1. Work on a brand that represents you and your customers.
First of all, you have to learn who is the potential customer you want to attract. Make every effort to know what attracts your guests and why they would choose your hotel over the competition.
On the other hand, each hotel has to be different, special, memorable… It has to be able to distinguish its offer from the rest: to offer a unique experience. For that reason, working on a branding that represents your hotel and your potential clients is fundamental when implementing any subsequent online marketing strategy.
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As we have said before, your identity is a combination of visual, emotional and communicative features. So your naming, logo, tagline, corporate colors, values, mission, philosophy, content… have to show that you can satisfy the needs of your customers.
For example, Hilton Worldwide has created another brand,
Tru by Hilton
for those travel consumers (both business and leisure) who have a “millennial mindset”. Alexandra Jaritz, Global Head of this brand, defines these travelers as people who share the same values and have the same expectations and attitude when it comes to traveling. High levels of personalization and fostering experiences that create memories that matter are important to these users.
Tru by Hilton paid special attention to naming. With “Tru”, which is similar to “true” in English, they wanted to evoke the pillars of the brand. A simple and memorable name, according to Alexandra Jaritz. In addition, to differentiate themselves on a visual level, they opted for vibrant colors, energetic photos, fun illustrations and graphic elements that evoke the logo created, which has nothing to do with Hilton’s origin.
Differentiation is critical to success. Remember that with your hotel you have to make sure you create different emotions and present experiences that guests will always remember. You have to leave your mark, because they will be your hotel’s best brand ambassadors. For this reason, knowing yourself and your customer is paramount.
And what is your objective? Define the profiles of your potential guests and promote your brand in an original way.
What strategies can you implement? First of all, the Inbound marketing methodology is not conceivable without the development of buyer persona profiles.
buyer personas
your potential customers. These profiles facilitate the implementation of any strategy since they are based on a deep knowledge of the consumer trends of these travelers.
On the other hand, the
Branded content
as part of the content strategy is a great option. It involves creating content that is indirectly related to your hotel brand. In other words, these contents must provide value, convey emotions, satisfy needs. This way you can connect consumers with your hotel’s brand before they even book your hotel.
2. Keep in mind that you are selling experiences.
Your hotel is not just a place where your guests sleep, it’s a place where they live new experiences. And depending on how satisfactory they are, they will have a better or worse image of your hotel. Because meeting the expectations of today’s consumers involves working on a marketing methodology that allows you to satisfy their wants and needs.
Maybe you thought your core business was your rooms. In part they are, but it all goes beyond that. Let’s imagine for a moment that your hotel is in a big city. If you’ve defined your potential customer well, you’ll know that they won’t spend many hours at your hotel, but when they do, they want you to offer them more than just a standard room and amenities.
For example, the hotels
Moxy hotels
another of Marriott’s business lines, are intended to attract young travelers it has defined as “fun-hunters,” according to Global Brand Officer Tina Edmundson. She defines these travelers as people full of life. For them, Moxy offers common spaces where more activities can take place; rooms without unnecessary closets, but with bathrooms out of the ordinary, etc. Because according to Tina Edmundson, these consumers are looking for something new and authentic experiences.
Surely, these travelers will want to visit museums, go to gastronomic restaurants, walk the streets of your city, go shopping, etc. In short, to satisfy their cultural curiosity and their need for consumption. This experience is accompanied by the experience they can have in your hotel, even if it is only for a few hours. That’s why you offer more than just rooms.
On the other hand, your hotel could be rural. The complete opposite of urban. But the theory would be the same. What do you offer? Evasion and tranquility, spectacular excursions in a unique environment…? Whatever it is, your potential customer is interested in the experience they will get from their trip.
And what is your objective? Increase awareness of the experiences you offer, starting with offering an online experience that creates expectations that you are able to meet.
What strategies can you implement? Obviously, speaking of Inbound Marketing, content is fundamental. And in the case of hotel chains, the format in which you display this content. While your website’s blog is a basic, you need to think that people want to see and almost touch the experiences. Therefore, investing in
video marketing
is one of the best options. Because video is what today’s users consume the most. But if you want a cheaper alternative, you can always encourage your customers to make videos and share their photos on social networks.
social networks
For this, you will need to have a very active presence on your platforms.
3. Giving people the value they deserve.
Many define Inbound marketing as marketing that makes you fall in love. The objective is to achieve results, obviously, but through a transaction that benefits the guest so much that they end up being the best person to promote your hotel business. The value that people bring to your hotel is fundamental. More people talking positively about you means having a community that interacts and enhances your reputation.
One of the ways to pave this path is, again, by satisfying your potential customers. As you may already know, a large part of the content that is consumed today is on social networks. And on these platforms there are a number of personalities who can influence the consumption decisions of others: the
influencers
.
Chains like Starwood Hotel & Resorts Worldwide for its new line of business
Tribute Porfolio
have decided to include these influencers in their social media strategy and event execution. They can create compelling content for the type of potential customer you are targeting.
In the case of Tribute, the social network Instagram was used, which, with more than 300 million monthly active users, has surpassed Twitter and, being so visual, serves as an inspiration for many travelers. This is a great way to associate your brand with personalities that help you create a conversation in which you can participate.
And what is your objective? Encourage the growth of a valuable community through your communication channels, that talks about your brand.
What strategies can you implement? Participate in the conversation and provide valuable content in your social networks. Appreciate the user-generated content that can benefit you so much, to generate engagement through all stages of the Inbound marketing methodology.
