The importance of online marketing strategy in the hospitality industry

Online marketing for hotels is more important than ever, since the hospitality industry will never be the same after 2020. But instead of swearing at our bad luck, let's stay positive and take proactive steps to face any challenges with a stronger mind! A well thought-out online marketing strategy will help you do this.

Building your online marketing strategy from the basics

The three basic human needs are food, water and shelter, but the internet has also climbed nicely up the list as an additional item. We now rely on the internet for pretty much everything: from a review of a café near our workplace to the hotel we've chosen for our holiday, the internet has the answer to everything.?

During guests' search for accommodation, they will be looking for 3 main factors:

• price range
• guest reviews
• the hotel's website

Whether you'll be in the top results and whether a guest will choose you depends on your visibility, which is a result of algorithms, quality content and visitor engagement. What determines your ranking in Google? The proper execution of a good online marketing plan.

What is hotel/catering online marketing?

In recent years there have been huge changes in the customer journey, with online booking becoming commonplace and communication and searches moving online, so it's essential to combine hotel revenue management with digital marketing to maintain and grow revenue.

• Online marketing in the hotel/catering industry is all the activities you do in the digital space to get people interested in your service.
• It includes social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, as well as Google and other search engines.?
• The ultimate goal of all your efforts is to build and maintain a strong online presence that generates hotel/restaurant bookings and provides your business with a stable brand name in the market.

When your potential guests are still in the dreaming and planning stages, you need to sell them the location and the experience as much as the accommodation. Think about what guests want to eat, drink, see and do during their stay. Then focus on those that are nearby and easy to organise. This could include a beautiful neighbourhood market, boating in a nearby town, many such activities which you can promote as a complement to your own offer in your hotel's online marketing.

Of course, an online presence on social media platforms is now a basic requirement. Letting your users have a little behind-the-scenes via your newsfeed can boost engagement, while also building trust with potential guests. Feel free to involve your colleagues in content creation to show your customers that they're dealing with real people. What are some other must-have elements of an online marketing strategy for the hospitality industry?

One of the key players in online marketing planning: SEO

It's crucial to be visible online for relevant search terms. With the majority of accommodation searches starting on Google, SEO is more important than ever.?

• Your website must be technically sound so that search engines are able to map your content. Page stability and fast loading are also important.?
• Next, keyword research should be carried out and content optimised for relevant search terms. Focus on specific aspects, for example, instead of "Budapest hotel", choose "romantic hotel in the centre of Budapest" if that description fits you. With a well-formulated keyword, you'll have a better chance of ranking highly, which will bring you more relevant web traffic.?
• The final pillar of SEO is backlinking. If other websites link to you, search engines will judge your site as more credible, so you will rank higher. Links can come from travel bloggers, brand affiliates, tour operators, local services and any other genuine, relevant websites.

Reputation Management cannot be overlooked

Who do we trust more when deciding on a holiday/restaurant visit?? A YouTube ad or a hotel/restaurant review written by a real person? If the research is to be believed, the majority of guests trust the latter. Most people do read reviews before booking a hotel or restaurant table - improving the guest experience is therefore an obvious strategic task. You need to know what your guests are saying about you, otherwise how can you improve your service?

Revenue Management, the daredevil of the online marketing plan

Market segmentation from hotel revenue management audits provides excellent information for the implementation of an online marketing strategy. You can segment the market in a number of ways, including by demographics and length of stay. But one of the most useful segmentations for revenue management and digital marketing is by booking purpose.?

Competitor analysis and rate evaluation will help you identify unique selling propositions that will drive more revenue to your business through dynamic pricing. If your pricing is higher than your competitors, the message can focus on quality, service and luxury. If your prices are low, value for money can be emphasised as the main message.

Marketing analysis, auditing, increasing traffic = Everguest!

Do you want to make the most of your opportunities and increase your visibility in the online space? Everguest offers a wide range of services for hotels and various hospitality and entertainment centres in Reputation Management, Revenue Management and Marketing Management. What does this mean in practice?

• We communicate with your guests, answer their comments and send you useful, visual statistics!
• We maximise your revenue through continuous dynamic pricing, analysis of market trends and monitoring of competitors' activities.
• We manage your online presence, your advertising and your social media platforms! We generate bookings from your target audience!

Call or write to us so you don't miss a guest! We can even personally show you our services and the opportunities they offer your hotel or restaurant!