Travel demand is picking up, and there’s one thing every hotel marketer needs in 2022: Content. So what’s your hotel content marketing strategy? Creating new content consistently is a challenge, even in the best of times. It’s no wonder many hotel marketers have no idea what to post, share, or promote. But here’s the thing: Radio silence was not the answer when occupancy dipped, and now? Showing up online is more important than ever. Hotels need to communicate with customers, whether that’s through social media, email newsletters, blogging, creating videos, hosting a podcast… wherever your aud ..read more

Last week I asked newsletter subscribers to reply with their top questions about hotel digital marketing. Let’s just say, there were a lot of responses! This post covers a LOT of ground, so I won’t be offended if you choose to skim. Here’s what’s in store: General questions about hotel digital marketing Questions about your hotel marketing plan Questions about social media for hotels Questions about SEO for hotels Some quick facts and statistics By the way, I really do love hearing from readers and subscribers! So please feel free to ask more questions in the comment section at the ..read more

So you have a great hotel website and you’ve done your homework in terms of keyword research. What’s next? Friend, we need to talk about local SEO. Well, that and all the things that go into an off-page hotel SEO strategy. “Off-page?” Whoa there — you’re telling me I need to worry about things that aren’t even ON my hotel website? How the heck do I control any of that? Truth is, you can! Well, a lot of it, at least. For any business, understanding how search engines function and rank content is essential to maximizing your reach and visibility. For hotels, search engine optimization can dramat ..read more

Last week, I read a statistic that honestly made my jaw drop: The average ROAS for small businesses spending less than $3,000 a month on Google Ads right now is 1.5 to 1. That’s barely breaking even. As the author sadly concluded, Google Ads is just “not for small businesses anymore.” (Search Engine Journal) Ad prices aren’t just spiking on Google, they’re rising as much as 108% on social media platforms, too. This is why now’s an awfully good time to focus on organic search. And unlike advertising, a successful hotel SEO strategy can be surprisingly affordable to execute! For a good place to ..read more

If you’ve ever sat in a meeting with your hotel SEO agency and had no idea what language they were speaking — well, this post is for you! The digital marketing world is full of weird jargon. Frankly, so are hotels. (GOPPAR, anyone?) But there’s something about SEO that brings out all the confusing acronyms, unusual sayings, and general head-scratching language. It’s almost like someone doesn’t want you to understand what the heck they’re talking about. Like… if they just keep throwing out SERPs and indexing and meta this and meta that, you’ll nod along and agree with whatever it is they’re say ..read more

Need some inspiration for your historic hotel? Great! I’ve rounded up 20 top-notch copywriting examples from historic hotels all over the world. If you’ve been reading for a while, you know I have ~ a lot ~ of opinions on what makes good copywriting for hotels… So over the next few months, I’ll be regularly sharing more “best in class” copy and content examples from different types of properties. Since I’m an absolute sucker for old, historic hotels — if only walls could talk, imagine the stories they’d tell — I’m kicking off this new series with 20 landmark, heritage, or otherwise “historic ..read more

Your hotel marketing plan is a critical piece of your business. If you want to drive your marketing strategy forward, you need a plan of action! It’s like Ben Franklin says, “By failing to prepare, you’re preparing to fail.” Whether it’s your first time creating one or your fiftieth, it doesn’t hurt to review the steps and structure. If you’re new to marketing in a hotel, you might be asking: How do you create a marketing plan for a hotel? What are the main elements? What’s the best way to show my hotel GM all my brilliant search engine optimization tactics or social media marketing ideas? I t ..read more

Hotel website designs really do vary. I’ve seen some truly wild flash animations, slow-loading background video, complicated templates… Some of this stuff looks cool, but does it actually help your property get direct bookings? I can’t overstate the importance of a well-designed hotel website. But you need to have a balance of form AND function. OTA commission fees range anywhere from 15-30%. If you want to increase direct bookings, you have to have your own website. Simple, right? Well, there’s a bit more to it than that. “If you build it, they will come,” might’ve worked in Field of Dreams ..read more

Between managing new health precautions and evolving customer expectations, COVID-19 has (without a doubt) launched a few recent trends in the hospitality industry. Now, I know the word “trend” implies “short-lived” — but in my opinion, a lot of these new ideas are here to stay. Globally, all industries have been impacted by the coronavirus, for better or for worse. Hospitality businesses have been among the hardest hit. After all, hotels and restaurants rely on person-to-person interaction. To stay afloat, hoteliers had two options: Shift your services and hotel marketing strategies or close ..read more

Your website is the face of your hotel business. You already invest a lot of budget into photography, but that doesn’t mean your words are an afterthought. Here are a few examples of hospitality and travel copywriting that really get it right! Think about your own experiences as a consumer. How often do you make a quick assumption about a brand or business, after merely a quick glance at their website? When was the last time a brand really "spoke" to you? Now, think like a business owner: You have a five-star experience to offer, don't you? Why isn't your website copy as captivating, original ..read more