The new year is just a few weeks old, which means even if your marketing hasn’t quite gotten off to the start you envisioned, it’s not too late to begin moving in the right direction. Here are five things that can help you make 2022 great for your property—and they don’t necessarily require a major investment!

The new year is just a few weeks old, which means even if your marketing hasn’t quite gotten off to the start you envisioned, it’s not too late to begin moving in the right direction. Here are five things that can help you make 2022 great for your property—and they don’t necessarily require a major investment!

Start with a plan.

As the old saying goes, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” You need to consider both where you want to go and how you’re going to get there. The most effective marketing plans are thorough, realistic, and clear—they lay out a roadmap to success. Here’s how we structure many of ours:

• Core objectives—Big-picture goals (“increase length of stay,” for example).
• Financial goals—Overall property numbers, including business mix.
• Trends and key messages—What is happening now in the industry and your segment, and how to speak to those trends.
• Target audience—Who are you reaching now? Who do you want to reach? Create personas among your audience and create backstories for them. It will help you and your team visualize your desired guests as you’re crafting ways to connect with them.
• Marketing strategies—More big-picture stuff before moving into more focused tactics. (“Tell our story,” “keep our programming and offerings aligned,” etc.)
• Marketing tactics—This includes a calendar of programming and offers, hitting seasonal themes, and also outlines what you’re going to do in specific areas: digital marketing, advertising, SEO, social media, email marketing, and more. It’s good to add goals for each area, too (“increase Facebook followers by 10%”).
• Segments—Don’t forget to create sections for different segments of your audience, such as groups and weddings, as well as for specific operational aspects such as food and beverage, spa, and more.

Use better photos and videos.

You might think your visuals are fine, but if you haven’t updated them in a little while, you might be missing an opportunity. Today, your photos and videos need to do more than show your rooms and your amenities—they need to connect with potential guests on an emotional level, by showing them how they will feel when they’re in your rooms and enjoying your amenities. It’s about creating a story around the experience and the lifestyle.

Align your programming with trends.

You need a constant flow of programming and content to entice guests, but it can’t be just any programming and content—you need activities and offerings that speak to what today’s travelers are seeking. Staying in tune with trends in the market will allow you to take advantage of them. For instance, wellness is always a trend, but with the advent of COVID, not everyone is comfortable going to a crowded fitness center or spa. We’ve seen properties offer Tonal digital fitness systems in guestrooms, while others are making more of an effort to promote spa cabanas and other privacy-focused experiences. (Those can boost revenue, too.) How can you spot these trends? This newsletter is a great place to start!

Don’t forget your website.

Your photos, videos, and copy all come together on your site to create that emotional connection we talked about earlier—but you have to make sure people can find it, too. Are you maximizing your SEO? Are you updating the site regularly with fresh content, including blog posts on activities and offers, landing pages with new programming, and seasonal promotions that add relevance? (Fresh content helps with SEO as well.) Are you pointing to the site from your social media posts? All of that makes a difference, not only when it comes to visibility, but in important metrics like conversion rate.

Use social media to stay top of mind.

While not everyone is ready to pack their bags for a trip these days, social media has never seen more engagement as a tool for travel inspiration. Whether users are saving their favorite posts or messaging hotels for future availability, Instagram and Facebook have become platforms for “virtual vacation” shoppers who want something new and unique when they are ready to dust off their luggage. It’s more important than ever to showcase everything your property is doing to stand out in the travel space. A new ingredient-foraging cocktail class? Put it on Instagram Reels. Embracing ancient mindfulness rituals such as dosha balancing in the spa? Create a Facebook Story with the spa director to introduce the new programming. On social media, travelers are watching, bookmarking, and favoriting where they’re going next—make sure you’re on their list.

Don’t stop at 5!

Of course, there’s a sixth thing you can do to really supercharge your marketing: Hire the right marketing firm to provide expert guidance. At Brown Marketing & Communications, we have decades of combined experience helping properties like yours make strong connections. Contact us today at 949.310.8662 or hbrown@brown-marketing.com.