10 Changes Shaping Hotel Marketing
Albert BarraNovember 19, 2018 · 3 min read
We always say that this is a year of transition; in reality, every year is a transition year, as we hope it will pass quickly and that the next one will be better. In any case, I believe that today certain aspects of marketing have succeeded in capturing the attention of a good number of hoteliers, and many are keen for them to become part of day-to-day operations going forward.
For that very reason, what can we expect for the future?
For that very reason, what can we expect for the future?
- All hotels will understand that users have taken control of online content, and also control the interactions that take place in this environment. There is a conversation taking place, and failing to take part in it could leave us out of the market.
- As a result of this conversation, hotels will become aware of the importance of managing their online reputation and of the impact that user reviews have on sales. They will give due importance not only to leading and transactional portals, but also to user-to-user information-sharing sites.
- Some hotels will even embark on the adventure of broadening this conversation through effective communication.
- Hotels will pay particular attention to capturing and analysing as much information as possible about their guests and potential guests in order to develop effective strategies that enable them to build greater loyalty among the former and capture the attention of the latter. Ultimately, CRM will be demystified, creating a strong link between it and Revenue Management (including in resort hotels), Marketing, Distribution and Online Reputation Management.
- Just as CRM and Revenue Management will be demystified, other concepts that have until now been unfamiliar will be as well, and the social dimension of marketing will be understood.
- Hotels will implement properly analysed and developed marketing plans, rather than recycling plans from previous years. These marketing plans will be adapted to current times, with online marketing forming an important part of them. In short, concepts such as SEM (Search Engine Marketing) and SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) are already familiar, and although we may not know the technical details, we are fully aware of their importance.
- For each of our initiatives, we will track ROI separately to understand the profitability of each of our actions, as well as their results. This will enable us to make better decisions.
- It is highly likely that, in order to develop our marketing plan more effectively, we will need to redesign our website. We will make this change with the usability our guests require and the conversion of traffic into business in mind. To achieve this, we will develop whatever measurement and monitoring systems are needed.
- As a result of all the above, hotels will recognise that every effort will be in vain if the service is not impeccable and aligned with the expectations of the guests we intend to attract. Therefore, Human Resources teams will be properly trained and motivated to ensure this is the case. Terms such as Talent Management, Training and Loyalty will no longer be unfamiliar.
- … The best is yet to come.