Apps, Stories and Ultra Personalization: How to Make the Most of your Hospitality Marketing 2020
We already wrote about the latest marketing trends of 2018 in the hotel industry that can help you advance your business. Here is an update 2020 with some fresh ideas that can help make your property more popular with guests and achieve financial goals. The hospitality industry is developing at a fast pace. With millions of hotel rooms available globally, a unique brand image and exceptional service are what makes you stand out.
1. Storytelling
Perhaps, like the Grand Budapest Hotel from the eponymous movie, yours also have a story to tell. It might be located in a historical building or have become a setting for memorable life events of your guests. Make a video about it and place it on your website. It must capture the visitors’ imagination, evoke positive emotions and make them wish to live their own dream. While they are still under the impression, a handy booking button will ensure a higher conversion rate. Direct booking is a win-win situation as guests get lower rates, and the hotel doesn’t pay the commission to OTAs.
2. Influence marketing and crowd sponsored content
Let others tell stories about your hotel. Influencer marketing is on the rise in many spheres and hospitality is not an exception. Team up with an influencer who you think would be able to embody the spirit of your brand, your culture and with whom your audiences would best relate to. Even micro- or nano- bloggers with a small reach can make a difference.
Guest reviews on social media and OTA websites, and other user-generated content helps promote your brand a lot. Create an original photo zone at your hotel, fun brand hashtags for social media, run interesting contests for your guests engagement.
3. Videos
Apparently, people are getting too lazy to read long texts. The proof is the enormous popularity of YouTube and other streaming services. Short engaging videos showcasing your hotel facilities, events, a chef cooking specialty dish, activities for kids, bird-eye view of the area where the property is located, a party at the swimming pool - the list of ideas is virtually limitless. Facebook and Instagram stories are a perfect way to share video content.
4. Ultra Personalization
While developing a strategy, remember: 4 times more people prefer to learn a new information from the video. A professionally made, aesthetically-pleasing video content will bring a better result, but live-streams are also worth using. Almost every social network offers the possibility of the live broadcast, what creates a feeling of the personal presence.
For the advertising campaigns, we recommend using short (5 sec) videos. If you have one hotel promo, you should think about cut it into short videos wich will demonstrate one of the hotel’s offerings and benefits.
Ads
Most people find ads irrelevant and annoying. The way to alter the perception is to make adverts ultimately personalized and offer people exactly what they need with perfect timing. In the hotel business, gathering and systemizing data on your guests is the way to achieve it. These data, among other things, can be used for segmenting your audience with email marketing to send gender- or location-specific offers and deals.
Rooms
The ability for the guest to customize their room interior looks like a big future trend: move walls and beds, pre-order interior design elements, etc. It is a natural complement to the possibilities the Internet-of-Things provides, such as smart lighting, heating, and control of devices. With this approach, the client can create a very authentic space.
Apps
Mobile apps allow creating a very personalized experience. Guests can receive services exactly how and when they want it, for instance, order vegan/sugar-free, etc., options in the comments to their order, and pay directly from their smartphone. HotelFriend mobile app also allows to tap into the moment marketing trend. It is about interacting with the guest throughout the whole stay and offering something relevant and required at a particular moment. You can place QR codes of the services everywhere in your property so that the client has instance access to ordering and the menu of options. Another way to reach clients is shoppable posts. This e-commerce trend can create value for your hotel too. Native integration of your spa services, restaurant dishes, etc., on Instagram and Facebook with clickable links are a great way to generate leads.
Chatbots
Chatbots have been on trend for a couple of years and will only evolve in the future. When guests book their stays on the hotel website, they might have additional questions, chatbots are a great way to make an appearance of personalized serviced without the necessity to call. The rapid development of artificial intelligence and machine learning made chatbots human-like.
5. Digital detox
Perhaps some of your hotel guests are tired of gadgets and apps, want to go on a digital detox and prefer good old human interaction. It is also trendy now to be disconnected. With our cutting-edge PMS, all routine processes are organized and automated so well, that your staff has enough time to have a friendly chat with all guests and provide hospitality that will feel like visiting old friends.
Get inspired by the latest hospitality marketing trends and ideas that help to build brand awareness, maximize bookings and improve client experience.
You can compare hotel marketing trends of 2020 with the one we made for 2018 year below:
Public relations: Ralph Eichelberger
