Are you running a boutique hotel in a big city? Have you done everything you can to set yourself up for success? You’ve chosen the destination, carefully selected your location, and have a good idea of the customers you want to target. You’ve crossed the T’s and dotted all the I’s. Now, you need to know what to do to stay consistent, stand out from the crowd, and get on track for growth. Find out how to secure your spot as an industry leader by ensuring your urban hotel marketing strategy is up to par!
Let us be your guide toward continued success for your urban hotel. At Q4Launch, we take the time to understand your story and strategy, then work to take it a step further. Get started by taking advantage of our free Hospitality Marketing Grader! Our expert digital marketing team can identify the strengths and weaknesses of your current strategy and provide insights on how to make it ironclad.
The Keys to Effective Hotel Marketing
Leverage Your Brand
It’s not enough to be a business; you have to be a brand. Chances are, you know who you are and you know your brand. But do potential guests? Do they know what sets you apart from the other hotels and big chains? How can you leverage your brand to attract customers who are looking for exactly what your hotel offers?
In the hospitality industry, you’re selling an intangible product — an experience. Make sure your brand is promoting this unique experience in a compelling way. Think about what you can provide guests that your competitors cannot. Does your business strive to uphold a specific mission or set of core values? Do you provide helpful concierge services so guests can get the most from their stay? How about accommodations and amenities customers can’t experience anywhere else?
Take what makes you different and make sure you are incorporating that into your branding messages to attract new guests. For example, urban hotel spas set themselves apart from chain hotels with the amenities they offer. No matter what your unique value over competitors is, find it and emphasize it. Properly communicating this on your website and social media platforms is essential to success.
Help Your Marketing Team Help You
How can you effectively translate your brand into a message that speaks to your potential guests? Whether you’re using an in-house marketing team or an outsourced agency, make sure they are effectively utilizing the proper communication channels to make your voice heard.
“Creative without strategy is called ‘art’. Creative with strategy is called ‘advertising’.”
– Jef I. Richards
Have conversations with the team leads. Stay updated. Make sure you are doing everything you can on your end to set them up for success. As the saying goes, “help me, help you”. When they succeed, you succeed! Here are a few ways to accomplish this ideal level of cooperation:
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Sync Up on a Guest Profile
Know who you are attracting, from their demographic to their interests. You have likely already done this yourself, but it is worth the time to review this with your marketing team. Make sure you are all on the same page to hone in on your target audience.
There may be many aspects of city tourism that attract people to your area, like convenient transportation or a wide variety of available attractions. Does your marketing team know why travelers specifically choose you as their urban destination? Explain where they are coming from and what they’re looking for when they come across your hotel. You know these guest profiles backward and forward, so be sure to communicate them to your team.
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Discuss Relevant Promotions
Now that you and your team both have a firm grasp on the type of guests you’re reaching out to make sure you are leveraging that information in the best way possible. One way to do this is with a “rooftop test.” (Don’t worry, you don’t have to climb onto the roof of your building!)
You may have already done this when you started your hotel. Essentially, you just want to think about what’s around you that will speak to your potential guest. If someone visits your hotel looking for excitement in the big city, where are you sending them? What attractions are you promoting in your communication strategies based on their interests? This also goes for your accommodations and services. Have your marketing team put themselves in the shoes of the people they are targeting. You already know the value you can provide to guests; make sure they know it, too!
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Set Measurable Goals
Conversions are relative. Of course, increased bookings are the ultimate goal for any hotel. However, it’s important to set specific expectations for your marketing team to measure success in a variety of ways. Are you working on driving more traffic to your property page? Increasing leads? How about booking a specific room for the upcoming season? With each strategy, identify a goal and lean on your team to implement a plan to accomplish that goal.
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Track Specific Metrics
Find out what’s working and where you may be struggling. Use the goals you’ve already set and measure the return on investment with specific metrics. You’re already keeping track of occupancy, RevPAR, ADR, bookings, and leads generated. It’s important to continue this when implementing new strategies. Efficiency and effectiveness are essential when it comes to your marketing. Make sure you aren’t falling behind your competitors and staying ahead of trends. If things aren’t working, you’ll know it and will be able to communicate it to the team.
Once you’ve established who your marketing team should target and how to measure success, it’s time to set the wheels in motion. Hold them accountable for the communications portion so you can focus on running your business. Give them what they need, such as information on packages, specials, and discounts. Then, they can make attention-grabbing promotions targeting potential guests.
If everything goes as planned, your marketing team should have you on pace toward profitability and significant return on investment. If your pacing reports aren’t showing ideal bookings for an upcoming season, make sure you reach out to them. You should be able to look to your team for explanations on why certain strategies may not be working and how to fix it to get back on track. If all goes well, you’ll be well on your way toward continued success and promising growth.
Look to Q4Launch for All of Your Urban Hotel Marketing Needs
Is your marketing team not living up to expectations? Are you looking to try something new to stay ahead of industry trends? Q4Launch can help. Our specialized Boutique Hotel Marketing services provide everything you need to ensure years of continued success for your business.
We offer top-notch website design, SEO, email marketing, blog creation, social media management, lead generation, and more. Our experienced, in-house professionals know what it takes to make your urban hotel stand out from the crowd. Contact us today to get on the road to success!