There are numerous digital marketing tools available for hoteliers to effectively promote their properties, one of these useful tools is the hotel blog.

There a few reasons why blogs are important. Blogging helps the hotel connect with their audience on a personal level by providing a message that can directly target the customer.

Blogs are also effective social media content and, when scheduled regularly, can help your hotel appear connected and up-to-date. Google is partial to newer content, so posting blogs with strong copy on a regular basis can help your hotel website rank higher in searches.

Greater engagement with your customer can be facilitated through blogs because they allow readers to directly comment on your posts. A blog will get your website greater visibility which in turn will positively affect your direct bookings. That’s the ultimate goal, right?

Blogging is more than just coming up with an article about a current event. There are steps that can be taken to ensure that your blog is effective. It starts with the title: use an exciting and interesting title that captures the attention of the audience.

Something like “Come see Our Newly Remodeled Rooms” gets the point across, but it isn’t enticing. You want a title that makes your want to read more. Speak to the emotions of the reader with a title like, “Kick back and Relax in our Newly Remodeled Rooms with New Features!”

Adding keywords to your blog will also make your site more likely to rank higher in search results. Use keywords that flow seamlessly into the copy of your blog. In addition, too many keywords will make your copy seem disjointed and clunky, so use them moderately.

Another way to get better results is to add a picture to your blog. When you post your blog on social media, it is more likely receive engagement if there is a picture accompanying the post.

When selecting topics for blogs, choose ones that will interest your target audience. Here are a few topics that have been proven to receive high engagement:

• Special Events like festivals, concerts, and conferences.
• Popular restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and theatres.
• Local attractions, city tours, theme parks, and landmarks.
• Hotel Updates- New services, remodels, customer interviews and reviews, events at the hotel.

Once you select a topic, create well-written content with strong keywords, and post your blog on social media. You will be well on your way to increasing traffic to your hotel’s website!

E-Marketing Associates helps independent hotels increase direct bookings and reduce reliance on OTAs. We build innovative online marketing products that deliver the best ROI for independent hotels. Our products aim to ultimately drive top-line revenue.

www.e-marketingassociates.com