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You do it every day and you probably can’t imagine your life without it, but have you ever thought of text messaging as a marketing tool?  With tactics like text alerts, discounts and newsletter sign-ups, hotels have gradually been using texts as an easy and unique way to reach their guests. This is your guide to the science behind text message marketing and how to use it to your advantage as a hospitality marketer.

What is text message marketing?

We all know what text messaging is, but what is text message or “SMS marketing?” Terry Mann from The Houston Chronicle says it’s exactly what it sounds like, it’s “a marketing campaign that uses text messages to deliver advertisements or promotions to users.”

Text message marketing can include anything from alerts, promotions, pictures and links to other sites. In the hospitality marketing industry, text marketing opens up endless opportunities for new and creative marketing content to hotel guests.

How do you use it?

One thing you must understand is that there is much more to text message marketing than just words and an emoji. As a hospitality marketer, there are a lot of extra tools and ideas that can contribute to your first campaign. Here are some of the most popular ways to use SMS marketing:

  • Geofencing: This newer technology uses GPS to create a virtual boundary around a location. In a hotel setting, marketers can set boundaries around the hotel and when guests or prospective guests enter that boundary, they are then susceptible to receiving texts and promotions from the hotel (after previously giving the hotel their number of course). Geofencing ensures that texts are going to the right audience at the right place and time. For example, geofencing can help you alert guests at the pool that happy hour is starting in 10 minutes. Or it can be used to alert nearby text subscribers outside the hotel that that live entertainment is taking place at your restaurant that evening. Be sure to check out this article from Bluedot Innovation  with 10 ways to use use geofencing in the hospitality industry for some inspiration!
  • Newsletter Sign Ups: Texting a code is a lot easier than typing out an entire email address. Encourage guests to text a code to a specific number so they can receive your newsletter via link form in a text message. To encourage guests to participate, you can put the code on other promotional channels like printed brochures, social media accounts and even your website. A few years ago, Planet Hollywood and Casino in Las Vegas provided prizes for guests that opted-in to receive their SMS messages & upgraded to an A-List Player’s Club membership. The campaign increased membership by 13% & offered a 70% success rate.
  • Coupon Distribution: Guests that sign up for text alerts could then receive text discounts. Pair this alert system with GPS geo-caching and then they can receive discounts to things they are close to (like a free drink at the bar or discounted spa treatment).

For even more creative ways to use SMS, check out this article from Adestra about innovative uses of SMS marketing.

Text message marketing vs. other forms of marketing

Advantages

Consumers are used to their email inboxes being flooded with spam so they are usually less likely to open whatever marketing message you attempted to send. However, people are  accustomed to opening texts and answering instantly, so even if they aren’t interested in your message, they will probably still open it either on purpose or on accident. Dynmark reported that, on average, 29% of those targeted by SMS marketing respond while less than 6% of those targeted respond to direct mail, print and email.

Disadvantages

The biggest disadvantage with text is that the form factor means your message must be concise. You can’t send a highly visual and information-dense message like you canwith email. However, with some well written copy you can entice people to tap on links that you send them to a more detailed web-based message.

Another disadvantage is that consumers aren’t really used to being marketed to through text so they might be more likely to get annoyed. Just use common sense and focus on providing value to avoid this.

Which text message service to use 

There are a number of services and companies for text message marketing, you’ll need to do some research to find out what works best for your needs and budget. This Article from Top Ten Reviews is a great place to start your search. it has a nice comparison of various services showing their list of features and pricing structure.

Even if text marketing may not be the traditional way to reach guests, it has made marketing more efficient and direct. Hopefully this article will help you get started with text message marketing!

Until next time, be well.

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All About Visual Search

Last year, Chevy released an ad where people were asked to rate the 2016 Cruze using only emojis. The ad wasn’t received well, but the idea of focusing on emojis was solid. Modern day communication is incredibly visual with memes, emojis, pictures and videos a constant part of our lives.

It comes as no surprise that a new search engine is taking advantage of this trend by letting users find hotels based on visuals!

The Hotel Search of the Future?  

Yellowroom was developed by Marcel Ruijken and Marc Vekemans from the Netherlands. The site uses artificial intelligence to allow users to search for hotels by “visual experiences” rather than through traditional parameters like price, stars and amenities.

For example, rather than plugging in a search like “4-star hotel for less than $299 in Chicago with a pool” you’d search for “Romantic sunset in Chicago.” The site, based on technology developed with the University of Amsterdam, then returns hotels that feature those types of images on their website.

The initial idea for the site came from the question “What if I wanted to book a yellow room in New York City?” Cofounder Marcel Ruijken puts it this way “We wanted to be able to search for a visual experience: a yellow room, a rooftop pool or a huge suite.”

Currently Yellowroom allows for users to search for rooms based on both what the room looks like inside, and what types of view it gives access to. For example, “Spacious Bedroom” or “City View From Above” are both valid searches.

Ironically, right now users can’t search for “a yellow room in New York” as the beta version of the site is restricted to destinations in Southeast Asia such as Thailand, Singapore, China and Japan. However, hopefully once the sites move out of beta testing the areas will expand.

Takeaways for Hotel Marketers

The existence of Yellowroom highlights the importance of visuals in hospitality but it also speaks to the importance of selling an “experience.”

Site co-founder Marc Vekemans, in an article from hospitality net, puts it this way “I think there are more people with an open intent than people that know exactly where to go on holiday.” Travelers today have some ideas of the experience they want, but not exactly where they want to stay. This idea is reminiscent of Airbnb’s marketing that focuses heavily on the idea that people get a unique and authentic “experience” when staying at an Airbnb.

Hotel marketers must wake up to the fact that they need to sell their hotel as an experience and one of the best ways to do that is through visual communications. Guests clicking through a well designed ebrochure with beautiful pictures are going to be able to imagine the experience they will have at a certain hotel much more so than if they were just reading about amenities on a website. It’s the same reason luxury hotels still invest in printing brochures on high quality paper with glossy lamination. People associate those things with a luxury experience and the marketing materials functions as a preview of that experience. If you need help communicating your hotel or resorts experience in an effective, visual way send us an email!

This post brought to you by a nice cup of Eight O’ Clock Coffee… our office’s coffee of choice.

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Quick Tips For Commencement Season

Commencement season (usually mid-May in the United States) can be a nice opportunity for hotels near universities. With aunts, uncles, grandparents and other relatives traveling to see their loved one get a diploma, some cities will be getting a short-term travel boost. Here are some marketing ideas to make sure you’re taking full advantage of this season: 

Create a unique “takeaway” item

Bookmarks, like the ones we created for Mandarin Oriental New York (shown below), are a great example of a unique takeaway piece you could put in guest rooms during commencement weekend. They are useful, can deliver a message, fit nicely with the theme of academics and will be sure to help your guests remember your hotel when they come back. 

Sell your destination

Since guests are coming to your location specifically for commencement, they might not realize that it’s a visit-worthy place on its own. This May there will be thousands of people flocking to cities like Columbus, Ohio (home of Ohio State University) South Bend, Indiana (Notre Dame) and Tuscaloosa, Alabama (University of Alabama) who don’t realize that these places have attractions other than the major universities they are famous for. Be sure to highlight your city’s hotspots and highlights throughout your marketing efforts and you might get guests to extend their stay or come back for a vacation at a later date.

Show school spirit

Decorating with signage, pennants and school colors is a simple and cost effective way to welcome guests. Also, since you know everyone staying with you for a particular weekend will be big fans of the local college, giving away a t-shirt, mug or other school themed item should be popular. You can choose winners using a basic raffle at the front desk, or get a little more sophisticated with a social media contest.

Get on the schools’ commencement website

Many universities have nearby hotels listed on the commencement portion of their website (Ohio State’s is pictured below). If your hotel is more than a few year’s old you probably won’t need to worry, but if you’re a newer property or have recently rebranded, take a few minutes to make sure you have an accurate listing.

 

Optimize Google Adwords campaigns

The group staying at your hotel because of commencement will probably be searching for different terms than people who normally stay at your hotel. So be sure to tweak your Google Adwords campaigns to account for this. For example, If you’re a hotel in Lexington, Kentucky guests might normally search for “Hotel in Lexington” but when looking for a commencement hotel, they might be using terms like “Best Hotel for University of Kentucky Commencement” or ” Where to Stay for University of Kentucky Commencement?”

Commencement season probably won’t make or break your hotel for the quarter, but it’s still a good opportunity that should be marketed appropriately!

This post brought to you by a cup of decaffeinated black tea, because sometimes you need a little break from caffeine. Until next time, be well.

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All’s Fair in Love and Marketing

Cupid’s not the only person working hard to prepare for Valentine’s day. Hoteliers are always busy in early February. Somebody’s got to provide the setting for all those romantic getaways right? Here are some ideas and examples of Valentine’s Day themed marketing initiatives that will make sure your property is seen as a premiere romantic destination!

It Takes Two to Tango

This Valentine’s Day, create a social media competition that not only promotes your hotel but also gets your guests involved. Whether it’s a video, picture or story, create simple guidelines and a catchy hashtag that allow people to submit and share easily. Not only will a Valentine’s competition get people talking about your hotel, but the winner can receive something in return, like a free dinner for two.

A few years ago, the Cavendish Hotel in London started a campaign that went viral during February called “ValentineVine”. The campaign asked people to create and submit Valentine’s Day themed vines with the most romantic entry winning a weekend stay for two. The DoubleTree Bethesda had also gotten in on the social media frenzy with their hashtag campaign #ShowYourLove. Participants were asked to share how they met their significant other for a chance to win a date night at the hotel.

A Post from DoubleTree Bethesda’s Show Your Love Campaign

Match Made in Heaven

This year, try something unique by partnering with another company! Take advantage of Valentine’s Day by offering unique promotions that benefit both the hotel and the partnered company. La Quinta Inn & Suites created a Valentine’s Day special that allowed guests to earn hotel reward points if they followed the promo link and ordered flowers from Teleflora, a local flower shop. Campaigns like these can be promoted on the hotel’s social platforms and the partnered company’s platforms, creating extra coverage you wouldn’t normally have.

Promotion Packages

While most hotels market exclusive Valentine’s Day packages, make yours stand out. Rather than listing the benefits of each package in black and white text, include captivating photos of comfortable rooms, rose petals, etc. that make guests want to stay at your hotel. While the pictures are important for guests viewing your site, don’t forget about using keywords in package titles and descriptions that will improve SEO with Valentine’s Day searches.

The Grand Hotel Minneapolis has a package cleverly nicknamed “Lounging in Love” that includes champagne and in-room dining, while the Hotel Palomar has a more exotically named package called “Drunk in Love” complete with custom cocktails.

All Inclusive Stay

One thing to keep in mind when creating marketing content for February, is that your target includes a wide variety of people. Marriot hotels embraced this concept when launching their huge #LoveTravels campaign, with the phrase “be you, with us” in support of the LGBT community. Sagamore, the Art Hotel in South Beach made sure to include all guests a few years ago when offering their anti-Valentine’s Day package called “Stupid Cupid.” The package included thorny red roses, a bottle of vodka and a three-month subscription to a renowned dating site.

Don’t wait too long, implement some of these lovely marketing strategies before Valentine’s Day arrives!

New Trends in Movement

We’ve been telling you to use gifs and video all month so you’re probably ready for a change of pace right? Here are a few cutting edge, movement-based marketing techniques that are especially useful for the hospitality world.

360° Photography

What is it? : A 360° photo is similar to a panoramic picture, however instead of being wider, a 360° photo captures the entire surrounding of a location – including the ceiling, floor and even what’s behind you. These pictures can be taken using special 360° technologies like the Ricoh Theta S or GoPro cameras with custom rigs, but can also be taken with a smartphone, using apps like Google Street View.

How your hotel can use it: 360° photos allows prospective guests to see your hotel from the perspective of actually being there. Even though this technology is new, the images are surprisingly shareable. Not only can 360° photos be posted to compatible web pages but Facebook has officially supported 360° photos since 2016. For good real world examples, check out the way the Hilton Chicago and Grand Resort have implemented 360° photos into their marketing strategy.

Virtual Reality

What is it?: Similar to 360° photography, virtual reality offers a complete view of your surroundings, however instead of staring at the view on a computer screen, VR visually transports its users to the location with the use of VR goggles. Though the technology has been around since the 80s, VR has enjoyed a resurgence due to products like Google Cardboard that enable people to enter a virtual reality environment with their smartphone.

How your hotel can use it: With virtual reality videos hotels can create strong connections with potential guests by allowing them to virtually “tour” the lobby and rooms prior to booking a night. Using software and technology from brands like VideoStitch, virtual reality videos can be easily constructed and implemented into your marketing strategy. Photoweb.com has a nice collection of virtual tours from many hotels.

Cinemagraph

What is it?: Cinemagraphs combine high quality photographs and video to create a picture that has moving components. For example, a cinemagraph could include a couple sitting on a bench (completely still) with leaves blowing in the background.

How your hotel can use it: Instead of using flat pictures of rooms and amenities, you can include cinemagraphs featuring fireplaces actually crackling next to comfortable lounge chairs or water rippling along the surface of your hotel’s pool. For inspiration, check out some of these finished products. Learn how to construct these photographic masterpieces and be one of the first hotel marketers to add cinemagraphs to your marketing efforts.

Don’t fall behind in the world of movement marketing! Take advantage of these new concepts to attract potential guests in the most effective ways possible. Today’s blog post was fueled by Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, a unique coffee with a blueberry aftertaste! Until next time, be well!

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