How do you measure the impact of outdoor advertising on hotel bookings?

1 Define your goals and metrics

Before launching any outdoor campaign, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how you will measure it. For example, do you want to increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, or generate direct bookings? Depending on your goals, you may use different metrics, such as impressions, reach, frequency, click-through rate, conversion rate, or return on ad spend. You should also set a realistic budget and timeframe for your campaign and track your performance against your baseline.

2 Use tracking codes and landing pages

One of the simplest ways to measure the impact of outdoor advertising on hotel bookings is to use tracking codes and landing pages. A tracking code is a unique identifier that you can add to your outdoor ad, such as a QR code, a short URL, or a phone number. When a potential guest scans, visits, or calls the tracking code, you can track their behavior and actions on your website or booking system. A landing page is a specific web page that you create for your outdoor campaign, where you can offer a special deal, a discount code, or a call to action. By directing your outdoor traffic to a landing page, you can measure how many people are interested in your offer and how many of them book your hotel.

3 Use geofencing and location-based services

Another way to measure the impact of outdoor advertising on hotel bookings is to use geofencing and location-based services. Geofencing is a technology that allows you to create a virtual boundary around a specific location, such as your outdoor ad or your hotel. When a potential guest enters or exits the geofenced area, you can send them a targeted message, such as a push notification, an email, or a text message. Location-based services are applications that use the location data of a user's device, such as GPS, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth, to provide relevant information or offers. For example, you can use a location-based service to show your hotel's availability and rates to nearby users who are searching for accommodation. By using geofencing and location-based services, you can measure how many people are exposed to your outdoor ad, how many of them engage with your message, and how many of them book your hotel.

4 Use surveys and feedback

A third way to measure the impact of outdoor advertising on hotel bookings is to use surveys and feedback. Surveys are questionnaires that you can use to collect data from your potential or existing guests, such as their demographics, preferences, satisfaction, and loyalty. Feedback is any form of communication that you receive from your guests, such as reviews, ratings, comments, or complaints. You can use surveys and feedback to ask your guests how they heard about your hotel, what influenced their decision to book, and how they rate their experience. By using surveys and feedback, you can measure how your outdoor advertising affects your brand perception, reputation, and retention.

5 Use analytics and reporting tools

A fourth way to measure the impact of outdoor advertising on hotel bookings is to use analytics and reporting tools. Analytics are software or platforms that help you collect, analyze, and visualize data from various sources, such as your website, booking system, social media, or CRM. Reporting tools are software or platforms that help you create, customize, and share reports based on your data and metrics. You can use analytics and reporting tools to monitor and evaluate your outdoor campaign's performance, compare it with other channels and competitors, and identify areas for improvement and optimization.

6 Test and optimize your outdoor campaigns

A final way to measure the impact of outdoor advertising on hotel bookings is to test and optimize your outdoor campaigns. Testing is the process of experimenting with different elements of your outdoor ad, such as the design, the message, the location, or the timing. Optimizing is the process of adjusting and improving your outdoor ad based on the results of your testing. You can use testing and optimizing to find out what works best for your target audience, increase your outdoor ad's effectiveness and efficiency, and maximize your return on investment.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?