Tambourine reveals 6 hotel marketing lessons for Father’s Day
Dear old dad.
We wore him out. We depleted his bank accounts.
We admired and feared him, and made his hair go grey. And while Mothers get all the credit for life lessons, it's time for fathers to be acknowledged for their own wise and witty insights.
In honor of Father's Day, we looked back over our favorite 'dad-isms' and discovered that dad knew a thing or two about hotel marketing.
Turns out pops has bona fide marketing chops! Here are hidden hotel marketing messages behind some Dad's favorite phrases:
Dad: "Money Doesn't Grow on Trees!"
Hidden Hotel Marketing Advice
Think carefully about how you spend the marketing dollars entrusted to you by ownership. Getting your desired marketing ROI doesn't come easily, or without effort and investment. Determine what marketing goals are important to you and focus your marketing budget and staff hours there. Using another favorite dad-ism, "You've got to work for it."
Dad: "Because I Said So!"
Hidden Hotel Marketing Advice
Do what you need to do, even if you don't like it. Go where your guests and meeting planner clients go, even if that means deviating from your hotel's original marketing plan. For example, if you find out more and more of your meeting planner clients are connecting on LinkedIn, then make sure your staff is also spending a lot of time building relationships there as well and that your hotel's LinkedIn company page is accurately filled out, optimized and updated regularly. Realize your leisure guests love using Instagram? Then, you need to be on Instagram, too. While it's not necessary to be everywhere and spreading yourself too thin across all the social media channels, be aware where the bulk of your guests hang out online and follow them.
Dad:
"
Why are you crying? You're not bleeding!
"
Hidden Hotel Marketing Advice
Toughen up, kid. Sometimes you get nightmare guests. Sometimes you get dreadful TripAdvisor reviews. Sometimes your brilliant marketing idea falls flat on its face. Instead of feeling crummy and bemoaning your wasted time and efforts, remember that smart marketers are always trying new things and looking for new ways of doing things. If you're not making mistakes or failing, then that likely means you're not staying up-to-date on hotel marketing trends and that your marketing campaigns are growing old and stale. And, that's something worth feeling crummy about.
Dad: "Who Cares What Those Other Kids Think?"
Hidden Hotel Marketing Advice
You can't be everything to everyone. Your hotel draws in a certain type of visitor form specific feeder markets. So, why are you squandering precious dollars trying to attract trivial micro-segments? Narrow down your audience and tailor your messages just for them. If your guests tend to be experience-hungry millennials, then build marketing campaigns around your F&B offerings and local experiences they wouldn't be able to find anywhere else. Start off by building buyer profiles so that you and the rest of your marketing team are always aware who you should be conversing with.
Dad: "
Will You Kids Please Shut Up?"
Hidden Hotel Marketing Advice
Stop talking so much. When it comes to marketing your hotel, resist the temptation to fill your marketing campaigns with offers and content that only focus on your property. Gone are the days of 'me, me, me' marketing. Stop dominating the conversation and use your marketing channels as a way to connect with travelers and help them plan their journey. Ask your guests what they need when they stay with you? Find out what they're looking forward to most when they visit your destination. And, be there for them when they ask questions. Focus on your guests' needs first, then use your marketing programs to address those.
Dad: "
Don't make me come up there!"
Hidden Hotel Marketing Advice
Owners want marketing folks who are comfortable being accountable for a measurable impact on revenue. So make sure you have complete fluency with your key metrics. The last thing you want is an unhappy owner or manger telling you they are coming up for a visit!
Want more hotel marketing advice from your parents?
Check out our recent list of hotel marketing lessons we learned from Mom
About Tambourine
Tambourine continues to shake up the hospitality industry with custom-integrated marketing solutions for hotels, resorts, and destinations worldwide. The company's emergence as the market leader for both branded and independent hotels is a testament to its core values: putting customer service center stage, setting the standards for hotel website design, and making performance digital marketing easier and more profitable for its valued partners.
Dave Spector
Partner: Tambourine Hotel Marketing
954-975-2220
