LOVE is in the air, especially between guests and their mobile devices. Today, 75% of

all people on earth have a mobile phone, and 56% of Americans own a smartphone. The average person checks his or her phone 110 times a day. With so much passion for one-on-one mobile interaction at consumers' fingertips, it's time that hoteliers share in the romance. RoamingAround's "Mobile Engagement" service is a true matchmaker for hoteliers looking to connect with guests, build lasting relationships, and drive desired behaviors.

"One of the easiest ways for independent hotels and brands to show guests that loyalty

matters is by giving them exactly what they want," said Michael Garvin, RoamingAround president and CEO. "Like any great love story, the more you give, the more you get in return. RoamingAround has developed 27 custom Mobile Engagement tools that will help hoteliers relate to guests on a more intimate level. Using targeted, timely mobile offers, hotels can strengthen their relationships with guests and build brand differentiation, loyalty and revenues at the same time."

Using the RoamingAround Mobile Engagement toolkit, hotel staff can push to guests'

personal mobile devices specific offers that will motivate them to become viral advocates for the hotel or brand. These custom offers are the incentives that spur guests to spend money at the property and the catalyst that motivates them to come back time and again.

"Communication has, and always will be, key to any lasting or loyal relationship," said

Sarah Smith, RoamingAround vice president of sales and marketing. "Mobile Engagement is the catalyst to get guests opting-in and communicating with the hotel via email or SMS. It pulls information from PMS, loyalty systems and group databases to build personalized messages they can't refuse. Before hoteliers can start courting their guests, however, guests must volunteer their mobile numbers and reveal their preferences. To persuade guests to provide this personal information, hoteliers need to offer an incentive. The amount of information a person is willing to part with is dependent on how attractive the offer is. Once the guest has opted in, then, and only then, can the courtship begin."

As part of its Mobile Engagement service, RoamingAround will:

  • Build an opt-in database for mobile communications. This database will include guests' or potential guests' phone numbers, personal information and preferences. For example, if a hotel has an existing marketing campaign that includes billboards, radio, and TV, RoamingAround will attach QR codes to the program to give the viewer a reason to act. Using a call-to-action incentive, such as "Sign up for our mobile offers and receive one night free as our gift" will motivate consumers to share their information and engage.
  • Enable you to engage with your guests using multiple channels. On the back end, RoamingAround will enable the hotel to continually engage guests with new campaigns, promotions, and offers. Engagement will be intelligent, based on the guests' pre-recorded preferences and behavior and enabled by technologies such as Geo-Fencing, Augmented Reality, Virtual Tours using spherical panoramic views of rooms and amenities. For example, if the hotel learns that Mr. and Mrs. Smith celebrate their anniversary on August 21, the system will automatically send out a message reading: "We enjoyed having you as our guest for your anniversary in the past, and we know the big event is coming up in August. We would be honored if you would be our guest once again, and to reward you for your loyalty, we will upgrade you to the Honeymoon Suite. Click here to make your reservation."

RoamingAround's dynamic engagement solutions can be incorporated into the hotel's

existing marketing and promotional initiatives; links and interactive add-ons can be added to the hotel's website, blog, and banner ads encouraging viewers to interact. RoamingAround will tie in mobile to the hotel's marketing efforts and encourage people to opt-in for SMS text and push notifications, or to download the hotel's app.

"Love at first sight may be common when searching for mobile devices, but it's rare

when selecting hotel accommodations or a travel destination," Smith said. "Travelers do their homework. They typically visit numerous review sites and scrutinize social media channels to see what others are saying about the property, its amenities and services before they will make a booking decision. Sometimes guests need to be wooed before they will open up and just tell you everything about themselves. RoamingAround works with hotels to build pre-scheduled queries over time that motivates travelers to reveal a little more of themselves with each feedback request. Every response earns a reward. It's a way of courting guests and building trust before loyalty engagement occurs."

Hotels looking to build a better relationship with their guests to fortify their mobile

strategies can do so easily and more effectively via Mobile Engagement. RoamingAround will gather profile/preference information from all consumer touch points, leverage mobility to spur customers to action and make adjustments in real time, then track and measure all actions for tangible results in ROI and predictive analysis.

For more information on Mobile Engagement by RoamingAround, contact the

RoamingAround sales team at (978) 777-8787 Ext. 303, or email [email protected]. For media inquiries, contact Barb Worcester, PRPRO, at (440) 930-5770 or email [email protected].

About RoamingAround

RoamingAround provides a suite of mobile engagement solutions designed specifically for the hospitality industry.

Today, your guests live their lives on their mobile devices, and that"s precisely where you need to reach them— before someone else does. From large conference hotels and upscale resorts to independent, intimate boutique properties, RoamingAround"s powerful mobile engagement options can be customized for your property"s individual goals, are compatible with every device on the market and feature vital customer profile and back-end tracking tools for predictive analysis and measurable results. More information can be found by visiting www.RoamingAround.com.

Sarah Smith
RoamingAround
(978) 777-8787