Our Digital Director, Ryan Parker, reports on maintaining digital communications with your guests, evolving your brand message and streamlining your marketing efforts during, and post Covid-19.

It’s safe to say, travel and hospitality may never be the same. There will be changes in guest decision making and travel behaviour when choosing new hotels and destinations in the brave new hospitality world. How can you pivot your sales effort to ensure once travel bans have been removed, and hotels re-open, that your message and sales assets pave the way for a swift recovery?

Like many industries and businesses effected by Covid-19, there are opportunities for looking inward during this down-time, streamlining operations and services, breaking bad habits, rethinking brand values and revising tired sales assets – the actions we take now will effect recovery times, and keep you competitive moving into a new era of hospitality. Here are some approaches that can keep your hotel in good stead:

Update your sales assets & brand message

As travellers start to gain confidence, and travel restrictions are lifted, let your guests know that your hotels & brands also, are coming out of C19 with new initiatives, revised and revitalised staff, renovations and improved & streamlined services ready for the new era. A website modernisation and revised brand message will show your guests you are embracing changes and pioneering new attitudes in travel. Now is the perfect time to focus your attention on revising your dated property website and digital sales literature to super speed, modern and guest converting assets that reflect your positive approach to the future of hospitality.

Review your digital marketing strategy

With hotels closed, advertising spends and marketing budgets are seeing inevitable reductions. However, this is a great time to review and analyse your spend, return on investment per channel and ongoing digital strategy and budgets to ensure cost effective returns on your bookings. When was the last time you reviewed your digital performance and spend? Your PPC strategy will be on the frontline of the recovery – now’s a great time to review this and revise a plan to cost effectively drive occupancy post C19.

Data / business intelligence performance review 

Do you know where your guests come from, what age range, nationality and gender they are? How did they find your property website? Do you know how many nights they stay on average, what rooms they stay in and offers they are responsive to? What activities do they pursue and their spending habits? Do you know your bounce rate and conversion figures? Now would be a good time to analyse and study the data, so post C19 you can revise a detailed and effective marketing strategy to get your hotel back firing on all cylinders.

Keep communications current 

Keep your guests up to date with inside hospitality knowledge and updates. Press releases, pop ups and blog posts let your guests know we’re in it together, and any insights and updates you have will be shared. We’re sure they are just as keen as you to get back to normal – sipping Piña colada’s with loved ones at some of your fantastic destinations!

Going Forward

The current situation will no doubt have a huge impact on sales revenues this year, but with a positive and diligent mind set and objectives during this period, we can ensure our hotels bounce back as quickly as possible with revitalised direction and purpose, moving forward into a new era of travel as pioneers and innovators post C19.