What do the Volkswagen Phaeton, Microsoft’s Zune media player, and Coors Rocky Mountain Sparkling Water have in common (aside from the fact that most people have never even heard of these products)? They were all good products that made one fatal error: poor marketing.
That’s right. In today’s overstimulated society, you can have great Hotel products and services to offer, but if you don’t market yourself properly, you’ll end up as just another one of those forgotten fails. The good news is that there are lots of experts only too glad to share their marketing wisdom with today’s eager Hotel owners.
Of course, you want to start out knowing that there is a demand for your Hotel services and products, that you’re targeting the right niche audience, and that your message is authentic, clear, honest, and inoffensive. But, then what? That’s where the experts come in.
So, whether you’re offering innovative Hotel products and services, a revolutionary technology, or products that just can’t be beaten, pull up your chair, learn how you can model the best.
Marketing Strategies for Win #1: Use inbound marketing like a boss
Everyone talks about inbound marketing, but few take the time to learn enough about the subject to really make a difference. That’s why this video is my first recommendation. We all know how important inbound marketing is, but how many of you know what it is, how to do it properly, and where to go next?
This video takes you in-depth into the topic and walks your Hotel through the stages of attracting, convert, close, surprise, delight, and more. One thing to note, this video is an hour long. You can listen to it on a faster speed to cut down on the length, but the value you get from it is worth the time investment. And remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day (neither was your Hotel).
Marketing Strategies for Win #2: Piggyback on other people’s successes…and failures
Smaller Hotels (or bigger Hotels that haven’t grown into themselves yet) don’t always have the budget that billion-dollar corporations do for marketing, but they don’t need it. One of the easiest ways to propel your Hotel brand forward when you’re just getting started is to market your brand off of the coattails of another, bigger brands actions.
Now, there are plenty of examples that you can find to use larger Hotel brands’ success to make some noise (offering a free high-value amenities or discounts from an established Facebook page, etc.), but if you really want to be creative (and get noticed), why not take advantage of a company’s faux pas? 99designs did just this perfectly. A few years back, Gap tried rebranding by launching a new logo. Long story short, the logo was terrible, and fans were appalled. Gap took a lot of heat, got loads of bad press, and took a dive in their stocks as well.
But 99designs, a small logo design company, saw this as a golden opportunity and ran with it. They launched a competition urging designers to help Gap out by coming up with a better logo design they could use instead of the flop. Now, people were already talking about the Gap blunder, so when the competition launched, tens of thousands of people already tapped into this buzz feed eagerly jumped into the competition, giving 99designs huge coverage. That’s smart marketing.
In this video, Randy Komisar, a wildly successful venture capital partner, and entrepreneur talks about how he used failure to propel himself and many other companies forward to even bigger successes than before. Take a look.
Marketing Strategies for Win #3: Better their lives in some way
We can’t have a marketing roundup without including something from the master, Steve Jobs. In this video, Jobs gives over his “million-dollar message” to any company out there: marketing is about values. Everyone wants to solve their problems, and your job as a marketer is to prove to the consumers that your product does just that. And the way the big dogs make this happen (and the way even little dogs can become successful in their niches) is by showing that they care and that they’re there to make your lives better in some way.
Jobs goes through the big brands and products and shows us their secrets, show us how they promote betterment not statistics, numbers, or specs. Nike doesn’t tell us their sneakers are made of premium grade rubber. They SHOW us how great athletes are, their prowess, their power. And those athletes wear Nike.
Show people that your Hotel brand can make their lives better, and you’re golden.
Marketing Strategies for Win #4: Link out to other credible resources
Another marketing giant of today, Neil Patel, gives beginner marketers a great and super simple tip to start building your audiences. It’s a really short video, only a few minutes long, and in it, Neil talks about this idea: linking out to credible resources. He even says that you should link out to competitors when it is relevant. What?! I know it seems counterintuitive to drive traffic away from your site and to a competitors’, but here’s the logic.
Your Hotel brand is new, and nobody knows who you are or what you’re about. You post an article on your Hotels Social News feeds, and you offer good information. Hey, this Hotel knows what they’re talking about. You add in a link to useful local information. Wow, this Hotel share local information I can use. Suddenly consumers are getting to know you, and what they’re getting to know is that you’re someone who they can turn to for useful information, helpful information, and genuine value.
So yeah, that’s worth all the linking out you do big time. What’s more, many people will appreciate the information and link back to you in one of their articles, giving your Hotels website more attention and credibility. Bottom line, linking out to credible resources (even competitors) builds trust, reliability, and value.
Marketing Strategies for Win #5: Utilize educational marketing to position your brand
Something interesting has occurred over the past few years. Consumers are no longer going to Hotel websites to see what the brand has to say about their service and products. Instead, customers are looking elsewhere for their information. They’re going to review sites, they’re scouring the internet, they’re doing research. While this might not seem like a big deal (after all, customers are still booking rooms at the end of the day), this is a major shift that Hotel marketers need to address.
These days, consumers don’t want to be sold to, they want to be informed. They want to be given information, so they can make their own choices based on education. So, the smart Hotel marketer will give consumers the information they’re looking for to make a good decision on their own. Enter education marketing.
By giving over the information consumers are looking for, this does several things:
- Establishes you as an authority
- Shows customers that you’re there to help
- Let’s you give over your message sincerely
- Creates buyer trust
- Creates a deeper relationship with your customers. After all, you’re not the seller, you’re an educator
Here’s a short video clip that helps explain the concept perfectly. With educational marketing, you answer questions and give genuinely useful and good content. Use all the tools in your toolbox (blog posts, Social Networks, eBooks, videos, etc.) and give over as much valuable information as you can. And then they’ll come running with wallets open!
Marketing Strategies for Win #6: Use emotions
Most people go through life sort of on autopilot. We get up, go to work, do our thing, come home, take a shower. Rinse, repeat. There isn’t much that shocks us out of our status quo, but one thing does. Emotions. Complex emotions are what separate us from other species (sorry cat lovers, read the studies), they’re what make our days good or bad, humdrum or meaningful. Emotions make things, experiences, and people stand out in our minds.
And that’s what Hotel brands need to take advantage of. The power of emotions is so compelling that major companies use them to propel their brands forward. Coke is a perfect example of this. The brand sells a fizzy drink that’s terrible for our health and rots our teeth, but that’s not what people think of when they hear Coke. Check out their commercials and this video that explains them. You’ll see a lot of these messages:
- Friendship
- Happiness
- Relaxation
- Holiday festivities
- Success
- Spreading joy
- Sharing
- Family
Coke isn’t selling a drink; they’re selling positive values. And that’s something everyone wants to buy.
Marketing Strategies for Win #7: Leverage influencers marketing
Influencers are major players in the world, and Hotel marketers would do well to take advantage of them. These players tell thousands, if not more, people what’s cool, what’s new, and what’s worth buying. In this quick clip, Neil Patel shows us how and why to leverage brand influencers for marketing success.
Marketing Strategies for Win #8: Social media marketing, a new twist
Gary Vaynerchuk takes the idea of social media marketing and spins it on its head. I mean, he has a fabulous delivery whenever he speaks, but this video gives you one of the biggest key factors in marketing success. This is probably the best message any marketer (heck any person) can hear to influence their marketing campaign success.
In this video, Gary tells you all about his secret power: it’s called optimism. He doesn’t just take ahead in the clouds type of mentality. He talks about how to use all the marketing techniques, all the business opportunities, all the technologies, and everything that comes into your hands properly. Oh yeah, and then he talks about social media marketing and what a valuable tool it is when used properly. Check it out.
There you have it. Eight of the best marketing tools and tricks you can use (along with helpful videos in case you can’t stand reading this again and again) to make your Hotel business boom.
Our Social Media Management team has refined these processes to help Hotels. Contact us today to learn more.
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Our Social Media Management team has refined these processes to help Hotels. Contact us today to learn more.
Join our Free Hotel Social Media Community on Facebook for more in-depth insight.
Try something new it will magnetize your Hotel!
Be flexible and identify new ways to make guests happy.
As guest behavior and pattern continues to evolve, expectations will continue to rise. Navigating these changes can be challenging. Learn more about how we can help your Hotel.
Credit
This article was repurposed and edited with permissions.
About the author
Are Morch is the founder and owner of Are Morch – Hotel Marketing Coach. Get more from Are on Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Instagram| Podcast
