How Digital Marketing Can Greatly Increase Your Hotel Bookings

A growing number of hotels are choosing to center their digital marketing strategies on getting bookings. This could be through the hotel website or through a third-party platform. Your digital marketing strategy will greatly vary depending on what you choose.

Hospitality marketing involves quite a number of things – content marketing, websites, paid marketing, social media, among others. So how do you integrate all of these marketing tools into one effective marketing strategy? You focus on one cohesive goal and make sure all of the factors are working towards it.

This then warrants the question: How do you use digital marketing methods to increase your hotel bookings? Let’s find out.

Develop a beautiful, responsive hotel website

An attractive website with a functional navigation is ever important for your bookings. If users can’t find their way around your site, how do you expect them to book? Therefore, it’s so important for you to develop a site that is beautiful as well as functional. The key is to keep it simple here.

Even guests booking through online travel agents and third-party platforms tend to check out your website before making a reservation. This allows them to solidify their decision to stay at your establishment. Make sure all the details they need are on your website. Include photos, descriptions, and great content. This will all make a difference in your bookings.

Finally, make sure that your hotel website is responsive. A growing number of people are choosing to book their stays from smartphones or tablets. If you don’t offer them a great user experience, you may very well lose them. Make yourself accessible by using responsive design.

Use social media to your advantage

Social media is probably the first thing you think about when it comes to digital marketing, and for good reason. It’s an amazing marketing tool that allows you to build up your reputation while cultivating relationships with your followers.

Make sure you stay active on social media as it will make you look considerably more professional. You can ask your guests to leave likes, reviews, and even share your page if they were happy with their stay. As they do these things, you get exposure to their personal networks, which may, in turn, increase your bookings.

Publish great content

Content, whether in the form of text, photos, videos, infographics, or anything else, has a huge impact on your overall digital marketing. Think about it – what you post on social media and on your blog page is content. If it isn’t high quality, why would people stick around?

Choosing a place to stay on vacation is usually something that people take their time with. This means they’ll read up on your amenities, your rooms, your prices. This also means they’ll read your content. By providing them with relevant, high-quality content, you are able to catch their eye and help them perceive you as a great company that cares about their needs. Plus, when you include guest-generated content, such as reviews or photos of them enjoying their stay, it seems a lot more authentic and will draw people to your booking engine. Speaking of a booking engine…

Invest in a booking engine

If you’ve yet to set up direct bookings for your website, it’s about time. Invest in a good hotel booking engine so that you don’t always have to pay commissions to third-party platforms. It’s even better if you make sure it’s responsive so people can book on the go using their mobile devices.

Try email marketing

Email marketing may seem outdated, but it’s definitely still an incredibly effective digital marketing method. By sending out promotional emails, discounts, deals, and insider details, you are reminding people that you are there to serve them. As brand awareness grows, you’ll be the first hotel they think of when vacationing in your area.

Digital marketing can seem complex, but it makes a lot more sense when it is all working towards one cohesive goal. Use marketing tools to your advantage and increase your bookings today!