The demand for consumer attention is at an all-time high. The catch-phrase for this might be “if you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.” Rather than “staying out,” let’s find a smarter way to withstand the heat.
You’re likely plagued by two main issues: you, or your team, spends exorbitant amounts of time dealing with routine menial hotel marketing tasks, and needs a more efficient way to send targeted message to various audiences.
Hotel marketing automation is the solution to both of those issues. Because of the constant battle to retain and increase your segment of the market, time is more important than ever. Without the aid of marketing tools it’ll be difficult to keep your head above water. Marketing automation will help you streamline the entire messaging process.
What is Hotel Marketing Automation?
Essentially what marketing automation does is allow you to send automated email campaigns – but not just any campaigns, these will be campaigns that your guests will be excited to get, they must be targeted. How? First develop your goals, and then automate different series of email follow-ups based on specific triggers. If a potential guest came close to purchasing a particular package offering, the automated system can send them a follow-up email with an alluring offer.
Around the holidays, for example, you can send an automated email to all those who’ve utilized the spa services before, offering a complimentary spa service along with their stay. For those readers that have never provided their email address to you, you’ll need a compelling offer or reason on your site to entice them to provide their email address.
Another opportunity for hotel marketing automation is with events and wedding planning. If a bride-to-be is researching venues and downloads a resource from your website, you can use the information provided to “drip” a series of nurturing emails that will entice them to consider your wedding destination and services.
You must save time, and you must stay targeted, both are possible with the utilization of marketing automation, here’s how:
Since We Don’t Have Personal Robots… Yet.
You can’t very well begin strategizing ways to attract new business when you spend every five minutes responding to one general lead after the next. Set up an automated email campaign that will track the data and respond for you. Because you didn’t have to hire an entire new team member to deal with email marketing, now you have more resources to devote to developing new strategies.
Remember all of those raving reviews, comments and complaints scattered across your social channels? Well now you’ve got time to respond to them and can continue to develop and nurture important relationships.
No need to reinvent the wheel, every few months you can simply repeat a campaign, or make quick and easy adjustments to it as you go. Since the automated program is tracking the data, you can see in real time which parts of your campaign are working, and which might need a few tweaks.
All it Takes is a Little Personalization.
Everyone wants to feel special. Nothing is less appealing to consumers than receiving a mass email targeted to no one in particular. You will lose retention if you lump everyone together and never look back. The simple act of segmenting your audiences and targeting campaigns that make sense depending on the viewers, will get you so much further than inefficient mass emails.
A devoted guests who has been to your property many times may not appreciate an introductory email meant for those who’ve never been. Tailor your messages to specific guest profiles and everyone wins. This is easily done with marketing automation.
Don’t forget! As your tailored messages are received, opened or not opened, you will be receiving the data and analytics, allowing further enhancements and changes to be made. By automating your marketing messages, your campaigns will drive much greater ROI, and increase retention.
Here’s the thing, you’re used to getting an overwhelming amount of “dirty” leads each day. You know, the ones sent to every hotel in the world. Hotel marketing automation will guide you to the “hot” leads, the people who have actually been on your site, and exhibited an actual interest in your event space(s). You will know who is interested because they’ve already “opted in” with their email due to your appealing offer. (should we link to a blog that explain about offers?) With your campaign already set up, those folks will receive the proper incentivized email, and eventually, an email to schedule a face-to-face, or phone meeting. Simply put, this technology will revolutionize your time, sales techniques, and mentality. Do yourself a favor and ring in the new year with a strategy that will not only work, but it will win.
