and your ROI in advance.

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The future of social media is still promising, since the number of users is estimated at more than 4 billion by the end of 2021, compared to 3,4 billion in 2019. Using social media has many advantages. Your goal is not necessarily to be on every platform, but on the most popular ones, in order to increase your online visibility and strengthen your notoriety. Regarding your property’s e-reputation, it is essential to make a follow-up of your social platforms in order to identify your guests’ opinions, improve your offers and services and stay informed about emerging trends that could allow you to attract new guests.