Content marketing for hotels
There is hardly an industry that can save itself from social media these days. According to a survey conducted by Stiftung Warentest in 2023, 43 % of Germans use the internet to search for goods and services. Incredible when you consider that the internet is barely 30 years old. This process is particularly evident in one sector: tourism and travel. Only 21 % of travellers still use personal advice in travel agencies - everyone else books online. This puts content marketing for hotels in a whole new light: hardly any guesthouse, regardless of whether it is a homestay or a 5-star hotel, can do without content marketing today.
In general, content marketing increases visibility online, improves the digital guest experience and creates clear differentiation from the competition. Effective use of content marketing for hotels helps to attract guests and increase bookings. In my experience, many professional groups are represented in hotel businesses. What they often don't have is a dedicated marketing department. That's why the production of this content is often outsourced to me. Nevertheless, those responsible in the team can do some of the magic themselves: This article summarises what to look out for.
What is content marketing actually?
Content marketing is a marketing strategy in which valuable, informative content is created and distributed in order to inspire a specific, clearly defined target audience. Ideally, the readers or consumers of the text, images or videos will sooner or later become paying customers. In contrast to traditional advertising, which often aims to directly generate sales, content marketing focusses on building relationships and maintaining a lasting bond with the audience.
In the hotel industry, content marketing can be used particularly well to trigger emotional reactions in target groups, increase brand awareness and thus possibly promote the conclusion of direct bookings. The biggest difference to advertising is that content marketing is not used to sell directly, but to slowly but sustainably inspire the audience.
This gives users the feeling that they are not being pushed, but rather enlightened and informed. Some of the most direct benefits for hotels are increased brand awareness through engaging content and more direct bookings by driving potential guests directly to the hotel page or other online booking channels. Around 70 % of travellers look to social media for inspiration - travel influencers, for example, collaborate with hotels to showcase them in their best light.
Target group analysis: the key to successful content marketing for hotels
A good target group analysis is crucial for successful content marketing for hotels (and in any other industry). How can you sell if you don't know to whom? The better the research, the more personalised the content is tailored to the exact requirements and needs of future guests. A hotel can reach specific clusters of people through good target group analysis: Business travellers, families, couples or luxury seekers.
Business travellers may be looking for information on conference rooms and business offers, families may be interested in child-friendly activities and couples may be looking for romantic getaways. Luxury travellers may be looking for exclusive offers and first-class accommodation. The needs, and thus the content that arouses interest, are fundamentally different.
Guest data and comments are invaluable for emotionalising the destination. Hotel companies should always make booking data, guest surveys and reviews available as openly as possible on social media and online. People still trust the experiences of others more than self-promotion. Guest feedback can also be incorporated into the content strategy to create content that is used and appreciated by target customers.
What kind of content is worthwhile for hotel marketing?
- Blogposts
Are you planning your next holiday but don't know where to go yet and are actively looking for inspiration? You google for inspiration or for accommodation around your holiday destination. Identifying these keywords can make content marketing for hotels much easier - if blog posts about the holiday destination, the leisure options and your own offer are adapted to these keywords, the traffic will come organically from Google.
In order to perform well online and rank quickly, this type of content should be peppered with high-quality images that give readers a visual idea of the holiday destination. With the appropriate descriptions in the alt texts, which are essential for a successful SEO strategy, not only is the article visually emphasised, but organic traffic from Google is also attracted. Topics such as local attractions, insider tips and travel inspiration are particularly suitable.
- Videos for social media
Google still favours content in text form. The situation is now completely different with social media: Here you can no longer avoid video content. For hotel content marketing, this can be virtual hotel tours, highlights of the surrounding area, staff interviews, guest experience reports or general travel tips. If approached professionally, the respective location can be presented from its best side. I am happy to support you with the planning and implementation.
Professional photography with images of rooms, facilities, events and surroundings also conveys the ambience of the hotel in an authentic way. Dynamic, short video content complements the hotel experience on social media and the website. Working with a professional photographer and videographer ensures quality and consistency in the visual content.
- E-mail marketing
The easiest way to sell is to happy customers. Collecting email addresses for the newsletter should be at the centre of every hotel marketing campaign. Newsletters with special offers, seasonal tips and personalised recommendations flutter directly into the inboxes of people who associate the hotel with their last relaxing holiday. Supplemented with great pictures, the regular updates can easily turn the positive memories into the next holiday.
Tips and tricks for content marketing for hotels
Marketing strategy is definitely easier said than done. From my experience working with hotels, I know that social media is only worthwhile if there is someone who is responsible and takes care of it in the long term. Digital marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. Creating and posting content once doesn't achieve much. You have to take a long-term approach and continuously interact with the community.
Content marketing should be seen as a long-term strategy to strengthen the brand and increase bookings. I support hotels in the continuous creation and optimisation of content, with a particular focus on professional visual content, in order to assert themselves in the competitive environment in the long term.
