Content marketing is the latest buzzword in the marketing industry, so it should already be an integral part of your marketing strategy. And if it isn’t, then you need to act now so that you don’t fall behind your competitors. Whether you use email campaigns, blog posts, industry articles,social media posts or a combination of all of these, content marketing increases your brand awareness, informs your customers and ultimately leads to more business for your hotel.
However, developing a content strategy can be difficult. Content marketing is constantly growing, with new technology being developed and customer habits changing more than you can change your socks … well, not quite, but it is a very fast-moving industry. You need to make sure that you’re prepared to stay on top of this, so we’ve put together some tips that should get you going.
Keep it mobile
Let’s be honest, you can’t go anywhere these days without seeing almost everyone around you tapping away on their mobile phones. With this in mind, as a marketer you should make sure that all of your content is optimised for mobile. Google now reports that the majority of its searches are made on a mobile device, and more and more people are searching within apps. On top of that, more than 87 percent of smartphone users report checking their email on their phones at least once a week. It’s not just your website that needs to be mobile-friendly. Emails, blogs, social media posts and webpages should all be optimised, including any links that you use within this content. And while you’re making sure it all works on phones and tablets, make sure that it’s visually appealing too. It can look slightly different to your webpage if that works better with a mobile layout, as long as it stays on brand and is easy for the customer to navigate.
Social media matters
Social media marketing isn’t new – everyone is doing it. In fact, some people might have actually forgotten about its relevance by now. It can begin to seem like a routine activity and could get boring, but don’t forget that most of your potential customers are on social media, so you need to be too. Social media marketing allows you to direct consumers to your other content, to your website, and to call to action pages. It can grow brand recognition and help build relationships with consumers. Additionally, social media marketing allows for instant feedback. “Likes,” comments and especially shares and retweets can help you to gauge the success of your posts and content.
It’s all about quality
If you’re already doing content marketing, then that’s great – but are you sure you’re doing it right? If you’re just churning out content because you know you should be, then it’s likely that it’s not the right type of content. Quality content engages, entertains and informs your customer base. It gives consumers a reason to return to your website, read your emails or follow you on social media sites. More than ever, Google search results rely on having quality, informative content rather than a high volume of content. Think about the message you want to give your customers and what they might actually like to read. Just writing about your hotel won’t cut it. Think about the full experience that the customer might have, rather than just their stay with you. They’re staying with you for a reason, so maybe there’s an event or they’re on holiday? Well, this may mean they want to know what there is to do in the area. If you show them the benefits of staying in that particular area, they’ll likely book to stay with you too. Without quality, your hotel brand will be lost in the deluge of marketing content. However, with quality your brand will stand out and lead customers to you for information, and ultimately bookings and sales.
Video is the next big thing
Content marketing isn’t just editorial. It’s the full package including editorial, graphics, social media and now video. The statistics for online videos are staggering. Online video accounts for 50 per cent of mobile traffic, while 78 per cent of people say they watch video online at least once a week and 55 per cent say they watch online video at least once a day. With social media now supporting video, it’s more actively used than ever before, and so you should be using it too. The consumption of virtual reality videos and 360-degree videos are expected to explode this year, with several tech companies developing virtual reality headsets. Hotel marketers especially need to consider these new types of video content, as they can transport and immerse users in an environment. Imagine it; potential guests could share the experience through a video, making them feel much more inclined to make a booking.
Like we said though, content marketing is constantly developing and growing, so make sure you stay on top of the latest trends so that you can keep offering top-quality content.
