Location based marketing is a great tool for hotel owners interested in attracting new customers.
Image source: wikimedia.org
It’s no secret that the travel industry is going mobile. More hotel chains and boutique properties are focusing their marketing efforts on reaching customers using smartphone and tablets. Whether you’ve recently opened a new hotel location or you’re simply interested in making connections with new customers, a targeted location-based mobile marketing effort can help you attract more customers. Here’s how you can use geo-location technology to effectively reach your audience, and here are some important takeaways for your business.
More hotels have begun using digital marketing to reach mobile customers.
Image source: Flickr user trustedtours
Arm yourself with data
The most effective location-based marketing campaigns are those backed with data. If you run an established business, you may already have a good idea of how your customers found your property, where they spend their time, and whether they are concentrated in a particular geographic location. If you’re just getting started, some market research can help you gather some insight about this critical information. Once you have a better idea of where your target audience lives, and where they might be likely to spend their time, you can start laser focusing your location-based marketing efforts. For example, perhaps you recently opened a new hotel property close to a popular beach. A market research campaign may reveal that your potential guests frequently come to that area for day trips on Saturdays. A good strategy might be to set up a geo-fence around that particular location to try to attract last-minute bookings on weekends.
Many hotels are setting up geofences around particular locations where customers are concentrated.
Image source: wikimedia.org
Know which offers will appeal to your audience
If you want to understand which offers will resonate with your target audience, it’s important to first understand who your customers are. For instance, business travelers are probably going to have different needs than leisure travelers seeking a relaxing vacation getaway. Families may be more intrigued by a particular offer than couples seeking a romantic weekend retreat. Market research can help you learn more about your target customers and their needs. You can then use that information to tailor your marketing messages to more effectively reach your different customer segments with your next location-based campaign.
Track your responses
You’ve launched your campaign. Now it’s time to track some data. One of the most important aspects of any location-based marketing campaign is the data analysis. If you’ve spent time doing your due diligence ahead of time to reach customers where they are, you are already ahead of the game. But the truth is that some campaigns will still be more effective than others. Tracking your campaign data will help you determine which geo-location targeting strategies were the most effective for your business. You can then use this information to tailor your future marketing efforts and improve your conversion rates over time. Keep in mind that if you’re not tracking where your customers are coming from, you could be missing out on some important opportunities for your business!
Mobile marketing can help you attract more customers to your hotel.
Image source: Flickr user leeco
Recent data suggests that more travelers are using their smartphones and tablets to research travel deals and book trips than ever before. If you consider how many people now own and have access to mobile devices, the trend makes sense. This represents an important opportunity for hotel owners who are interested in making connections with an ever-expanding digital audience. Market research can arm you with the data you need to effectively reach your customers with an upcoming location-based campaign.
Are you a hotel owner who is interested in exploring how you can connect with mobile customers? Instant.ly’s integrated survey, sampling, and analysis platform can help you learn more about your target audience. Contact us today to get started!