No matter how good your product or service no one will ever buy it or use it if they do not know about it. Marketing in the hospitality sector is crucially important to stay ahead of competitors, of which there are so many. Whether you are a six-bedroom B&B or a 200-room hotel the importance does not lessen.
In my 20 plus years as a sales and marketing professional in the hotel industry I have seen many radical changes to the practice of marketing from the dependence on print advertising to the almost complete switch to digital marketing.
The arrival of social media has also had a huge impact on the way in which we must engage with our customers. Previously we simply told them about our product or service whereas now we must engage with the customer or lose them to another. It has always been so important to know who your customer is and to build a relationship with them, a trust, that will ensure that they return to you time and time again. This might be as simple as creating a blog, telling a story, a Facebook page or email surveys to gather their feedback or let’s just use the telephone and call them, keep it personal - as long as we communicate regularly and listen to what they are saying in reply.
Based on my past and ongoing experience I would like to share with you a few marketing tips which I hope will be of use to you in growing your hospitality business.
Create a marketing plan if you do not already have one. If you already have a plan, ensure that you consult it regularly, update it as the year goes by and your business needs change and realise that it is a very valuable tool. If you are not sure how to go about creating a plan help is out there, so do not be afraid to ask.
Do not take on more than you and your business can afford in terms of resources. This could include money, time, staff or all the above. For example, there is no point in trying to update four different social media channels when really you only have time to update one. It is better to have one engaging and regularly updated account than four which look abandoned.
Do not try and do everything yourself and do not be afraid to ask the experts. Marketing may be a foreign language to you and be the last thing in the world you want to spend time on and that is ok. However, do prioritise it and instead of struggling alone ask for help from those with experience. It will be worth it for the future success of your business.
Everything the public see, hear and experience of your business is part of your marketing – it establishes your brand and influences your customers. Therefore, present your product well, present yourself well and engage professionally with every customer, supplier and staff member.
Believe in what you do and how you do it. If you are not 100% behind your product or service, you can never convince anyone else of its value. This self-belief could be your most important marketing tool and from this you will make your product or service the best that it can be.
Good luck! Remember it’s all in the planning.
