Whether you’re running a restaurant, bar, hotel, or cafe, the core of the hospitality business is great customer experience. The moment a customer walks in through the door of your establishment, it’s your responsibility to give them a warm welcome and make them comfortable throughout their stay.

Of course, making sure they have a great time while they are there is also your responsibility.

Providing great customer service may seem like an easy task, but sadly, it isn’t. With lower-than-average customer service, will your business thrive in the industry? Definitely not!

Not many know that 60% of hospitality businesses do not make it past the first year. Many of those that survive the first year shut shop within five years. No doubt, hospitality is a tough industry to succeed in. However, marketing can help you thrive in the market. It can also help you generate leads that convert.

To help you survive the cut-throat competition, here are some tried-and-tested strategies to market your hospitality business online.

#1 Be Searchable Online

Let’s be honest, technology has taken over every industry, and the hospitality sector is no exception. Long gone are the days when people used to connect with travel agents. Nowadays, travelers search for and compare hotels online. If your hotel, restaurant, or cafe isn’t easily searchable, there’s no way to increase your bookings.

Your hospitality business must be listed in every relevant directory online. The majority of travelers use search engines to find restaurants, hotels, and cafes, so ranking high is important. To rank high on the search engine page results, use keywords your target audience is feeding in the search engine. List your business in multiple directories. Register your business on Google Business Profile.

Relying on organic optimization alone is a big no-no! That’s because hotel-related search queries in SERPs are heavily monetized. For marketing your hospitality business online, you will have to bid aggressively on Google’s Display Network and Search.

SideDish Media suggests employing pay-per-click (PPC) marketing because it’s both powerful and profitable. PPC can appear complex in the beginning, but the principles are quite simple. Choose the right keywords and target both locals and audiences far and wide. If you do it right, you’ll be overwhelmed by the response you receive.

#2 Target the Right Audience

The type of hotel you’re marketing and your typical guests are two main things you need to consider when running ad campaigns. The marketing strategy that works for Ritz Carlton on the Caribbean shores won’t work for Super 8 Motel off Route 9. That’s because the audience of the latter travel, book, and budget in a different manner.

However, since hospitality businesses have customers of various income levels, consider breaking down your audience and targeting separately. If necessary, divide your audience into two or three segments. This way, you’ll send the right message to the right audience.

#3 Remarket, Remarket, and Remarket

Did you know that 80% of online bookings are abandoned? Yes, you read it right. A whopping 8,000 people who initiate the process of booking get distracted and exit the page. Who knows, they were disturbed by a telemarketing phone call or found a better deal elsewhere.

Whatever the reason may be, giving up is not an option. Remarketing can help you recover your distracted guests.

With remarketing, abandonment rates can be lowered. Curate ads with enticing elements to close more bookings. Such ads will remind your target audience that your hotel exists and you’re just a click away from serving them.

#4 Don’t Just Market Your Hospitality Business, Market the Location

Vacationers always look for a good location to spend their paid time off. It doesn’t matter how good a hotel is, vacationers simply won’t opt for it if the location isn’t what they want.

While focusing on the amenities offered at your hotel is a good way to attract customers, it doesn’t always work. You will have to promote your hotel’s location alongside the infinity pool and top-rated room service.

Have a tourist attraction spot adjacent to your hotel? Let people know in your ads. W. Chicago– Lakeshore has already done this by using the Shaky Knees Music Festival to its advantage. This strategy is believed to have helped them attract festival fans who weren’t even thinking of Chicago as a vacation spot.

#5 Try Video Marketing

Think video marketing is of no use to your hospitality business? We’d urge you to think again! With billions of YouTube users worldwide, video marketing is a powerful way to attract your target audience to your hospitality business.

YouTube is just one of the many popular video marketing channels. Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram are other platforms that you can leverage to market your hospitality business.

Do not commit the mistake of undertaking the task of creating videos yourself. From lighting to perspective and after-effects, you’ll have to take care of a lot of aspects. That is why you should hire a professional. As they know the ins and outs of making videos, rest assured they’ll make enticing and compelling videos.

The Takeaway

Be it a restaurant, hotel, or club, a thoughtfully curated hotel marketing strategy is a must for owners. Otherwise, how would you reach your target audience?

Make your business searchable online because word-of-mouth advertising isn’t enough. Enlist your hotel’s USP such that people are convinced to choose you over your competitors.

But before you start your ad campaigns, understand your target audience properly. Research the channels they make use of to search for your business and reach out to your audience through them.

Finding it all too overwhelming? Seeking experts’ help will be the best way to reach your audience without wasting your marketing funds.