This text was initially developed and printed for Hospitality Internet’s Knowledge and Enterprise Intelligence Thematics. Learn extra right here.
Hospitality advertising is a world in itself. You’re consistently working a mile a minute. The push of creativity, the short execution tempo, and the flood of satisfaction when bookings circulation in is engaging. However within the midst of all that vitality and pleasure, chances are high you hardly ever have a second to pause and mirror on the journey.
What for those who discovered a strategy to achieve further time to finish duties, ponder methods to please visitors, AND crush your advertising targets of lifting income, hitting your upsell targets, and bettering visitor satisfaction scores?
Process automation. It isn’t novel. And but carried out proper it may be a recreation changer for you. What’s in it for you, you ask?
Once you apply automation to personalize the visitor journey, it means you’re getting the best message to the best visitor on the proper second — all with out lifting one other finger after the set-up. Automated campaigns additionally carry out higher. Our 2023 Hospitality Benchmark Report exhibits that automated emails have a 1.5x greater conversion charge than one-time sends.
Ignoring personalization is a danger. Based on McKinsey analysis, 71% of shoppers count on firms to personalize their interactions, and 76% will really feel pissed off with generic communication.
And maybe most significantly, personalization has a direct influence on income. In the identical report, McKinsey discovered that companies who make use of personalization can increase their income by 40%.
The excellent news is that you have already got the information — in your PMS, your CRM, your messaging service, in name heart notes, in visitor surveys, and in your golf, restaurant, and spa programs — you simply want the best expertise to activate it.
That is the place the worth of a Buyer Knowledge Platform (CDP) is available in. A CDP can handle huge quantities of knowledge by amassing, storing, and activating it in actual time — making your life a lot simpler. It permits you to create a complete and unified view of your visitors, to be able to phase your database and personalize advertising campaigns successfully.
Along with amassing information from a number of channels, a CDP empowers you to activate that information throughout channels as properly — electronic mail, voice, textual content messaging, you identify it. Electronic mail advertising, nevertheless, is by far essentially the most broadly used channel for resort entrepreneurs, and the one most ripe for automation. That’s the place we’ll focus our examples in the present day.
We’ll stroll you thru examples of automated electronic mail campaigns you may deploy with a CDP to personalize messaging all through the visitor journey — at inspiration and reserving, pre-arrival, on-property, and post-stay. And sure, a CRM can automate a few of these campaigns too — however not with the identical depth of personalization as a result of information insights accessible within the wealthy visitor profile of a CDP.
What’s the distinction between a CDP and a CRM? Glad you requested. Take a look at this useful resource from Hospitality Internet’s Lodge Yearbook.
Every one of many campaigns beneath is “set it and neglect it”, that means that when you outline the visitor segments and the actions that set off a marketing campaign, they may hold rolling out routinely with no additional effort from you. You’ll see that the direct bookings will hold rolling in.
Soar to the levels of the visitor journey and campaigns that the majority curiosity you:
Reserving and inspiration
Capturing your visitors’ consideration and galvanizing them to think about their stick with you is an important a part of securing direct bookings. Each interplay is a chance to show curiosity into dedication.
Seize visitor emails and their intentions at web site sign-up
The channels: Web site and electronic mail
It’s protected to imagine that visitors land in your web site as a result of they’re interested by reserving a stick with you. Nevertheless, they may not be prepared to drag the set off. Possibly they haven’t finalized their journey dates, or they is likely to be contemplating different choices. However whereas they’re in your web site, you’ll want to attempt to get their electronic mail addresses in an effort to entice them to e book at a later time.
Right here’s an instance of how this may work. Jason, a frequent traveler, clicked into your web site from a Google search on “horseback using ranch resort California”. He browses by way of beautiful photographs of horse trails and blissful riders, however he’s nonetheless exploring his choices. Earlier than he closes the tab, you show a web site abandonment pop-up asking to remain in contact for thrilling promotions. Jason fills out his electronic mail, anticipating that he’ll obtain extra useful data about your property and potential reductions and packages.
Not solely do you could have his electronic mail handle, you additionally know what web page he was visiting when he stuffed out the pop-up. Now you need to use this info to drive curiosity.
Motels can use web site sign-up campaigns to drive direct bookings, get to know visitors like Jason higher, and ask for his or her particulars to ship extremely segmented emails. The extra phase filters you may apply to an viewers, the extra you may tailor your messaging and the higher your marketing campaign will carry out. Our 2024 Hospitality Benchmark Report information exhibits that emails with three or extra phase filters generate 2.6x extra income per recipient.
Take a look on the following marketing campaign instance from Napa Valley Wine Practice – a part of the Noble Home Motels & Resorts, and the way they keep in contact with potential visitors after they enroll on their web site:
Topic line: You’re on the record!
Why we love this marketing campaign: The marketing campaign options beautiful photographs from the wine practice that visitors can stay up for. It additionally has a transparent CTA the place visitors can e book immediately and examine the completely different occasions and distinctive packages the property presents.
Regain misplaced bookings with cart abandonment campaigns
The channels: Web site and electronic mail
Jason took his time and explored his choices. After receiving your resort publication with engaging packages, he’s again and able to make his reserving. He proceeds to his cart, enthusiastic about his upcoming keep. However his telephone rings — it’s his cousin, having automotive hassle. Jason closes his laptop computer to take care of it, abandoning his reserving.
Distractions like this occur on a regular basis (cousin or no), and it’s why purchasing cart abandonment campaigns are a crucial alternative to recuperate misplaced income.
The hospitality business’s cart abandonment charge is 80%. Which means that out of each ten visitors who begin to reserve a keep, eight will go away the reserving engine unfinished. Your visitors, like Jason, might be introduced again — however generally they want slightly nudge to cross the end line.
Re-engage potential visitors by sending a mild reminder electronic mail to immediate them to return and full their reserving, as Jason might need merely forgotten. Typically, providing a small incentive like a reduction or an added perk might be the additional push wanted to make them really feel valued and able to finalize their reservation. Moreover, personalize your communication to every visitor’s preferences and conduct by addressing them by identify and highlighting the particular room or package deal they confirmed curiosity in.
Take a look at this marketing campaign instance by Ovolo Motels:
Topic line 1: Hey Jason, don’t go away us this manner! (day of abandonment)
Topic line 2: Hey Jason, it’s not too late! (2 days later)
Why we love this marketing campaign: Easy—but it has all the things one must proceed with their reserving. On this marketing campaign, Ovolo contains details about their visitors’ future keep and all of the perks they may get pleasure from throughout their go to.
Convey visitors again with cancellation restoration emails
The channels: Electronic mail
Jason’s reserving went by way of – nice! However one other visitor, Caroline, desires to cancel her keep. It occurs. Nevertheless, you may nonetheless have the ability to sway her choice, or get her to maneuver her reservation to completely different dates. Use cancellation restoration emails to encourage visitors like Caroline to rethink their cancellation, probably turning a misplaced reserving right into a confirmed keep.
Want inspiration for a cancellation restoration marketing campaign? Take a look on the following from The July.
Topic line: See you quickly
Why we love this marketing campaign: This cancellation restoration marketing campaign is distributed two days after a cancellation. The topic line is easy but efficient, serving as a mild reminder and nudge to rebook. What stands out essentially the most is the 15% low cost they provide to encourage visitors to finish their reserving. This strategy not solely helps recuperate potential misplaced income, but additionally exhibits The July’s dedication to offering worth.
Pre-arrival
Making certain a seamless and personalised expertise in your visitors begins lengthy earlier than they test in. Pre-arrival communication is a key alternative to create anticipation and tailor their keep to their preferences.
Drive ancillary income and improve the visitor expertise with upsells
The channels: electronic mail and textual content messaging
Upselling by way of electronic mail and textual content messaging (e.g. SMS or WhatsApp) presents a profitable alternative for lodges to spice up income and improve the visitor expertise.
To craft efficient upsells, leverage a Buyer Knowledge Platform for centralized visitor preferences and particulars, swiftly figuring out ideally suited upsell alternatives primarily based on previous pursuits and motivations.
Company worth personalised experiences. Based on analysis by Duetto, 1 in 5 shoppers who expressed curiosity in personalised presents are keen to pay 20% extra.
When presenting upsells, subtly gauge visitor curiosity in potential upgrades and body presents as unique enhancements to their keep. Accenture highlights that 91% of shoppers count on companies to anticipate their wants, emphasizing the significance of tailor-made presents. Tailor your strategy creatively to your property’s location and market, equivalent to providing bike leases in Amsterdam or enterprise traveler facilities. This proactive technique ensures visitor satisfaction and meets their evolving expectations.
By sending personalized upsell campaigns, lodges can generate vital incremental income, with meals and beverage being the preferred class. Based on our 2024 Hospitality Benchmark Report, upsell income from affirmation emails noticed a major 14.2% enhance in 2023, rising from $73 (€67) to $83 (€76) per reserving.
The Pontchartrain Lodge despatched the next marketing campaign 7 days earlier than arrival as their upsell marketing campaign:
Topic line: Upcoming Reservation
Why we love this marketing campaign: Quick however candy. This marketing campaign options a number of the iconic spots of New Orleans, giving visitors journey choices with out overwhelming them.
Join with a useful notice
The channels: electronic mail and textual content messaging
Establishing a private connection along with your visitors is crucial for making them really feel welcome. Take the initiative to ship Jason a personalised notice, offering useful particulars about his upcoming keep. Jason’s visitor profile — because of the CDP — contains info from his previous stays with different properties within the portfolio, together with what facilities he took benefit of and surveys about his preferences. Use this information to routinely spotlight related upsells, equivalent to native occasions and sights to discover throughout his go to.
By together with hyperlinks to particular info in your web site, equivalent to your weblog or calendar of occasions web page, you each improve the visitor expertise and likewise showcase the worth of staying with you. This considerate gesture units the tone for a memorable keep and reinforces your dedication to offering distinctive hospitality.
Cape Weligama despatched the next heat notice to their visitors earlier than their arrival:
Topic line: About your keep at Cape Weligama
Why we love this marketing campaign: Cape Weligama took the time to get to know their visitors and shared useful details about the upcoming Buddhist full moon vacation, “Poya,” and what it means for his or her visitors’ keep.
On-property
Navigating the on-property stage of the visitor journey includes persevering with to have interaction visitors with engaging presents and personalised experiences.
Proceed to seize upsell alternatives
The channels: electronic mail and textual content messaging
Even after visitors have arrived, the chance to upsell continues. Hold them engaged by highlighting the experiences they’ll get pleasure from now that they’re on the property. Think about providing a particular promotion to encourage them to take pleasure in one in all your onsite facilities, whether or not it’s a soothing spa therapy or a refreshing drink on the bar.
Bear in mind, it’s about including worth with out overwhelming your visitors—high quality over amount is essential. A CDP powers the invention of invaluable insights inside your visitor information, equivalent to preferences, pursuits, and spending habits. This allows you to create targeted advertising campaigns that concentrate on particular visitor segments, paving the best way for profitable direct income alternatives. For upsell presents, a CDP permits you to ship essentially the most related presents to the best individuals, maximizing your success.
In Jason’s case, he’s staying with you for a soothing weekend, so a spa therapy and a late checkout would be the good choices for him.
Ellenborough Park despatched the next upsell supply for visitors primarily based on particular keep dates:
Topic line: Have fun the Platinum Jubilee at Ellenborough Park!
Why we love this marketing campaign: This marketing campaign was despatched to recipients primarily based on keep information for the Jubilee weekend. Although the recipient depend was low, the engagement charge was exceptionally excessive.
Publish-stay
Transitioning into the post-stay section presents a strategic alternative to re-engage visitors and create loyal return visitors who e book direct.
Safe direct income and create loyal visitors with OTA winback campaigns
The channels: electronic mail and textual content messaging
As reserving websites proceed to extend their fee charges, lodges are shedding vital income to OTAs. What was once round a ten% fee charge has now escalated to a median vary of 15-30% or extra, encompassing not solely reserving commissions but additionally costs on upsells, cancellations, and taxes.
It’s time to take again management. Even when visitors initially e book by way of OTAs, lodges can entice them to return immediately. The winback marketing campaign emerges as a robust tactic for participating with visitors post-checkout and incentivizing them to e book immediately. Possibly Jason booked a few stays with you prior to now through an OTA, however it doesn’t cease you from giving him causes to e book direct subsequent time.
Make the most of winback campaigns to precise gratitude for his or her go to with a personalised “thanks” message, making them really feel appreciated and valued. Furthermore, encourage direct bookings by providing unique facilities not accessible elsewhere, equivalent to automated upgrades, assured late checkout, or complimentary parking. Whereas the low cost provided could not exceed these on different websites, the distinctive perks supplied can entice visitors to decide on direct reserving channels, enhancing their expertise and fostering loyalty.
CDPs embrace id decision capabilities, which may determine and merge visitor profiles with a masked OTA electronic mail handle. Which means that if Jason had beforehand stayed at your resort by way of an OTA reserving or at one other property inside your resort group, you may uncover his visitor information and study extra about Jason and his pursuits. By focusing on visitors with the best presents, you may win much more direct income and construct lasting loyalty.
We’ve a few OTA Winback marketing campaign examples for you, from MARRAM resort and Paresa Resort Phuket, to reclaim bookings from OTAs:
Topic line: Thanks for selecting Marram (14 days put up check-out)
Why we love this marketing campaign: Give your visitors a cause to e book immediately. On this marketing campaign, MARRAM Lodge presents previous visitors with a number of distinctive promotions and packages, particularly tailor-made for them.
Topic line: Unique Provide For You, [GUEST FIRST NAME]
Why we love this marketing campaign: Make your visitors really feel particular. Right here’s an instance of encouraging your visitors to return with an unique supply, solely accessible in the event that they e book immediately with you. Clear, concise, with a transparent CTA.
Seize visitor suggestions with surveys
The channels: electronic mail
Jason is on the finish of his stick with you. He loved a number of providers and facilities, and also you interacted with him on a number of events. It’s vital to ask Jason about his expertise and encourage him to go away a overview.
Company write opinions for one in all two causes: they have been both pleasantly stunned and delighted by their expertise as a result of their expectations have been exceeded, or they have been dissatisfied as a result of their expectations weren’t met. In both case, these opinions are invaluable studying experiences in your workers.
By paying shut consideration to visitor suggestions, you and your group can achieve a clearer understanding of what you’re doing properly and the place there are alternatives for enchancment. This gives a novel probability to assemble constructive suggestions with out risking your public fame. Encourage visitors to share their ideas so you may constantly refine and improve your providers.
And critically, the data you gather in visitor surveys can be utilized to additional personalize future electronic mail and messaging campaigns.
Re-inspire previous visitors with “we miss you” emails
The channels: electronic mail
After Jason and Caroline return house, it’s time to begin the method once more by re-inspiring them to e book with you once more. Creating loyal, repeat visitors who e book direct is among the greatest methods to scale back your value of acquisition and enhance visitors’ lifetime worth.
“We miss you” campaigns current a invaluable alternative to reconnect with visitors who haven’t visited your property shortly. It’s really helpful to ship these campaigns as much as one yr after the visitor’s most up-to-date keep, guaranteeing you catch them throughout their holiday-planning section. Personalize the message by highlighting particulars about their final keep, sparking recollections about what a particular time that they had.
Right here’s one “We Miss You” marketing campaign instance from Banyan Tree Mayakoba:
Topic line: It’s time to e book your subsequent keep!
Why we love this marketing campaign: This marketing campaign is distributed precisely a yr after a previous visitor’s final stick with the property and can be despatched in Spanish for Spanish-speaking visitors. To have fun the anniversary of their final keep, Banyan Tree Mayakoba invitations visitors to come back again with a particular reward—20% off their subsequent keep and a $100 meals and beverage credit score.
Begin automating personalised visitor communication with a CDP
With a CDP, you may automate your messaging all through the visitor journey with out compromising on personalization, finally enhancing visitor satisfaction and loyalty. Jason is a contented and glad visitor, because of all the personalised communication throughout completely different channels all through his keep.
Be taught extra about how a CDP can automate personalised messaging with our useful resource, “A complete information to the resort Buyer Knowledge Platform,” and why a fundamental CRM isn’t sufficient to attain the personalised experiences that in the present day’s visitors count on in our article, “Evolving from CRM to CDP: What acquired us right here gained’t get us there.”
About Revinate
Revinate empowers hoteliers to immediately join with their visitors.
Our Visitor Knowledge Platform and communication options unlock income for hoteliers and put them accountable for the complete visitor expertise — preliminary analysis, reserving, check-in, all through the keep, and even after take a look at — all through the communication channels that visitors want, whether or not it’s voice, textual content, electronic mail, or internet.
Greater than 12,000 lodges globally financial institution on Revinate to drive direct income and ship pleasant visitor experiences.
Ask us how we do it. Go to our web site to get a demo.
Sanjana Chappalli
Vice President, Model Advertising and Comms
Revinate, Inc.
