Marketing a hotel today is far different than it was even 10 years ago, there was a time when you could get away with the standard magazine and print ads, but those techniques, while still used, are getting less and less ROI for marketers.

Amazingly, two of the more successful tools marketers are using these days were not even on the radar a decade or so ago.

Developing Content for Voice Searches

If you are ever looking for ideas for your blog, look no further than the bottom of the Google page for possible titles. When you do a Google search for something, Google will generally post a list of questions that are popular searches related to that term. The advent of the smartphone with voice search makes this a priceless tool, as many of the questions you see posted are used in voice searches from potential customers.

For instance, if I do a Google search for “what hotels are near DFW airport,” Google supplies me with several questions searchers have asked Google:

1. What hotel is connected to the Dallas airport?
2. What terminal does American Airlines use at DFW?
3. What terminal is Hyatt at DFW?
4. How far is the Hyatt Regency Dallas from the airport?

Now, if you are marketing the Hyatt, this information is invaluable because it is literally telling you what your guests are searching for on Google. By creating blog posts mimicking these questions and/or providing information about these specific topics, you have a very good chance of showing up at the top of the Google search when someone asks Google for this information.

Local Influencer Marketing

We have discussed using influencers before, and while there are pros and cons, they seem to be more and more important when developing social media campaigns for hotels. Something I have noticed, though, is that local influencers seem to get more interaction than national influencers. Users are not stupid, and they can tell when someone is passionate about their endorsements rather than just backing a product for financial gain.

The added benefit to using more local influencers in that many of them use city or state locations in their usernames, giving them a leg up on other influencers. For instance, some influencers I have mentioned before are South Dallas Foodie and Dallas Food Nerd. Both of these influencers are local but they get hundreds, sometimes thousands of interactions on a single post. They both also do a mix of free and paid endorsements, which tends to evoke a bit more confidence from the social media user. The fact they both often show family members, including their children, enjoying these products can hit a soft spot with consumers, which influences them even more to try these products. There is also the benefit both of the have Dallas and Food in their handles, an added advantage when someone does a search for “Dallas food” using social media.

When choosing an influencer, look for someone that specializes in your specific market, including your travel segments. For instance, an influencer specializing in business travel would not be a wise choice for a luxury hotel catering to families and vacationers. Don’t just use someone for the sake of saying you have an influencer. Take the time to develop a relationship with the influencer to ensure your brand is safe in his or her hands.

Disappointed in your online presence? Is it time to find a marketing director that is more in touch with today’s marketing tools and techniques? If the local talent pool is not giving you the candidates you need, call JDI. Joseph David International works hard to find the ideal fit for both the candidate and the property to ensure your future success. For more information about our hotel recruiter services, please click here.

Facebook:

Is your property struggling to make an impact in Google searches and failing to get interaction on social media? We have two new marketing trends you are going to want to explore ASAP!

Twitter:

#HotelMarketingTips – There are two #marketing trends for #hotels that are on fire right now you need to exploit ASAP if you want to dominate your market.

Google Business:

What is the next great thing in hotel marketing? Actually, there are two trends that are just blowing up right now and the sooner you incorporate them into your hotel marketing, the better!

LinkedIn:

There are two new trends in #HotelMarketing that are blowing up right now and if your #hotel is not incorporating them into your local #marketing, you will fall behind your direct competition.

www.jdisearch.com