
<p>Photography is one of the very most important elements of a hotel site to help drive conversion, other than the obvious booking engine, clear calls to action, and a great rate strategy.&nbsp; Photography is also just like any other physical asset your property manages.&nbsp; From the alarm clocks in the room to the chairs in the conference center.&nbsp; From the staff uniforms to the linens. It all has a shelf-life and, just like your physical assets, you should be planning for when you need to update your photography.</p>



<p>In today’s episode we’re looking at one of our most recent articles, <strong>Hotel Photography: The Asset You Are Not Assessing </strong>(<a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/hotel-photography-the-asset-you-arent-assessing/">https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/hotel-photography-the-asset-you-arent-assessing/</a>)</p>



<p>We’re going to be covering the five things you need to do to keep your property shots fresh.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>#1: Get the Right Photographer For The Job</strong></p>



<p>Yes, my phone can take great pictures too. And I even know someone who has a really nice camera. However, just like having a kitchen doesn’t make you a chef, owning a camera doesn’t make you a photographer. We suggest you talk to your industry partners, find hotel shots you like, and track down a photographer that specializes in what you need. This means the photographer who is right for your room shots may not be the one for your lifestyle and amenities.</p>



<p><strong>#2: Your Room Shots Will Make or Break You</strong></p>



<p>Your room photography is nearly the only way to showcase what you have to offer a guest, other than video, which you should also employ.&nbsp; However if your shots aren’t up to par, you’re asking to lose your bookings to the OTAs at best… your competitors at worst.</p>



<p><strong>#3: Amenities Set The Stage For A Great Stay</strong></p>



<p>Your next shoot after your rooms should be your amenities. These are the things that make your hotel unique and keep people coming back for more. Plus, it’s where many hotels miss the mark.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>#4: Your Lobby Can Make An Impact</strong></p>



<p>When planning your photoshoot list, you should also focus on areas of the resort that are not typically considered an amenity such as your lobby, covered parking, valet service, and so on. This is where you can set the stage for your guest experience and show off what makes your property unique.</p>



<p><strong>#5: Put Your Photos To Work</strong></p>



<p>Now that you have a bank of great hotel photography it’s time to put it to work driving new guests.&nbsp; This means updating all your social profiles, search listings, OTAs such as Expedia, Trip Advisor, and your own hotel website, of course.</p>



<p><strong>BONUS:</strong> <strong>Start Planning Your Next Shoot</strong></p>



<p>Good news, you just wrapped up a great photo shoot and have some amazing new assets to help sell your property.&nbsp; Bad news, your new photography is already aging.&nbsp; Start planning your next shoot now!</p>



<p>========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Newsaroos:</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Guests Do Not Require Human-Provided Services In Hospitality.</strong><a href="https://www.phocuswire.com/no-guests-do-not-require-human-provided-services-in-hospitality">https://www.phocuswire.com/no-guests-do-not-require-human-provided-services-in-hospitality</a></p>



<p>========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>60 Seconds To Success:</strong></h3>



<p>Take advantage of your industry associations and expand your horizons.&nbsp; Organizations such as your local chambers of commerce and state/local hospitality and marketing associations can deliver a ton of value and put you in contact with industry experts that can help you grow your property. One that comes to mind for me is <a href="https://global.hsmai.org/">HSMAI</a> (Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International), they offer a ton of value at the national level, but deliver great value at the state level as well with free education sessions, training tools, networking and more.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Take some time to look at the organizations you’re already associated with and make sure you’re getting the most value possible.</p>



<p></p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Stat of the Week:</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Stat of the Week:</strong></p>



<p>Check back for new and exciting stats that will shock the hotel world!</p>



<p>========================</p>



<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/_travelboom" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@_travelboom</a> or info@travelboommarketing.com.</p>


<p><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IN ADDITION TO THE PODCAST WE HAVE A STACK OF WHITEPAPERS AND STUDIES YOU CAN DOWNLOA</a><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">D FOR FREE!</a></p>

Hotel Marketing Podcast Episode 212 – The Year 2002 Called And Wants It’s Photos Back: How To Fix Your Hotel Photography


<p>Apple’s iOS 14.5 update is a big update that impacts web marketers across all spectrums.&nbsp; The new privacy settings, which have over half of iPhone users opting out of tracking, is going to cause some significant changes in how we market, and remarket.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Facebook marketing is going to be impacted specifically. If you haven’t been running Facebook ads lately or experimenting for yourself, you may not have an idea how the update has actually affected website remarketing audiences.</p>



<p>On today’s episode we dig into our latest article on how to win Facebook marketing for hotels post iOS14.5 we’re going to dive in and learn the real story.<br><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/how-to-win-facebook-marketing-for-hotels-post-ios/">https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/how-to-win-facebook-marketing-for-hotels-post-ios</a>.</p>



<p>========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Newsaroos:</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Google Ads launches placement reports for Performance Max campaigns</strong><a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-ads-launches-placement-reports-for-performance-max-campaigns-378835">https://searchengineland.com/google-ads-launches-placement-reports-for-performance-max-campaigns-378835</a></p>



<p>========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>60 Seconds To Success:</strong></h3>



<p>Back at the beginning of the pandemic of which we do not speak, we talked at length about keeping your marketing budget as focused as possible and avoiding wasting money on services that are not needed.&nbsp; A perfect example of this is how we as a company had GoToMeeting, WebEx, and other “relatively expensive” online meeting systems.&nbsp; We had analytics systems that did similar things.&nbsp; We had services that we were paying for and just didn’t use at all.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>As we head into 2022, it’s a good time to re-evaluate your service stack and cut the fat once more.&nbsp; Find the tools you’re not using, the ones that don’t work, or the ones that you can renegotiate.&nbsp; We just did this internally and realized some significant savings, and I guarantee you can too.</p>



<p></p>



<p><meta charset="utf-8">========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Stat of the Week:</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Stat of the Week:</strong></p>



<p>Check back for new and exciting stats that will shock the hotel world!</p>



<p>========================</p>



<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/_travelboom" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@_travelboom</a> or info@travelboommarketing.com.</p>


<p><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IN ADDITION TO THE PODCAST WE HAVE A STACK OF WHITEPAPERS AND STUDIES YOU CAN DOWNLOA</a><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">D FOR FREE!</a></p>

Hotel Marketing Podcast Episode 211 – Is the latest iOS update the death of Facebook marketing for hotels…


<p>Join us on today&#8217;s podcast to look back at the top episodes from 2021. If you missed these episodes, now&#8217;s the perfect time to catch up and hit the highlights:</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Phil’s Top 3 Episodes of 2021:</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/hotel-marketing-podcast/hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-185-how-to-differentiate-your-hotel-get-a-leg-up-on-the-competition/">Episode 185 &#8211; How To Differentiate Your Hotel &amp; Get A Leg Up On The Competition</a><ul><li>In this episode we discussed things that you can do on property to differentiate your hotel from your competitors.&nbsp;</li><li>We discussed things like transforming under utilized interior and exterior spaces such as the hotel’s rooftop and gaining incremental revenue from the guests using these spaces by serving food and beverages.</li><li>Just as important as creating these differentiators is promoting them via all possible channels to previous and potential guests.&nbsp;</li></ul></li><li><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/hotel-marketing-podcast/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-174-21-tactical-hotel-marketing-things-to-do-in-2021/">Episode 174 – 21 Tactical Hotel Marketing Things To Do In 2021</a><ul><li>Despite being released January 18, 2021, nearly all of the information provided in this episode will be applicable for 2022.&nbsp;</li><li>Obviously, some of the COVID-related information will change based on how the world has progressed over the past year, but the sentiment remains the same.&nbsp;</li><li>In this episode we covered technical items to evaluate on your website, your site’s content and SEO efforts, growing and communicating with your database, paid advertising tips and a few miscellaneous items.&nbsp;</li><li>A couple of my key takeaways from this episode would be:<ul><li>Check that your analytics is working properly.<ul><li>Ensure everything is tagged correctly and easily identifiable and segmentable in your analytics system.&nbsp;</li></ul></li><li>Also, evaluate and update your paid advertising audiences.&nbsp;<ul><li>In this episode we mentioned limiting audiences to drive markets because of the state of the world in Jan 2021, but it’s still extremely important to know who to target currently and when it’s time to expand or condense the size of the audience you’re targeting with paid advertising.</li></ul></li></ul></li></ul></li><li><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/hotel-marketing-podcast/hotel-marketing-podcast-191-how-to-analyze-the-performance-of-display-demand-generation/">Episode 191: How To Analyze The Performance Of Display Demand Generation</a><ul><li>In this episode we covered demand generation opportunities and some tips on how to find new potential guests that may not be familiar with property.&nbsp;</li><li>More importantly, we covered how you should judge the success of these types of campaigns.</li><li>Too often we see hoteliers stop demand generation advertising efforts because they rarely result in direct ROAS.&nbsp;</li><li>What we encouraged in this episode is shifting the mindset away from ROAS and looking at specific data points that hoteliers &amp; hotel advertisers should reference to see if these efforts increased awareness and demand for the brand.&nbsp;</li></ul></li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Pete’s Top 3 <meta charset="utf-8">Episodes of 2021:</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/hotel-marketing-podcast/hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-202-top-5-hotel-operations-efforts-that-support-marketing-with-bruce-jordan/">Episode 202: Top 5 Hotel Operations Efforts That Support Marketing</a><ul><li>Not only did we get to hang out with Bruce Jordan in this episode, we also learned what we need to do to break down these silos that still exist between marketing and operations.<ul><li>Great communications between revenue management and marketing</li><li>Better back-and-forth with your sales team</li><li>Obtaining employee testimonials</li><li>Finding out what your corporate guests need</li><li>Leveraging your relationships with 3rd party vendors</li></ul></li></ul></li><li><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/hotel-marketing-podcast/hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-198-8-marketing-strategies-for-hotels-with-high-occupancy/">Episode 198: Eight Marketing Strategies For Hotels With High Occupancy</a><ul><li>Any hotel with every room available can drive some form of occupancy, however it gets tougher as the field gets smaller and smaller.&nbsp; This episode discussed what can be done when you’re in the “red zone” of occupancy and have less than 20% left to go to full occupancy.<ul><li>Build your guest relationships</li><li>Drive revenue through add-ons and on-property purchases</li><li>Build demand for down the road</li><li>Minimize your high-commission channels</li><li>Refine your marketing to only the most lucrative avenues</li></ul></li></ul></li><li><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/hotel-marketing-podcast/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-183-three-easy-steps-to-build-your-disaster-communications-plan/">Episode 183: Building Your Hotel’s Disaster Communications Plan</a><ul><li>This episode not only had a ton of downloads, it also helped hoteliers start planning in advance for troubling times.&nbsp; 2021 ended up being way better than we anticipated and that disaster communications plan really wasn’t needed, but it’s a great tool to have in the toolbox.&nbsp; Is now the time to dust it off and update?</li></ul></li></ul>



<p>========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Newsaroos:</strong></h3>



<p>Check back for new and exciting news that will shock the hotel world!</p>



<p>========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>60 Seconds To Success:</strong></h3>



<p>2022 could be a tough year, so make it easy on yourself by automating what you can, specifically your data. Google’s Data Studio is by no means new, but we’re not seeing a lot of hoteliers adopting it.&nbsp; So, if you’re not already using data studio, it’s a fantastic tool that brings all your data into one place. Even without Data Studio, you can still set up automated dashboards in Google Analytics that will give you a snapshot of your key performance indicators.&nbsp; To go along with your automated reports, make sure your tagging is properly structured and you’re using the right UTM tags for Source, Medium, Campaign, etc.&nbsp; Tagging at the beginning of the year makes the rest of the year’s tracking WAY easier for you.</p>



<p></p>



<p><meta charset="utf-8">========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Stat of the Week:</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Stat of the Week:</strong></p>



<p>Check back for new and exciting stats that will shock the hotel world!</p>



<p>========================</p>



<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/_travelboom" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@_travelboom</a> or info@travelboommarketing.com.</p>


<p><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IN ADDITION TO THE PODCAST WE HAVE A STACK OF WHITEPAPERS AND STUDIES YOU CAN DOWNLOA</a><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">D FOR FREE!</a></p>

Hotel Marketing Podcast Episode 210 – Takeaways From Our Favorite Episodes of 2021


<p>2021 is coming to a close and if anything, this year has been wild. Today on the Hotel Marketing Podcast, Pete and Phil share their lessons from 2021 and what&#8217;s coming down the pike in 2022.  The only rule is you can&#8217;t reference COVID!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Pete is thankful for&#8230;</h2>



<p>I’m thankful for the amazing growth we have seen in 2021 for nearly every single client.&nbsp; Yes, there have been staffing issues and uncertainty, but as we end the year, our clients are seeing occupancy levels, conversion rates, and revenues that are setting records. This was an amazing blessing, and I’m very thankful for being able to help our clients get there.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Pete has learned…</h2>



<p>I’ve learned, or should I say, been reminded, to be nimble and ready to adapt.&nbsp; Here at TravelBoom, we started the year as Fuel Travel.&nbsp; Since that time we have evolved into a much different, and better, agency.&nbsp; However, things came at us fast and furious.&nbsp; Taking a fighter&#8217;s stance and rolling with the punches have given us some incredible opportunities.&nbsp; This is something I think every hotelier has, or should have, learned this year.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Pete’s Forecast for 2022:</h2>



<p>The competitive landscape is going to be interesting heading into 2022.&nbsp; The travel forecasts are looking good and we’re seeing very positive pace reports for clients.&nbsp; What does this mean for hotel marketers?&nbsp; In my opinion, that means the competition is going to be stiff and there’s not going to be any room for half-hearted efforts.&nbsp; If you are one of the forward-thinking hoteliers who stayed aggressive in 2021, you’re off to a great start.&nbsp; However, I expect to see the more timid hoteliers jumping back in the game, thus increasing the cost of marketing efforts and crowding the travelers’ decision set.</p>



<p>On top of more competitors, you’re going to be seeing a big push from Google (and the OTAs) to continue to keep users in their own ecosystems.&nbsp; Google’s zero-click results, GHA, and their booking options are going to make moving a guest from their conversion funnel to yours even more difficult.</p>



<p>What do you need to do about that?&nbsp; Make sure you’re using the momentum you created in 2021 to keep you ahead of the pack:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Don’t let “good” cut it.&nbsp; Optimize your site’s conversion rate, optimize your marketing efforts, and find the hidden fractions of a percent growth in your conversion funnel.</li><li>Make sure your book-direct value proposition beats anything the OTAs could offer.&nbsp; Guarantee the best rate, offer incentives to book directly, and make it known that it only makes sense to book directly with you.</li><li>We’ve already said it a million times, but your mobile experience is what drives revenue.&nbsp; Are you proud of your mobile conversion rate compared to desktop? If not, get on it!</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Phil is thankful for&#8230;</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Thankful for all of our survey respondents to the consumer sentiment study.&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul><li>Their responses gave us great insight into what to expect in terms of travel this year and leading into 2022.</li><li>As we continued to see our geographic and demographic data match up with what we saw in the responses, we knew we could put more stock in the answers to questions about future travel, which helped us budget for 2022 after coming off of two very strange years for travel.&nbsp;</li><li>Selfishly, this also helped us create content to pass along to all of you listeners.&nbsp;</li></ul></li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Phil has learned&#8230;</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>I learned that giving up control to automation and machine learning isn’t always a bad thing.&nbsp;<ul><li>This year we tested some of Google’s more automated offerings like Target ROAS and Target CPA as well as automated betas like Performance Max.</li><li>In most instances where we tested Target ROAS and portfolio bidding strategies in our PPC accounts, we saw the campaigns meet or exceed our goals. Feeling confident that we could hit our ROAS goals allowed us to use additional budget to identify new non-brand opportunities.&nbsp;</li><li>While Smart campaigns and Performance Max don’t really give us a lot of insight into what we should do with non-AI-based campaigns, they have shown that for some clients that they perform very well. At the end of the day, that’s what we want for our clients, more direct bookings.&nbsp;</li></ul></li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Phil’s Forecast for 2022:</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>I anticipate the state of travel in 2022 to be very similar to 2021. Based on the data we’ve seen, the majority of people are looking to take the same number of trips or more in 2022.&nbsp;</li><li>From the paid digital landscape, I predict we will see more AI-Driven &amp; Machine Learning marketing automations coming from Google &amp; Microsoft.&nbsp;</li><li>From the organic digital landscape I predict more of the same from Google. Create a great user experience that is super fast and thoroughly answers consumers queries. We will also likely see more zero-click search options as Google will push to keep users in their own mousetrap.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<p>What to do?</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Be aggressive with your marketing and try to reach new audiences.&nbsp;</li><li>Embrace AI &amp; Machine Learning, but continue manual advertising as you will need a baseline for performance comparisons</li><li>Continue to make your hotel’s website fast, visually appealing and effective at moving users down the funnel.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<p>========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Newsaroos:</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Hyatt Rolls Out Keyless Entry Via Apple Wallet:</strong></p>



<p><a href="https://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article118712.html">https://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article118712.html</a>&nbsp;</p>



<p>========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>60 Seconds To Success:</strong></h3>



<p>Book a stay at your closest competitor and take really good notes.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Start like you were new to your location and search, find your competitor and find a great room.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>But don’t book, give them your email and then wait…&nbsp;</li><li>Then, after a few days go through and make a booking just like a real person with a real credit card for a date a bit way in the future.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>After a few days, go ahead and cancel the stay.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul>



<p>Now, look at your notes: What’s their search presence? What’s their site experience? How is their email automation? How’s their cancellation/recapture process?&nbsp; Are you better than your competition?&nbsp;</p>



<p></p>



<p><meta charset="utf-8">========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Stat of the Week:</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Stat of the Week:</strong></p>



<p>Check back for new and exciting stats that will shock the hotel world!</p>



<p>========================</p>



<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/_travelboom" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@_travelboom</a> or info@travelboommarketing.com.</p>


<p><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IN ADDITION TO THE PODCAST WE HAVE A STACK OF WHITEPAPERS AND STUDIES YOU CAN DOWNLOA</a><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">D FOR FREE!</a></p>

Hotel Marketing Podcast Episode 209 – TravelBoom’s 2022 Hotel Marketing Forecast


<p>Expedia has just released their 2022 Travel Trends report, and the data is quite interesting. Today, we’re going to be reviewing the top-line findings of the study and looking at specific ways independent hoteliers can apply Expedia’s findings to drive more direct bookings.&nbsp; You can find the full report on PR Newswire at <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-goat-mindset-expedia-reveals-2022s-biggest-travel-trend-301433866.html">https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-goat-mindset-expedia-reveals-2022s-biggest-travel-trend-301433866.html</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Expedia is framing their study around the “Greatest Of All Trips” or GOAT. Let’s see how we can make sure Expedia’s GOAT doesn’t eat our direct bookings.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Where U.S. Travelers Are Heading in 2022:</h2>



<p>Domestic travel leads the way in 2022 with 59% of U.S. respondents staying in the states. 37% are going to be venturing out beyond our borders, which is a refreshing change from the past.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Domestic: Orlando, Destin, Gatlinburg – Pigeon Forge, Panama City and Maui</li><li>International: Riviera Maya/Playa del Carmen/Tulum, Rome, Bali, London and Paris</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Scrapping the Schedule</h2>



<p>37% of U.S. travelers said travel has been less spontaneous since the pandemic. The good news is 25% want to be MORE spontaneous with another 26% wanting to just be a bit more flexible.&nbsp; That means over 50% of travelers are up for grabs if you can put the right offer in front of them.</p>



<p><strong>Expedia Says: </strong>Use the free cancellation filter on the Expedia app</p>



<p><strong>TravelBoom Says:</strong> Obviously free cancellations are key, and will continue to be a major factor in driving advance bookings.&nbsp; While a no-holds-barred cancel anytime policy is not always realistic, hotels should adapt a workable policy to ensure they can continue to market and appear on these searches.&nbsp; In addition to this, work your owned assets and aggressively target past guests who have not recently booked.&nbsp; Give them a reason to drop everything and get away.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Splurge-cation</h2>



<p>Travelers are going big and opening their wallets to make up for lost time and seeking out GOATs. 40% of travelers are more willing to treat themselves and spend money on their next trip through:&nbsp;</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>luxurious experiences (15%),&nbsp;</li><li>upgrading on rooms or flights (16%)&nbsp;</li><li>visiting a bucket-list destination (32%),&nbsp;</li></ul>



<p>2022 travelers are going to be looking for some pampering and “wow” experiences.</p>



<p><strong>Expedia Says: </strong>Get treated like a VIP by staying at Expedia VIP Access properties, top-rated hotels that offer member perks like spa credits, late check-out and more.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>TravelBoom Says:</strong> Upgrayedd your stay, for a double dose of luxury (courtesy of my favorite movie).&nbsp; Everything from a welcome gift at check in to room upgrades and luxury additional services are all big.&nbsp; Consider packages that add a touch of luxury. Your guests will appreciate the service and you’ll appreciate the Profpar (profit per available room) increase.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Immerse to Discover</h2>



<p>Travelers are looking for their Greatest Of All Trips (GOAT) by stepping outside their comfort zone. This includes 22% looking to connect/immerse in a destination or culture, with an additional 19% looking for completely new experiences.</p>



<p><strong>Expedia says</strong>: Expedia&#8217;s handy &#8220;Interest&#8221; filters will help narrow activity and experience searches. Try filtering by history and culture, or food and drink to indulge in a food tour to get the very best the destination has to offer.</p>



<p><strong>TravelBoom says:</strong> Hotel’s need to step outside of THEIR comfort zone and promote new and exciting experiences to travelers.&nbsp; Tools like additional services/experiences during the booking process, pre-arrival promotions, and on-property sales can elevate an otherwise normal vacation experience into an incredibly memorable experience.&nbsp; One client that comes to mind offers a very cool weekly Hawaiian-style luau, complete with food and flame dancers (Siva afi).&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sensation Seeking</h2>



<p>2020 and ‘21 have been pretty boring; in 2022, travelers want to feel the rush of adrenaline. 41% of respondents want to feel exhilarated during their travel. 11% want daring activities and experiences, while 24% are going to be happy with an amazing night out.</p>



<p><strong>Expedia says: </strong>Use Expedia&#8217;s &#8220;Adventure &amp; Outdoor&#8221; filter to narrow down experiences that will get the blood rushing and adrenaline pumping.</p>



<p><strong>TravelBoom says: </strong>Your property probably doesn’t have cliff diving or an exotic car driving experience. Though we bet you do have something to get guests’ blood flowing in your area.&nbsp; Create the partnerships to offer something outside of someone’s comfort zone.&nbsp; Something like deep sea fishing, hiking, or just a secluded dinner on the top of your hotel!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Unfiltered Enjoyment</h2>



<p>Travelers are starting to finally unplug on vacation instead of fully documenting their trip on Insta. 36% are searching for a sense of contentment and mental wellbeing on their next trip, 24% plan to spend less time on their devices to be more present. Travel in 2022 will be about quality, not quantity, where travelers are embracing the simple pleasures to truly achieve their GOAT with more meaningful impact.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Expedia says: </strong>Whether it&#8217;s relaxing at a Mexico spa retreat, or staying at the Tierra Patagonia Hotel &amp; Spa in Chile with zero reception or Wi-Fi, it&#8217;s the perfect time to discover unplugged getaways that are sure to recharge the batteries.</p>



<p><strong>TravelBoom says: </strong>Focus on your marketing strategies and find what resonates with each of your guest personas (you have personas right?). Some guests will want to continue to enjoy a highly connected always-on vacation, while others are looking for a more unconnected getaway. However, “now more than ever” wellness is a major selling point and if your property can authentically deliver an unplugged experience, lean in to that!&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Newsaroos:</strong></h3>



<p><strong>The New Expandable Snippet</strong></p>



<p><a href="https://www.seroundtable.com/google-expandable-snippet-carousel-live-32511.html">https://www.seroundtable.com/google-expandable-snippet-carousel-live-32511.html</a>&nbsp;</p>



<p>========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>60 Seconds To Success:</strong></h3>



<p>Use <a href="https://answerthepublic.com/">AnswerThePublic.com</a> to identify new content ideas and improve upon your existing website content. It&#8217;s as simple as that. Identify certain keywords that are important to your hotel and AnswerThePublic will show you what questions people are typing into search engines related to your key phrase. Answer these questions within your content and your site will be much more likely to rank when someone types that question into a search bar. </p>



<p></p>



<p><meta charset="utf-8">========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Stat of the Week:</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Stat of the Week:</strong></p>



<p>Check back for new and exciting stats that will shock the hotel world!</p>



<p>========================</p>



<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/_travelboom" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@_travelboom</a> or info@travelboommarketing.com.</p>



<p><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IN ADDITION TO THE PODCAST WE HAVE A STACK OF WHITEPAPERS AND STUDIES YOU CAN DOWNLOA</a>D FOR FREE!</a></a></p>


Hotel Marketing Podcast Episode 208 – Don’t Let Expedia’s GOAT Eat Your Direct Bookings


<p>Today we’re looking at how you can improve your hotel’s conversion rate through A/B testing. We’re covering the basics from a more detailed article<a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/improving-conversion-rates-with-ab-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> found on our blog</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<p>To put it simply, A/B testing is comparing two versions of a single variable. On a hotel’s website, there are countless variables that can be tested to improve user experience and increase conversion rates for email captures, RFP submissions, transactions and any other task you are trying to get your website visitors to complete.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Let’s look at some factors you need to consider when setting up tests, as well as some example tests you should run on your hotel’s website.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">1 Time Delay Testing</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>One way to employ an A/B test is to test how a time delay will impact the effectiveness of your pop ups.<ul><li>These could be email capture pop-ups, special promotions, etc.&nbsp;</li></ul></li><li>A good test is to test a pop-up that displays immediately vs one that displays after someone has spent 20 seconds on the page.&nbsp;<ul><li>You will want to see how this impacts the pop-up conversion as well as how it impacts time on the page.&nbsp;</li></ul></li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">2 Testing Verbiage or Copy</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>This is one of the most basic, yet most effective A/B tests you can run.</li><li>Consider how testing a different headline, overall length of your copy, or most importantly, call to action can impact your conversion rate.</li><li>You may want to change your generic CTAs to something that conveys urgency (or FOMO), like “Limited Rooms Available” or “Flash Sale.”</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">3 Placement Testing</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Testing the placement of booking widgets, buttons and links can greatly impact your conversion rate.</li><li>Something as simple as moving a button above the fold on mobile can significantly increase the amount of clicks that button gets.</li><li>We have also seen varying success with “sticky” elements, such as locking booking widgets to the top as users scroll.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">4 Color or Typography Testing</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>We have come across countless websites that use hard to read font or strange color contrasts.&nbsp;</li><li>Testing higher color contrasts or more legible fonts could greatly impact how users interact with your site.&nbsp;</li><li>Keep in mind that you are likely too familiar with your own site and you know what the copy says. You should get an independent third party to tell you if they think your font is legible or if they can easily read text overlays on images.&nbsp;</li><li>You also need to keep in mind the ADA compliance implications of contrasts and fonts.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">5 Testing Creative Assets</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Testing new creative assets can include new images, logos, videos, video length, etc.&nbsp;</li><li>While these don’t have an obvious tangible clickable element involved, they can greatly impact the psychology of the user.</li><li>Examples of creative tests can be testing your own photography vs UGC from your guests. You can test still images vs video. You can also test static room images vs 3D tours.&nbsp;</li><li>You may also want to test out new logos and layouts to make your hotel appear more modern, or rustic, or luxurious – depending on the aesthetic you’re trying to promote.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">6 Landing Page Testing</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>When you are paying to drive users to your site through email, search, display, video or social, it is imperative you are sending them to a page that is most likely to get them to convert.&nbsp;</li><li>You should be testing this and testing it regularly.&nbsp;</li><li>You should also be re-testing this after you make changes to a landing page that you are paying to send users to.</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">7 Testing Psychological Triggers In The Booking Process</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Consider testing things like strikethrough rates, how many rooms are still available for selected dates, or social proof, like “5 people have booked this room type in the last 24 hours.”</li><li>You should also be testing a variety of room images.</li><li>Test your room description verbiage.</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">8 Form Field Testing</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>There are many tests you can run on your forms.</li><li>You should consider limiting/expanding the information you’re capturing.<ul><li>Does requiring more information get you more qualified leads or reduce the number of qualified leads?&nbsp;</li><li>Would limiting your form to only an email address generate so many more leads that you’re willing to sift through the bad ones to get more good ones?</li></ul></li><li>The verbiage you use in any form questions.&nbsp;<ul><li>While you may understand exactly what you want people to put into a given field, it may not be clear to every user.</li></ul></li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">9 Device Testing</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>It’s important to consider how your tests will display across different devices.</li><li>Understand which devices are most important to your site. For most hotels, you should be testing with a mobile first mentality.&nbsp;<ul><li>You should also look at test results across devices and see how they differ before you select a winning version.</li></ul></li></ul>



<p><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/improving-conversion-rates-with-ab-testing/">Visit Alyssa’s article for a list of A/B testing tools, plugins, and platforms.&nbsp;</a></p>



<p>========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>60 Seconds To Success:</strong></h3>



<p>Use your CRM’s behavior tracking and triggering features. Any great system, Blueshift or otherwise, will have the ability to set a first-party cookie on the user&#8217;s machine the moment they first interact with your site.&nbsp; This will let you associate all their behavior back to their email, once you eventually get that information.&nbsp; Better yet, once you have that association set you can begin to create a better picture of that customer including all devices they use, specific dates and room types, vacation reasons, and much more. &nbsp; After these tracking systems are in place you can start the real work of delivering personalized ads, emails, and content on a one-to-one basis.&nbsp; Get in touch with your CRM provider and find out how to make this happen today.&nbsp; The sooner you start collecting data the better picture you will have of your customer’s needs, expectations, and what will trigger them to book a stay.</p>



<p>========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Newsaroos:</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Grandma Kicked Out Of Hotel After Leaving Bad Review:</strong></p>



<p><a href="https://www.wmbfnews.com/2021/11/22/grandma-kicked-out-hotel-after-leaving-bad-review/">https://www.wmbfnews.com/2021/11/22/grandma-kicked-out-hotel-after-leaving-bad-review/</a></p>



<p></p>



<p></p>



<p><meta charset="utf-8">========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Stat of the Week:</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Stat of the Week:</strong></p>



<p>Check back for new and exciting stats that will shock the hotel world!</p>



<p>========================</p>



<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/_travelboom" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@_travelboom</a> or info@travelboommarketing.com.</p>



<p><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IN ADDITION TO THE PODCAST WE HAVE A STACK OF WHITEPAPERS AND STUDIES YOU CAN DOWNLOA</a>D FOR FREE!</a></a></p>


Hotel Marketing Podcast Episode 207 – How To Improve Hotel Website Conversion Rates


<p>Today we’re digging into what is on a lot of hoteliers&#8217; minds, 2022 and the big projects you’re planning for in the upcoming year.&nbsp; One of those bigger capital expenses many are planning on is a new website.&nbsp; Well, if that’s you, you’ve brought your ears to the right place since we’re going to be discussing how to choose the right CMS for your hotel website.&nbsp; As we discuss this today, you can follow along on our corresponding article at <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/choosing-a-cms-for-your-hotel-website/">admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/choosing-a-cms-for-your-hotel-website/</a>&nbsp;</p>



<p>Before we begin to recommend any hotel website CMS it’s important to look at what your needs actually are.&nbsp; Are you building a complex website for a large resort with amenities, dining, entertainment and more?&nbsp; Or are you building a site for a smaller boutique inn?&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Once you have determined your use case and needs, we need to talk about budgets.&nbsp; While we all like to think we can get the moon on a stick (that’s for you Stuart) you will want to consider what goes into the site you need.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Now, let’s look at the three main sites/platforms independent hoteliers use for their hotel site’s CMS.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>WordPress</li><li>SquareSpace</li><li>Wix</li></ul>



<p>========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>60 Seconds To Success:</strong></h3>



<p>To make the most out of your hotel’s paid advertising budget, you need to be as refined as possible when it comes to targeting. Not all hotels have tens of thousands of dollars to spend each month to reach new guests at the top of the funnel and reel them into their mouse trap. Some only have a few hundred dollars to spend max. For those hotels, we recommend looking at a few factors to only run ads at the right time to the right prospect. The right time could be your top converting day of the week, hour of day or a combination of both. The right prospect may include people who live in certain areas, who fall into certain behavioral audiences, who fall into certain income levels etc. Layer targeting allows you to make the most out of a very small advertising budget.<strong> </strong></p>



<p>========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Newsaroos:</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Travel Deal Tuesday?</strong> Does this really need to be a thing?<a href="https://www.traveldealtuesday.com/">https://www.traveldealtuesday.com/</a> </p>



<p></p>



<p><meta charset="utf-8">========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Stat of the Week:</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Stat of the Week:</strong></p>



<p>Check back for new and exciting stats that will shock the hotel world!</p>



<p>========================</p>



<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/_travelboom" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@_travelboom</a> or info@travelboommarketing.com.</p>



<p><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IN ADDITION TO THE PODCAST WE HAVE A STACK OF WHITEPAPERS AND STUDIES YOU CAN DOWNLOAD HERE</a></p>


Hotel Marketing Podcast Episode 206 – Which CMS Is Right For Your Hotel Website?


<p>For decades retailers have relied on a massive sale at the end of the year to push their profitability into the black, hence the term Black Friday.&nbsp; What retailers have known for years has been slow to be adopted by hoteliers. Even now, far too many hotels and resorts are not participating in the annual shopping spree.&nbsp; Millions in bookings are lost every year and the sooner hoteliers jump on the bandwagon the sooner revenue projections and rate yielding for next year can take place.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What is OTT Advertising?</h2>



<p>OTT stands for “over-the-top” and is essentially television commercials served specifically through streaming services on connected devices. It’s called over-the-top because of advertiser’s ability to go over-the-top of the traditional gatekeepers of this medium which have historically been cable TV providers.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Where do OTT Ads Run?</h2>



<p>These ads run on streaming services such as Hulu, Roku, Pluto.tv, Sling, Tubi, Vimeo, Vevo as well as channel specific apps like ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX &amp; many, many more outlets. This apps can run on personal computers, mobile devices, smart TVs, streaming devices like Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV as well as apps on gaming consoles.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Who Would Even See These Ads</h2>



<p>The number of people who currently subscribe to streaming services continues to grow. If you use any of these streaming services, you have almost definitely been exposed to OTT ads. According to a <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/742452/media-streaming-services-penetration-rate-age/">Statista survey held in May 2020</a>, 70% of people aged 18-34 subscribe to a streaming service. While this number drops to 49% for those aged 65+, it is still a significant percentage of the population who could be exposed to this type of advertising.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The biggest and best difference between OTT and traditional TV commercials is the targeting aspect that OTT provides. Consider all of the targeting options you have available to you through other digital media like geographic targeting, demographic targeting, interest based targeting, life event targeting, etc. This is all available to you through OTT and it is what makes this medium so appealing to advertisers who wouldn’t dream of wasting marketing dollars on traditional television commercials through cable providers.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Does OTT Advertising Make Sense For Hotels?</h2>



<p>As with anything, our answer is “it depends.”&nbsp;</p>



<p>It depends on your current marketing budget. Do you have additional marketing dollars set aside to try new things, or is your marketing budget so tight that you need to focus only on the tried and true, high ROAS platforms.&nbsp;</p>



<p>It depends on your hotel’s need for demand generation and brand awareness. For example, a new hotel that needs to generate awareness within its area’s top feeder markets would be a perfect candidate for OTT. On the other hand, you may be a well-established, well-known hotel but you want to promote some new feature or amenity you have on property or the fact that you are a title sponsor of an upcoming event.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>It depends on your property’s ability to provide a unique differentiator that would resonate and entice a particular target audience to book a stay based on your video ad. Essentially, do you offer something worthy of this type of advertising campaign?</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Examples of Viable OTT Campaigns For Hotels.</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Your hotel offers a unique wedding venue and you have created a special wedding package. You could target a defined geographic area around your hotel and layer that targeting with users labeled as recently engaged, and/or users who have visited your weddings page of your website.&nbsp;<ul><li>You could also use the “recently engaged” audience to promote a specific honeymoon package that your hotel offers.&nbsp;</li></ul></li><li>Your hotel offers a unique kid-friendly experience such as a waterpark, on-site arcade, themed suites, etc. You could then target specific known feeder markets for your hotel layered with an audience of Parents with children aged 6-12 with a special weekend getaway package.&nbsp;</li><li>Your hotel is in close proximity to a local ski resort. You could layer geo-targeting for your top feeder markets with an audience of Winter Sports/Skiing enthusiasts with a special package that features accommodations and discounted lift tickets &amp; free shuttle service.&nbsp;</li><li>You have an annual music festival that brings thousands of people to your area. Your hotel could partner with the event promoters to package accommodations with discounted tickets to the festival. You would then create an audience segment of previous guests who have stayed at your hotel for the festival and show them an ad to take advantage of your exclusive package.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<p>These are just a few examples of viable OTT tests, but there are certainly many others that may make sense for your offering. The point is that you need to create something that is going to be enticing and memorable enough for people to see the ad on their television, then want to visit your site to take advantage of your offer. You also need to be as refined as possible with your targeting so you know your ads are only reaching people with a high probability of taking advantage of your offer.&nbsp;</p>



<p>========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>60 Seconds To Success</strong></h3>



<p>Dedicate time to review your reviews. This goes for anyone working in the hotel industry. From marketers, to GMs, to front desk &amp; operations. Everyone needs to know what people are saying about their experience on property. It is great to see the praise of the 5 star reviews and also get a reality check from the honest 1 &amp; 2 star reviews.&nbsp;</p>



<p>When an employee is mentioned in a good review, it should be acknowledged. The feedback from a positive review can also help the marketing team identify &amp; promote differentiators they may not know exist.&nbsp;</p>



<p>It&#8217;s also important to read the honest negative reviews and acknowledge what issues need to be addressed from cleanliness to staff interactions.&nbsp;</p>



<p>You should also repeat this process for your competitor hotels and see if there are things that people appreciate about them that you could also capitalize on.&nbsp;</p>



<p>We know that the vast majority of guests read reviews before booking so leaning into the things that generate positive reviews and fixing the things that cause negative reviews will almost certainly increase occupancy.</p>



<p>========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Newsaroos:</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Choice Hotels Hopes to Finish Out Year Ahead of 2019 Levels</strong></p>



<p><a href="https://skift.com/2021/11/04/choice-hotels-hopes-to-finish-out-year-ahead-of-2019-levels/">https://skift.com/2021/11/04/choice-hotels-hopes-to-finish-out-year-ahead-of-2019-levels/</a></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>$117 million third quarter profit</li><li>RevPAR in the U.S. was 11.4 percent higher in Q3 v/s 2019 (aka: Pre COVID)</li></ul>



<p><meta charset="utf-8">========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Stat of the Week:</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Stat of the Week:</strong></p>



<p>Check back for new and exciting stats that will shock the hotel world!</p>



<p>========================</p>



<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/_travelboom" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@_travelboom</a> or info@travelboommarketing.com.</p>



<p><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IN ADDITION TO THE PODCAST WE HAVE A STACK OF WHITEPAPERS AND STUDIES YOU CAN DOWNLOAD HERE</a></p>


Hotel Marketing Podcast Episode 205 – Does OTT Advertising Make Sense For Hotels?


<p>For decades retailers have relied on a massive sale at the end of the year to push their profitability into the black, hence the term Black Friday.&nbsp; What retailers have known for years has been slow to be adopted by hoteliers. Even now, far too many hotels and resorts are not participating in the annual shopping spree.&nbsp; Millions in bookings are lost every year and the sooner hoteliers jump on the bandwagon the sooner revenue projections and rate yielding for next year can take place.</p>



<p>On today&#8217;s episode, we are going to review the article, &#8220;<strong><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/the-definitive-guide-to-black-friday-for-hoteliers/">The Definitive Guide To Black Friday For Hoteliers</a></strong>&#8221; and focus on the specific way hotels and resorts of all sizes can take advantage of the shopping momentum effect of Black Friday to drive bookings and set the stage for an aggressive rate management strategy in 2022.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Black Friday Best Practices Cheat Sheet</h3>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Plan Ahead</li><li>Include Revenue Management Early</li><li>Create The Best Deal</li><li>Give Your Guest History The Best Deal</li><li>Invest In Creative</li><li>Countdown Timers Work</li><li>Align Your Paid Tactics</li><li>Alert Your Technology Providers</li><li>Alert Your Staff</li><li>Plan For An AAR</li><li>Schedule Next Year’s Kick off</li></ul>



<p>========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>60 Seconds To Success</strong></h3>



<p>Everyone’s days are very busy, and spending 30 minutes or an hour listening to a sales pitch for a new product or service can seem like a colossal waste of time.&nbsp; However, keep an open mind and allocate an hour or two per month to understand what new products and technologies are out there for hoteliers.&nbsp; You may not, and probably won’t, purchase but what you will do is break away from your day-to-day mindset.&nbsp; This can help you find new ways to use your existing technology, things you may want to implement on your own, or something you may want to budget for in the future.&nbsp; Every new piece of technology we use starts as a pitch somewhere, we suggest you be on the lookout to take advantage of the next one… before your competitors.</p>



<p>========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Newsaroos:</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Facebook’s New Name is Meta:</strong> <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/28/22745234/facebook-new-name-meta-metaverse-zuckerberg-rebrand">https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/28/22745234/facebook-new-name-meta-metaverse-zuckerberg-rebrand</a></p>



<p><meta charset="utf-8">========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Stat of the Week:</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Stat of the Week:</strong></p>



<p>Black Friday online spending totals for this year (2021) is expected to exceed 17 billion dollars, a 20% increase over 2020 (source: <a href="https://blackfriday.com/news/black-friday-predictions">https://blackfriday.com/news/black-friday-predictions</a>)&nbsp;</p>



<p>========================</p>



<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/_travelboom" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@_travelboom</a> or info@travelboommarketing.com.</p>



<p><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IN ADDITION TO THE PODCAST WE HAVE A STACK OF WHITEPAPERS AND STUDIES YOU CAN DOWNLOAD HERE</a></p>


Hotel Marketing Podcast Episode 204 – A Hotelier’s Guide to Black Friday


<p>You may have the world’s smallest hotel, like the <a href="https://www.ehehaeusl.de/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eh’Haeusl</a> in Amberg Germany with just one room 8’ wide.&nbsp; Or you may have the world’s largest hotel, like the 7,351 room <a href="https://www.rwgenting.com/Hotels/First_World_Hotel/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">First World Hotel &amp; Plaza</a> in Malaysia.&nbsp; Even if you work at one of the other 700,000 hotels worldwide, you all have a similar problem.&nbsp; How can you create compelling content that will inspire your potential guests to make a booking?</p>



<p>Today on Episode 203 of the Hotel Marketing Podcast we are going to dive into the 10 steps any hotelier use to create kickass content for their website. We will also cover the ways to ensure this content rank as highly as possible in the SERP.&nbsp; You can enjoy the full-length article at <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/create-kickass-website-content/">https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/create-kickass-website-content/</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<p>To summarize, we’ll cover how to plan your calendar, target your content, and execute your strategy.&nbsp; Now let’s dive into the 10 steps to creating kickass hotel content.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">#1: Define Your Topic.</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>The blog on your hotel website should contain a variety of topics.&nbsp;</li><li>Of course, write articles featuring your on-site restaurant or the recent renovations made to your pool area.&nbsp;</li><li>Self-promoting topics are important, but you also have to think outside the box. Tangential content about your area can help people find you when they are interested in your area but may not be familiar with your hotel.&nbsp;<ul><li>Think of your blog as a digital concierge.&nbsp;</li></ul></li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">#2: Who Is Your Target Audience?</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Before we get further into the content creation process, let’s remember to whom we are writing this blog article.&nbsp;</li><li>The overall goal is to create an amazing user experience that turns page visitors into hotel guests. But who is your typical hotel guest?&nbsp;</li><li>Your target audience may change by topic as well. Those who find and read your article about local nightclubs may not be the same crowd that’s finding your article about local museums.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">#3: What Are My Target Keywords?</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Now it’s time to select your keyword(s).&nbsp;</li><li>Start by thinking of how someone would search for your topic when putting it into a search engine. It might be one word or a phrase or even a question.&nbsp;</li><li>To keep track of your main keyword and keyword variations you may want to include in your blog article, it is helpful to create a spreadsheet for your findings.</li><li>You’ll want to look at search volume and competition for all of your keyword variations</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">#4: Who Are My Competitors?</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>The best way to be sure your content is better than that of your competitors is to read what your competitors have written.&nbsp;</li><li>Simply take your main keyword(s) and enter it into a search engine.</li><li>When you see which sites are ranking, you then need to figure out how you can make your content more appealing and more informative or provide something that the others aren’t (like videos, images or maps).&nbsp;</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">#5: Get To Work Creating Something Great.</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>It’s time to write! Before you get overwhelmed with a blank page, try creating an outline of your article.&nbsp;</li><li>Make a list of the main points you want to discuss and any specifics within those. Then make note of how you want to introduce your article and how best to conclude your thoughts.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">#6: Don’t Forget Your Optimization Best Practices.</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Now is the time to add headers to your text. This is not only helpful for users to make the content easier to read but also important for optimization.&nbsp;</li><li>Google pays attention to the headers on your page and it is a factor when determining your page’s ranking.&nbsp;</li><li>Your new post will likely reference something you have written about before. Create internal links within these references. Also, make sure your posts link to page you know do a great job of sending users further down the conversion funnel.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">#7: Go The Extra Mile with FAQs.</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Continue thinking about the big picture by adding elements to your article that will be helpful from an SEO standpoint.&nbsp;</li><li>Remember the questions you saw in the search results under “People Also Ask”? You can add FAQ schema to your webpage with these questions and their answers.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">#8: The Devil Is In The Details, The Technical Details.</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Once your article is complete, edits have been made and the extras have been added, it’s time to post.&nbsp;</li><li>When adding your new blog article to your website, don’t forget the technical details that are very important from an SEO perspective.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">#9: Submit Your Content To Search Engines.</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>You want to be sure that Google knows you have created new content as quickly as possible. Within Google Search Console, which is a free tool, there is a tab titled URL Inspection.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">#10: Promote, Promote, Promote&#8230;</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Finally, anytime you create new blog content on your website, you should share it with your “Followers.” Whatever social media networks you are on, be sure to create a post inviting your followers to read and share your new article.&nbsp;</li><li>You may also want to send it in prearrival emails or newsletters.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<p>Keep in mind, while you may be working on creating kickass content, the reality is that is just a means to an end.&nbsp; Your true goal is to put heads in beds.&nbsp; This means you should never forget the conversion funnel, specifically how you plan to move a reader from the piece of content to the booking process. While not taking away from the value of the content you have created, look for natural ways to put your brand, amenities, or specials into the article.&nbsp;</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>60 Seconds To Success</strong></h3>



<p>Running a Flash Sale or Limited Time Offer? Be sure to use countdown timers on your website and within your ad copy. When someone sees “Only 2 Days Left To Save 45%” in your ad copy and they click on your ad and see another timer ticking away it creates a sense of urgency and FOMO. We have seen this work wonders and tends to generate high CTR from ads and high CR for not only those who have seen the ad but all website visitors who see the countdown. If you have a Cyber Monday sale coming up, be sure to test this tactic for yourself.&nbsp;</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Newsaroos:</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Hotels Can Afford To Be Greedy</strong></p>



<p><a href="https://www.phocuswire.com/Hotels-afford-to-be-greedy-2021-final-quarter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.phocuswire.com/Hotels-afford-to-be-greedy-2021-final-quarter</a></p>



<p><strong>International Travel To Resume To The United States In November</strong></p>



<p><a href="https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/us-to-lift-border-restrictions-canada-mexico?did=684564-20211013&amp;utm_campaign=just-in_newsletter&amp;utm_source=travelandleisure.com&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=101321&amp;cid=684564&amp;mid=69315670004" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/us-to-lift-border-restrictions-canada-mexico?did=684564-20211013&amp;utm_campaign=just-in_newsletter&amp;utm_source=travelandleisure.com&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=101321&amp;cid=684564&amp;mid=69315670004</a> </p>



<p><meta charset="utf-8">========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Stat of the Week:</strong></h3>



<p>No stats this week, check back next episode!</p>



<p>========================</p>



<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/_travelboom" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@_travelboom</a> or info@travelboommarketing.com.</p>



<p><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IN ADDITION TO THE PODCAST WE HAVE A STACK OF WHITEPAPERS AND STUDIES YOU CAN DOWNLOAD HERE</a></p>


Hotel Marketing Podcast Episode 203 – How You Can Create Kickass Content For Your Hotel’s Website


<p>In today&#8217;s episode of the Hotel Marketing Podcast, we welcome special guest Bruce Jordan of <a href="https://hotelguestmanagement.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hotel Guest Management</a> and &#8220;<a href="https://hotelyoutube.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hotel Management Do&#8217;s and Don&#8217;ts</a>&#8221; on YouTube.</p>



<p>Listen to the full podcast for details on how you can help break down your property&#8217;s marketing/operations silos and help everyone work together more effectively.</p>



<ol class="wp-block-list"><li>Great Communication with Revenue Management</li><li>Great Communication with Sales Team</li><li>Employee Testimonials</li><li>Corporate Testimonials</li><li>Leverage your Relationship with 3rd Party Vendors</li></ol>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Connect with Bruce Jordan:</h3>



<p><strong>Youtube:</strong> <a href="http://hotelyoutube.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hotelyoutube.com</a>&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>LinkedIn: </strong><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bestofbrucejordan/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/bestofbrucejordan/</a>&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Facebook: </strong><a href="https://facebook.com/txtguest" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@txtguest</a></p>



<p><strong>Instagram: </strong><a href="https://instagram.com/txtguest" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@txtguest</a></p>



<p><strong>Website: </strong><a href="http://hotelguestmanagement.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hotelguestmanagement.com</a></p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>60 Seconds To Success</strong></h3>



<p>Fully explore what your PMS and booking engine can do to improve your conversion rate and average order value.&nbsp; A good example is using the proper urgency messages that may (and should) be built into the shopping process.&nbsp; If a room is popular or is in limited inventory, it should be highlighted with a message to drive a potential guest to book right away.&nbsp; Another example would be hoteliers who think of additional services/add-ons as an afterthought.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>I’d also love to talk about accessing the “second wallet” and upgrading rooms between booking and stay, but that would be getting beyond my 60-second window.</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Newsaroos:</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Is Daily Housekeeping A Thing Of The Past?</strong></p>



<p><a href="https://www.htrends.com/trends-detail-sid-117404.html">https://www.htrends.com/trends-detail-sid-117404.html</a></p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Stat of the Week:</strong></h3>



<p>According to <a href="https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/consumer-trends/holiday-travel-insights/">Google’s Holiday Travel Insights</a>: “On average, 45% of travelers said they planned to travel within their own countries in the early fall, and 8% planned to travel internationally. When it comes to holiday travel, 30% to 40% will plan trips a month or more in advance, while the majority will make plans less than a month ahead of time.”</p>



<p>========================</p>



<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/_travelboom" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@_travelboom</a> or info@travelboommarketing.com.</p>



<p><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/downloads/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IN ADDITION TO THE PODCAST WE HAVE A STACK OF WHITEPAPERS AND STUDIES YOU CAN DOWNLOAD HERE</a></p>


Hotel Marketing Podcast Episode 202 – Top 5 Hotel Operations Efforts That Support Marketing With Bruce Jordan


<p>In today&#8217;s episode the TravelBoom team is going to dive into the 13th and 14th editions of the Covid-19 Traveler Sentiment Studies and discuss the key takeaways that will impact hoteliers as we close out 2021 and look toward 2022.</p>



<p>Listen to the full podcast for details and you&#8217;ll learn:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li><strong>It&#8217;s all age based: </strong>Those under 40 are pretty relaxed about covid, 40 &#8211; 55 are a little bit more concerned, 55 plus are highly concerned.</li><li><strong>48% of respondents are changing their travel plans:</strong> Nearly 1/2 of travelers surveyed said they are either hesitant to travel or are not going to travel at all.</li><li><strong>52% are planning more travel in 2022:</strong> 52% are going to take more trips than 2021 and 40% will take the same number of trips, that means 92% plan on traveling! If this holds to be true, we are going to have another fantastic year in the travel industry.</li><li><strong>Older travelers are very hesitant to travel: </strong>Traveler’s under 55 state the Delta variant has largely not impacted their travel behavior&nbsp; 62% plan on traveling as usual.&nbsp; However 56 and older (skewing 75 or older) are much more concerned and only 42% plan to travel as usual.</li><li><strong>International travel requires a different message:</strong> Canadians  have been largely locked out of the US for the past two years.  In fact, of those surveyed only 24% of Canadians said they have traveled in 2021, compared to 73% of their U.S. counterparts. </li><li><strong>Without fail, people are mainly concerned with a hotel&#8217;s cleanliness policies:</strong> When asked, &#8220;How would the following protocols increase your confidence in staying at a property?&#8221; the The #1 response was guests wanting a &#8220;A Deep Cleaning Between Guests.&#8221;  Furthermore the next question was, &#8220;The next time you travel, which of the following would you want the property to communicate to you prior to your stay?&#8221;  The top two answers were updated cleaning protocols at the property (#2), which just came in behind status of local mask requirements.</li></ul>



<p>========================</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>60 Seconds To Success</strong></h3>



<p>We all know how important links are to building authority for your hotel’s website. Link building is a very tedious and time consuming task with a whole lot of rejection, however, one easy way to get links is to leverage existing relationships.&nbsp;</p>



<p>First, identify your vendors, both operations vendors and Marketing/Tech vendors and find out if their websites use testimonials.&nbsp;</p>



<p>If they do, reach out to your vendor contacts and let them know you’re happy with their product or service and you would love to offer a testimonial. In your email, write a quick couple of kind &amp; truthful sentences about your relationship with that product or service and include a link to your website. In many cases they will copy &amp; paste this response into their existing testimonials on their website. Kindly ask that they make that link clickable and thank them again for what they do for your hotel.&nbsp;</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Newsaroos:</strong></h3>



<p><strong>Get Your Google Eco-Friendly Flair&nbsp;</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li><a href="https://skift.com/2021/09/22/googles-new-climate-and-environment-push-wont-drop-rankings-for-hotels-opting-out/">https://skift.com/2021/09/22/googles-new-climate-and-environment-push-wont-drop-rankings-for-hotels-opting-out/</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-22/google-search-adds-eco-certified-check-for-finding-sustainable-hotels">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-22/google-search-adds-eco-certified-check-for-finding-sustainable-hotels</a></li></ul>



<p><meta charset="utf-8">========================</p>



<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/_travelboom" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@_travelboom</a> or info@travelboommarketing.com.</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>


Hotel Marketing Podcast