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
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...
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Executes Contract to Sell D.C.’s Rouge Hotel for $42 Million
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust | June 24, 2019
BETHESDA, Md. -- Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE: PEB) (the “Company”) today announced that it executed a contract to sell the 137-room Rouge Hotel in Washington, D.C. for $42.0 million to a third party. The contracted sale price reflects a 17.4x EBITDA multiple and a 5.0% net operating income capitalization rate based on the hotel’s operating performance for 2018. Based on the trailing 12-month period ended March 2019, the contracted sales price reflects a 17.7x EBITDA multiple and a 4.9% net operating income capitalization rate. The net operating income capitalization rates are after an assumed annual capital reserve of 4.0% of total...
Hotel Sales Negotiating Training, Circa 2020
Doug Kennedy | June 24, 2019
By Doug Kennedy As a conference speaker and trainer, I am finding that one of my most requested topics lately is hotel sales negotiating techniques. Based on the initial inquiries received, I get the impression that many hotel leaders still view negotiating as being a separate part of the selling process such as it was originally taught in 1990’s era training. These days, successful negotiating starts from how one handles leads at their “intake point,” which is important in order to maximize effectiveness further along in the sales engagement. First, let’s look at where in the sales process negotiating is taking place in the era...
Airbnb, Expedia, Google: 4 Lessons the Hotel Industry Can Learn From The Digital Giants
Meng-Mei Maggie Chen | June 24, 2019
By Meng-Mei Maggie Chen 2017 marked the 10th anniversary of Airbnb's creation and the digital giant celebrated its rapid expansion by releasing its strategy roadmap aptly dubbed "Airbnb For Everyone" with a slew of new types of accommodation topping their original offer. Among the new products unveiled were: New property types – Vacation Home, Unique, B&B, and Boutiques: these come in addition to the existing Entire Home, Private Room, and Shared Space filter options. New property tiers – Airbnb Plus and Beyond by Airbnb: the Airbnb Plus badge showcasing houses with more than 100 reviews and at least a 4.8 points r...
Tambourine Shares Why Travel Intent Products Are Baffling Hoteliers
Tambourine | June 21, 2019
A helpful guide to the travel intent products hoteliers should care about. In the war to shift share away from the OTAs and maximize direct bookings, hotel marketers have become tactical experts with their media dollars. When they invest a dollar into a media channel, they expect to see a return. As more and more hoteliers adopted the “SHIFT SHARE” mentality, Google Branded Search campaigns became the go-to marketing solution for hoteliers looking to stay high on search results and battle the OTAs (who are aggressively bidding on your hotel’s brand keywords) for direct bookings. Essentially, it’s cheaper to run ads to capture the boo...
Beach Retreat & Lodge at Tahoe Installs STS Cloud to Manage Groups and Events at Full-Service Destination Resort
SalesAndCatering.com, LLC | June 19, 2019
System Provider SalesAndCatering.com Delivers Affordable Full-Service Cloud System Functionality to Help Lake Tahoe Team Close More Business MOUNT PLEASANT, SC, June 19, 2019 – Beach Retreat & Lodge at Tahoe launches STS Cloud Hotel Sales and Catering software by SalesAndCatering.com to sell and manage events at the resort destination. STS Cloud is a full-function, cost-effective hotel sales and catering software system used by hundreds of properties and multi-property hotel groups. Beach Retreat & Lodge at Tahoe is a year-round full-service resort on the shore of Lake Tahoe. Click here for information on SalesAndCatering.com....
Lodging Interactive Launches All-Inclusive Website, Social Media and Reputation Management Packages
Lodging Interactive | June 18, 2019
Lodging Interactive, an award-winning digital marketing and social media engagement agency exclusively serving the hospitality industry, today announced the launch of its all-inclusive full-service digital marketing packages. For one monthly price properties can now choose from a variety of digital marketing packages. Digital marketing packages include website design and digital marketing, social media marketing and engagement, and guest review responses services. "For nearly twenty years we have continued to develop hospitality focused digital marketing products and services to ensure our clients maximize their online visibility and reven...
Fuel to Release Exclusive Early Edition of Leisure Travel Study Results at HITEC 2019
Fuel | June 13, 2019
Leading provider of hotel software and digital marketing solutions to provide sneak peek at critical industry data to attendees of world’s largest hotel technology show Myrtle Beach, SC and Minneapolis - HITEC Booth #2920 - June 13, 2019 – Fuel, a leading provider of hotel software and digital marketing solutions for the global hospitality industry, is providing access to an early edition of its much anticipated annual Leisure Travel Study at HITEC 2019 in Minneapolis. HITEC attendees will have access to the study at Booth #2920 on the HITEC trade show floor. The Leisure Travel Study is a comprehensive analysis of the ever-changing...
Softscribe Inc. Names 5 Steps on Instagram to Pack Your Sales Funnel for HITEC 2019
Softscribe Inc. | June 11, 2019
Choose Quality Posts Over Quantity. See B2B Instagram Examples at @softscribeinc BENTONVILLE, AR – June 11, 2019 – Softscribe Inc., the leading hotel tech PR agency for the hospitality industry, outlined 5 ways technology vendors can use Instagram to drive qualified leads at #HITEC2019. HITEC, the world’s largest hotel tech conference, is in Minneapolis, MN, June 17 to 20, 2019. Softscribe Inc. provides B2B PR for the hotel tech market and related industries. It creates public relations content, search and social media to help technology companies achieve their business goals and increase sales. “Experts suggest two future ...
Fuel to Power Live Video Interviews With HITEC 2019 Exhibitors and Attendees
Fuel | June 11, 2019
Producer of Leading "Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast" and "This Week In Hospitality Digital Marketing" combine forces to bring exclusive video interviews, live from the show floor in Minneapolis Myrtle Beach, SC and Minneapolis - HITEC Booth #2920 - June 11, 2019 – Fuel, a leading provider of hotel software and digital marketing solutions for the global hospitality industry, is joining its “Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast” with another podcast, “This Week In Hospitality Digital Marketing,” to provide exclusive live interviews from the show floor at HITEC 2019 in Minneapolis. As part of the event, Stuart Butler, COO of Fuel, and Lore...
Now Available: The Q2 Hotel Digital Marketer’s Whitepaper
HEBS Digital | May 14, 2019
Now available for viewing and download, the Q2 2019 Whitepaper Edition: The Hotel Digital Marketer's Whitepaper, covers current trends and industry insights hoteliers should be paying attention to in order to have a strong digital presence. The whitepaper takes a deep dive into strategies that will help to reach different audiences through every phase of the travel planning journey. Read the Q2 2019 whitepaper to learn about: What's Trending: Stay in the loop with the need-to-know trends of the quarter, including video coming to Google responsive display ads, the rise of Snapchat advertising, and asymmetrical website designs. From th...
Top 5 Hotel Marketing Strategies for 2019
Divya Bhat | January 16, 2019
By Divya Bhat It is true that technological trends don't necessarily wait for a new year to dawn upon us, before making their grand entrance. But what's also true is that every now and then, we as hoteliers like to take a step back to reassess our strategies and weigh their efficacy. And in that context, what better time to reevaluate your hotel marketing strategies than the new year! Let's get right into it and see what trends continue to rule the roost, when it comes to hospitality marketing. 1. Mobile first No list of 'hotel marketing ideas' is complete these days, without at least one mention of mobile technology. The last decade ha...
Tambourine: The Most Important Metric in Hotel Marketing: What’s Your OMTM?
Tambourine | January 7, 2019
Determine the single most important metric by which you will be judged this coming year by management/ownership, then align your actions and energy around it. As hotel marketers, we have dozens of metrics to deal with…. but we humbly suggest there's one that should matter more than any other. The One Metric That Matters (OMTM) is a powerful concept derived from a renowned thought leader in Silicon Valley. But the idea transcends every industry and is especially important for serious-minded hotel marketers. We fully recognize that the OMTM may be different depending on your property's needs, your career stage or your personal comp...
Do This to Gain Instant Trust With Hotel Website Visitors
Tambourine | November 9, 2018
Build trust with hotel website visitors by showcasing SOCIAL PROOF. Social proof is critical to easing the worries of potential guests. In fact, a study in the Washington Post showed social proof had more influence over customers than a discount. This is why a guest review site like TripAdvisor is so popular and impactful on purchase behavior. As travelers and meeting planners are faced with more and more hotel options, it's vital to win their trust first, to win their heart and their wallets. Here are the four core methods of leveraging social proof online: 1. Awards, Accolades and Media Labels Prominently display any accolades...
Now Available: The Q4 Hotel Digital Marketer’s Whitepaper
HEBS Digital | November 5, 2018
Now available for viewing and download, the HEBStrategy Q4 2018 Whitepaper Edition: The Hotel Digital Marketer's Whitepaper, covers current trends and industry insights hoteliers should be paying attention to in order to have a strong digital presence. The whitepaper takes a deep dive into strategies that will help to reach different audiences. Read the HEBStrategy Q4 2018 whitepaper to learn about: What's Trending: Stay in the loop with the must-know trends of the quarter, including the growth in popularity of loyalty programs, updates to Google Hotel Ads, and tips for capitalizing on intent. From the Design Studio: Get inspiration fro...
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