It’s obvious that 2020 has been a year of change. Consumer behavior has changed, traveler expectations have changed, and how we communicate has changed. With the changing dynamics, have you and your business been making adjustments to your marketing strategy? It’s important to dig deep into these statistics so that you can adjust your strategy to fit the needs of travelers. Read on to find out how to prepare your 2021 marketing strategy.
Before you learn about our best 2021 marketing tips, make sure to sign up for our Marketing Boot Camp Series, where we take an even deeper look into your marketing strategy for the upcoming year. You’ll learn about improving your website’s performance, ranking higher on Google searches, and more. Register now to kickstart your vacation rental, inn, or bed and breakfast marketing strategy for the new year.
How to Prepare Your 2021 Marketing Strategy: What You Need to Think About
Where Are My Bookings Coming From?
Do a little research to discover where your guests are booking from. Are the majority of them booking directly through organic search, paid search, and email marketing? Or, are most of your bookings coming from outside travel agencies? If you’d rather have more direct bookings, think about ways to focus on bringing people directly to your site.
What Percentage of Gross Revenue Should I Spend on Marketing?
The general rule of thumb is that smaller companies should budget a higher percentage of about 15-20%, while larger companies budget around 5-10%. That percentage is increasing as competition, costs, and complexity continue to rise.
Where Should I be Investing Marketing Dollars?
- Search Engine Optimization/Content Creation (50%-60% of direct bookings)
- Paid Search Advertising (5-10% of direct bookings)
- Email Marketing (5-10% of direct bookings)
- Referrals (2-5% of direct bookings)
- Social Media (0-2% of direct bookings)
- Direct (varies)
- Other
Is My Website Up to Par?
Your website is the hub of all your marketing efforts. So, make sure it looks simple, presentable, and usable. We recommend using search engine optimization (SEO) strategies while including effective links and wording that will encourage travelers to stay at your vacation rentals, inn, or bed and breakfast.
Do I Have an Effective Email Marketing Strategy?
Email marketing is a fantastic technique that is somewhat underrated. Creating a consistent emailing schedule is a great way to reach out to past visitors while informing them about new specials or properties, encouraging travelers to return.
If you’re looking to stay connected with travelers, this is an effective way to keep your property at the top of their minds. Email marketing in 2021 will be essential for getting the travelers who are only comfortable with returning to a destination they are familiar with or nearby.
We advise sending out one to two emails per month. You can send more emails during the peak booking season when people are thinking about vacations. It will also help travelers plan for future trips during shoulder and off–seasons.
Want to Dive Deeper into Your 2021 Marketing Plan?
Q4Launch offers a Marketing Boot Camp Series, where we help you discover insights about your business and how to increase bookings.
Register for this series of webinars, and you will uncover:
- More ways to develop your 2021 marketing plan
- Tips on improving your website’s performance
- Why your business may be struggling on search engines
- What you should know about Google ads
- Generating revenue through email marketing
- How to measure success for your company