With an increasing number of potential guests using digital channels for travel planning, it’s no longer an option for hospitality brands to ignore the digital landscape. Engaging online users, enhancing brand visibility and driving bookings are just a few reasons to adopt a forward-thinking digital marketing strategy in this competitive industry.
From investing in a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy that optimizes your website for more clicks to driving engagement through social media, there are many ways for your brand to set itself apart in the hospitality industry. Creatives On Call has hospitality experts who can work with you to develop a tailored strategy to take your digital marketing efforts to the next level.
The Importance of Digital Marketing in Hospitality
Hospitality digital marketing encompasses all marketing efforts that utilize an electronic device or the internet. Leveraging digital channels such as search engines, social media, email and websites, hospitality businesses connect with current and prospective customers.
The Role of Digital Marketing in Hospitality
Digital marketing has revolutionized the way hospitality businesses reach and interact with potential guests. It enables personalized communication, promotes brand loyalty and provides valuable data to measure and adjust strategy.
In an industry that often relies on seasonal demand, it’s critical that hospitality businesses have avenues to connect with potential guests year-round. Therefore, hospitality businesses must work to create eye-catching digital content, rank prominently in search engine results and effectively engage users on social media platforms to attract and retain customers. If your business struggles to build in-house capabilities to keep up with the demanding digital landscape, Creatives On Call can help.
Advantages of Digital Marketing in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry
From boosting online visibility to reaching mobile users, digital marketing provides numerous benefits for the hospitality industry. Some of the key advantages of using digital marketing for this industry include:
Global Reach
Digital marketing enables tourism brands to promote themselves to international audiences on a global scale. Paid search and social media advertising can reach potential travelers anywhere in the world at a relatively low cost.
Targeted Personalization
Data collection and analytics tools allow hospitality marketers to segment audiences and deliver customized messaging to the right people at different stages of the traveler’s journey. This leads to higher engagement and conversion rates.
Improved Booking Experience
Travel websites, central reservation systems and mobile apps powered by digital marketing provide 24/7 accessibility for travelers. This results in a streamlined booking experience.
Lower Marketing Costs
Digital channels tend to involve lower upfront media or distribution costs compared to traditional print and TV advertising. There is also less waste, thanks to precise targeting capabilities.
Measurable Returns
Robust analytics across digital marketing campaigns shows key metrics like lead quality, sales volumes, conversions and return on investment (ROI). This data enables smarter optimization of tourism and hospitality promotional strategies.
At Creatives On Call, our team can deliver an all-in-one digital marketing solution by connecting you to hospitality experts across the creative space. From seasoned website designers to hospitality social media gurus, our team is composed of hundreds of hospitality experts who work to deeply understand your brand and goals and tailor a digital strategy catered to your needs.
Strategies for Effective Digital Marketing in Hospitality
There are tons of ways for your brand to invest in digital marketing, and what works for some sectors of the hospitality industry may not be right for you. Thankfully, there are a host of strategies at your disposal, including:
Search Engine Optimization
- Optimize your website and online listings so they appear higher in search results for relevant keywords like “hotels in [city]” or “[type of hotel] near [landmark].” Focus on quality content, titles, URLs and more.
- Build high-quality backlinks from travel websites to improve search rank and drive referral traffic.
- Monitor keywords and adjust SEO strategy to target high-volume searches.
Programmatic Digital Marketing
- Use programmatic ad buying to display highly targeted ads to potential guests across websites, social media and other digital channels.
- Build custom audiences based on factors like demographics, browsing history and previous trips to deliver personalized messaging.
- Track performance across campaigns and channels to determine optimal media mix and improve ROI.
Search Engine Marketing
- Run paid search campaigns through Google Ads, Bing Ads, etc., to promote your site for branded and non-branded travel-related keyword searches.
- Display ads on search engine results pages to increase visibility and clicks for users searching for local accommodation options.
- Adjust bids and landing pages to convert more traffic into direct bookings.
Third-Party Online Travel Agencies (OTAs)
- List your rooms on OTAs like Booking.com and Expedia to tap into their global user bases and multi-channel marketing capabilities.
- Provide special rates, packages or add-ons to incentivize direct bookings over OTA listings.
- Negotiate the lowest commission rates possible with OTAs to maximize revenue.
Email Marketing
- Build an email list by offering incentives for newsletter sign-ups during the booking process.
- Send personalized offers, last-minute deals, pre-stay confirmation emails and post-stay surveys to engage guests.
- Segment your list based on guest attributes and behaviors to tailor content and increase relevancy.
- Track open, click-through and conversion rates to refine campaigns over time.
By tapping into these digital marketing channels and continuously optimizing efforts based on data, hotels can significantly boost online visibility, leads and bookings. The ultimate goal is to drive more direct reservations at the highest margins possible. Creatives On Call is here to help you make this possible through an omnichannel approach that engages and delights visitors at every touch point.
Key Metrics To Track in Hospitality Digital Marketing
While implementing effective digital marketing strategies is important, it’s just as essential to track your success. By identifying and monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs), you can continuously improve your digital approach. Some crucial metrics to track include:
Website Traffic
Measure website sessions, page views, bounce rates and source of traffic across organic, paid, referral and direct channels. This indicates reach and engagement.
Rankings & Mentions
Track search engine rankings for target keywords as well as mentions and tags from influencers, review sites and travel blogs. This impacts visibility and reputation.
Lead Volume & Quality
Quantify leads captured through campaigns and evaluate them on metrics like recency, location, demographics, previous bookings and more to prioritize high-intent prospects.
Online Reputation Scores
Follow online review sentiment scores and star ratings on OTAs and sites like Tripadvisor. Negative trends require a response.
Bookings & Revenue
Analyze online booking volumes, length of stay, ancillary purchases, special offers redeemed and total revenue by source to calculate digital ROI.
Loyalty Membership Growth
Growing member sign-ups and engagement in branded loyalty programs reflect brand affinity and long-term guest lifetime value.
By continuously tracking and optimizing based on these digital KPIs, hospitality marketers can improve results across all campaigns and channels. The metrics provide clarity on what’s working best and what’s not.
Connect With Creatives On Call for Hospitality Digital Marketing
Creatives On Call is an industry-leading marketing and creative consultancy specializing in helping businesses solve marketing and communications challenges. From hospitality digital marketing experts to seasoned copywriters, our team is here to take your business to the next level.
While we believe digital marketing should be an ongoing, coordinated effort, Creatives On Call can also connect you with digital marketing experts for single projects or campaigns, like a website redesign or a seasonal promotion. Or we can build your dream team for hospitality marketing. From hospitality marketing plan design to social media management strategies, we have the resources to accelerate your growth.
Wherever you are in your marketing journey, we're here to meet you and get to work. Contact us today to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does digital marketing work in the hospitality industry?
Hotels, restaurants and other hospitality businesses use digital marketing channels like search ads, social media and email marketing to promote their brand, attract customers and drive direct bookings. Digital tactics allow hospitality marketers to target niche audiences, personalize offers, analyze data to optimize campaigns and provide helpful pre-stay information to guests.
What is e-marketing in the hospitality industry?
E-marketing in the hospitality industry refers to digital marketing efforts by hotels, restaurants, travel companies and other hospitality businesses to promote their products and services online. Common e-marketing tactics in the industry include SEO, social media marketing, email marketing and the use of booking websites.
What is an example of hospitality marketing?
Hospitality marketing refers to promotional activities conducted by hotels, resorts, restaurants, tourist destinations and other hospitality providers to attract visitors and guests. Examples include social media campaigns showcasing a resort’s amenities, email newsletters advertising seasonal menu specials at a restaurant or travel brochures highlighting local attractions in a tourist destination.
