<p>By now you have probably heard the increasing chatter about CCPA. In this episode of the award winning Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast, we do an overview and try to unpack the new California privacy regulations and what they mean for your hotel. Keep in mind that CCPA is just the beginning and we fully expect to see more legislation coming from other states in the very near future.</p>
<p>DISCLAIMER: We are not legal experts and this article and podcast episode are for entertainment purposes only and are not intended to be considered as legal advice. The information is based upon our limited understanding and some random Google searches and may contain errors or factual inaccuracies as well as the occasional dad joke.</p>
<p><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/">IN ADDITION TO THE PODCAST WE HAVE A BUNCH OF WHITEPAPERS AND STUDIES YOU CAN DOWNLOAD HERE</a></p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/718382605%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-cqq9Y&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true" width="100%" height="166" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<p>SHOW NOTES:</p>
<p><a href="https://marketingstrategy.hsmai.org/registration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>REGISTER NOW</b></a><b> for the HSMAI Marketing Strategy Conference and Adrian Awards &#8211; </b><b><i>January 21, 2020 at the NY Marriott Marquis</i></b></p>
<ul>
<li><b>HSMAI Adrian Awards Dinner Reception &amp; Gala</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://marketingstrategy.hsmai.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>HSMAI Marketing Strategy Conference</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<h3><b>What Is CCPA?</b></h3>
<p>The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) &#8211; not to be confused with the Federal Consumer Credit Protection Act &#8211; is a piece of legislation, also known as “AB 375,” has been created in order to enhance privacy rights and consumer protection for residents of California. This legislation has been described by some as “almost GDPR in the US.” It’s not, but it’s been described that way to get more clicks.</p>
<h3><b>So What Does That Mean?</b></h3>
<p>CCPA requires businesses tell consumers what data its collecting and gives consumers the right to say no to the sale of their personal information. It will also allow consumers to sue companies if their personal data is breached.</p>
<h3><b>Why Was CCPA Created?</b></h3>
<p>The California Consumer Privacy Act (<b>CCPA</b>) was <b>created</b> to protect the privacy and data of consumers. The <b>CCPA</b> initiative states that the act is intended to “give Californians the &#8216;who, what, where, and when&#8217; of how businesses handle consumers&#8217; personal information.”</p>
<p>The reality is that the act doesn’t really do a whole lot to protect consumers.</p>
<h3><b>Who Has To Be Compliant With CCPA Regulations?</b></h3>
<p>Anyone who does business in California and stores or processes data from California consumers. Basically, any hotel in the US and potentially worldwide that meets one or more of the following criteria:</p>
<ul>
<li>Exceeds an annual gross revenue of $25 million,</li>
<li>Obtains personal information of 50,000 or more California residents, households, or devices annually; or</li>
<li>Obtains 50 percent or more of their annual revenue from selling California residents’ personal information.</li>
</ul>
<p>OR if you control or are controlled by an entity that meets the above criteria and share common branding with that entity.</p>
<p>The term “does business in California” has not been clarified by the California Attorney General but it’s safe to assume that it could be interpreted very broadly as that you do business via the Internet with people from California or that you have an office or an employee in California.</p>
<p>CCPA does not apply to non-profit organizations.</p>
<p>Please consult an attorney to determine whether or not your business needs to adhere to the CCPA regulations.</p>
<h3><b>When Did CCPA Get Passed?</b></h3>
<p>CCPA passed into California law on June 28th of 2018.</p>
<h3><b>When does CCPA Go Into Effect</b></h3>
<p>CCPA is set to be effective from <b>January 1, 2020</b> but enforcement by the California Attorney General won’t begin until <b>July 1st 2020 </b>at the earliest.</p>
<p>The reason for this is that the California Attorney General has to adopt specific regulations based on the legislation sometime between Jan 1, 2020 and July 1 2020. The enforcement of these regulations cannot begin until 6 months after these regulations have been adopted.</p>
<h3><b>What Does CCPA Actually Do?</b></h3>
<p>According to the <a href="https://www.caprivacy.org/">official website</a>, the act has three major components. Consumers will have the following rights:</p>
<ol>
<li>The <b>right to know</b> what information companies are collecting.</li>
<li>The <b>right to say no</b> to a business sharing or selling personal information.</li>
<li>The <b>right to protections</b> against businesses that do not uphold the value of privacy.</li>
</ol>
<p>Each business will be held accountable if these rights aren’t granted and/or if information is compromised due to their failure to take preventative security measures.</p>
<h3><b>What Are The Penalties For CCPA?</b></h3>
<p>Up to $2,500 per violation or $7,500 for intentional violation in fines. This may seem insignificant compared to the 4% of worldwide revenue that GDPR represents, but here’s where it’s different.</p>
<p>In CCPA is that individual consumers have a right to financial compensation of between $100-$750 per incident. This is where the risk is because it opens up the possibility of class-action lawsuits.</p>
<h3><b>What’s the Difference Between CCPA and GDPR?</b></h3>
<ul>
<li>Although the intent of both sets of regulations are similar, there are many differences between the two beyond the geography of the consumer. CCPA focuses more on reducing the unauthorized selling of personal information for profit, whereas GDPR focuses more on data ownership and rights of deletion.</li>
<li>GDPR is much more restrictive in terms of the types of data being covered by the legislation and the rights pertaining to the data. For example, GDPR covers any data collected that relates to the consumer, whereas CCPA only covers data that was specifically provided by the consumer.</li>
<li>Also, GDPR requires explicit consent to store and use the data before the data is collected. CCPA focuses more on giving the consumer the right to opt-out from their data being sold.</li>
<li>CCPA requires a specific “Do Not Sell My Personal Information” link placed on a business home page, directed to a form that is tracked and processed. Note that this only applies to businesses that sell personal customer information to third parties.</li>
<li>CCPA <b>specifically excludes</b> information that is publicly available from local, state, or federal government records (Pete’s example: your Monday Mugshot is not covered)</li>
</ul>
<p>See our episode on GDPR for more information: <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-82-hotels-need-know-gdpr-late/">https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-82-hotels-need-know-gdpr-late/</a></p>
<p><b><a href="https://fpf.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GDPR_CCPA_Comparison-Guide.pdf">Comparison of GDPR and CCPA by Data Guidance</a></b></p>
<h3><b>What Does My Hotel Need To Do For CCPA?</b></h3>
<ul>
<li>Review and understand what personal information is collected by your business.</li>
<li>Understand how the personal information collected is used, confirm if the information is sold to third parties or shared and what is the purpose of such sharing.</li>
<li>Review internal policies and procedures regarding the collection of personal information.</li>
<li>Update internal and online privacy policies to comply.</li>
<li>Prepare policies and procedures to make sure your company can respond when customers request access to, deletion from, or information related to the sale or disclosure of their information.</li>
<li>Implement solutions that process requests made by the customers to opt-out of the sale of personal information.</li>
<li>Train employees responsible for handling customers’ personal information.</li>
<li>Review contracts with service providers that have consumer personal information provided by your business.</li>
<li>Ensure that third party audits of service providers who have access to your consumer personal information are compliant with CCPA.</li>
</ul>
<p>For more detailed information about how to comply with CCPA, we recommend the following resources:</p>
<ul>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.caprivacy.org/">The official Californians for Consumer Privacy website</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.pwc.com/us/en/services/consulting/cybersecurity/california-consumer-privacy-act.html">Your Readiness Roadmap for the CCPA (PwC)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://iapp.org/store/books/a191a000001JqUzAAK/">California Privacy Law, Third Edition</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3><b>CCPA Is Just The Beginning</b></h3>
<p>We expect many states to follow suit and introduce similar legislation over the next few years. It is important that you begin preparing for this now by implementing better data policies.</p>
<p>Check out the list of 25 other states who are currently working on their own legislation:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ncsl.org/research/telecommunications-and-information-technology/consumer-data-privacy.aspx">http://www.ncsl.org/research/telecommunications-and-information-technology/consumer-data-privacy.aspx</a></p>
<h3><b>Final Thoughts On CCPA and Data Privacy</b></h3>
<p>At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that the data belongs to your guest. It is not your data. You have just been given the permission and the privilege to use the data in some way. You should never use a consumer’s data to manipulate them and you should never abuse the trust that they have given to you by mishandling their private information. You should always respect the consumer and their wishes and you should always be completely transparent with everything you do with their data. We are in the hospitality industry and we should treat the data we collect the same way we treat the guest themselves.</p>
<p>========================</p>
<h2><b>In The Newsaroos:     </b></h2>
<ul>
<li><b></b><b>Rich Answers In mobile SERP more than doubled since 2018</b><br />
<a href="https://searchengineland.com/rich-answers-in-google-mobile-search-more-than-doubled-since-2018-study-finds-325444">https://searchengineland.com/rich-answers-in-google-mobile-search-more-than-doubled-since-2018-study-finds-325444</a></li>
</ul>
<p>========================</p>
<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a> or info@travelboommarketing.com.</p>


Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 127 – Everything You Need To Know About The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

<p>Bridging the gap between the operations staff and the marketing team is an age-old problem that has faced many hotels. In this episode of the award-winning Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast, we tap into the brain of a bonafide hotel operator, Wil Slickers, and discuss some ideas that may help you to get every team member into alignment and eliminate the silos so that you can better serve your guest.</p>
<p><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/">IN ADDITION TO THE PODCAST WE HAVE A BUNCH OF WHITEPAPERS AND STUDIES YOU CAN DOWNLOAD HERE</a></p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/714825490%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-euF3u&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true" width="100%" height="166" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<p>SHOW NOTES:</p>
<p><a href="https://marketingstrategy.hsmai.org/registration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>REGISTER NOW</b></a><b> for the HSMAI Marketing Strategy Conference and Adrian Awards &#8211; </b><b><i>January 21, 2020 at the NY Marriott Marquis</i></b></p>
<ul>
<li><b>HSMAI Adrian Awards Dinner Reception &amp; Gala</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://marketingstrategy.hsmai.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>HSMAI Marketing Strategy Conference</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<h2><b>1. Hire The Right People</b></h2>
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
<li>Hire for emotional intelligence and hospitality traits. What I mean is that we need to be more intentional with our interviews and how we interview to pick up if they are a good fit for the brand, guest, team, and company as a whole.</li>
<li>I usually ask the question “Are you FAT?” (Faithful, Available, and Teachable) and I know it’s a little bit of a different question but it&#8217;s something that will show on their resume. You can see how long they have stayed at other jobs, etc. Also, the available aspect is hard because a lot of new hires who really just want a job will say they are available whenever but then once they’re hired, they have one of the most complicated schedules. I am sure most employers see this. Now when it comes to teachable, is this person willing to be mentored and absorb the knowledge that either yourself or the company has to offer? Are they willing to learn from their mistakes and maybe take a little bit of criticism?</li>
<li>By being intentional with our interview questions, we can see if they have hospitality traits. This means by seeing if they are really wanting to serve others before themselves. I like to ask “if you had 6 months to live, what would you do?” and see if they involve answers like “spend the time traveling with my closest friends and family” or if they give a more selfish answer like “I would go blow all my money, go skydiving, eat all the food I could…” and whatever else they list off not involving friends and family or loved ones. (I learned this from a guest on my show, Scott Stanfield “ The Restaurant GM Coach)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>
<h2><b>2. Define Your Why &amp; Give Your Team A Unified Purpose</b></h2>
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
<li>When you define your Why &amp; Unified Purpose, it gives you and your team a tool and guide to follow but also to use to empower them to make decisions that best serve the guest and also the team/company. I also love “Mission Statements” because it gives everyone something to be accountable to and to believe in. When this happens then you will see that each department has the same goal and mission and their own part in playing a successful part in that achievement of this mission.</li>
<li>Aligning the team behind a single vision is easier when you have a single scoresheet.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>
<h2><b>3. Invest In Ongoing Training For All Team Members</b></h2>
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
<li>We have seen in many places and studies that when you invest in ongoing training, your team and leadership will become more and more involved in the continued growth of the brand. Plus as an owner or manager knows, turnover costs in employment is very costly, so why not invest in them? It will most likely keep them around longer and you won&#8217;t have to worry about the constant costs in having to re-train. I think Ongoing training is one of the best moves a company can make. Also, let&#8217;s be honest… my generation is HUNGRY for mentorship and constant growth and value. The more you pour into them, the more value they will bring and provide to you and hopefully do the same with someone else down the line.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>
<h2><b>4. Ensure Effective Communication &amp; Hold Cross-Departmental Meetings </b></h2>
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
<li>We get so stuck in our heads and what we do as a property. The front desk does check-ins and check-outs and housekeeping only cleans rooms or common areas. Well, it&#8217;s time to leave that behind for independent brand. Cross-training will benefit your property so much! It ties in with ongoing training. They get to see the whole picture and become equipped to serve the guest and their team in a more effective way that also builds community between everyone. Our front desk team spends almost a week in housekeeping when they are first hired.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>
<h2><b>5. Lead By Example</b></h2>
<ul>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
<li>When you’re in the trenches with them and leading by example, you will see all of these aspects start to flow together. When you’re intentional with interviews and hiring, define your mission, invest in the team to continually grow in their knowledge and experience so they can better execute the mission, properly communicate this with all departments and form a unified bond for the whole property, and you lead by example, your flow between Operations and Marketing will be seamless. Marketing strategies should always incorporate operations and vise Versa.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Check out the Slick Talk Hospitality Podcast: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slick-talk-the-hospitality-podcast/id1365110128" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slick-talk-the-hospitality-podcast/id1365110128</a></p>
<p>========================</p>
<h2><b>In The Newsaroos:     </b></h2>
<ul>
<li><b>Latest Google Algorithm Update &#8211; BERT (11/5/19)<br />
</b><a href="https://searchengineland.com/welcome-bert-google-artificial-intelligence-for-understanding-search-queries-323976">https://searchengineland.com/welcome-bert-google-artificial-intelligence-for-understanding-search-queries-323976</a></li>
</ul>
<p>========================</p>
<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a> or info@travelboommarketing.com.</p>


Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 126 – Top 5 Ways Hotel Operations & Marketing Teams Can Work Better Together (w/ Wil Slickers)

<p>Filling occupancy during the off-season remains one of the hotelier’s biggest challenges and can require a lot of creativity for your digital marketing strategy. Hoteliers should be using every platform, including email, social, paid search, and website content, to promote sales during the off-season. As challenging as it may sound, there are several tactics and ideas that you can implement into these platforms for your off-season marketing strategy. Today, we’re going to discuss 8 ways that you can use to push for more bookings in the off-season.</p>
<p><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/">IN ADDITION TO THE PODCAST WE HAVE A BUNCH OF WHITEPAPERS AND STUDIES YOU CAN DOWNLOAD HERE</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/708320812%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-XTlpw&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true" width="100%" height="166" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<p>SHOW NOTES:</p>
<p>Check out the original blog post <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/how-can-hotels-promote-sales-during-the-off-season/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a> or read the outline below:</p>
<p>Things to note before you start:</p>
<ul>
<li>Identify your hotel’s seasonal downturn</li>
<li>Get your ads in front of the right audience</li>
</ul>
<h3></h3>
<h3>#1 Create the right content</h3>
<p>Make a plan to create content that highlights the amenities and services that your hotel has to offer during the off-season. Do your diligence with keyword research to find what people are searching for in your area during your off-season, and build content around those topics.</p>
<p>Topics to consider:</p>
<ul>
<li>Amenities and services</li>
<li>Nearby attractions and things to do</li>
<li>Festivals and events</li>
</ul>
<h3></h3>
<h3>#2 Update the imagery on your website</h3>
<p>Swap out images of peak season activities with amenities that are offseason friendly on your website. Doing so communicates that your property isn’t a one-trick pony; your hotel has more to offer than just a few months out of the year.</p>
<p>Make sure your Google My Business listing and other local listings are updated with all your off-season friendly features, too.</p>
<h3></h3>
<h3>#3 Remarket your email database</h3>
<p>Don’t neglect folks that are already familiar with your property. Tailor an email campaign that invites your past guests with lowered rates or a loyalty package.</p>
<p>Go further to segment your database with guests that already stayed at your hotel during the off-season. Was there a particular reason they stayed at your hotel during that time period? Reflect that in an email campaign.</p>
<h3></h3>
<h3>#4 Update ad copy with off-season friendly verbiage</h3>
<p>If you’re running Google Ads and/or Microsoft Ads, update your campaign’s ad copy to reflect the changing seasons. Include amenities and services that are off-season friendly and use season-specific verbiage. If you have a special offer for the off-season use the Google Ads promotion extension to compliment your seasonal ads.</p>
<h3></h3>
<h3>#5 Build campaigns that market off-season amenities</h3>
<p>Research non-brand campaign opportunities that target a specific amenity like ‘hotel with indoor pool’ or ‘hotel with spa’. Use<a href="https://trends.google.com/trends/?geo=US"> Google Trends</a> to identify when people are more likely to search these queries so you get a better idea of when you should push those campaigns.</p>
<p>You can then use these campaigns in tandem with your website content. If you created an article highlighting your off-season friendly amenities, use the article as a landing page for your ads or create a sitelink in Google Ads and Microsoft Ads for the article.</p>
<h3></h3>
<h3>#6 Build out season-specific campaigns for your location</h3>
<p>Get ahead of the curve and be the first stop for people that are researching your destination during a specific time of year. As an example, if you’re located in Wilmington, NC, target the query “wilmington in december” in a paid search campaign to reach those top-of-funnel searchers.</p>
<p>This not only pushes you to the forefront for that particular query but you’ll also get the chance to make the first impression on guests that may be looking to visit the area. These off-season specific campaigns also allow you to tailor your ad copy to more closely match searcher intent. Use this strategy in tandem with a piece of content on your website that highlights your hotel’s location during the off-season.</p>
<h3></h3>
<h3>#7 Tailor your targeting to locals</h3>
<p>Facebook Ads has quickly become a popular source for hotels looking to engage with their past, current, and prospective guests. In this instance, consider marketing to folks are already near your property.</p>
<p>Push exclusive “locals-only” specials or promo codes that locals can use. Build an itinerary that features under the radar attractions, restaurants, and activities near your hotel.</p>
<p>Facebook Ads not only allows you to regionally target your ads, but you can also layer that regional targeting with traveler demographics and behaviors. Is your customer base mostly families? Create a campaign that targets parents in nearby cities and towns. Or tailor your ads to people that have an upcoming anniversary with a romance package only available during your low season.</p>
<h3></h3>
<h3>#8 Build content around weddings, meetings, sporting events</h3>
<p>Is your area a popular destination for sports tournaments? Are there local organizations that run expos, meetings, and events during your low season? Take a peek at search volume for these types of queries for your location. Incorporate your research into a paid search campaign and offer discounted rates for groups.</p>
<p>If your property already offers wedding services, push discounted rates for wedding parties staying at your hotel or discounted wedding services for off-season weddings.</p>
<p><b>=====</b></p>
<p><b>Listener Feedback</b></p>
<p>Thandi wrote&#8221;</p>
<p>being a small niche company and competing with quickly changing digital landscape. I listen to your podcast and know what i know from it. Find it super helpful thought more aware than ever about being woefully behind the times. Luckily, we have a strong base of our supporters who love us and have spread the word while we catch up.</p>
<p>I am writing to ask if you know of a PMS system that has a slightly more nuanced way of handling inventory &#8211; either a layered taxonomy or another option. I will explain more.</p>
<p>The beloved Sou’wester Historic Lodge and Vintage Travel Trailer Resort is a hodgepodge of accommodation types including suites, cabins, vintage travel trailers, RV spaces and campsites on the Long Beach Peninsula in historic Seaview, Washington. (<a href="http://souwesterlodge.com">souwesterlodge.com</a>). Many (most of return guests) have a preference of a specific trailer they want to stay in and we started off having a one to one ratio between unit types and inventory. However, this makes it a bit overwhelming and confusing for either first time guests, or people who don&#8217;t have a preference or (slows down people who are choosing between several options who have a higher likelihood of dropping out of the booking process).</p>
<p>We just switched for some consolidated unit types and its still pretty clunky&#8230;. any advise?</p>
<p>we&#8217;re currently using webrezpro, we used rezovation before. I&#8217;ve reached out to a couple other PMS&#8217;s with little luck&#8230;</p>
<p>thanks in advance, and come visit if you&#8217;re in the neighborhood&#8230; its really a special small peninsula on the magical PNW coast</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>SHOUT OUTS:</strong></p>
<p>From the Direct Booking Summit in Miami, Shout Out to:</p>
<p>Teri, Candice, Paula, and Pamela</p>
<p>========================</p>
<h2><b>In The Newsaroos:     </b></h2>
<ul>
<li><b>RevPAR increasing for independent hotels:<br />
</b><a href="https://lodgingmagazine.com/revpar-growth-continues-to-flourish-among-independent-hotels/">https://lodgingmagazine.com/revpar-growth-continues-to-flourish-among-independent-hotels/</a></li>
<li><b>SEO Best Practices Support ADA Compliance</b><br />
<a href="https://searchengineland.com/seo-best-practices-support-ada-compliance-for-digital-accessibility-324279">https://searchengineland.com/seo-best-practices-support-ada-compliance-for-digital-accessibility-324279</a></li>
</ul>
<p>========================</p>
<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a> or info@travelboommarketing.com.</p>


Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 125 – 8 Ways Hotels can Promote Sales During the Off-season

<p>Independent hotels can learn a lot from branded hotels. Once you understand their strategies and limitations in the digital space, you can compete with them. For this episode of the Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast, the Fueligans enlisted the expertise of Stephanie Smith from <a href="https://www.cogwheelmarketing.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cogwheel Marketing</a> to tell us about what the brands are up to and how we can outperform them. From SEO to Social, there&#8217;s a little something for everyone.</p>
<p><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/">IN ADDITION TO THE PODCAST WE HAVE A BUNCH OF WHITEPAPERS AND STUDIES YOU CAN DOWNLOAD HERE</a></p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/705929923%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-MRNgF&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true" width="100%" height="166" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<p>SHOW NOTES:</p>
<p>Check out the original blog post from Stephanie <a href="https://www.cogwheelmarketing.com/blog/independent-brand-hotel-marketing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a> or read the outline below:</p>
<ol start="1">
<li><strong>UNAP:</strong> Most major brands (Marriott, Hilton, and IHG) use<a href="https://www.yext.com/products/listings/"> Yext</a> for UNAP and content delivery. This helps distribute content over their API to their knowledge network on a large scale. It also helps with duplicate suppression if you have issues with multiple listings.
<ul>
<li>Independent Hotel Takeaway &#8211; Use some platform, ie Moz Local or HotelPort or similar to compet</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reputation Management: </strong>Most major brands (Marriott, Hilton and IHG) use Medallia for reputation management. It pulls in all their in-house surveys plus 3rd party reviews into one place, including TripAdvisor, Google, Expedia, Booking.com, etc.  It allows for easy trend analysis and aggregate sentiment across multiple channels. They also have strict rules in regard to response times. You can also leverage for capex needs with owners.
<ul>
<li>Independent Hotel Takeaway &#8211; Use some platform to make it easier to manage online reputation and set goals to respond to all reviews within 48 hours.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>OTAs:</strong> Each brand have negotiated very good commission rates negotiated with major OTAs.  But, they are restricted on which OTAs they can participate with.
<ul>
<li>Independent Hotel Takeaway &#8211; Pay attention to renewal dates and leverage sister properties for better rates.  Take advantage of flexibility for lesser known OTAs for exposure.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Facebook:</strong> Each hotel brand sets up parent/child relationship with each individual hotel, so even if you post nothing, the parent posts filter down to hotel level. Otherwise the brand does nothing for individual hotels.
<ul>
<li>Independent Hotel Takeaway &#8211; Leverage your hotel&#8217;s uniqueness and personality to differentiate yourself from branded hotels</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Search Engine</strong> Optimization (SEO) &#8211; Optimization on the branded hotel’s platform is limited (in most cases) in terms of defined static pages, no blog, and standardized H1s. You cannot add landing pages at whim, or even elaborate on content.  Their CMS has strict character limitations and most headers cannot be changed.
<ul>
<li>Independent Hotel Takeaway &#8211; Build landing pages around demand generators, keep an active blog and customize header strategy to match title/meta strategy.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Loyalty:</strong> Loyalty programs are huge with the brands, but the details of specific loyalty members are hidden and not available to market to directly.
<ul>
<li>Independent Hotel Takeaway &#8211; Leverage a CRM and customize your messaging towards your past and future guests.  Use access to data to define niche targets and to better understand your guests.  Develop a loyalty program, or use GuestBook or similar.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>   <strong> Metasearch:</strong> Brands participate at the corporate level with metasearch sites and develop strategies for the hotels to shift share from OTAs and drive direct bookings.  These metasearch sites include Tripadvisor, Google Hotel Ads, Kayak and Trivago.
<ul>
<li>Independent Hotel Takeaway &#8211; Not sure the independent hotel platform for this?</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Retargeting:</strong> Brands have relationships with remarketing providers like Sojern and Adara to retarget customers. Cookies are placed once a visitor goes to the brand website, but does not book.  Ads are placed via social channels and other websites to target in-market travelers.
<ul>
<li>Independent Hotel Takeaway &#8211; Talk with your agency provider to get the tracking and cookies set up</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reporting:</strong> Branded hotels have access to basic information around digital marketing, but it is only provided monthly.  Brand provides high-level digital reports on traffic and channel mix but not real-time analytics access or details on rankings.  Select brands provide referring domain data.
<ul>
<li>Independent Hotel Takeaway &#8211; Independent hotels have a wealth of knowledge in terms of data.  Utilizing a system like Google Analytics to understand source traffic, demographics, heat maps, conversion funnel, etc are priceless. If you are having issues with performance, there is great data in your booking engine reports as well.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Website design:</strong> Branded hotels (except Choice and some IHG brands) are no longer allowed to have vanity websites.  This means they are forced into a box when it comes to design and content on their website.
<ul>
<li>Independent Hotel Takeaway &#8211; Independent hotels can tell better stories via better <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/services/web-design-development/">hotel website design</a> and UX.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;</p>
<p>Stephanie Sparks Smith is Founder and Digital Matriarch at<a href="http://www.cogwheelmarketing.com"> Cogwheel Marketing</a> and partner at<a href="https://cayugahospitality.com/"> Cayuga Hospitality Consultants</a>. Her focus is helping hotels drive incremental exposure and revenue to their websites and online channels through digital marketing and advertising. The expertise of Cogwheel Marketing is openings and conversions along with knowing the intricacies of the brand systems of Marriott/Starwood, Hilton and IHG.</p>
<p>========================</p>
<h2><b>In The Newsaroos:     </b></h2>
<ul>
<li><b>TripAdvisor Rolls Out Direct Booking System</b><a href="https://www.phocuswire.com/tripadvisor-sponsored-placements-direct-bookings">https://www.phocuswire.com/tripadvisor-sponsored-placements-direct-bookings</a></li>
</ul>
<p>========================</p>
<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a> or info@travelboommarketing.com.</p>


Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 124 – What Independent Hotels Can Learn From The Flags

<p>In this episode, we get back to basics with the latest in our hotel marketing 101 series. This time, we discuss social media and identify the platforms and the strategies that make the most sense for your property.</p>
<p>DOWNLOAD THE  2019 LEISURE TRAVEL STUDY: <a title="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/2019-leisure-travel-trends-study/" href="https://gate.sc?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffueltravelstg.wpengine.com%2F2019-leisure-travel-trends-study%2F&amp;token=db645d-1-1562683814389" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">www.fueltravel.com/2019-leisure-tr…l-trends-study/</a></p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/690996922&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true" width="100%" height="166" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<p>SHOW NOTES:</p>
<p>This episode is based on blog post: <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/why-social-media-is-important-to-your-hotel-marketing/">Why Social Media is Important to Your Hotel Marketing</a></p>
<h3><b>Social Media Platforms You MUST Have a Presence On</b></h3>
<ul>
<li>Almost half of the world’s population is using social media (almost 4 billion people). ⅔ are using Facebook.</li>
<li>Fuel’s 2019 Leisure Travel Study reports 40% of hotel guests look at the hotel’s Facebook page prior to booking.
<ul>
<li>52% of Millenials look at Facebook before booking.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Where you should have a presence
<ul>
<li>Facebook
<ul>
<li>It’s the most widely used</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Instagram
<ul>
<li>It’s visual and allows you to showcase your property</li>
<li>It’s trendy</li>
<li>Great place to connect with influencers (<a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-96-influencer-marketing-right-hotel/">episode 96</a>) and micro/macro influencers (<a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-110-the-real-value-of-hotel-micro-influencers-with-flip-to-and-navis/">episode 110</a>)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>YouTube
<ul>
<li>People love video</li>
<li>Showcases your property in a creative way</li>
<li>Creates a sense of an experience</li>
<li>Can also be used with PPC</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3><b> </b></h3>
<h3><b>Your Hotel’s Social Media Content</b></h3>
<ul>
<li>Three rules of thumb when it comes to creating content
<ul>
<li>Be authentic</li>
<li>Be on-brand</li>
<li>Be consistent</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Content should focus on
<ul>
<li>Informing your guests</li>
<li>Creating a sense of experience</li>
<li>What makes your hotel great</li>
<li>Why guests love staying there</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Content ideas:
<ul>
<li>Post or Facebook Live events at your hotel while they’re happening</li>
<li>Showcase amenities and new property features</li>
<li>Showcase different rooms</li>
<li>Suggest nearby attractions or restaurants
<ul>
<li>Great partnering opportunity (also discussed on a previous blog)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Upcoming events in your area
<ul>
<li>Promote event itself as well as any specials you may be offering for attendees</li>
<li>May open a door to partner with events as their preferred hotel</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Engagement oriented
<ul>
<li>Ask questions</li>
<li>Travel tips</li>
<li>Property scavenger hunt</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>User-generated content
<ul>
<li>Share guest reviews, pictures, and stories</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Website content
<ul>
<li>Blogs</li>
<li>Newsletters</li>
<li>Loyalty program info</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Contests &amp; Giveaways (great if also combined with PPC for lead generation)</li>
<li><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/social-media-post-ideas-hotels/">More on our 75 Social Media Post Ideas For Hotels</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><b>Hotel Social Media Key Factor: Engagement</b></h3>
<ul>
<li>None of this means anything if you’re not engaging with your audience! (Say it louder for the people in the back!)</li>
<li>It’s an opportunity for you to
<ul>
<li>Answer questions</li>
<li>Get feedback</li>
<li>Respond to reviews
<ul>
<li>Thank them for the positive feedback</li>
<li>“Fix it” if they have a negative experience</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It’s a forum for your fans
<ul>
<li>Allows them to
<ul>
<li>Interact with other guests</li>
<li>Share their positive experiences</li>
<li>Leave reviews and comments</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3><b> </b></h3>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><b>Bonus! #ProTip</b></h3>
<ul>
<li>For consistent-social-media-posting success create a calendar via Google spreadsheet.
<ul>
<li>Set up columns for the following
<ul>
<li>Date</li>
<li>Posted Checkbox</li>
<li>Content</li>
<li>Links</li>
<li>Images</li>
<li>Notes</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Fill out all the info a month ahead of time, leaving notes when you want to Facebook or Instagram Live</li>
<li>Schedule as many posts as you can for the month before the month begins
<ul>
<li>Don’t set it and forget it. In times of distress, like a natural disaster, be sure to revisit scheduled posts and change as necessary</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3><b> </b></h3>
<p><b>SHOUTOUTS<br />
</b>Stuart recently appeared on the Slick Talk Podcast. Check out the interview with Wil Slickers:<br />
<a href="https://anchor.fm/wil-slickers/episodes/Stuart-Butler-Fuel-Hotel-Marketing-Podcast-on-Slick-Talk-e5ihl0">https://anchor.fm/wil-slickers/episodes/Stuart-Butler-Fuel-Hotel-Marketing-Podcast-on-Slick-Talk-e5ihl0</a></p>
<h3><b> </b></h3>
<p><b>UPCOMING EVENTS</b><b></b></p>
<p>FOR MARKETERS<br />
<b>Direct Booking Summit &#8211; Miami<br />
</b>22nd &#8211; 23rd October, 2019<br />
<a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/direct-booking-summit-miami-2019-tickets-52711367118?discount=VIP30">Discount for the TripTease Direct Booking Summit: </a></p>
<p>========================</p>
<h2><b>In The Newsaroos:     </b></h2>
<ul>
<li><b>Google Claims Quantum Supremacy<br />
</b><a href="https://gizmodo.com/google-s-quantum-supremacy-announcement-shouldnt-be-a-s-1838357278">https://gizmodo.com/google-s-quantum-supremacy-announcement-shouldnt-be-a-s-1838357278</a><b> </b></li>
</ul>
<p>========================</p>
<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a> or info@travelboommarketing.com.</p>


Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 123 – Hotel Marketing 101: The Top 3 Things You Should Be Doing On Social Media

<p>Finding content out of date, or not ready to be posted, is one of the most common issues we come across in terms of hoteliers being ready for what is to come. This is not unexpected, many hotel operators are busy dealing with guests, property issues, and a myriad of other urgent issues.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, this means the important things that are not urgent, get pushed to the side. If you don’t already know about the Eisenhower’s Decision Matrix by name, you surely have seen it in books like “Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People.” More or less, the point of the matrix is we spend way too much time in Quadrant #1 or Quadrant #3, and not nearly enough time in Quadrant #2.</p>
<p>Today’s podcast is all about setting up your website’s content to be ready to go in advance and completely live in Quadrant #2, important but not urgent. We are going to cover five content areas that can be planned in advance, created, and then executed when the time comes… no urgency needed.</p>
<p>We could do an entire podcast on the Eisenhower Decision Matrix, and probably will, but for now, let’s talk content.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>DOWNLOAD THE  2019 LEISURE TRAVEL STUDY: <a title="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/2019-leisure-travel-trends-study/" href="https://gate.sc?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffueltravelstg.wpengine.com%2F2019-leisure-travel-trends-study%2F&amp;token=db645d-1-1562683814389" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">www.fueltravel.com/2019-leisure-tr…l-trends-study/</a></p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/684050429&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true" width="100%" height="166" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<p>SHOW NOTES:<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-7413 alignright" src="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Fuel-Eisenhower-Decision-Matrix-245x300.jpg" alt="Eisenhower Decision Matrix (Urgent vs. Important)" width="245" height="300" srcset="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Fuel-Eisenhower-Decision-Matrix-245x300.jpg 245w, https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Fuel-Eisenhower-Decision-Matrix-768x939.jpg 768w, https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Fuel-Eisenhower-Decision-Matrix-838x1024.jpg 838w, https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Fuel-Eisenhower-Decision-Matrix.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 245px) 100vw, 245px" /></p>
<h3><b>#1 Offers &amp; Promotions</b></h3>
<p>Offers and promotions are what inevitably drive hotel traffic and bookings.  A property has to stand on its own value, but it is the limited time offers that drive the urgency to actually book.  Unfortunately far too many properties treat offers as a last second grasp to fill holes in occupancy.</p>
<p>The proper way to manage offers, and promotions for those offers, is to create a rolling annual calendar that your entire team works toward.  This will help you:</p>
<ul>
<li>Create a playbook for email, social, paid search, display and print/mail promotions</li>
<li>Proactively address known occupancy issues</li>
<li>Build the opportunity to better yield your rate by driving earlier bookings</li>
<li>Better promote value in your property and avoid trying to constantly reword your standard 30% off offer</li>
<li>Prepare for the need for a last minute promotion to push a soft area by having your messaging, creative, and plan in place</li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><b>#2 Articles &amp; News</b></h3>
<p>Every year we hear of properties who forgot Valentine’s Day is in February or kids go back to School in late August.  These are all fantastic areas to write about to build the breadth of content on your site, as well as drive email newsletter promotions.  Unfortunately by not planning in advance you get stuck in the dreaded Quadrant #1 and are put in a tight deadline to just create content versus taking the time in advance to create great content.</p>
<p>Before you are behind the curve building content sit down with your search team, content team, managers… and a calendar.  Lay out what is going to be written and when. This becomes even more powerful when you incorporate your promotional roll outs with great 10x content.  Learn more about great content by listening to episode 20, <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-20-how-to-easily-create-amazing-content/">How to Easily Create Amazing Content</a>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><b>#3 Property &amp; Room </b></h3>
<p>Your potential guests want to see what they’re getting when they book at your property.  This means great photography of the hotel/resort, amenities, and rooms. This also means very descriptive and detailed content.  It is common to have a property schedule a photo shoot and then just go through the site and drop in new photos. This rarely works as well as carefully planning the photos and text you need and specifically tailoring your content creation plans to meet those goals.</p>
<p>2019 is already coming to a close, and now is a perfect time to review your site (on mobile first) and make a list of how you can improve your property and room appearances online in 2020.  If you need some ideas on how to get started, check out these <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/hotel-photography-the-asset-you-arent-assessing/">five steps to creating great hotel photography</a>.</p>
<p>One more aspect of your property and room information is the incredibly valuable Frequently Asked Questions section.  Don’t have one yet&#8230; make one. Have one… make it better. Guests, and search engines, love the easily searchable content and it’s an easy way to address a guest’s concerns and drive them through the booking cycle.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><b>#4 Area Information</b></h3>
<p>If you are not currently showing area information on your hotel’s site, you are very likely missing out on both a great way to help your guests as well as valuable traffic.  If you already have an area information section on your site, good for you.</p>
<p>Once you have a great area information section built, don’t forget about it.  Spend some time every few months adding new attractions and noting which ones have closed.</p>
<p><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-97-8-great-ways-gain-bookings-destination-information/">You can learn more about how to make a great area information on episode 97 of the Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast</a>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><b>#5 Secondary Content</b></h3>
<p>Not every page on your site is weighted evenly.  Your privacy policy, disclaimers, about us, and other pages don’t get a lot of traffic.  But the traffic they do get can often be incredibly important. These pages definitely fall within Quadrant #2, important but not urgent.  Focus on making the most of these pages to prevent trouble down the road.</p>
<ul>
<li>Privacy Policy</li>
<li><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-82-hotels-need-know-gdpr-late/">GDPR/Data Usage</a></li>
<li>ADA Information</li>
<li>Cancellation Policy</li>
<li>About Us/Resort Policies</li>
<li>Emergency Response Pages</li>
</ul>
<p>========================</p>
<h2><b>In The Newsaroos:     </b></h2>
<ul>
<li><b>Fuel app expands mobile access options<br />
</b><a href="https://www.hotelmanagement.net/tech/fuel-app-expands-mobile-access-options" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.hotelmanagement.net/tech/fuel-app-expands-mobile-access-options</a></li>
</ul>
<p>========================</p>
<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a> or info@travelboommarketing.com.</p>


Hotel Marketing Podcast

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 127 – Everything You Need To Know About The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 127 – Everything You Need To Know About The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 126 – Top 5 Ways Hotel Operations & Marketing Teams Can Work Better Together (w/ Wil Slickers)

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 126 – Top 5 Ways Hotel Operations & Marketing Teams Can Work Better Together (w/ Wil Slickers)

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 125 – 8 Ways Hotels can Promote Sales During the Off-season

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 125 – 8 Ways Hotels can Promote Sales During the Off-season

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 124 – What Independent Hotels Can Learn From The Flags

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 124 – What Independent Hotels Can Learn From The Flags

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 123 – Hotel Marketing 101: The Top 3 Things You Should Be Doing On Social Media

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 123 – Hotel Marketing 101: The Top 3 Things You Should Be Doing On Social Media

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 122 – Hotel Marketing 101: Proactive Website Content Updates That Make Sense

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 122 – Hotel Marketing 101: Proactive Website Content Updates That Make Sense

Schedule a Free Evaluation