It is only mid December and I am writing about 2017 New Year’s resolutions. Why? Didn’t your parents often advise you to ‘plan ahead’ or not to ‘short cut’ your homework? Just think of your homework as your ‘innwork’.
I got some good tips from Sojern, a travel tech company. Some of the 7 resolutions this article suggests are a good match for our industry. Here are my picks.
1.”Germans are some of Europe’s earliest travel planners, with an average lead time of 80 days. That means that some of your customers are looking for their spring, and even summer travel, now. Don’t wait until April to engage with your customers, you may miss them!”
I would also suggest engaging with your entire foreign guest list. An email newsletter with some great news about your property and your area. Don’t forget to include great photos.
2. “If your website isn’t optimized for mobile, your customers are likely to leave your site as soon as they arrive. Though most bookings occur on a laptop, research on mobile is rising at impressive rates. If you want to get (and stay!) on the radar of in-market travelers, make sure that your website experience is tailored to their device.”
This is not anything new but…some of you may have been putting off optimizing your site for mobile. So maybe NOW is the time to put this on your 2017 New Year’s resolutions list. Reaching customers that are ready to buy is key.
3. Get involved with Social Media. Now I am really sounding like a broken record. Social Media presence and importance for engaging with your guest is more important than ever. The following stat fact makes the point…”with 76% of travelers posting vacation photos to their social networks, it’s essentially free advertising.”
Most innkeepers today are involved in Social Media to some extent but I often see postings on social media platforms that are not current. Social Media marketing must be an ongoing process. Stay current and post often. You must stay relevant or your guest will go elsewhere.
So make your list and make sure you check it more than twice during 2017.
- Engage foreign travelers early √
- Optimize for Mobile√
- Revaluate your Social Media√
Looking to educate yourself on marketing trends, technology improvements and strategies? The best 2017 New Year’s resolutions you can make is to attend an innkeeping conference. Some of the smartest innkeepers and allied partners will be speaking at the InnSpire Conference and Knowledge Shari Summit & Marketplace. This inaugural joint event will take place aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, January 29 – February 1, 2017. Attending a conference will not only educate you but energize you. And we all need that!
Let’s make 2017 a productive a smarter innkeeper New Year.
Thanks for Listening,
Janet Wolf
