The hospitality industry is probably one of the most competitive markets right now, especially with the growing number of homesharers. As if competing with other establishments isn’t enough as it is. Fortunately, there are a lot of ways to boost customer acquisition and brand recognition through digital marketing strategies. In fact, one efficient way is through email marketing, and today, we’re going to share with you the best practices that you can do to further boost lead acquisition, customer conversion, and
The hospitality industry is probably one of the most competitive markets right now, especially with the growing number of homesharers. As if competing with other establishments isn’t enough as it is.
Fortunately, there are a lot of ways to boost customer acquisition and brand recognition through digital marketing strategies. In fact, one efficient way is through email marketing, and today, we’re going to share with you the best practices that you can do to further boost lead acquisition, customer conversion, and of course, revenue.
Acquire your email list legally
Do not give in to purchasing ready-made lists no matter how tempting. Instead, you can utilize the information that your previous guests have provided you with. You can also acquire new email addresses from your website by installing an opt-in form.
Make signing up for your newsletters worthwhile
Customers won’t sign up through your opt-in form and provide something as personal as their email address if you don’t make it worth their while. You can offer special discounts, exclusive offers, and updates that subscribers will be the first to hear.
Show the Customers Ways to Save Money
Getting updates about upcoming events is great, but nothing beats showing guests various ways to save money while enjoying your accommodations and services. It is also a good way to ensure that your recipients open your emails?by offering hotel deals that are simply too good to pass. For instance, you can say, “Stay with us for 4 nights, but only pay for 3!” at the subject headline. Or “Get a free dinner by booking online”.
Personalize your emails
Here’s the deal: there are times when even the best offers get ignored if the recipients don’t feel that these are relevant to them. Show them that you are not just throwing random discounts to the wind. Let them know that you care about them by personalizing the emails that you send.
There are email marketing platforms that allow you to add names to individual emails without the hassle of going through each of them. This feature is automated. All you need to do is provide the platform with the details that you want each email to have.
In fact, you can further hyper-personalize your emails by breaking down your list into more specialized categories such as demographics, preferred room types, geographic location, and more.
Automate your sending through smart triggers
Don’t get us wrong. Personalized emails should be written and constructed strategically. However, it wouldn’t hurt to prepare pre-formatted emails as well that you can automate sending through the platform. You just need to designate the transactional or operational actions that can trigger them.
For instance, you can send an email containing a booklet of all the available amenities and upcoming events in your hotel the moment your guest checks-in. You can also remind them to leave a review, or better yet create user-generated content by sharing their stay experience through social media with an email that triggers when they check-out.
These kinds of emails can further support any existing email campaigns or work on their own.
Make sure that your emails are CAN-SPAM Compliant
Finally, don’t forget to research the legalities surrounding email marketing. The CAN-SPAM Act, for instance, is a law that seeks to protect online users from getting emails that they don’t want to receive.
Non-compliance will not only subject you to potential penalties of up to $43,792 but can also severely hurt your online reputation. We highly encourage you to learn more about CAN-SPAM. At the very least, you can avoid these costly consequences by sending out relevant emails with quality content while presenting an opt-out mechanism as well.
George Relish is the head of the Digital Marketing Department at Quidable for almost 3 years. Before starting his work at Quidable, he helped a lot of entrepreneurs and startups to succeed through various marketing strategies and tactics. Previously, he partnered with CEOs and executives to grow their businesses, also build an audience and get more clients.