How Should Business Owners Approach Hotel Digital Marketing During COVID-19?

Due to the current crisis of COVID-19, numerous businesses and individuals are experiencing difficulties, struggling to keep their business afloat. On the other hand, many organizations are also finding ways to maximize whatever time they have to maintain optimal operations.

Although various marketing activities such as outdoor events and gatherings have been curtailed, still there are plenty of actions hotels can take, such as investing in hotel digital marketing campaigns to ensure a recovery in their businesses. Additionally, exploring the different ways of digital marketing can help hotels stay ahead of their game.

Generate Future Bookings

Coming up with hotel digital marketing plans do not just help hotels gain traffic but help them be prepared for future customers when the crisis is over. If such plans are not adhered to, businesses might need to work twice as hard to retain existing customers and gain new ones. 

A highly targeted marketing strategy can enable your operations to pick up any existing and future demands while cementing your position before the market recovers. Competitors and online travel agencies who invest heavily in marketing campaigns can be a significant threat if hotels do not start their digital marketing plans.

Know Your Guests

Building a profile list of your guests can allow you to know which customers are still booking your hotel. Understand where these customers are coming from to determine your target group. 

Here are some questions that can help you narrow down your research:

• How is the demand in your area?
• How much demand are you currently receiving?
• Are your guests booking months in advance or earlier?
• Where do your guests come from?
• Are bookings related to leisure or business?

It is vital to monitor these conditions as closely as possible and take down the above information to ensure accurate results. This way, it can certainly help you with your hotel digital marketing plans.

Create Flexible Policies and Promotions

With people sitting at home, researching, and planning their future travel plans, it is the perfect opportunity to showcase promotional rates for a future stay. Additionally, hotels can feature flexible cancellation policies on their website. Take this chance to offer guests opportunities to return and stay at your hotel with digital booking tickets that can be redeemed in the future. With these digital marketing strategies, travelers can book their travel plans with confidence, without worrying about unforeseen situations or travel restrictions.

Add Value for Your Guests

There are numerous possibilities to add value for your guests to keep them coming back for more. For instance, surprise them with SPA vouchers or free dining coupons. If these promotions are listed on your website, they could potentially influence an online visitor to make a booking at your hotel. 

Focus on Your Local Customer Base

As travel restrictions are still in place, hotels should not expect any tourists from other parts of the world to visit their hotels anytime soon. Hotels, however, should focus on their local or existing customer base, sharing updated information, promotions, and ensuring that lines of communication are still open for service. 

Every season, travelers from different parts of the country will start to travel again, especially during the summer and winter holidays. Therefore, it is recommended to maintain your customer satisfaction and continue to plan ahead with your hotel digital marketing strategies.

Ensure Top of the Line Guest Services

Offering exceptional guest services and experience go hand in hand with focusing on your existing customer base. Ensure that your guests are satisfied throughout the stay; especially during this crisis, a bad guest experience can cause a significant impact on your hotel. Additionally, you can update your social media pages and keep your guests updated with the current situation of your hotel and its operation. 

Focus on PPC Investments

Paid advertising such as pay-per-click (PPC) ads on major search engines are important for hotels who are looking to increase their online presence. With more people staying at home, you can certainly expect more online visitors searching throughout the internet. 

PPC is one of the best advertising avenues that hotels can focus on during this downtime. When customers start searching for hotel stays or promotions, your boosted ads will potentially appear on their search results.

Highlight your Hotel’s Facilities and its Surroundings

Create a lifestyle around your hotel by creating videos or posting updated photos on social media pages. Share content that will ultimately help boost your hotel’s image such as highlighting it as a peaceful and amazing retreat. Show your guests the attractive and entertaining life at your hotel with crystal clear images, capturing the atmosphere and listing them on your website. Additionally, you can upload content of the surrounding areas, such as showcasing the wonderful scenery and local attractions. Providing your guest with a sense of place beyond your hotel can certainly appeal to many travelers.

Invest in Effective Marketing Campaigns

Whether you are looking to target existing customers or gain new clients to your website, investing in effective marketing campaigns can certainly increase your online presence. At SmartSites, we provide our clients with impactful hotel digital marketing SEO campaigns that can certainly bring traffic to your property. Reach us today and stay ahead of your competitors now!