Content Marketing effectively means publishing and distributing content to a targeted audience, online. You essentially need to attract your target guests, influence them into booking a stay, and retain them as repeat guests.
The key is to first provide useful content that informs and entertains. Secondly, deliver it consistently to establish authority and integrity and to foster engagement.
Every piece of content that you create should be driving new customers to your hotel, you should be able to engage browsers throughout their online journey.
Firstly, review and assess your digital assets including your hotel website, the strength of your social media channels and your email marketing set up – look at your “lists” and assess your metrics on click through rates, bounce rates, share rates etc…
Secondly you should create a content marketing strategy, essentially this is a multi-layered plan that involves: Content Creation; Deciding when, where and how to distribute said content; and how to measure its results. Use this checklist to help:
Who is your audience?
What is the purpose?
What are the business goals?
Which channels will you use?
Create the right formats for each channel.
There are various forms of content your hotel can use – High-quality images, video, well written copy, effective SEO, virtual reality, UGC (User Generated Content) and ongoing social media activity, amongst many, Whatever form of content you choose, they all have value in engaging potential customers.
The greatest thing about content marketing is that it is low-cost, measurable, easy to repeat, and it continues to build.