CLICK THE PLAY BUTTON TO START LISTENING.
For many, they think of the annual HITEC Expo and Conference as the “Super Bowl” of hotel technology events. For us, the Super Bowl is the “HITEC” of football games. HITEC is simply that darn great. If you’re in the market for new technology or if you just want to see what cutting-edge trends are going to be the next big thing, you should plan on attending HITEC.
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SHOW NOTES:
<h2>What is HITEC?</h2>
The Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®) is the world&#8217;s largest and oldest hospitality technology exposition and conference brand. Produced by <a href="https://www.hftp.org/">Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®)</a>, a global nonprofit hospitality association that is headquartered in Austin, Texas USA, HITEC offers a unique combination of top-notch education, and brings together the brightest minds and hottest technologies from across the globe to one place. The unparalleled event offers attendees essential education, access to top hospitality technology industry experts and the resources to find cost-effective ways to improve company bottom lines. Combined with the intimate opportunities to connect with fellow professionals, HITEC has everything to enhance your career.
Learn more at <a href="https://www.hftp.org/hitec/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.hftp.org/hitec/</a>
&nbsp;
<h2>When Is HITEC 2019?</h2>
June 17-June 20, 2019
&nbsp;
<h2>Where is HITEC 2019?</h2>
Minneapolis Convention Center 
Minneapolis, Minnesota
&nbsp;
<h2>Who should attend HITEC?</h2>
While the primary attendees are hotel executives who have an influence on the technology investments their company makes, HITEC is for anyone interested in taking their property to the next level.
&nbsp;
<h2>What trends will we see at HITEC 2019?</h2>
<ol>
<li>Legacy PMS companies opening up to third-parties</li>
<li>Data integration startups trying to solve the industries problems</li>
<li>AI getting thrown around willy-nilly but not really being used properly (mostly)</li>
<li>Guest experience technology that has promise but has to be deployed with the appropriate strategy</li>
<li>Voice-Enabled everything that doesn’t really solve a real problem</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;
Here’s what the experts had to say:
<a href="https://rockcheetah.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rock Cheetah</a> 

1) Voice controlled smart speakers for guest rooms (following Volara)
2) Data bus platforms to interface various systems (following Happy)
3) Analytics/BI platforms to integrate data from multiple sources.
Not expecting to see much disruptive stuff…
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.naviscrm.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Navis</a>
<ul>
<li>What technology trends do you expect to see at this year’s HITEC?
<ul>
<li>More and more guests expect personalization from marketers and hoteliers. Personalization can also be really difficult to scale, and if a company scales in the wrong way, it can be ugly. Hoteliers rely on companies like NAVIS to help them personalize effectively, and I’m looking forward to seeing (and sharing) some advancements in marketing technology to meet guests where they are at in the booking journey. I’m also expecting to see some early advancements in data management and predictive analytics unfold this year. The magic here will be in taking a single source of truth on a hotel’s guest and lead data, and leveraging automation to identify trends, preferences and communication needs to get out of having a reactive approach to demand.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Of all the innovations you&#8217;re hoping to see, what do you think will be the biggest disrupters?
<ul>
<li>From what I’m seeing, the biggest disruptors are going to be the tech companies that play nice with others. Although this is not a disruptive principle, for some time now the tech company trend in the marketplace has been ‘dog eat dog’, but we’re seeing that those companies who think about, and act on, the ‘greater good’ approach to business relations in hospitality technology are finding more opportunities to thrive and collaborate. Trying to find new ways to partner and provide Integrations and APIs with hotels’ needs in mind, is what’s disrupting the marketplace in a positive way. The companies who are less focused on competition and acquisition, and instead take this alternative approach are not common in hotel tech, but the collaborative and transparent companies are also ones who can innovate faster, integrate faster, and make a bigger impact for their clients. Which in the end is the goal, right?</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.flip.to/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Flip.to</a>
What technology trends do you expect to see at this year’s HITEC?
Not sure if anyone is tackling this, but I think there’s a ton of untapped potential out there to bring more disparate data sources together and apply AI to drive more informed marketing behavior.  There’s been headway on the revenue management and distribution side of things with the advances made in AI tech over the last several years, but the industry needs to address the lack of data integrations as it relates to better marketing practices.  I think if someone can address either or both ends of that equation and demonstrate the effectiveness of such an approach, there would be massive upside both for those companies and for the industry as a whole.
Of all the innovations you’re hoping to see, what do you think will be the biggest disruptors?
I wouldn’t hold out too much hope for disruption coming out of HITEC.  Vendors tend to show off “new” products and services that aren’t much more than a new wrapper on an already proven concept.  If you go back to my comment above, something like that would upend marketing as the industry knows it but it takes finding vendors and senior leaders willing to let their guard down a bit and allow information to flow seamlessly between systems.  There’s so much unnecessary siloing of data out of misplaced paranoia that vendors and customers alike would rather lag behind the technical curve than indulge in what they perceive as risky endeavors. Meanwhile, other industries and the public at large are embracing these concepts and putting them to work in their daily lives in new and innovative ways.
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.trustyou.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">TrustYou</a>
<ol>
<li>What technology trends do you expect to see at this years HITEC? I predict that there is a big theme around automation, whether that be through IoT technology, AI, or just simply, scaled processes through technology. Hotel demand is rising, budgets often are not, so automation is the key to success in a more digital driven world.</li>
<li>Of all the innovations you&#8217;re hoping to see, what do you think will be the biggest disrupters? AI will be a big disrupter, simply because there is a lot to consider when it comes to using this type of technology in a service-driven industry. There is a lot to discuss regarding how we can ensure this will impact the hospitality industry for the better, rather than just simply changing to make a change.</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;
<h2>What Will Fuel Be Showing At HITEC 2019?</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/booking-engine/">Booking Engine</a> &#8211; Mobile, Mobile, Mobile</li>
<li><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/ai-powered-crm/">CRM</a> &#8211; AI actually being used right</li>
<li><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/mobile-app-digital-key/">Mobile App</a> &#8211; Keyless Entry now available with Assa Abloy</li>
<li>2019 Travel Study &#8211; key insight 80% of people visit the hotel website prior to booking</li>
<li>Live Interviews &#8211; with Loren Gray from Hospitality Digital Marketing</li>
</ul>
&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-
Listener Feedback:
From Cheshire Boutique Barns via Twitter, “BTW &#8211; LOVE your podcast!  I listen when running so I am now super skinny as well as a genius marketeer!! Not! Ha!! Xxx
<ul>
<li>Question: You mention Freeto or something similar lots of times in context with reviews? What is this please? I am looking for a way to pull all our reviews from different places together onto our website. Can you help?</li>
</ul>
From Hotelitarian on Apple, “Invaluable!  Excellent resource for hoteliers!”
&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-
========================
<h2>In The Newsaroos:     </h2>
<ul>
<li>Self Service Kiosks Becoming More Popular: 
<a href="http://hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/295208/Self-serve-kiosks-becoming-more-popular-at-hotels">http://hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/295208/Self-serve-kiosks-becoming-more-popular-at-hotels</a></li>
<li>Google announces major revamp of its travel planning tools 
<a href="https://www.blog.google/products/flights-hotels/planning-trip-google-can-help/">https://www.blog.google/products/flights-hotels/planning-trip-google-can-help/</a></li>
</ul>
========================
Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a> or info@travelboommarketing.com.

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 112 – Shocking Predictions For HITEC 2019

CLICK THE PLAY BUTTON TO START LISTENING.
In this episode of the Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast, the Fueligans give 10 simple rules that every hotel marketer should follow.
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<h2>1. Thou Shalt Treat Guests Like Individuals:For Building One-to-One Relationships Is The Key To Success.</h2>
Don’t ever lose sight of the guest as an individual. If what you’re doing isn’t helping them or building a stronger bond between them and you, you’re probably doing it wrong. The most successful marketing campaigns begin with the guest in mind. Avoid the “spray and pray” mentality that so many lazy marketers have adopted. It will erode your relationships and will hand your guests to your competition,
RELATED: <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-60-easily-improve-guest-satisfaction-communicating-right-way/">Easily Improve Your Guest Satisfaction by Communicating The Right Way</a>
<h2>2. Thou Shalt Not Worship Shiny Objects, Or Any Marketing Initiative That Is Unworthy Of Your Investment: For They Are Distractions From Those Marketing Investments That Yield You Success.</h2>
You should always have a healthy contingency budget with which to experiment and test new things but it should never come at the expense of the tried and true marketing initiatives that you know work. They key is to develop an attribution model for all of your advertising investments and to hold them all accountable to the same metrics. Then, it becomes easy to determine where you should invest and where you should pull back. It’s tempting to jump on the latest fad, but ask yourself whether or not it’s going to take you away from something else that is more effective.
RELATED: <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-81-top-10-ways-drive-direct-bookings-2018/">Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 81 &#8211; Top 10 Ways To Drive Direct Bookings In 2018</a>
<h2>3. Thou Shalt Not Take The Opinion Of The Guest In Vain: For Online Reviews and Social Comments Provide Valuable Information That Can Improve Your Property.</h2>
Ignore guest feedback at your peril. It’s easy to dismiss negative comments, but stop and think about the opportunity this presents. Not only can you glean new information from online reviews, but you also have an opportunity to turn a disgruntled guest back into a loyal advocate. Allocate the appropriate resources to monitoring and responding to reviews, and make sure that the content of online feedback is discussed frequently with your internal staff.
RELATED: <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-102-how-to-respond-to-bad-hotel-reviews/">Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 102 &#8211; How to Respond to Bad Hotel Reviews</a>
<h2>4. Remember The Staff and The Investment In Upkeep: For No Amount Of Marketing Can Help You If You Have A Grumpy Front Desk Person, Dirty Rooms, Or A Run Down Hotel.</h2>
The thing about marketing is that it is an amplifier of the truth. If your product is not up to par and you spend your marketing budget to attract more guests and to gain more attention, you’re simply throwing away money. Make sure that the property and the staff are the best they can possibly be. Invest in upkeep, invest in training, enforce brand standards, and hold everyone accountable. If you do the fundamentals right, your marketing will go further and will yield greater ROI.
<h2>5. Honor Thy Metrics And Track Everything To The Penny: For Spending Money Blindly is Foolish.</h2>
I can’t believe there are still people out there in 2019 who don’t have complete visibility into their data. The tools are out there and freely available. It may require a little effort from you and your website or booking engine team, but you HAVE to make sure that everything you’re doing is being tracked correctly and that you’re paying attention to the right metrics in order to gain the maximum insight.
RELATED: <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-22-hotel-marketing-metrics-actually-matter/">Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 22 &#8211; Hotel Marketing Metrics That Actually Matter</a>
<h2>6. Thou Shall Not Kill Thy Conversion Rate By Having An Ineffective Website and Booking Engine</h2>
Every penny you spend is driving people to your website. Having a website or booking engine that creates friction for the guest loses you thousands of dollars over the course of a year. It’s like pouring water into a bucket that has a hole in it. Invest appropriately in your website and ensure that you’re using a booking engine provider who maximizes conversion rate. If you’re not happy with your current booking engine software, reach out to Fuel. We have a product that you may be interested in checking out.
RELATED: 
<a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-81-top-10-ways-drive-direct-bookings-2018/">Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 81 &#8211; Top 10 Ways To Drive Direct Bookings In 2018</a><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-30-hotel-making-top-10-website-mistakes/">Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 30 &#8211; Is Your Hotel Making These Top 10 Website Mistakes?</a> 
<a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-65-hotel-right-booking-engine/">Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 65 &#8211; Does Your Hotel Have The Right Booking Engine?</a>
<h2>7. Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery On Rate Parity Between Thine Own Site and The OTAs And Thou Shalt Ensure Thine Presence On All Channels To Protect Thy Brand</h2>
This is one of the fundamental building blocks of a good marketing strategy. Not having parity and not maximizing your presence everywhere that the OTAs have a footprint is what Expedia and Booking.com count on. You can effectively reduce your OTA reliance by offering parity of rate, exclusive incentives, and by making sure that people can find you.
RELATED:<a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-81-top-10-ways-drive-direct-bookings-2018/"> Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 81 &#8211; Top 10 Ways To Drive Direct Bookings In 2018</a>
<h2>8. Thou Shall Not Steal From The Marketing Budget When Times Are Tough: For Doing So Will Increase Reliance On OTAs</h2>
When times are tough, it’s tempting to look through your budget and start slashing the marketing line items. Yes, it may positively impact your financials in the short-term, but it’s going to cost you in the long run and make a bad situation worse. As a marketer, you should know exactly how much revenue you’re likely to generate from all of your marketing initiatives. If they aren’t yielding a positive return, you should have cut them already.  Stand up for your marketing budget and be willing to fight the owner or manager by showing them the real revenue impact that a decrease in marketing spend will have.
RELATED: <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-58-market-hotel-shoestring-budget/">Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 58 &#8211; How to Market Your Hotel on a Shoestring Budget</a>
<h2>9.Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness By Putting Thine Own Convenience Above The Guest’s Needs: For Saving Time Or Money In The Short-Term Will Cost You in The Long-Term.</h2>
Another go-to when times are tough is to start cutting back on operational costs. Be prepared to be creative when you have to, but keep in mind that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. By saving money on your linens, you’re probably sacrificing guest comfort. Be willing to look at every decision from the perspective of how it’s going to impact the guest. If you’re unsure, either go experience the stay as your guest would, or ask your guest flat-out what they would think if you made the cost-saving change.
RELATED: <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-66-hotels-marketing-sit-throne-lies/">Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 66 &#8211; Does Your Hotel’s Marketing Sit On A Throne Of Lies?</a>
<h2>10. Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor’s Property and Thou Shalt Always Be Testing Thine Own Marketing Efforts</h2>
There’s always a lot of noise in the industry and it’s always tempting to want to keep up with the Joneses, but remember that you and your property are unique and that the relationship you can nurture between you and your guests is equally unique. If you see a neighboring property, or the industry at large, doing something cool, first ask yourself whether or not it’s right for your guest. If it is, be sure to test it and see how things pan out. Sometimes a change can have unforeseen trade-offs. Before you go investing in the latest trends and making that change the cornerstone of your marketing efforts, spend some time thinking through the strategy and gauging its potential before jumping in with two feet.
RELATED:<a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-49-user-testing-hotel-website/"> Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 49 &#8211; Why You Should Be User Testing Your Hotel Website</a>
BONUS COMMANDMENT FOR PHIL:
Thou Shalt Use Ad Extensions, For They Are Thine Friend
========================
<h2>In The Newsrooms:     </h2>
<ul>
<li>BingAds Rebrands to Microsoft 
<a href="https://searchengineland.com/bing-ads-rebrands-to-microsoft-advertising-316090" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://searchengineland.com/bing-ads-rebrands-to-microsoft-advertising-316090</a></li>
</ul>
========================
Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a> or info@travelboommarketing.com.

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 111 – The 10 Commandments of Hotel Marketing

Still trying to figure out this whole “influencer” phenomena that’s getting more than its fair share of coverage in hospitality blogs? In this episode of the Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast, we solicit the help of our friends at Navis and Flip.to to discuss the difference between macro and micro influencers, and we look at a case study that illustrates the potential that exists from tapping into the influence of your existing guest.
If you like what you hear, please leave a comment below, share it with your friends, and also leave a review.
========================
SHOW NOTES
STATS OF THE WEEK
<ul>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
<li>Authenticity is crucial when it comes to influencer marketing</li>
<li>90% of micro-influencer use Instagram to post their original content</li>
<li>97% of micro-influencers say they charge less than $500 for Instagram posts</li>
<li>Influencers on Instagram with fewer than 1k followers will see about 8% of their audience like their posts</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
MICRO-INFLUENCER DATA &amp; DEFINITIONS
<ul>
<li>Definition samples &#8211; very wide ranging with little consensus on the high and low ends
<ul>
<li>2k &#8211; 50k on one platform (<a href="https://blog.scrunch.com/what-is-a-micro-influencer">Source</a>)</li>
<li>3k+ (<a href="https://www.tribegroup.co/blog/what-is-a-micro-influencer?">Source</a>)</li>
<li>1k &#8211; 10k (<a href="https://www.snapapp.com/blog/what-are-micro-influencers-how-marketing/">Source</a>)</li>
<li>10k &#8211; 500k (<a href="https://www.snapapp.com/blog/what-are-micro-influencers-how-marketing/">Source</a>)</li>
<li>&lt;10k (<a href="https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/micro-influencers-vs-macro-influencers/516896/">Source</a>)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Typically connected with a specific niche, unlike larger influencers who may chase trends because relevancy is their currency</li>
<li>The tides are turning a bit. The concept of influencer marketing was really only coined 2 years ago or so. And many of the macro influencers are having to find a niche to bring in sponsorship money. The broader influencers are losing their sponsors because it’s not driving return. Regardless of micro or macro, the most important part of influencer selection begins with the brand. You certainly want an outside in approach, but you can’t know where to begin looking and what content to request until you know your personas.</li>
</ul>
MACRO vs. MICRO
Macro defined
<ul>
<li>Focus on follower count to demonstrate value</li>
<li>Reaches a broad, typically diverse audience (may vary)</li>
<li>Usually multi-platform (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram as primaries)</li>
<li>Often their job</li>
<li>Incentive driven &#8211; they make money by doing this, a lot of money in some cases</li>
<li>Moderate sized consumer brands (around the same annual revenue of many hotels) pay $30-50k on average for athletes. Major consumer brands like Pepsi, etc. pay much more. But they also find many up and coming influencers for cheaper, or trade. Must be alignment with passion.</li>
<li>This concept in ads isn’t going away. Word of mouth is the most trusted form of marketing, period. And always will be &#8211; it’s human nature. How it’s executed on, invested in and presented in market will evolve… but it’s definitely worth exploring</li>
</ul>
Micro defined
<ul>
<li>Often no clue they’re an influencer</li>
<li>Has a small, highly engaged, niche audience</li>
<li>Strong on a single platform (usually Facebook)</li>
<li>Experience has deep meaning</li>
<li>The types of micro-influencers we’ll be discussing aren’t monetizing their status, so value has a different definition to them
<ul>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
<li>Yes! It’s taking the guest relationship a step further with the ones that have a high social impact… and showcasing that with their peers. It’s leveraging their talent and perspective.</li>
<li>Consider Maslow’s hierarchy of needs &#8211; social status is there, you can impact that for micro influencers and the viral connection will want to join the party</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
MYRTLE BEACH MICRO INFLUENCER CASE STUDY
<ul>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
<li>Overview
<ul>
<li>Myrtle Beach market (DMO, approx. 30 accommodation providers)</li>
<li>1.5 years worth of data</li>
<li>Approx. 59,000 advocates in this data set</li>
<li>Define “micro” in this case as 100 &#8211; 1,000 followers (we can do this because we have access to other data to validate their relative influence)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Notable findings &amp; data
<ul>
<li>24 people from this sample had 10k+ followers across platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn only)
<ul>
<li>Only 2 had &gt; 100k</li>
<li>Most were between 10 &#8211; 50k (88%) &#8211; likely a sweet spot worth exploring a bit more deeply</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>29k had 100 &#8211; 1,000 followers; where we’ll be focusing</li>
<li>1,800+ converted at least 5% of their audience into a lead for a hotel or for the market (DMO)
<ul>
<li>Half of these converted at 10% or more</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Lead defined as:  name, email address, opt-in, captured intent (i.e. you know who these people are, how to reach them, and what interests them)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
<li>Resulted in just over 90,000 warm leads for the destination (potential future travelers)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
SINGLE PROPERTY COMPARISON
<ul>
<li>Daytona example
<ul>
<li>1 year of advocacy</li>
<li>Same “micro” definition</li>
<li>Notable findings &amp; data
<ul>
<li>No advocates with 10k+ followers</li>
<li>~ 240 potential micro-influencers
<ul>
<li>8 converted 5% or more of their audience
<ul>
<li>Average follower count of these was 475</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Half converted at 10% or more</li>
<li>These guests only stayed 1.5 nights on average (helpful to know if approaching for a future stay to encourage further engagement)</li>
<li>532 warm leads from only 8 people</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Memphis example
<ul>
<li>1 year of advocacy</li>
<li>Notable findings &amp; data
<ul>
<li>1 advocate with 10k+ followers</li>
<li>~ 200 potential micro-influencers
<ul>
<li>10 converted 5% or more of their audience
<ul>
<li>Average follower count of these was 433</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Half converted at 10% or more</li>
<li>These guests only stayed 2.1 nights on average</li>
<li>433 warm leads from only 10 people</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Finger Lakes, NY
<ul>
<li>1 year of advocacy</li>
<li>Notable findings &amp; data
<ul>
<li>Zero advocates with 10k+ followers</li>
<li>100 potential micro-influencers
<ul>
<li>6 converted 5% or more of their audience
<ul>
<li>Average follower count of these was 404</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Half converted at 10% or more</li>
<li>These guests stayed 5.2 nights on average (VR property &#8211; so this is normal)</li>
<li>273 leads from only 6 people</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
TANGIBLE ADVICE AND TAKEAWAYS
<ul>
<li>Balance your influencer squad &#8211; both macro and micro</li>
<li>Start with personas</li>
<li>Either way, put agreements in place when you’re asking for or using assets. Seen this go wrong at a hotel… royalties, eugh.</li>
<li>Set measurable goals of your program. Why the heck are you doing this? What do you want to achieve?
<ul>
<li>3 good areas to focus (average a score across these 3 to get an index of your squad. It levels the playing field on investment vs impact for your macro and micro investment):
<ul>
<li>Compliance</li>
<li>Brand Fit</li>
<li>Impact</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Always start with micro &#8211; more authentic, less risk</li>
<li>Don’t put money or trade on the line until you know it works. Prove it to leadership.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Leverage the program for user content generation &#8211; there’s a cost savings here for your own time and money spent on photographers. Next step is to show simple media metrics like CPM Impressions. How does that compare to your media buys and digital ads?</li>
<li>Start with a single platform. It’s easier to track.</li>
</ul>
RELATED ARTICLES:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-96-influencer-marketing-right-hotel/">Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 96 – What Is Influencer Marketing And Is It Right For My Hotel?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://learn.naviscrm.com/blog/webinar-do-influencer-programs-actually-drive-revenue" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CHECK OUT THE ORIGINAL WEBINAR THAT FLIP..TO AND NAVIS PRESENTED ON THIS TOPIC:</a> 
*When you watch the recording you’ll gain access to the influencer performance audit template, and a sample influencer agreement</li>
<li>Learn more about<a href="https://www.flip.to/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> flip.to</a> and <a href="https://www.naviscrm.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Navis</a></li>
</ul>
========================
<h2>In The Newsaroos:     </h2>
<ul>
<li>Hotels Are Grappling with ADA Compliance: 
<a href="http://hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/294673/Hotels-are-grappling-with-accessibility-on-websites" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/294673/Hotels-are-grappling-with-accessibility-on-websites</a>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-</li>
</ul>
========================
Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a> or info@travelboommarketing.com.

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 110 – The Real Value of Hotel Micro Influencers (with Flip.to and Navis)

We’re kicking off an awesome new series in 2019 to introduce our audience, clients, and colleagues to the core best-practices in hotel marketing. The idea being if you have just been thrown in to the hotel marketing business, or you’re looking to brush up on what you should have already been doing, you’ll be able to listen to each episode in the Hotel 101 series to make your marketing rock.
If you like what you hear, please leave a comment below, share it with your friends, and also leave a review.
========================
SHOW NOTES
Stat Of The Week: 
Airbnb just checked in its 500 millionth guest
This 101 series for email marketing will just hit on the basics of getting an effective send out the door to your audience.  We’ll be making making a few assumptions in that you already have an opt-in email strategy and have selected your send platform, know your audience and have an overall marketing strategy in place.
<h3>Step #1: Determine Your Goals</h3>
Every email should have a measurable goal.  Typically for a hotelier this means direct bookings, however it can also encompass guest relations, sharing information, or driving social engagement.  Regardless of your goal, you should understand what you are trying to accomplish and have a plan to measure if you succeed. For a typical monthly newsletter type send the goals may be a mix of driving bookings and maintaining awareness with your list.
<ul>
<li>Revenue KPIs: Bookings, Revenue, Calls</li>
<li>Engagement/Awareness KPIs: Opens, Clicks</li>
</ul>
<h3>Step #2: Decide Upon Or Create Your Content:</h3>
Building a sound email marketing strategy largely depends on your ability to send the right message to the right guests at the right time.  While it goes beyond the scope of our 101 series, we do recommend you have an annual email calendar to help you identify what you need to promote.  Though typically for a general newsletter-type send we would have the following:
<ul>
<li>Main offer/promotion: typically a money saving deal</li>
<li>Secondary offer/promotion: news, seasonal content, etc</li>
<li>Site main conversion points: items such as amenity feature, area, static “offers” area, etc</li>
<li>Other content that works great include:
<ul>
<li>Video promotions</li>
<li>Area or seasonal guide</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Step #3: Build Your Email:</h3>
Now that your content outline is complete it’s time to start putting pen to paper, or in this case content into system.  We recommend developing a standard template that is in your email platform to allow you to quickly swap out images, headlines, copy, and links. In most platforms, be it MailChimp, ConstantContact, ExactTarget, or our preference of Fuel Mail, you will have a content editor that makes HTML knowledge unnecessary.  Regardless of your platform, here are a few tips to make your content easier to develop, but also better for your recipients:
<ul>
<li>Image size matters:
<ul>
<li>Typical email widths are 600-700px, your images should never be larger.</li>
<li>Inset images would typically be about half this size, however we recommend using larger images since it will typically span the width of a mobile device</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>People don’t read: get to the point with a catchy headline and brief, bulleted copy.</li>
<li>Subject lines rule: spend the time coming up with a great one</li>
<li>Personalization is amazing: if you have the opportunity to insert personalization, do it.  If you don’t start building your list attributes to be able to do so.</li>
<li>Keep in mind that many of your recipients may not be ready to take a vacation, so connecting with everyone is important with destination and travel news/content.</li>
<li>Everyone loves contests.  Give stuff away!</li>
</ul>
<h3>Step #4: Test Your Email Across Multiple Platforms</h3>
Testing is one of the single most important aspects of building and sending your message.
<ul>
<li>Microsoft Outlook is not your friend.  It’s more like family, you have to put up with it whether you like it or not.  Always test your send on the most common versions of Outlook.</li>
<li>Test your links and your tracking.  Each and EVERY link should be clicked from an actual proof of your email.</li>
<li>We have passed the mobile tipping point, look at your email on common mobile devices.</li>
<li>Run your email against spam checkers, it’s no good if you send a message and no one sees it.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Step #5: Check Your List:</h3>
Good for you, you’re past the hard parts of creating content, building the email and testing.  Now you want to ensure the message you are sending is going to go to the right people. This is also a perfect time to audit your systems to ensure emails from your site are getting into the list.
<ul>
<li>Confirm all the emails you have collected since your last send are in the list</li>
<li>Ensure all guest history emails from your PMS are added (depending on opt-in)</li>
<li>For a marketing/promotion send we recommend you suppress current upcoming reservations</li>
<li>If your message is geographic or interest based, segment the list as needed</li>
</ul>
<h3>Step #6: Send &amp; Monitor:</h3>
So now you are ready to pull the trigger on your message, before doing so you’ll want to review and confirm the following:
<ul>
<li>Does your platform allow for testing? If so, at a minimum test your subject line. We have found that we typically see a 15-18% improvement in open rates by testing two subject lines to a portion of the list and then sending the winner to the remaining audience.</li>
<li>If you have a track record of past sends, is there a time/day that works best for your send?</li>
<li>Are you sure you checked your links, mobile view, and spam scores?</li>
<li>Lastly, monitor during your send to ensure everything goes according to plan.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Step #7: Review Analytics:</h3>
Congratulations! Your send is complete, but you’re not done just yet.  Now is the time to review the send and see what worked and what didn’t work so well.  We recommend giving the email about a week to collect as much data as possible (although 90% of activity will happen with in the 1st 24 hours) and then reviewing the campaign.  This should include:
<ul>
<li>Review of overall open rate as it compares to other sends</li>
<li>What articles/links were most effective</li>
<li>Bookings and revenue generated</li>
</ul>
========================
<h2>In The Newsaroos:     </h2>
<ul>
<li>Google Boosts Vacation Rentals on Hotel Search 
<a href="https://www.blog.google/products/flights-hotels/find-and-book-vacation-rentals-on-google/">https://www.blog.google/products/flights-hotels/find-and-book-vacation-rentals-on-google/</a></li>
<li>EU Passes Big Copyright Changes 
<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/michellekaminsky/2019/03/26/eus-copyright-directive-passes-despite-widespread-protestsbut-its-not-law-yet/#4a030ae02493">https://www.forbes.com/sites/michellekaminsky/2019/03/26/eus-copyright-directive-passes-despite-widespread-protestsbut-its-not-law-yet/#4a030ae02493</a></li>
</ul>
========================
Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a>.

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 109 – Hotel 101: Sending An Amazing Marketing Email

This episode was inspired by our own older <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-67-6-common-analytics-mistakes-may-making/">podcast episodes</a> that helps you diagnose anomalies in your analytics data. We get questions from our clients on a regular basis when something in their data doesn’t feel right, has had a sudden change, or just doesn’t make sense. Here are some common issues:
If you like what you hear, please leave a comment below, share it with your friends, and also leave a review.
========================
SHOW NOTES
<h3>1. Drop in Organic Search Traffic </h3>
We get this scenario A LOT. To help diagnose the cause in a year to year decrease in organic search, we need to look at more than just the overall traffic numbers.
First, take a look at the landing pages. Is there one particular landing page that is losing most of the traffic, or is the loss site-wide? Is there a blog post that had been getting traffic for some reason that has now stopped? This can happen when a page shows up in an answer box in Google and then stops.
Use this information in conjunction with Search Console. Look at Google Trends for keywords for those pages to see if demand has decreased. If you are in a vacation destination, ask your CVB, or even friendly competitors in your market, if they have seen the same trend.
Don’t overlook the technical side of SEO. If you’ve recently launched a new site, are 301s correctly in place? Is the robots.txt correct? Canonical tags? No follow tags accidentally carried over from the staging site?
<h3>2. Very High or Very Low Bounce Rate</h3>
I’ve said this a lot on this podcast&#8230;bounce rate is not a metric to live and die by. However, there is some merit to it, when used correctly, and if it’s artificially high or low, that’s not going to do you any good. A typical hotel website will have an overall bounce rate of 20%-40% (again&#8230;use this data with caution, and <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/10-hotel-marketing-metrics-matter/">break it down appropriately</a>).
If you see a bounce rate of 1%-3%, there is almost guaranteed something wrong with your analytics tracking. There are two likely tracking issues that will cause this. The first is that the analytics code is triggering multiple times when the site loads. This could be an old version and a new version of Google Analytics; it could be a Google Tag Manager script triggering analytics along with a hard-coded version of the script; it could also be that the script is in the header and hard-coded on each page.
The second possibility for low bounce rate is some other element on the site besides a page load that is causing the analytics script to run. A common example is a popup. Sometimes code is getting added to a popup getting served when the site loads, even if the consumer has not interacted with it. This should be avoided whenever possible. A popup should never be seen as a page view in your analytics reports. It makes a mess of any kind of pathing data. It is 100% acceptable to track an interaction with a popup, but you’ll also want to figure out if you are tracking the close button, if that should really count as an interaction that would affect bounce rate, or if you just want to see that people closed it.
On the flipside, is a very high bounce rate. Assuming you are looking at this data by landing page, some pages might be OK or understandable to have a high bounce rate, like some types of blog posts, or your directions page. However, if we are talking about a rooms page or your home page, we would definitely want to investigate further. Could you have a cross-domain tracking issue? Check out our instructions on fixing that: <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/google-analytics-cross-domain-tracking-hotels/">https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/google-analytics-cross-domain-tracking-hotels/</a>
If cross-domain tracking is not the issue, what is the source of traffic? Did this change?
<h3>3. Analytics Revenue Doesn’t Match Booking Engine Revenue</h3>
This is another issue that pops up very frequently. It’s important to understand EXACTLY what is and ISN’T reported in your analytics data. Theoretically, it should only report revenue and traffic from real consumers that have visited your hotel website. Your booking engine revenue may show other sources of revenue other than that. A giant culprit of agita for us is call center revenue.
<h3>4. Paid Search Traffic Increases/Decreases</h3>
Paid search can be one of those wildcard sources of traffic. If you are not thoroughly involved in the PPC strategy, you may be surprised when traffic suddenly increases or decreases.
Budget: Budget changes in either direction can drastically affect traffic to the site.
CPC: If your budget has remained the same, but CPC has had large shifts in either direction, that can greatly affect the amount of traffic.
Ad Copy: Are you running different ad copy, maybe a special that is affecting traffic?
Analytics Linking/tracking: Maybe this should be first on the list. Are your AdWords auto-tagged? If not, GA will see this traffic as natural search instead of paid. A BIG no-no. Is your AdWords account linked to your GA account? Without this, you cannot see the cost data, etc. that comes from AdWords in your GA data.
<h3>5, Email Traffic and/or Conversions</h3>
Email can be another wildcard source of traffic that fluctuates dramatically. We’ve said many times on this podcast that a content calendar for email is highly recommended. If you’ve got that, then you should easily be able to compare what email content was sent last year vs. this year. Of course, your emails should be tagged in a way that you can also see that data easily in your analytics tool.
Keep in mind that it’s not just the number of emails sent that can affect traffic and bookings, but the content of the message as well.
<h3>6. Your Domain Shows as a Referral</h3>
Oof. I hate this one. It’s a very common ailment, causing yet more agita. The most common source of this problem is some combination of cross-domain tracking issues and your referral exclusion list not set correctly in Google Analytics.
The latter is easier to diagnose. Look at the property section of the admin console in GA. Go the referral exclusion list. Make sure your domain and your booking engine domain are listed there. We recommend JUST the domain (no www or http, etc.).
If you’ve fixed that, but now your revenue is 90% attributed to “direct” traffic, go back to our <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/google-analytics-cross-domain-tracking-hotels/">cross-domain tracking check list</a> and do all of those things.
Conclusion 
Always, always, always remember that traffic doesn’t make you money. CONVERTING traffic makes you money. Be careful not to get trapped by vanity metrics. When you look at traffic changes, be sure to look at the revenue changes with it. If you’ve lost unqualified traffic that didn’t convert, that’s OK!
Always check your technical tracking of things before going off the deep end. Sometimes, a simple analytics fix is the issue and isn’t a traffic issue at all.
RELATED ARTICLE: 
<a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-22-hotel-marketing-metrics-actually-matter/">https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-22-hotel-marketing-metrics-actually-matter/</a>
========================
<h2>In The Newsaroos:     </h2>
<ul>
<li>UK bed and breakfast association petitioning government to make brand bidding by OTAs illegal. 
<a href="https://www.phocuswire.com/hijacking-online-travel-accommodation">https://www.phocuswire.com/hijacking-online-travel-accommodation</a></li>
</ul>
========================
Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a>.

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 108 – These 6 Analytics Anomalies Give Hotels Agita

In this episode, we have a special guest, Neil Howe, and we discuss ways in which a hotel GM or Owner can leverage their authority to drive more bookings. Neil is a best selling author and entrepreneur, known as ‘The Authority Architect’ and he helps professionals leverage their knowledge to drive more business.
If you like what you hear, please leave a comment below, share it with your friends, and also leave a review.
========================
SHOW NOTES
First, the GM has to make sure the staff know this is important by being involved himself/herself making the time to share the story of the hotel and what makes it unique. Although the GM will get a lot of authority in media. The staff are the unsung heroes whose stories need to be told. Think of Undercover Boss &#8211; each staff member has a story and brings something to make the hotel unique.
Can you give 5 or 10 tips for GMs to establish their authority in their market
<ol>
<li>Be known for something &#8211; guests want to know what the hotel is all about, how is it unique, how do you contribute to the community, environment,</li>
<li>Be known for service &#8211; people want experiences. Promote what you do great, better than anyone else</li>
<li>Highlight staff &#8211; Do you have a top chef, SPA, Personal Trainer, Front desk manager, Mascot/Greeter</li>
<li>Multi author book &#8211; Highlight all that is great about the hotel and the staff. Leave it in each room. Guests always need something to read! Enclose value within the book that invites them back or offers referrals. $2-3/book Print on demand.</li>
<li>Create a campaign around The Official Hotel of [City] Staycations</li>
</ol>
<ul>
<li>The Official Hotel of Thinking About Nothing</li>
<li>The Official Hotel of Being Good To Yourself</li>
<li>The Official Hotel of Breakfast Lovers</li>
</ul>
<ol start="6">
<li>Tell the story…..   Tell other people’s stories. Guest experiences, Famous Guests,</li>
<li>Collaborate with the local community and create events</li>
<li>Start a podcast &#8211; talk about upcoming events, things to do around the city, send it out via email correspondence. Interview staff, random guests, get testimonials/reviews.</li>
<li>Package experience deals midweek (Chateau Elan)</li>
<li>Travel Bloggers</li>
</ol>
How to share their message with the public
<ul>
<li>With all the ideas above, share via authority platforms, Press releases, local TV, Local Radio, Social Media Campaigns, etc</li>
</ul>
What do you feel are the best platforms to share that message
<ul>
<li>Share on Authority platforms with audiences Local News Social Accounts</li>
<li>Press releases to local and national online news sites: ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox (instantly recognizable trust triggers)</li>
<li>Local magazines, foodie magazines, travel magazines, blogs, local organizations</li>
<li>Books via Amazon (best seller) Kindle and Printable (print and ship on demand)</li>
</ul>
How using their intimate knowledge of the property and their authority could help lift hotel occupancy?
<ul>
<li>All these ideas are about positioning your hotel for SOMETHING. Take a stance and stand for something that is going to differentiate you from all the others and then market it.</li>
<li>Branding on different authority platforms shows you are always being talked about. People want to check out what’s hot and different and willing to pay more money for an experience</li>
</ul>
To learn more about Neil:
<ul>
<li>Web: <a href="http://theauthorityarchitect.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://TheAuthorityArchitect.com</a></li>
<li>Phone: (404) 428-1399</li>
</ul>
========================
<h2>In The Newsaroos:     </h2>
<ul>
<li>Airbnb to acquire online travel agency HotelTonight 
<a href="https://www.phocuswire.com/Airbnb-acquires-HotelTonight" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.phocuswire.com/Airbnb-acquires-HotelTonight</a></li>
<li>Hotels Piloting Translation Mode On Google Assistants 
<a href="https://www.blog.google/products/assistant/lost-translation-try-interpreter-mode-google-assistant/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.blog.google/products/assistant/lost-translation-try-interpreter-mode-google-assistant</a></li>
</ul>
========================
Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a>.

Hotel Marketing Podcast

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 112 – Shocking Predictions For HITEC 2019

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 112 – Shocking Predictions For HITEC 2019

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 111 – The 10 Commandments of Hotel Marketing

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 111 – The 10 Commandments of Hotel Marketing

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 110 – The Real Value of Hotel Micro Influencers (with Flip.to and Navis)

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 110 – The Real Value of Hotel Micro Influencers (with Flip.to and Navis)

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 109 – Hotel 101: Sending An Amazing Marketing Email

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 109 – Hotel 101: Sending An Amazing Marketing Email

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 108 – These 6 Analytics Anomalies Give Hotels Agita

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 108 – These 6 Analytics Anomalies Give Hotels Agita

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 107 – How Hotels Can Use Their Authority To Drive More Bookings

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 107 – How Hotels Can Use Their Authority To Drive More Bookings

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