Why Relationship Marketing?
At the core of relationship marketing exchanges, that is profitable to parties involved in the exchange. The concept of exchanges as it applies to relationship marketing can be viewed from either a transaction cost analysis approach or a social media exchange approach.
Start with identifying the Social Media Exchange approach.
Relationship Marketing encourages Hotels to develop relationships with guests, peers, suppliers, and partners, to maintain their loyalty to the business. To accomplish this goal, Hotels must maintain a high level of communication with these parties to understand what they want and need from the relationship.
Not only does this mean that the Hotel can fulfill those wants and needs, but it also makes it obvious to everyone involved that the Hotel cares about their relationship, thereby encouraging trust.
Relationship Marketing starts with building a quality network and make sure you Serve Your Guests first.
It is important to develop strategic Listening Outposts. This will let identify your customer’s wants and needs at an early stage in the booking process.
Now be aware that the customer has not booked your Hotel at this point. So it is crucial to add a proper Response Strategy to follow up with any live feedback.
One of the most important elements of Social Media that help you develop a quality relationship with your customers is to implement some key Reputation Management strategies. You can correct misinformation, address false information, and follow up with concerns. And also celebrate the excitement of success stories.
Relationship Marketing Reference Points
The intentions of Reference Points and the resulting consequences for the Hotel brand management must be specifically analyzed and assessed. The contact points, which are relevant to the Hotels success, depend considerably on their products and services, and how well this is aligned with the Hotels targeted market segment.
Reference Points can be seen as a multidisciplinary strategic approach, which focuses on the optimization of the products and services performance (ROI) in a Social Network Setting.
This process goes through 5 different stages;
a) Develop / Change / Retire Strategy
b) Test Strategy
c) Optimize Reference Points Campaigns
d) Analyze Reference Points Results
e) Measure Reference Points Campaigns
Your Key Performance Indicators (KPI) will show if your Hotel is making successful progress from your Reference Point Campaigns.

Relationship Marketing creates Champion Advocates
Relationship Marketing fosters Champion Advocates from the new type of Social Media Marketing. Primarily this can be done through Networking and Collaborations. This opens for a new shift in Points Of Sale. And this again will require that Hotels put in place a Reputation Management System that focus on Conflict Management strategies like avoidance, accommodation, confrontations, conflicts, concerns, compromise, and collaborations.
Here Hotels can utilize already know Social CRM systems to organize Champion Advocates in databases.
This new shift will require that Hotel develop leaders with strong emotional leadership skills.
Social Networking is traditionally known as P2P (People to People) networking. And people will do business with whom they know, like, and trust. Trust is the foundation for Relationship Marketing.
Build a strong base of Champion Advocates, and start experiencing the wave of return customers.
Relationship Marketing Shifts
If your Hotel implements Social Media Relationship Marketing Strategies the right way you will turn your Fans (“Likes”), Friends, Followers, and Network into paying guests.
Don’t get dragged into the hypes and believe every frog will turn into a prince when you kiss it. Then you are setting yourself up for trouble.
It is important to address all concerns with everyone within your Hotel. Practice being inclusive rather than excluding.
| Hotels and Location | Guests |
| One to many | One to one |
| Transactions and traffic flows | Repeat Guests |
| Offering a product service range | Offering solutions and an experience |
| Limited Channels | Multiple Channels |
| Right Products, right place, right time | Anything, anywhere, anytime |
| Consistent Customer Offer | Multiple Relationship Options |
| Data on what is bought | Knowledge of what is bought by whom and why |
| Marketing “Add On” Department | Marketing “Core” Components |
| No one (below GM) owns the guest | Empowerment leads to Guest-Centric departments |
| Benchmarking | Path-breaking |
| Guest Loyalty Programs | Champion Advocates |
Relationship Marketing Implementations
Building a world-class Hotel Brand, you need to ensure that all your online and offline activity is consistent and congruent.
Relationship Marketing starts with the heart of the Hotel. Concerns about reputation, integrity, security, and privacy is all topics where you want involvement for your employees.
Bring employees onboard to help your Hotel develop proper Social Media Guidelines and Strategies. Are you allowing your employees to represent your Hotel Brand strategically?
This is all about bringing out the strength of Reference Points. Follow here the same dynamic process as lined out in Relationship Marketing Reference Points.
Engage with your community right now and get them involved.
Next Chapter
The next chapter for the Hotel Family is to develop a strategic Relationship Marketing Team. Serve Your Guests first, then do business. You need to know what is behind the ‘Friend’, ‘Like’, and ‘Follow’. How do you convert all the Social Network numbers into bookings? The answer is in building proper Relationship Marketing Strategies.
Drop Me a note if you want to learn more.
We are in this together!
I need to let you all know that we are in on this together. If you need to vent, talk, cry, or just have some to talk with then I am here listening. Since I am working part-time at the local Kroger, I will to the best of my ability to work it out around my schedule.
But you can reach me here:
Email: hotelblogger@aremorch.com
Also, join us at our Facebook Group – Hotel Social Media Community
We will get through this unprecedented event together! #hotelstrong #hospitalitystrong
For any specific information on COVID-19, I recommend go to CDC, WHO, AHLA, AAHOA, and HSMAI. Also, follow information from your local authorities.
NOTE
We are starting to reopen some hotels again (Yay!!!). Make sure you follow their guidelines and say THANK YOU to those that now show a unique spirit to serve, and helps us all get through this!! #hotelstrong #hospitalitystrong
About Are Morch
Hi, I am Are Morch. Your Digital Marketing Coach and Customer Experience Expert that specializes in creating effective digital customer experience offer for hotels while growing and scale customer acquisition and revenue.
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