Hotel Marketing Ideas – 19 Ways To Make Your Hotel Stand Out

If your current hotel marketing initiatives are falling short, you’re likely frustrated after investing significant time and effort with little to show for it. Achieving optimal results requires a tactical blend of solid marketing fundamentals with fresh, innovative ideas designed to draw in travelers.

A hotel marketing strategy outlines a path to enhance the brand, charm guests, and boost bookings. Customized to the hotel’s target audience, location, and services, the plan contains key elements such as identifying the target market, brand positioning, and creating an online presence. It integrates content marketing, online reputation management, paid advertising, and email marketing, while also fostering partnerships and collaborations. The strategy is continually refined through careful analytics and measurements.

It doesn’t matter if you operate an independent hotel, inn, B&B, hostel, or vacation rental. We have marketing strategies and ideas that are proven to work.

The strategies in this article will help you achieve brand awareness and generate demand for your services.

Top Digital Marketing Ideas and Tips for Your Hotel

1. Identify your audience

Your audience, dictated by factors like age, gender, income, and location, comprises the people who will be staying in your hotels. Depending on the type of hotel you own, you may want to divide your audience into segments.

For example, if you own a luxury hotel, you’ll need to focus on people who have similar demographics, such as age, income, needs, and demands.

On the other hand, if you manage a budget-friendly, family-oriented hotel, your focus may shift toward different demographics. You would want to concentrate on families with children, looking for economical stays with convenient amenities. This could include middle-income earners who prioritize kid-friendly facilities, convenience, and good value for their money. Thus, understanding your audience segmentation can drastically impact your marketing efforts and overall success.

2. Local SEO

Local SEO is the process of optimizing your Google Business Profile, finding local keywords, and creating locally relevant content. It optimize your visibility in Google search results, positioning your site effectively to reach your audience in your area.

This is the best way to get your site in front of people. In fact, over 75% of consumers in the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom use Google when looking for local hotels.

For instance, let’s consider “The Ritz Paris” a luxury hotel in Paris. To enhance its Local SEO, “The Ritz Paris” should ensure its Google Business Profile is comprehensive, featuring its address, amenities, and high-quality images.

Using keywords like “luxury hotels in Paris,” or “5-star hotels near the Louvre,” in their website content, blog posts, and meta descriptions, would heighten their visibility in local searches.

Crafting engaging content about local attractions like “Gourmet Dining at The Ritz Paris,” or “Paris Fashion Week at The Ritz,” helps boost local relevance.

3. Content Marketing and Blog

Content marketing is a powerful tool in your hotel marketing armory. It comprises developing and sharing valuable information in order to attract and engage a certain audience, ultimately leading to profitable customer behaviors.

It may be utilized in the hospitality industry to express the hotel’s narrative, services, and local attractions that tourists can enjoy while staying there. Blogs play a crucial role in this strategy since they provide a place for offering thorough information on topics such as local gastronomy, cultural events, tourist options, and insider advice. This enhances not just the reader’s experience, but also the hotel’s SEO, drawing more people to the website.

Let’s take as an example the “St. Regis Florence“, an Italian luxurious hotel. They could publish blog posts like “A Guide to Florentine Cuisine: Dine Like a Local at The St. Regis Florence” or “The Renaissance Charm: Exploring Florence from St. Regis,” showcasing the local culture, cuisine, and attractions.

4. Destination Marketing

Destination Marketing is about highlighting your location’s appeal to attract more visitors.

Normally this type of marketing is very specific. For the most part, this type of marketing aims to make the location seem more attractive than other alternatives boosting the number of people who travel there.

For instance, if your hotel is located near a popular hiking trail, your destination marketing could focus on the adventure and natural beauty of the trail. Share stunning photos and customer testimonials of the experience on your social media platforms and website.

5. Email Marketing

Email marketing keeps your guests updated about your hotel’s special promotions, events, and news. This is also a great way to encourage repeat bookings.

According to Hubspot, email marketing is estimated to reach almost 11 billion by the end of 2023.

For instance, you might send out a monthly newsletter containing an exclusive discount code for returning guests, highlights of upcoming local events, and a feature on recent hotel renovations or menu updates.

6. Encourage and Manage online reviews

Many customers conduct online research before selecting a hotel. In fact, Google did a study that showed 87% of individuals clicked on businesses that had customer reviews of 3 stars or higher. Encouraging online reviews can be as simple as asking for them.

Having someone to manage your online reviews is as important as generating them. The reviews help to build your reputation, and the way you respond to a negative or fake review is as important as how you respond to a positive one.

7. Remarketing and retargeting ads

Remarketing and retargeting, often confused, have distinct roles in marketing: they both aim to re-engage previous website visitors, but their methods differ:

• Remarketing is when you attempt to get past guests’ attention so they come back. It typically refers to email-based strategies, re-engaging customers who’ve shown interest in a product or left items in their shopping cart.
• Retargeting is when you try to get new customers through digital marketing. It primarily uses cookies and displays ads to keep your brand visible to your audience after they leave your website.

While remarketing focuses on re-engaging known prospects through direct communication, retargeting casts a wider net to re-attract bounced traffic.

Creative Marketing Ideas For Hotels

8. Experienced-based packages

These are packages that provide unique experiences that guests can’t find in other places. A package that includes a guided tour of local landmarks or a cooking class with a top-rated chef are both good examples. 

9. Implement and promote eco-friendly practices.

Green marketing is when businesses focus on sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. You can do this for your hotel by incorporating sustainability into your culture at work. Instead of using keycards, use a phone app, go paperless in the office, and use power-saving light fixtures and bulbs.

10. Mobile app

This app should provide guests with personalized recommendations for local attractions, restaurants, and events, as well as hotel amenities and services. In today’s market, if you do not have a mobile app, you’ll likely lose customers. Most people are using their mobile phones for almost everything, including getting into their rooms.

11. Pet-friendly amenities

People no longer see their pets as just pets, but they are now considered part of the family, and offering them special treatment is one way to attract new guests. Offer things such as pet-friendly rooms, dog-walking services, and on-site dog parks.

Here are some popular amenities that hotels can offer in their hotel marketing strategies:

• Pet-friendly rooms – designate specific rooms or floors that are pet friendly and come equipped with amenities such as pet beds, water and food bowls, and pet-friendly flooring.
• Welcome treats – show your guests you love to have their pets thereby having a bowl of pet treats. This not only welcomes your guest but sets a positive tone for their stay.
• Dog walking areas – Provide designated areas for dog walking that are highlighted in your marketing materials.
• Pet concierge services – offer services such as grooming, pet sitting or dog walking services. Collaborate with local pet service providers to enhance the range of options available for guests.
• Information on local pet services – provide information on nearby pet-friendly parks, veterinary clinics, pet stores, or other pet-friendly attractions. Guests will appreciate having local resources and recommendations available.
• Pet-friendly policies – clearly state your policy on pets, including any size or breed restrictions as well as any additional fees or guidelines for pet behavior. Guests will appreciate having a clear understanding of expectations so they can make an informed decision on if they should bring their pets with them.
• Social media and marketing collateral – show off your pet-friendly hotel experiences through social media marketing, on your website, and through marketing materials. Share guest stories and pictures of their pets enjoying their stay to create an emotional connection.

12. Pop-up hotel

A pop-up hotel springs up in unexpected locations such as a beach, mountain, or city park. This can generate buzz and attract attention from travelers looking for unique experiences. This creative marketing concept provides a temporary accommodation that combines artistic, immersive experiences with innovative marketing strategies.

Innovative Hotel Marketing Ideas

13. Personalized experiences

This takes customer data and insights and personalizes the guest experience and can include things such as recommending local activities and restaurants based on your guest’s preferences. A few ways to add personal experiences to your guest’s stay are to:

• Pre-arrival surveys – send guests pre-arrival surveys to gather information about their preferences such as room temperature, pillow type, dietary restrictions, preferred amenities, or if they are celebrating a special occasion, then use this information while setting up their room.
• Welcome amenities – surprise guests with personalized room amenities based on their preferences. This could include their favorite snacks, a bottle of water, a personalized note, or something they showed an interest in.
• Personalized recommendations – provide guests with personalized recommendations of local attractions, restaurants, or activities based on their interests and preferences. This can be done through a dedicated concierge service or by a mobile app.
•  Spa and wellness experience – customize spa treatments or wellness experiences based on your guests’ preferences and needs. Offer personalized massages or facials.
• Special occasion celebrations – offer things such as an upgraded room for anniversaries, birthdays or weddings, and then do surprise touches such as room decorations, personalized cakes, flowers or a romantic set up.
• Post-stay follow-up – follow up with your guests after their stay to gather feedback and express appreciation. Send a personalized email or thank you notes and consider offering them incentives for future stays.

14. Influencer collaborations

Partner with social media influencers who have a strong following in your target market to promote your hotel to their followers. You can use influencers for a wide range of things, such as holding influencer-hosted events or meetups, exclusive promotions and giveaways, and leaving reviews and testimonials.

15. Live chat

Live chat is a quick and easy way for your guests to get their questions answered. It also helps you to have a more personal online presence. Having a live chat helps your accommodation answer any unusual or specific questions potential guests may have.

There are many benefits of offering live chat, such as:

• Real-time support –  live chat allows potential guests to get their questions answered immediately instead of having to wait for an email response or being put on hold during a phone call.
• Convenience and accessibility – consumers can reach live chat from anywhere at any time. It eliminates the need for customers to visit a physical location or make a phone call.
• Personalized interactions – live chat provides a chance for personalized interactions with customers. Agents can address the customers by name, reference their previous stays and respond to their needs based on previous experience.
• Increased sales and conversions –  Live chat can impact sales and conversions positively. This is done because agents can proactively engage website visitors and offer recommendations and resolve any concerns the guest may have immediately.

16. Virtual reality (VR) tours and experiences

Virtual reality is a great hotel marketing idea that allows a potential customer to learn about your accommodations and local attractions you may have. This provides guests with an immersive and interactive way to explore your hotel and create an emotional connection.

Here are some ways VR tours can benefit your hotel marketing strategy:

• Immersive Exploration – VR tours and experiences allow for guests to explore places and environments they wouldn’t know about normally.
• Interactive Engagement – VR experiences can be interactive, allowing for guests to interact with objects and navigate the spaces, enhancing the feel of the experience and making it feel more personal.
• Realistic Visualization – when guests can see and interact with their surroundings, it makes them get a feel for the area, creating an emotional attachment.
• Marketing and Sales tool – You can provide your guests with virtual property tools and show them the unique amenities that your location offers.

Proven sales and marketing ideas for hotels

17. Use dynamic pricing and adapt it to seasonality

Dynamic pricing is when you change your prices based on factors such as demand, supply, competition, and seasonality. This helps your business increase revenue, profit and increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.

18. Loyalty programs

Loyalty programs are a great way to keep guests coming back. This is a reward-based marketing strategy used for guests. Most often, enrolling is free, and the perks are based on different levels. The rewards often include a discount on room rates, food and beverage coupons, and more.

19. Local partnerships

Partner marketing can build strong partnership brands using their partner’s customers. This can be done with local restaurants, bars, and tourist attractions. You can offer to host events for local businesses, display promotional materials and offer discounts to employees of local businesses.

Hire A Hotel Marketing Agency

Hiring a hotel marketing agency catalyzes your online presence through the strategic use of digital marketing tools. By using a hotel marketing agency, you will reach your marketing goals.

Contact Mediaboom today to start working on your new hotel marketing strategy.  We will work with you to help plan the hotel’s marketing strategies and effectively increase brand awareness.