Over time, the avenues we use for marketing have changed significantly, and as the marketing space continues to evolve, we’re finding that traditional methods of promoting tourism or hospitality businesses aren’t as effective as they once were.
Why is that?
Because consumers now rely more on digital channels than ever before. This article will help you understand these changes and implement strategies to win customers’ hearts and increase your ROI.
What’s Changed in the Hospitality & Tourism Industry?
The hospitality and tourism industry has undergone significant changes in recent years, driven by evolving traveler behavior, technological advancements, and shifting market demands. Prior to the pandemic, many consumers discovered hospitality and tourism businesses by word of mouth or by coming across the business in person.
Once the pandemic hit, we saw a major decrease in tourism, as physical interactions were limited. This decrease transformed the hospitality and tourism industries and made them realize they needed to find new, unique strategies to grow their business.
That’s when the tourism industry started to see things from a different perspective—from a digital marketing perspective. They created websites, engaged on social media, and managed online reviews more actively than ever before.
Digital Marketing Strategies You Need To Implement In Your Hospitality/Tourism Business
Every business wants to increase revenue and have happy customers, but how can you do so in today’s digital world? Below are some digital marketing techniques you must try to set your business on the path to never-ending success.
Website Design
A well-designed website is more than just visually appealing—it’s a key element of converting visitors into customers. Many travelers research hotels and attractions well in advance to book their trip, so making sure that your site provides clear and concise information to your customers is crucial. A few aspects of a well-designed website include:
- User-friendly: Nothing is more frustrating than searching all over a website trying to find the information you’re seeking. To ensure your website is user-friendly, get into the mind of a user! What is the most relevant information you would be looking for? Make sure that information is easy to find and is mentioned or linked to on the home page.
- Responsive design: With more and more users accessing websites on mobile devices, responsive design is essential to ensure a seamless experience across all screen sizes. We’ve started to see businesses put more focus on mobile, as it can result in a massive increase in traffic. For example, Mannix Marketing created a mobile-first website for a Lake George resort and saw a 366% increase in mobile traffic.
- Conversion Optimization: Your website should guide users toward taking an action, whether that’s booking a room, making a reservation, or signing up for a newsletter. Strategic placements of Call-To-Actions (CTAs), easy navigation, and trust signals, like testimonials and certifications, are vital.
If your website is poorly designed, it will be more difficult for customers to find the information they’re looking for, which can result in fewer direct bookings and drive potential customers away from your services.
Local Advertising
Local advertising is necessary to target potential tourists in your geographical area and increase foot traffic, as we’re finding that tourists often search for hotels, attractions, and restaurants in specific destinations.
For example, a few years ago, if you wanted to visit a new city, you would ask someone what places or hotels are best or read a magazine with relevant information. Now, customers type in Google “best hotels in [location],” and instantly see a list of hotels and reviews, making it easy to decide where to stay.
Using digital strategies like local SEO ensures your business is at the top of the minds of nearby customers.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Imagine your potential customers are searching for your services, such as “luxury hotels in Napa Valley” or “best budget-friendly hotels in Albany,” but when they search on Google, your website doesn’t show up.
You may be wondering why that’s happening. You paid a developer to create a website, but why isn’t it showing up?
It’s because, unfortunately, creating a website isn’t enough. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is crucial for hospitality and tourism businesses to boost their online visibility by getting their website in front of the right people at the right time.
With travelers increasingly relying on search engines to plan trips, ranking high on relevant search queries can significantly impact your bookings. In one instance, Mannix Marketing was able to increase top 10 search engine placements by 221% for a local kayak company by focusing on:
- Content Marketing: Relevant content that addresses travelers’ needs can drive organic traffic to your site. This can look like regularly publishing relevant blog posts, travel guides, or local insights.
- Technical SEO: Website speed, mobile-friendliness, and overall user experience are also important ranking factors. This goes hand-in-hand with website design, as an optimized website not only improves rankings but also the overall user experience.
Concentrate on SEO and rank your website higher in search engine results. It’ll boost your brand recognition and reservations as well.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising
SEO is more of a long-term strategy—it’s important to note that your website won’t rank on the first page the next day after you make a few SEO changes. However, not every business wants to wait months to be on the first page of the search engine.
“PPC marketing is an important component of a strong digital marketing plan. While PPC typically drives results much quicker than SEO, these marketing efforts work best when used in conjunction with one another,” Shannon McNeal, a Senior Digital Marketing Strategist at Mannix Marketing, explains. “PPC is effective at generating leads and sales across various industries, and I would highly recommend that any business serious about its marketing efforts consider running paid advertising campaigns.”
PPC advertising is a great way to drive fast results, especially when targeting travelers who have already decided where they’re traveling. With PPC, your ads are placed at the top of search results, which means targeted traffic to your site. However, it’s not about burning money at ads. To get maximum ROI, you’ll need:
- Planning
- Precision
- Targeting
- Constant monitoring
Social Media Marketing
Social media is no longer only used for updating your long-lost relatives about your life. It’s now a tool many businesses are using to engage with customers, build brand loyalty, and really focus on the ‘why’.
In today’s world, consumers want to actually see the highlights of your business, like the incredible view from your hotel, the specialty cocktail that only you make, and anything else that stands out about your brand.
Another important aspect of social media marketing that many businesses forget about is engagement and community building. Responding to comments, running contests, and offering valuable information helps create a sense of community around your brand. The more loyal customers you have, the more likely they’re to share their own experiences and talk about your brand, which can result in an increase in revenue.
When Mannix Marketing used Facebook to connect with a family-owned hot dog restaurant’s audience, the shop saw not only an increase in followers, but also a massive increase in interest from people around the region who wanted to visit their shop.
When you use social media marketing, you can visually show consumers WHY they should visit you, which most of the time makes more of an impression than reading about it.
Which Strategy is the Best for Your Tourism Business?
The different strategies available to promote your tourism business can be overwhelming. Which communication channel should you use? Should you focus on social media content or ads?
To determine which you should use, make a clear list of goals you want to achieve. Maybe you want to increase brand recognition, bookings, social media engagement, etc. Once you have clarity, choose the best digital strategy that helps you accomplish it efficiently.
Here are some additional tips to improve your digital marketing strategy:
- Don’t underestimate the power of high-quality content. Regular blog posts, engaging videos, and informative guides can position your brand as an authority in the industry.
- Track analytics using platforms like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to understand your audience better and optimize your marketing strategy accordingly to generate better results.
- Personalize the experience so customers feel more connected to the brand.
- Have a brand tone and share a compelling story. Content creation across all platforms should be focused around that compelling narrative.
Ready to Increase Your Tourism Business Growth?
Don’t consider digital marketing another box that you need to tick off. By shifting to focus on digital marketing strategies like SEO, PPC, website design, and social media, you’ll be able to attract a loyal audience and likely convert them into paying leads.
Over the last 25+ years, we’ve helped many businesses surpass their goals through digital marketing. Do you want your tourism business to be the next big success story? Schedule a consultation with our marketing experts and get started today!
