Can a hotel ever have too many amenities? That long list of features and services can look impressive, but your guests may only want to enjoy a few of them during their stay.
You already know each guest has her own set of motivations for choosing your hotel. And you’re great at creating promotional packages for her because the guest who books with you to relax at the luxurious spa may not be the same guest looking to experience nearby local attractions.
Maintaining that same focus with ads and other marketing materials can be tougher – even though you know targeted communications are more effective. Too many marketing pieces try to attract as many different types of guests as possible by listing every single amenity at a hotel. They go for the “wide net” tactic because they are afraid of missing an opportunity.
How can you stay focused with everything you create
from ads to brochures to websites?Take it one guest at a time.
Focus your marketing message with these tips, including a few examples from our Featured Client, The Westin Beach Resort & Spa, Fort Lauderdale. Their team does a great job at focusing on specific audiences.
Marketing as a one-on-one conversation
Every marketing activity requires an audience of the people you are targeting with your message. However, try to think of your audience as just one potential guest. Using what you know about your actual guests, pull together as much detail as you can about one individual. Ask yourself where she is from, what brought her to your area, why she might stay at your hotel and what plans she has.
Imagine you are having a face-to-face conversation with this one person. What does she want to know about your hotel that will pique her specific interests? Then create your marketing piece with just this one individual in mind. Consider interviewing actual guests as well.
Tell a guest story
Since you’ve already interviewed a few guests to get to know them better, why not include their story in your marketing? Go beyond a testimonial. Really highlight what emotions motivated them to stay with you and what they did at your hotel and around your city. This type of storytelling will inspire potential guests seeking similar experiences.
Add a relevant and remarkable offer
What can you do to offer an exceptional experience for that specific guest? Draw from those emotions that motivated them to stay with you.
In The Westin Beach Resort & Spa, Fort Lauderdale spa package ad for example, the offer includes a late checkout. It’s a minor detail, but one that plays on the reader’s desire for a truly relaxing stay.
Don’t be afraid to include people in your photos
Continue your guest’s story with imagery that captures their experience. The right photo can grab attention and evoke the same emotions you are conveying with your text.
To promote the specials at their beach restaurant for Mothers’ Day, The Westin Beach Resort & Spa, Fort Lauderdale included a photo of a girl drawing a heart in the sand along the seashore. The image captures a special, heartfelt moment, and those are exactly some of the emotions often associated with Mother’s Day. A plate of food just can’t do that.
Direct to a web experience
Now that you have a great story of a specific guest, send them to a specific page on your site or a custom site all together. For those looking for wedding venues, The Westin Beach Resort & Spa, Fort Lauderdale has a microsite with a design, imagery, text and offers devoted to engage the bride-to-be.
Check-in with your guests often to learn more about their stories. And if you need more guidance to focus your message, we’d love to help.
