Lead Generation for Hotels – 11 Ways to Boost Reservations 

By: Frank DePino | April 13, 2022

With lead generation for hotels, you can pinpoint a target audience who would likely stay at your hotel. The hotel industry is one of the most profitable segments in hospitality, with over $1.2 trillion in revenue. This is the main reason why hotels need to up their game with digital marketing. Keep in mind that people have high standards when it comes to staying at hotels and they are looking for the ultimate overall experience rather than just a bed to sleep on. 

As a hotel owner, your number one question should be how to generate more leads for your hotel and increase your bottom line.

Lead generation for hotels is an essential part of your business and this involves a marketing campaign that pushes your hotel into a wider audience and creates leads – both from people who are interested in booking a room and undecided people who are on the fence about booking. 

The digital age has certainly pushed lead generation to a different league. With over 57 percent of hotel bookings happening online, the internet has paved the way for lead generation in hotels. With this statistic, over 60% of the people who booked their hotel rooms online used their mobile phones. 

Here are 11 strategies to increase lead generation for hotels: 

1. Content marketing
2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
3. Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising
4. Social media marketing
5. Web design
6. Email marketing
7. Webinars
8. Virtual Events
9. Cross-promotion
10. Curated itineraries and destination content

By using these tools effectively, you can increase your leads which will translate to positive revenues.

1. Content marketing

When thinking about lead generation for hotels, the number one thing that comes to most marketers is content marketing. This tool is used to create compelling content from interactive tours to blog posts about anything and everything in your industry. The content that you create will eventually draw customers who are in search of valuable information. 

The number one rule in content creation is to make sure every piece of information is useful. By eliminating fluff, you will elevate your brand to be a trusted resource. Once you have established this, users will be drawn to your website. You can use this to your advantage by having some content as “gated content” where people will have to provide their contact information first so that they can access specific content.

2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO is king when it comes to lead generation for hotels. If you think about it, how can people view your content if they can’t find it in the first place? This is where SEO comes in, it enables your website to have high visibility with search engines and rank well among your competitors. 

For SEO to be successful, you have to include relevant keywords for search engines to target your website. A key indicator of an effective SEO campaign should be based on Google’s EAT Search Quality Rater guidelines. EAT stands for Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. 

By creating quality content that readers can see as a reflection of your expertise and authority, you can gain trustworthiness and be viewed as a trusted advisor for the hotel industry. 

3. Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) goes hand in hand with Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising because they both achieve the same goals. Both tools will put your content into the front row seat of potential clients which is an effective way to lead generations for hotels. 

With PPC, you will pay search engines to run an advertisement strategically placed on the top of the search results. You might think that PPC entails a significant cost factor to it but the good thing is that you will only pay for ads when someone clicks on it which makes it very cost-effective.

When a potential lead clicks on your PPC ad, they will be taken to your website landing page so that they can get more information.

4. Social media marketing

The power of social media has no bounds and is a great go-to for people who are looking for ways that will increase lead generation for hotels. It is normal for businesses to have their social media pages but a more effective way to market through social media is by utilizing social media ads. 

Social media ads work similarly to pay-per-click (PPC) but they are more targeted based on specific user demographics and location. 

5. Web design

With an estimated 700 million people booking hotels online, the number one marketing tool that you can use in lead generation for hotels is your website. Your website should be a great representation of your brand and exude an air of luxury and comfort that your audience can bask in. Your website is the first thing that your leads will see so it must have quality content and great information. 

One of the most important things that business owners overlook is including a call to action. You can have the best information included on your website but if it’s lacking CTA portions, your users will get lost and will not be able to act accordingly.

6. Email marketing

Technology has changed the hospitality industry, industry experts are estimating a 135% increase in revenue with the introduction of technology to the hospitality industry. Using emails as a form of lead generation for hotels is another quick, easy and effective way that you can generate leads. The majority of people can check emails on their phones but for your hotel to stand out, you must have an effective email campaign that will hold users’ interest and lead them to action which is to book a room in your hotel.

7. Webinars

Since a lot of content is moving from print to digital, webinars are a popular way that you can disseminate information to your audience. Webinar content can propel you to be a trusted advisor and a great source of information in your industry. Webinars are a great way you can generate leads because you can collect their contact information before they can access your content.

8. Virtual Events

Like webinars, virtual events are extremely popular, especially since the pandemic. The main difference between webinars and virtual events is that webinars are more than likely used to give generic and valuable information to people and can be on the more formal side while virtual events can be a social mixer which is more on the informal side and more fun!

Virtual events will showcase and highlight your brand’s personality and help it stand out.

9. Cross-promotion 

Partnerships are important in the hospitality and travel industry because people are looking for a holistic experience or trip. You can partner with local tourist attractions or even popular events in your areas and do cross-promotion this way. With this marketing technique, you can exchange leads and enable lead generation. 

10. Curated itineraries and destination content

When people travel, they look at the whole experience rather than just staying at a hotel. With this in mind, you can create personalized and curated itineraries that can cater to different things that people are looking for like craft brewery experiences, culinary experiences, and local sights and attractions.

By highlighting destination content, you are already one step ahead of your competitors because you are enabling your users to have an immersive full experience that appeals to a lot of people.

Wrap Up

Lead generation for hotels has certainly crossed over to digital marketing because it is cost-effective and enables you to reach a wider audience in a short amount of time. With the different tools that are discussed above, you can ensure that you will get more leads who are either looking to stay at your hotel or people who are undecided on booking. 

Lead generation is here to stay and is being utilized by a lot of companies, especially in the hospitality industry. Curating important and relevant content is key so that your information will not get lost in the mix and people will find your brand as a trusted source. 

If you’re seeking a digital marketing agency to further your hotel marketing goals, contact us. Our marketing services can increase your hotel’s lead generation, website traffic, and sales. 

By: Frank DePino

Frank DePino is Principal and Founder of Mediaboom. Since 2002, Frank has led Mediaboom’s award-winning staff of creative and technical professionals building the most effective marketing and advertising solutions for its clients.