Are Social Influencers A Hotel Marketing Sham?
Larry Mogelonsky | July 10, 2019
Fuel to Power Live Video Interviews With HITEC 2019 Exhibitors and Attendees
Fuel | June 11, 2019
Sales & Marketing
How to Optimize for Marriott SEO
Stephanie Smith | September 12, 2019
By Stephanie Smith There are likely many Marriott properties in your given market, and it is important to distinguish your hotel from other Marriott properties as well as other hotels in your competitive set. Doing Marriott SEO (Search engine optimization) is just one differentiating technique when understanding where brand marketing stops and individual hotel marketing begins. Whether you are doing it yourself, hiring Marriott Digital Services or an outside agency, consider these factors when doing search engine optimization (SEO) for a Marriott branded hotel. Factors in Marriott SEO For ease, let’s divide our SEO strategy i...
Digital Inspo: What Creative Hotels Are Doing Online
NextGuest Digital | September 11, 2019
Coming up with fresh and creative marketing initiatives is never an easy task. Hotels all over the world face fierce competition regardless of their location. Utilizing creative ideas to attract guests can help hotels stand out in the crowd and help them gain new and repeat visitors. Our article series, “Digital Inspo: What Creative Hotels are Doing Online,” dives deep into recent original campaign ideas developed by hotel brands. This month, we look at how Aloft Hotels creates interactive mobile experiences that appeal to music- and tech-savvy travelers. The Campaign Aloft Hotels, Marriot International’s brand for music lovers and ma...
5 Tips to Maximize Your Hotel Metasearch Advertising Revenue
Patrick Landman | September 9, 2019
By Patrick Landman Amsterdam has a problem with over-tourism: we all know that. With 3 Billion € revenue per year generated by travelers, you'd expect search volume for queries such as "Hotels in Amsterdam" to have skyrocketed over the years, wouldn't you? Well, get ready to be disappointed. What if I told you that traffic for such query has, instead, been plummeting, and its volume is now half of what it used to be back in 2014? So how do you adjust you hotel marketing strategy? You can see by yourself, by looking at the GoogleTrends graph below. This (seeming) paradox can be explained by a quite recent shift in travelers'...
The Top 5 Things You Need to Know Now in Hotel Digital Marketing: August Edition
NextGuest Digital | August 28, 2019
By Margaret Mastrogiacomo, EVP Strategy The world of hospitality digital marketing is always changing, and the only way to win is by staying ahead of the pack. This month, the latest digital innovations include updates to Google My Business hotel listings, new upgrades to Instagram story formats, and textured design. From SEO to design, find out the top five things you need to know now in hotel digital marketing, and make sure your hotel is ready to reach tomorrow’s customers. 1. SEO: Hoteliers can now customize services and amenities in Google My Business listings. Hoteliers now have the ability to customize the services and amenitie...
2020 Organic Social Media Recommendations for Hotels
GCommerce | August 27, 2019
Erin Jelmini | GCommerce Solutions | Senior Marketing Strategist The current hotel digital advertising climate is “pay to play,” meaning that major platforms now prioritize paid advertising over organic posts, making it extremely hard for your hotel’s organic posts to gain any traction in the online marketplace. This being said, an organic social presence is still very important in the hotel space. When consumers are researching hotels they often turn to social media to help make their decision, and not having a social presence could come as a red flag. Six reasons why organic social media content is still important in the hospita...
Softscribe Inc. Lists Top Trends From Industry Leaders at Hotel Data Conference 2019
Softscribe Inc. | August 27, 2019
Frictionless Mobile Experience, Instagrammable Moments, Personalized Experience Top of Mind. BENTONVILLE, AR – August 27, 2019 – Softscribe Inc., an award winning hotel tech PR firm, attended the 11th annual Hotel Data Conference (HDC) this month in Nashville, TN with industry leaders and technology providers. STR hosted 734 attendees, with 91 on the waitlist, at the new JW Marriott® Nashville for a 3-day deep dive into data, industry & property performance, and trends for the global hospitality industry. Softscribe Inc. CEO Julie Keyser Squires attended on behalf of the company’s PR clients. Top Ideas and Quotes from Hote...
This Week’s Latest Social Media News and What It Means for Hotels
Lodging Interactive | August 23, 2019
The end of August is fast approaching, and new social media changes are coming alongside the rapidly-ending summer season! Let’s take a look at all the updates that have happened within the past two weeks that will impact hospitality businesses everywhere. Instagram and WhatsApp Are Getting a Rebrand Facebook is making its ownership of Instagram and WhatsApp more visible, “rebranding” the apps as “Instagram from Facebook” and “WhatsApp from Facebook.” The “From Facebook” part is already showing up on Instagram, but it reads a little like fine print on the login page. There aren’t any other structural changes aside from t...
Now Available: The Q3 Hotel Digital Marketing White Paper
NextGuest Digital | August 22, 2019
Now available for viewing and download, the NextGuest Digital Q3 2019 Edition: Hotel Digital Marketer’s White Paper. The white paper covers current trends and industry insights hoteliers should be paying attention to in order to have a strong digital presence. The white paper also takes a deep dive into strategies that will help to reach different audiences throughout the travel planning journey. Read the NextGuest Digital Q3 2019 white paper to learn about: What’s Trending: The only way to stay ahead of the competition is by keeping up with the latest developments in digital. This month we look at alternatives to standard loyalty...
U.S. Travel Honors Destination Marketers, Tourism Leaders at ESTO
the U.S. Travel Association | August 22, 2019
AUSTIN, TX (August 22, 2019) - The U.S. Travel Association announced the recipients of the 2019 Destiny and Mercury Awards and the State Tourism Director of the Year at its 36th annual ESTO conference (the Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations), held August 17-20 in Austin, TX. Twenty-three U.S. Travel member organizations were honored for excellence and creative achievements in destination marketing and inspiring the continued development of imaginative promotional programs. Destiny and Mercury Awards The Destiny Awards recognize excellence in destination marketing on the local and regional level, while the Mercury...
The Five Best Mediums for Telling Your Brand Story
Melissa DiGianfilippo | August 14, 2019
By Melissa DiGianfilippo Recently, I shared insights into how you can engage the media and get your hotel, motel, B&B, or resort into the press regularly. Now, I want to shift perspective and discuss what makes a good story, and then share the five best mediums you should use to tell and enhance your brand story. First, what is a good story? Paraphrasing the American Press Institute – a good story is about something the audience decides is interesting or important. A GREAT story makes important news interesting and relevant to the audience that's seeing, hearing or reading the story. It's HOW you tell your brand story that makes t...
5 Things to Do After Publishing to Social Media
Pipeline Social Media | August 12, 2019
By Maiya Wall / Pipeline Social Media After publishing to your hotel’s social channels, what do you do? Do you release your content out into the world never to return to it again? If your answer is yes, you are missing out on key insights and engagement opportunities. In this article, we list 5 things you should do after each and every posting to ensure you are engaging your fans, refining your social media strategy, and ultimately turning online interactions into more bookings. The conversation between your hotel and guests begins before they arrive! Implement these 5 steps to make sure you are starting that conversation well. 5 T...
The Top 5 Things You Need to Know Now in Hotel Digital Marketing
NEXTGUEST DIGITAL | August 1, 2019
This month, the latest digital innovations include a new “Swipe to Visit” feature in Google image results, A/B testing tools in Microsoft Ads, and the roll-out of advertisements in Instagram’s “Explore” tab. From SEO to design, find out the top five things you need to know now in hotel digital marketing. SEO: AMP-enabled websites will display as previews in Google Image search results. Google has launched a new “Swipe to Visit” feature in Google image results that will drive traffic to AMP-enabled websites. The feature displays a preview of an AMP-enabled website’s header after a user selects an image result. The user...
Storytelling in 2019: The Power of Content Marketing
Hospitality Upgrade | July 31, 2019
Content distribution aims to build relationships and increase loyalty By Fran Worrall, Hospitality Upgrade Editor Building a unique identity is no easy task In today’s highly competitive market. In fact, effective differentiation is one of the main challenges facing hospitality providers — hotels and vendors alike. “It’s hard to stand out from the crowd in a fast-paced and constantly changing landscape,” says Lyn Graft, founder of Storytelling for Entrepreneurs in Austin, Texas, and author of the bestselling book Start with Story. “Consumers are inundated with so much information that they actively seek to ignore marketin...
Millennial Marketing Woes: SOLVED
Vertical Booking USA | July 23, 2019
By Mark Lewis-Brown, CEO & President at Vertical Booking USA As we all now know, the Millennials are the largest generation in history (92 million potential guests!) AND have an overwhelming desire to travel so they are a (potentially) hugely profitable demographic for all hotels – if they can get their bookings. As you also know (and probably struggle with on a daily basis) Millennials + the Internet has changed the travel industry significantly (especially when it comes to booking), leaving many hoteliers – especially those who haven’t jumped onboard the operational technology bandwagon - wondering: “How can I increase ...
Hospitality Social Media Marketing News
Lodging Interactive | July 16, 2019
In two short weeks, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have all either announced updates or made updates to their platforms that will impact social media accounts for businesses in the hospitality industry. Keep reading to see all the changes and what they mean for hotels and resorts. Facebook Ads Organic “Top Fans” Targeting Option According to Social Media Today, Facebook is rolling out a new feature that allows Pages to target their “top fans” with organic posts, showing the content only to them. This could be used to thank them, share exclusive content, or even try to increase the likelihood that big Page supporters see spec...
GCommerce Announces Lindley Cotton as President
GCommerce | July 15, 2019
PARK CITY, Utah (July 15, 2019) - GCommerce has announced the ascension of Lindley Cotton to President of the organization. Over her storied career at GCommerce, Mrs. Cotton has been a powerful and insightful voice in hospitality digital marketing. She has crafted award winning campaigns and helped GCommerce clients achieve premium results. Mrs. Cotton started at GCommerce in the Search Engine Marketing department before moving into the Strategic Marketing department followed by the Account Services Department. She quickly rose to become the Director of Account Services. Due to her natural leadership ability and vision, she was prom...
Are Social Influencers A Hotel Marketing Sham?
Larry Mogelonsky | July 10, 2019
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) Miss Jane Doe has a hundred thousand followers on Instagram. She approaches your public relations or marketing manager looking for a full comp – a suite for three nights with her hubby/photographer in addition to all meals, some serious spa vouchers and transportation from the nearest airport. Boasting about her following, do you acquiesce and authorize this straightforward yet expensive, request? Sure, someone may argue that the room caused no displacement because it may have been midweek while the meal was merely food cost and so on. But there is a lot of staff time involved ...
Lodging Interactive Launches CoMMingeDIRECT – 24/7 Social Media Reputation & Crisis Management for Hotels
Lodging Interactive | July 10, 2019
Lodging Interactive, an award-winning digital marketing and social media engagement agency exclusively serving the hospitality industry, today announced the launch of its CoMMingleDIRECT service. CoMMingleDIRECT provides 24/7 social media reputation and crisis management for hotels and resorts covering Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. “Reputation protection on social media is critical for hotels and CoMMingleDIRECT provides hoteliers with peace of mind knowing their social media accounts are being monitored 24/7,” stated DJ Vallauri, Lodging Interactive’s Founder and CEO. “Research continues to support that consumers expect timely...
GCommerce Announces Lisa McGivney as Director of Marketing
GCommerce | July 8, 2019
PARK CITY, Utah (July 8, 2019) - GCommerce has announced Lisa McGivney, a rising industry voice in search and digital marketing, has agreed to become the company’s Director of Marketing. Lisa joined GCommerce 12 years ago, first serving in the marketing department before taking on roles in Account Services and Search. Most recently, Lisa served as the Director of Search Engine Marketing for GCommerce. Historically, GCommerce has had two primary marketing-based departments: the Search Marketing team and the Strategic Marketing team. By taking this new role, Lisa McGivney will be responsible for better aligning paid search, optimization, s...
The Impact of Technology on Hotel Sales and Marketing
Court Williams | July 8, 2019
By Court Williams and Rachel H. Levitt Gone are the days when travelers sought accommodations using the local newspaper or telephone directory, picked up the phone and called to make a reservation. Hospitality sales and marketing in the 21st century is a much more vibrant, complex activity, populated by multifaceted stakeholders at every level of the industry. This is complemented by a proliferation of new brands, ever-increasing rivalry, and a race to introduce new tools before competitors do. The Simplicity of the Past Achieving proper exposure was fairly simple in the past, although at the time it was considered as much of a sc...
10 American Brands That Get Patriotic Marketing
Michael Del Gigante | July 3, 2019
As Americans prepare for the July 4th celebrations this year, patriotism is on the rise. That’s not conjecture, but fact: According to a recently released survey of 5,862 US consumers conducted by Brand Keys, the share of people who consider themselves extremely or very patriotic increased across all age groups between 2018 and 2019. For marketers, this rising tide of patriotism presents powerful opportunities to connect with consumers. However, it also presents difficulties. As the researchers note in their report: “We live in an era of political polarization, consumer tribalism, and increasingly fervent social movements…Not onl...
The Top 5 Things You Need to Know Now in Hotel Digital Marketing
NextGuest Digital | July 1, 2019
By Margaret Mastrogiacomo, EVP Strategy This month, the latest digital innovations include new voice search and SEM studies presented at SMX Advanced, the rollout of Instagram branded content ads, and native advertising becoming a more impactful display format as it gains more traction. From SEO to design, find out the top five things you need to know now in hotel digital marketing. 1. SEO: According to a study revealed at SMX Advanced, voice search optimization is tied to high SERP placement, site speed, and content readability. In an SMX Advanced speaker session by SEMrush titled “Optimizing for Voice Search and Virtual Assistants,...
Lodging Interactive Announces Website and Social Media Marketing Promotion
Lodging Interactive | July 1, 2019
Lodging Interactive, an award-winning digital marketing and social media engagement agency exclusively serving the hospitality industry, today announced its summer 2019 website and social media marketing promotion. For a limited time through August 31st, hotels entering into a new website design and digital strategy agreement will also receive comprehensive social media marketing and engagement services at no charge for one year. "Most properties and management companies have started to plan for their 2020 budgets. Our website and social media marketing promotion offers tremendous value for those properties looking to upgrade their website...
TravelNet Solutions Celebrates 20th Anniversary by Releasing Its First Commercial “Transformation”
TravelNet Solutions | June 27, 2019
(Minneapolis, Minn.) June 27, 2019 -- TRAVELNET SOLUTIONS (TNS), a leading hospitality industry provider of integrated Hospitality CRM, Vacation Rental PMS Software and Digital Marketing Solutions is celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Company’s founding and announces the release of their first commercial “Transformation” Following the successful rebrand to TravelNet Solutions at the beginning of 2019, TravelNet further clarifies its mission of Transforming How Hospitality Works with a commercial that positions the 20 year old technology Company as a guide for those seeking growth and transformation in an ever changing, hyper com...
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