Travel is becoming more and more popular as the years go by, with global luxury holidays being the fastest-growing of all the travel and tourism sectors. Luxury hotel chains experienced significant worldwide growth in 2015 according to the Travel Market Report by World Travel Monitor.In fact, it’s expected that there will extreme growth over the coming years too, as upscale hotels become ever popular, particularly in destinations such as the Asia Pacific and Middle East.
However, with Google reporting that 55 per cent of these bookings are being made online, luxury hotels that aren’t performing well digitally will struggle to stay at the top of the pack. So, what can you do to carve your place at the head of such a competitive market?Use a multi-channel approach Travellers don’t just want an experience when they’re actually visiting these places across the globe, but even when they’re researching them. The dawn of content marketing has opened the door for brands to really tell a story with their marketing efforts, and luxury hotels need to make sure that they’re nailing this if they want to convince potential guests to pay the extra for that more upmarket experience.You need to make sure that you’re thinking about the entire journey that a person goes through before they make a booking.
Google and e-Marketer both did the research, and it’s clear that there’s no shortage of research being done before making a hotel booking Engine .It takes an average of 17 days before a person will make a hotel booking for their trip. During this time, they’ll have on average eight research sessions, visit 18 different websites and click through to booking pages six times. Only after all of this will a booking actually be made.So, with this in mind, are you confident that your marketing is sufficient to ensure that you’re the one hotel that they decide to go with after coming so close with so many others? You obviously can’t guarantee that you’ll be chosen, even if your marketing is better than every other hotel.
However, if you ensure that absolutely every channel that you could be optimising is at its best then your chances will be significantly improved. Think about all of the aspects that add up to build your marketing strategy, such as search engine optimisation, email marketing, retargeting, social media and content, as well as specific campaigns. Are these the best that they could be? Are you meeting your potential guests at every stage of their planning journey? If you’re unsure about any of these things then you need to revisit your marketing strategy. If you’re offering the highest quality accommodation, then your marketing needs to follow suit or you’ll miss out on bookings in favour of your competitors.Remain exclusive There should be a clear distinction that makes a hotel considered luxury. If you fit into this mould, then you want to ensure that you maintain that luxury in everything that you do – including setting your prices.Where many hotels will offer discounts and sales, as a luxury brand you need to show that you’re still exclusive to that higher market.
So, if you need something extra to entice guests to make a booking, you need to add value instead of discounts. You can retarget someone who went through to the booking stage or try to encourage a past guest to stay by offering extras such as discounted suite upgrade, late check-out, free Wi-Fi, and dining credits. However, the minute you knock off money, you tarnish your status as luxury, because ultimately, luxury costs, so your target market aren’t going to be as focused on their budget as those looking at hostels might be, for example. Personalise content We’ve already spoken a bit about content marketing, but it really is one of the most important aspects when it comes to marketing your hotel. Like we said – you’re selling an experience not just a room in a hotel.
Think about the local area, and even the country that your hotel is based in. What events nearby can you create content about? What attractions are nearby, or areas that travellers will want to visit? You know more about the local area than your guests do, so you can position yourself as a thought leader if you’re able to create top-quality content that will really entice them to visit the area where your hotel is based. Captivate them not only with blog posts, but with unique images of the best sights and attractions nearby.Don’t scrimp when it comes to tech Marketing can become expensive if you invest in all of the latest technology, but as a luxury hotel, you’re bringing in such a large amount of revenue per guest that at least some of the best digital technology is necessary to get the best results.
If you’re wondering what the benefits of having digital marketing technology is, then don’t worry, because we’ve laid out some of them for you:Have an adaptive website that can optimise depending on which device a person is using Take advantage of web technology built specifically for hotels Smart personalisation engines can offer personalised pricing and promotions to customers based on user profiles, business rules and real-time room availability You obviously don’t want or need to invest in every piece of technology on the market, but some can be hugely beneficial for targeting potential guests at each stage of their research journey and enticing them to make that booking specifically with your hotel, so do some research and find out which will be the best for your brand.When it comes to your marketing, you need to make sure that you always remember that you’re a luxury brand. If you don’t demonstrate this in everything that you do, as well as the amenities you offer when guests stay, then they won’t be willing to part with the extra cash to make a booking with you.
