- September 16, 2014
- 0
- Email This Post
- Print This Post
Hotel Markets Capitalize on Back-to-School Marketing Opportunities
The end of summer for most parents signals the rush to get shopping with the usual back-to-school specials for school supplies, computers and dorm room necessities. Yet the back-to-school marketing season has also become an important part of the hotel business.
Between families looking for one last summer trip or families traveling to help students settle in at college, the mid-August through October period proves to be a robust time for hoteliers. Emily Culclasure for Social Hospitality lists a number of things savvy hotelier marketers should be doing to capitalize on the last summer hurrahs.
Social Media
Social media has torn up traditional notions behind marketing and sales across all industries. Nowhere has this been more dramatic than in the hospitality and service sectors. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have become the new ways to communicate with customers looking for creative and fun vacation ideas on a budget. In fact, Facebook has become the most commonly used social platform for trip planning, according to Culclasure. Hotels should be promoting packages and bundles through the channel and make use of sponsored posts.
But don’t neglect the other social networks, as Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Google+ are all essentials for hotel marketing. The goal with social media is to reach the hotel’s entire audience with special offers, not just one segment.
Online review sites, like Yelp, Trip Advisor and Google’s aggregations have given rise to peer-to-peer conversations and assessments of hotels, restaurants and other services on a scale never seen before. Maintaining a positive social media reputation is as important as the packages and bundles being promoted.
SEO
For families looking for a last-minute summer trip, three to four weeks of lead-time is recommended for any activity that attempts to gain rankings that target back to school audiences. With some keyword research to find out what people are watching and what’s of interest to them.
Back to school also represents an increase in search for hotels and accommodations near universities, and hoteliers can take advantage of this by running paid search campaigns targeting these travelers who need a room before making the return journey. Offering a special package targeting family members can help drive traffic through your ads and boost conversions.
Mobile
Mobile has grown in popularity with consumers looking for deals. According to Social Media Today, 40 to 50 percent of moms purchased apparel, books and electronics from a tablet. Younger crowds are more plugged in than ever and hold a lot of purchasing power in the household, so utilize all social apps, such as Instagram, Vine and even Snapchat to make a positive impression. Don’t underestimate the power of a hashtag, a retweet or any other feature that puts interaction in the hands of your followers.
Make sure your guests feel welcomed when they arrive. Read “Greet Them at the Door: Signage for Hotels,” and consider yourself a socially savvy-sign crafty hotelier.
