Seasonal Marketing Techniques You Need to Know for the Holidays

In just a few weeks, people will be travelling more than at any point in the year.

Around Thanksgiving, the volume of long trips people take increases by 54% compared to the yearly average, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The period from Christmas to New Year’s represents a similarly sizeable bump of 23%

If your hotel has a marketing plan and makes strategic investments using hotel business loans, it can raise the volume of bookings while dramatically improving guest experience.

To help you boost your revenues and make the Holidays happier for your bottom line, you can use the following Holiday marketing strategies for hotels.

Use a Strong Paid Search Strategy

Most hotel bookings start with an internet search these days. People also tend to click on what they see first. In fact, 92% of clicks go to the first page of Google search results.

Starting a paid search campaign using AdWords and other PPC platforms raises your chances of having your hotel appear first. It also encourages direct bookings.

Begin by segmenting your typical guests and then sorting them into possible keyword groups based on intent. For instance, you can tout low room rates for travelers searching for “cheap hotel rooms in ____” while talking up your amenities to those searching for “luxury hotels in ____.”

Capturing search traffic is one of the best ways to significantly increase your volume of bookings.

Create a “Things to Do” Page for Travelers and Holiday Hosts

Content marketing can generate booking leads through search traffic and social media engagement.

The best type of content for hotels to post around the Holidays is lists of local events and activities. Having a permanent “Things to Do in ____” page can draw users to your website, where they are likely to also notice your offerings for rooms and rates.

You can segment these content lists, too. For instance, a “Best Place for Taking Out of Town Family to Dinner in ____” or “Best Holiday Light Displays in _____” page can really help drive traffic while also providing value to site visitors.

Remember that not everyone has plans for what to do once they reach their travel destination. According to Google, 85% of travelers don’t even decide on activities until they have already arrived.

Write Helpful Blogs for Holiday Hosts and Travelers

If you want to expand your content marketing beyond “Things to Do” lists, get creative! Provide convenient recipes for side dishes. Cleaning tips for removing stains from the inevitable over-excited dinner guest. Activities to keep children occupied while people prepare dinner.

The more content you create targeted to keyword searches like “hotels in ___”, the more you can draw in search users while also engaging social media followers.

Offer Holiday Packages and Collaborate with Other Local Businesses

Want to help your hotel stand out from the other options? Offer curated package deals! If your stay includes more than a warm bed, you have just created differentiation from your competition.

Consider pairing rooms with a gift basket or combining a stay with a trip to the local spa. You can also include tickets to attractions like ice skating or performances of The Nutcracker.

The more tempting your package, they less you have to worry about competing on price and in-room amenities with other hotels.

Run Giveaways in Exchange for Social Exposure

Speaking of Holiday packages, why not give some away as a form of low-cost marketing exposure? Make the fee for entry a share or a comment for your social post showcasing the prize and the contest rules.

Eventually, your content can go viral, exposing an exponential amount of people to your brand and your packaged offerings. Make sure to make the winner feel extra special, too, by taking photos with them that also serve as great PR items for future campaigns.

Finance Hotel Improvements for Next Year with Hotel Business Loans

Hotel business loans can raise the capital you need to invest in marketing or improving your guest experience. While renovations will have to wait until the busy season has passed, there is no time like the present to start planning! With the right project, you can improve rooms or lobby amenities in time for the Holiday season next year, thereby improving your appeal and your potential for bookings.

Hotels that prepare for an influx of out-of-town guests — and some in-town guests — can enjoy lifted sales and an improved Holiday spirit from lodgers and staff alike.

If you are interested in learning more about business loans for hotels, you can apply for a free, no-obligation quote today! Click here to get started.