Content Marketing - hotelier’s least utilized tool to increase direct bookings
Content marketing includes content and descriptions about the property, its amenities, services, calendar of events, destination, activities and attractions that are being delivered to targeted audiences through various communication and media channels. Typically, content marketing does not explicitly promote a price or discount, but is intended to stimulate interest in the hotel products and services.
Content formats include the hotel website content, SEO, PR, email marketing, social media posts, videos, podcasts, infographics, blog articles and posts, expert knowledge marketing (tips, how to, advice and recommendations by the property’s golf pro, tennis instructor, spa specialist, wedding coordinator, recipes from your chef, etc.), case studies, influencer and brand ambassador marketing, new/renovated amenity announcements, as well as B2B marketing initiatives to engage corporate group planners, SMERFs and transient business travel like conference speakerships, white papers, panel discussion participations, award announcements, sweepstakes, etc.
Similar to the tentacles of an octopus, content marketing spreads the word out about the hotel and its product and value proposition, and plays an important role in engaging and enticing travel consumers in the Dreaming and Planning Phases and creating ready-to-book customers in the Booking Phase of the digital customer journey. This type of marketing turns online travel consumers into bookers by winning positions, ranking and backlinks in the Google SERPs.
Content marketing is neither new nor free and should be an integral part of the hotel digital marketer’s toolbox. All segments of content marketing cost marketing dollars since someone has to create the content and creative, set up and manage the campaigns, monitor analytics and prepare reports.
One important thing to consider: Generative AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, etc. are scraping Internet content like crazy. These are like huge vacuum machines inhaling original content, which increases the chances of hotels with good content marketing initiatives on these AI platforms.
So, what does it take to win on the AI platforms and the exploding AI Search? Original, editorial-level content throughout the hotel website and content marketing initiatives, and solid content marketing and social media presence with original posts and tons of user-generated content and customer reviews and comments.
When done well, content marketing is much, much cheaper than performance marketing like paid search, metasearch and display advertising.
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