The rampaging novel coronavirus pandemic has not only affected the health of hundreds of thousands of people across the globe but also impacted the fortunes of many sectors greatly. The hospitality industry is one of the most notably affected with both business and leisure travel put on hold indefinitely. Even as most hotels are fighting to survive, marketers are already trying to figure out how to recover quickly after normalcy returns. A few innovative and smart ideas:
Optimize Hotelโs Website for Voice Search
An increasing number of clients as well as tour and event planners are using voice search to get fast answers to their questions, especially when they are multitasking. This makes it very important to optimize the hotel website for voice search. Include information containing relevant keywords that is very clear and not open to ambiguity. Also figure out how users may structure their questions when performing voice search so that you can appropriately frame your answers for easier delivery through voice-assistants. Research all the potential questions users are likely to ask and have crisp and updated answers ready.
Create a Podcast Targeting Tour Operators and Event Planners
The huge popularity of podcasts makes them an ideal method of communicating with institutional customers and tour planners. You can include the details of the events you have hosted earlier, the challenges typically faced by planners, trends in event planning, how your hotel collaborated with the event planner to make an event outstanding, etc. Eric Dalius also recommends blogging as a powerful method of informing and engaging potential customers on https://www.thepinnaclelist.com.
Create A SEO-Friendly Local Travel Guide, Advises EJ Dalius
Meeting and event planners need to factor in multiple considerations when they are selecting a hotel for the venue of their event. Apart from the space and facilities available at your hotel, they also take into account how the nearby areas can represent added value to participants. This means that there is a great opportunity to craft a travel guide, especially for event planners, covering places of interest such as restaurants, bars, theaters, parks, museums, art galleries, and more. You can highlight easy access to business areas downtown, the airport, and major tourist attractions. You can also curate a special section on local culinary experiences that is sure to be a hit with visitors, says the self-confessed foodie Eric J Dalius.
Package Leisure Experiences for Business Travelersย
After attending a full day of hectic meetings, business travelers also need to let their hair down. As a savvy hotel marketer, you can offer meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions (MICE) planners, and a package of services that can make it attractive for participants. These can include happy hours at the bar, access to local sporting activities, tickets to special shows, spa services, and more. Remember to include some activities that can keep their spouses from getting bored.
Conclusionย
There is no end to the kind of innovative marketing tactics hotel marketers can implement to attract potential customers. The focus should on leveraging online channels like the website, social media, and email to inform and engage customers while you should attempt to dish up a matchless customer experience that will generate positive word-of-mouth recommendations and referrals.