The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is one of the industry&#8217;s leading advocates for intelligent, sustainable hotel revenue growth. The association provides hotel professionals &amp; their partners with tools, insights, and expertise to fuel sales, inspire marketing, and optimize revenue. One of their recent articles, entitled 8 Essentials Every GM Needs to Know About Digital Marketing Today, caught our eye and that is the subject of episode 21 of the Fuel Hotel Marketing podcast.
Here’s the original article from HSMAI: 8 Essentials Every GM Needs to Know About Digital Marketing Today 
<a href="http://www.hsmai.org/knowledge/article.cfm?ItemNumber=27890&amp;RDtoken=17453&amp;userID=4854" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.hsmai.org/knowledge/article.cfm?ItemNumber=27890&amp;RDtoken=17453&amp;userID=4854</a>
If you like what you hear, please leave a comment below, share it with your friends, and also leave a review.
========================
Show Notes:
HSMAI’s Digital Marketing Council, which consists of a wide range of hotel marketing experts, recently discussed the question of, “What are the digital developments that every GM needs to have at least a basic understanding of?” From the very basic to the more advanced, here are their top 8 recommendations:
<ol>
<li>First and foremost, understand your own hotel’s digital landscape. Through which channels (brand.com, OTAs, meta, etc.) does what percentage of your business come? For those largest pieces of the pie, focus your attention on understanding what is driving them, and the digital trends and developments happening there.Fuel’s Comments: Far too many hoteliers don’t have a firm grasp on where their revenue is coming from. This often results in the lazy practice of relying too heavily on high-cost channels such as OTAs and Groupon. Because a hotelier can get a ‘quick fix’ and bump occupancy through these channels, they don’t stop to consider the long-term damage they are doing to their guest history and their profitability. By carefully monitoring and managing each channel, a savvy hotelier can use these third-party channels to drive new business and simultaneously create a marketing strategy that encourages repeat business and loyalty. 
 
Related: <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/travel-trends-for-2016-disruption-in-the-ota-space/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Travel Trends For 2016: Disruption In The OTA Space</a></li>
<li>Understand the digital marketing funnel, and the difference in ROI between efforts directed at filling the top of that funnel and pulling business though the bottom of it. 
 Fuel’s Comments: The easy way to look at your data is through ‘last click analytics’ &#8211; meaning that you give 100% attribution of your sales to the last channel from which the consumer arrived at your hotel website. The danger here is that it creates a heavy bias towards channels that are lower down the funnel (Review sites, brand searches, etc.) and devalues the contribution made by channels that are higher in the funnel (CVB/Portal sites, broad keywords within adWords, etc.). This approach also ignores the indirect impact that may have been gained from non-direct exposure (social media, display advertising, etc.). Hotels should understand their multi-touchpoint data and should develop an attribution model that is fair and allows them to compare apples-to-apples.Related: <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/deconstructing-the-hotel-conversion-funnel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Deconstructing the Hotel Conversion Funnel 
</a></li>
<li>Pay attention to the impact of the guest experience, reputation management, and social media on your hotel’s digital outreach and pricing power. 
Fuel’s Comments: This one should be a no-brainer. Over 35% of travellers surveyed by Fuel in our 2016 Leisure Travel Study indicated that they looked at a property’s Facebook page prior to making a booking. Over 85% said that they would not make a reservation without first reading reviews on the property. Online reputation is directly related to you ability to drive new guests and the experience itself is the #1 driver for repeat business.Related: <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/2016-fuel-travel-study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2016 Travel Insights: What Smart Hotels Need To Know 
</a></li>
<li>Especially if you are part of a brand and/or management company, be very clear on the company’s overall strategy when it comes to natural search, websites, and more. Understand the tools and resources already available to your property from the brand and the management company. And for goodness sake, don’t sign up for extra products, services, or channels without understanding what the umbrella company is doing. 
Fuel’s Comments: Alignment of strategy throughout the entire organization is critical to success. Tapping into the knowledge and the tools that others have already developed or purchased makes your life easier and your marketing more efficient. There’s no use reinventing the wheel if you don’t have to. The best marketers are those who understand that marketing is not performed on an island. Collaborating and sharing knowledge often births new ideas and new opportunities.</li>
<li>Realize how ads work on Google (and other places). When you’re online, don’t click the ad result for your property because you’re burning up your own marketing budget! 
Fuel’s Comments: Paid advertising can be one of the largest marketing expenses for any hotel. The old adage that 50% of your advertising works, you just don’t know which 50% is no longer acceptable. Whether you use Google Analytics, or a premium tool such as Adobe Analytics, you should be tracking and measuring every single penny you spend on advertising and comparing the ROI from every channel. One of the biggest and most costly mistakes is to continue remarking to a guest AFTER they have booked. This can be significantly reduced by adding a success event to your booking engine’s confirmation page.Related: <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fast-easy-mobile-ppc-tips-hotels/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fast &amp; Easy Mobile PPC Tips For Hotels</a></li>
<li>Know what is happening in the world of search (including what Meta is, and its real value in the scheme of things). This is one of the biggest areas you’re likely spending on, so make sure you have a sense of what is happening here, and what your investments in this area do for you. 
Fuel’s Comments: This is very similar to #5. It all comes down to tracking and paying attention to the data. You want your property’s website to have as much exposure as possible but only if it’s profitable. In many cases on META searches and search engines, you are not competing against other hotels, you are competing against your other distribution channels (Expedia, Booking.com, etc). They key to success in META search is rate parity. Make sure that your direct booking rates are ALWAYS equal to or lower than they are on third-party channels. Also, make sure that your website does a good job of educating visitors on the value and importance of booking direct.Related: <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-16-definitive-hotel-page-seo-cheat-sheet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Definitive Hotel On-Page SEO Cheat Sheet 
</a></li>
<li>Recognize the importance of imagery. This is another sizeable investment, so understand what the impact of it is. Think about how you shop. Would you ever buy anything from Amazon that doesn’t have a picture? How do online photos influence your own shopping behavior (when it comes to travel products and more)? 
Fuel’s Comments: In a recent Fuel survey, to be published next month, 90% of consumers indicated that quality photography was an important factor in their decision making process when booking a hotel room. That’s a higher percentage than said that reviews were important in our previous study! It’s quite simple, you hotel website is only as good as your photography. Invest in great photography and continue to do so every year.Related: <a title="Permalink to Hotel Photography: The Asset You Aren’t Assessing" href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/hotel-photography-the-asset-you-arent-assessing/" target="_blank" rel="bookmark noopener noreferrer">Hotel Photography: The Asset You Aren’t Assessing</a></li>
<li>For budgeting, look at the big picture and set larger goals for digital’s overall impact (occupancy, ADR, business mix, etc.) instead of trying to nit pick and measure ROI on every little thing that you do in the digital space. It’s just too complex. For example, social media really does not have a good direct ROI, but it is an absolutely essential part of a property’s overall marketing and operations strategy. 
Fuel’s Comments: When working on your budget, it’s always important to let the data make your decisions for you. Look at what’s working and what’s not working. Look at trends YoY and try to see patterns in terms of what tactics continue to improve over time vs. those that aren’t as profitable as they once were and shift your budget accordingly. Also, don’t budget in a vacuum. There’s a whole world out there of other properties who are trying to do the same thing you are and have already learned things that can benefit you. Find an agency that can help you or engage with other properties on social media and exchange information.</li>
</ol>
If you’re a digital marketer at a brand or management company, or on property, there are two simple things you can do to help your GMs stay up to date. Check them out in the original article: <a href="http://www.hsmai.org/knowledge/article.cfm?ItemNumber=27890&amp;RDtoken=17453&amp;userID=4854" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.hsmai.org/knowledge/article.cfm?ItemNumber=27890&amp;RDtoken=17453&amp;userID=4854</a>
========================
In the News
<h3>Hotel operator accuses Expedia of diverting customers with misleading ads in ‘brazen’ bait-and-switch 
<a href="http://www.geekwire.com/2016/hotel-operator-accuses-expedia-stealing-customers-misleading-ads-brazen-bait-switch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.geekwire.com/2016/hotel-operator-accuses-expedia-stealing-customers-misleading-ads-brazen-bait-switch/</a></h3>
<h3>Hotelier Outrage Over ACCC Rate Parity Agreement With Booking.com and Expedia 
<a href="http://www.traveltrends.biz/ttn555-hotelier-outrage-over-accc-rate-parity-agreement-with-booking-com-and-expedia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.traveltrends.biz/ttn555-hotelier-outrage-over-accc-rate-parity-agreement-with-booking-com-and-expedia/</a></h3>
<h3>Facebook pressures advertisers to cut mobile page load speeds or it’ll cut their reach 
<a href="http://marketingland.com/facebook-pressures-advertisers-cut-mobile-page-load-speeds-itll-cut-reach-190045" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://marketingland.com/facebook-pressures-advertisers-cut-mobile-page-load-speeds-itll-cut-reach-190045</a></h3>
========================
Related Links:
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.hsmai.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">HSMAI</a></li>
</ul>
========================
Download the Fuel Leisure Trravel Study at www.fueltravel.com/study
========================
Follow Us on Twitter:
@_travelboom 
@stuartbutler 
@pdimaio 
@pforiska
<div>
<hr />
</div>
<div></div>
Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a>. Download our leisure travel study at <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.fueltravel.com/study/</a>.

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 21 – What Every Hotel Needs to Know About Digital Marketing in 2016 (Courtesy of HSMAI)

Chances are, if you have a product or service to sell, you are producing content in some form or fashion. From text, photos and videos to interactive widgets and downloads, the Internet is essentially a great big web of content. In order for customers to learn about your hotels you need content that provides them with helpful information that answers their questions and that persuades them to part with their hard earned money in exchange for a trip to your property.
In this episode of the Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast, we look at content in its many forms and discuss techniques that hoteliers can implement to ensure that they are beating their competition in the battle for content supremacy.
If you like what you hear, please leave a comment below, share it with your friends, and also leave a review.
========================
Show Notes:
What Is Content?
<ul>
<li>The entire web is nothing but content</li>
<li>Simply… content marketing is building up an information base to support your product or service</li>
<li>Once created… tell everyone</li>
</ul>
Why Does Content Matter?
If everything on the web is content&#8230;
<ul>
<li>Search engines ONLY index content</li>
<li>People ONLY link to content on social networks</li>
<li>Video is the ONLY content on YouTube</li>
<li>ONLY content will persuade someone to stay at your property</li>
<li>If you are not producing content, ONLY you will know about your company</li>
</ul>
IF YOUR CONTENT IS NOT GOOD, YOUR MARKETING IS NOT GOOD.
How Do I Know If I Am Producing Bad Content?
<ul>
<li>Don’t phone it in&#8230; Deliver</li>
<li>Will your audience feel the click was worth it?</li>
<li>Did you go above and beyond to answer a question?</li>
<li>Are you genuinely proud of what you did?</li>
<li>Will people who don’t know you want to share your content? (This is when it “goes viral”)</li>
</ul>
The Goal is to make 10x Content
Make your content 10 Times more valuable than the next best thing.
Build content that competitors could never duplicate.
Don’t just answer a question or  provide information, take the guest to the next step of their journey.
Provide Enlightenment by giving them information that they didn’t have before or helping the see things from a different perspective.
The term 10x Content was coined by Rand Fishkin, co-founder of MOZ.com
<a href="http://www.moz.com/blog/why-good-unique-content-needs-to-die-whiteboard-friday" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.moz.com/blog/why-good-unique-content-needs-to-die-whiteboard-friday</a>
How Can You Produce Great Content?
Just start with these simple steps.
<ol>
<li>Make a list</li>
<li>Calendar &amp; Responsibility</li>
<li>Produce</li>
<li>Publish</li>
<li>Promote (Repeatedly)</li>
<li>Analyze</li>
<li>Repeat Steps 1 -6</li>
</ol>
10 Content Mediums To Consider
Content extends way beyond the written word and different types of content can appeal to different audiences.
The Basics: Pebbles
<ul>
<li>Site content &#8211; amenities, room descriptions, FAQs etc</li>
<li>Blogs and articles &#8211;  nearby attractions, things to do, differentiators, top 5 lists, etc.</li>
<li>Video &#8211; standalone or supporting other content</li>
<li>Photos &#8211; 90% of people said that quality of photography was an important factor when selecting a hotel in a recent Fuel study.</li>
<li>User Generated &#8211; show people the experience through the eyes of past guests</li>
</ul>
More Advanced: Big Rocks
<ul>
<li>Infographics</li>
<li>Whitepapers and downloads</li>
<li>Podcasts and audio</li>
<li>Tools</li>
<li>Presentations/How-Tos</li>
</ul>
Examples of Big Rock thinking:
<ul>
<li>The Standard Hotels Cultural blog &#8211; <a href="http://www.standardculture.com">www.standardculture.com</a></li>
<li>Ritz Carlton &#8211; The Art of the Craft Video Campaign lifts the veil and shows guests how the memories are made from the perspective of staff members.</li>
</ul>
Does Big Rock Content Make Sense for your hotel?
<ul>
<li>Leads to 10x content</li>
<li>Point of reference for all content</li>
<li>Creates opportunity for multiple pebbles</li>
<li>Makes you the authority on the subject and adds credibility</li>
<li>Brings the entire team together</li>
</ul>
Promoting Your Content
If content is produced and no one knows&#8230;
<ul>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
<li>Develop a plan to promote</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Remember, you are speaking to a parade, not a standing army. Promote often.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Automation is your friend</li>
</ul>
Organic tips &amp; tricks to reach your audience
<ul>
<li>Make your headlines pop (there’s a reason it’s called click bait)</li>
<li>Post and share often</li>
<li>Match the content with the medium to ensure the right target audience</li>
<li>Utilize your network and ask for shares</li>
<li>Interact with your network BEFORE you need their help</li>
<li>Follow the right people</li>
</ul>
Promoting Your Content
Paid exposure does work
<ul>
<li>Promoted Tweets</li>
<li>Boosted Facebook Posts</li>
<li>PPC programs via AdWords (Google)</li>
<li>Distribution Channels</li>
<li>Content Discovery Platforms &#8211; Yahoo Gemini, OutBrain, etc.</li>
</ul>
Tracking Your Content
Before you promote, track
<ul>
<li>Analytics such as Google Analytics, 
Adobe Analytics, Bit.ly, etc.</li>
<li>Platform analytics such as Twitter, 
Facebook, etc.</li>
<li>Use your analytics to determine 
future content</li>
<li>Don’t forget your ultimate goal is heads in beds, not traffic.</li>
</ul>
Next steps for your hotel&#8230;
A content marketing starters guide
<ul>
<li>Make a list of your FAQs</li>
<li>Answer at least ONE question on your site</li>
<li>Post to Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, Instagram, etc</li>
<li>Brainstorm some Big Rocks</li>
<li>Create a calendar, hold everyone accountable, and start</li>
</ul>
Biggest Reason for Failure: YOUR INNER CRITIC!!!
Just Do It. Start small and build on your successes.
========================
In the News
Aloft hotels debut voice-activated rooms
<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/roadwarriorvoices/2016/08/24/aloft-hotels-debut-voice-activated-rooms/89218504/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/roadwarriorvoices/2016/08/24/aloft-hotels-debut-voice-activated-rooms/89218504/</a>
Hotel Guests Engaged During Stay 40% More Likely to Come Back
<a href="http://www.hotel-online.com/press_releases/release/hotel-guests-engaged-during-stay-40-more-likely-to-come-back#When:10:02:09Z" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.hotel-online.com/press_releases/release/hotel-guests-engaged-during-stay-40-more-likely-to-come-back#When:10:02:09Z</a>
In a first, Expedia promotes a hotel’s loyalty rates and rewards program
<a href="https://www.tnooz.com/article/expedia-hotels-loyalty-rates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.tnooz.com/article/expedia-hotels-loyalty-rates/</a>
Google drops “mobile-friendly” label from SERP
<a href="http://searchengineland.com/google-drops-mobile-friendly-label-keeps-mobile-friendly-ranking-algorithm-257245" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://searchengineland.com/google-drops-mobile-friendly-label-keeps-mobile-friendly-ranking-algorithm-257245</a>
Google’s new penalty on pop-ups
<a href="http://searchengineland.com/interstitialgeddon-google-warns-will-crack-intrusive-interstitials-next-january-257252" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://searchengineland.com/interstitialgeddon-google-warns-will-crack-intrusive-interstitials-next-january-257252</a>
========================
Related Links:
<ul>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
<li>Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 10 – Should My Hotel Have a Blog? <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-10-hotel-blog/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-10-hotel-blog/</a></li>
<li>How To Create Kickass Content For Your Hotel Website <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/create-kickass-website-content/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/create-kickass-website-content/</a></li>
<li>Download the Fuel Leisure Trravel Study at <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/study" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.fueltravel.com/study</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
========================
Download the Fuel Leisure Trravel Study at www.fueltravel.com/study
========================
Follow Us on Twitter:
@_travelboom 
@stuartbutler 
@pdimaio
<div>
<hr />
</div>
<div></div>
Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a>. Download our leisure travel study at <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.fueltravel.com/study/</a>.

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 20 – How to Easily Create Amazing Content

In this ultra-competitive hospitality industry, profitability is tough to maintain. Consumers have more research power than ever and have the tools and technology at their disposal to find the best available rate with ease. This, coupled with the ongoing battle between OTAs and hoteliers for the privilege of getting the booking and owning the guest, means that it’s a great time for hotels to get creative in maximizing their revenue. One of the simplest and most effective methods is in the age-old sales technique of upselling. From room upgrades, to additional services, and F&amp;B, there are so many opportunities to upsell a guest and maximize your profit.
If you like what you hear, please leave a comment below, share it with your friends, and also leave a review.
========================
Upselling vs. Cross-Selling
While, technically speaking, upselling is the process of driving more revenue from a better version of the same type of product i.e a room upgrade; and cross-selling is the process of driving additional revenue by offering additional, supplementary products or services such as F&amp;B, merchandise or attraction tickets, we should look at both interchangeable, depending on the timing of the opportunity. Either way, we want to maximize not just RevPar and ADR, but overall revenue from each guest.
Benefits of Upselling
There are many benefits to upselling beyond the obvious of higher ADR and increased profitability.
<ul>
<li>Better chance of shifting lower-tier perishable inventory</li>
<li>For condo-tels, you can keep your larger units more occupied</li>
<li>Increased customer loyalty and online reputation through increased satisfaction by providing more value and a more personalization experience</li>
<li>Richer guest data for future targeting and personalization.</li>
<li>Greater utilization of on-site amenities</li>
<li>New, untapped revenue streams</li>
</ul>
Focus on Enhancing Your Guest’s Experience, Don’t Be a Used Car Salesman.
As travelers, we are primed to buy things. There are seldom times when our purse strings are more loose. Having said that, no one likes being sold to. It’s very important that you train your staff to approach upselling as a way to enhance the guest experience. The result of upselling is increased profit; however, the primary goal and focus should be on strengthening your relationship with the guest by enhancing their experience,
Upselling should occur throughout the guest’s journey
Don’t focus on just one specific time to upsell. Any time you have an interaction with a guest, over the phone, in person, or virtually via your website or an email, there’s an opportunity to upsell.  Here’s why:
<ol>
<li>Guests are often not aware of upgrade options, especially when the reservation was OTA or an business traveller’s assistant. Even if they book direct, perhaps, the phone reservationists may not have conveyed the upgrade options or their value</li>
<li>The guest’s needs will constantly change  Family vacationers, for example, may add people to their trip or may want to squeeze in an extra attraction before they leave.</li>
<li>The travel lifecycle is full of micro-moments for decision making. Each time a guest is presented with a decision to spend money or not you may get a different answer.  Their experience, their mood, the fact that they already paid perceive that they’ve paid for the stay, etc. All of these factors can influence their decision.</li>
</ol>
Timing and Message Matter. Since the purpose of upselling is to improve the guest’s experience then it has a place throughout the entire research, purchase and consumption life cycle, but what you upsell depends greatly on when you upsell.
<ol>
<li>During the Online Research and Booking Process: The is often the first opportunity to upsell. Offering messaging that highlights the difference in price between a room and a suite, and shows the difference in price as opposed to the total price can be effective in getting people to select an upgraded room. Also, presenting additional services and/or package options can drive additional revenue. Just be careful not to decrease your overall conversion rate by offering too many add-ons or options.</li>
<li>On the phone: your reservationists can have a large impact on your upselling endeavors. They key is for them to ask questions and find out about the guest and their specific needs. If they’re travelling with a family and looking at rooms, perhaps make the suggestion of a suite because of the separate bedrooms and additional space.</li>
<li>Pre-arrival: Confirmation emails and other pre-stay emails can politely inform customers of relevant services, special offers or room upgrades to enhance their upcoming stay. The best part is that the guest has already committed themselves to your property and has already paid for the stay in their mind. This is a great time to really push messaging that focuses on the difference in price vs. the total price. I.e. ‘For only $20/night, get all this extra value.’. You can also promote savings by pre-ordering on things like breakfast, upgraded wi-fi, spa treatments, etc.</li>
<li>During Check-in: Check-in is the most effective and opportune time to upsell. This is when the guest is beginning their stay and is most susceptible to helpful suggestions. Weary travelers often welcome the opportunity to upgrade their room or book a session at the spa.</li>
<li>During the Stay: When guests are immersed in their stay experience, they are typically more open to opportunities to enhance it. During a guest’s stay, you can promote relevant services to them through interactions with hotel staff, email, in-room guest information books, and your mobile apps.</li>
<li>During Check-out and Post-stay: This is often overlooked as an upsell opportunity. Upon check-out, invite the guest to join your loyalty program, get them to buy branded merchandise or souvenirs of their stay, or offer them a discount or free breakfast for their next stay. After they have checked out, post-stay emails thanking them for visiting can also promote return offers. Enticing customers to return with special offers helps strengthen the guest relationship, and the opportunity to upsell to them in the future.</li>
</ol>
What to upsell?
<ol>
<li>Room upgrades</li>
<li>Early Check-in</li>
<li>Late Check-out</li>
<li>Extended stay</li>
<li>Food and Beverage/Meal Plan (especially breakfast)</li>
<li>In-Room extras (bottle of wine, DVD rentals, in-room massages, etc.)</li>
<li>On-site amenities (spa, bowling, game cards etc)</li>
<li>Upgraded Wi-Fi</li>
<li>Parking/Transportation</li>
<li>Merchandise/Souvenirs</li>
<li>Activities/Attractions</li>
<li>Packages (Romance Package, Family Package, etc.)</li>
</ol>
===================
Tips For Upselling
<ul>
<li>Always offer multiple options: Don’t just offer the cheapest option, always give guests a menu to chose from.  That way, they’re not deciding ‘yes’ or ‘no’, they’re deciding which one to pick.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Personalize the upsell:  When guests indicate price sensitivity by saying “what’s your cheapest rate?” use a “bottom-up” approach by mentioning the lower-rated option first, then referencing only the incremental difference for the next category such as “For only $25 more you will receive…”. Always make the guest feel like you have their best interest at heart. For example, if a guest is travelling with children, offer a larger unit and kid activities by saying something like, “Since you are travelling with your family, you may like…”. If it’s a couple, offer a romance package. Pay attention and think about what would be most appealing to each individual guest.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Sell the value:. Be as specific as possible. Rather than saying “Deluxe rooms have a view,” say “In this room you can look out your window and see…”  Rather than saying “The concierge floor has a lounge,” say  “As a guest on this floor you’ll have 24-hour access to our executive lounge, which includes…”  Rather than saying “This is a 600 square foot suite with a fully equipped kitchen,” say “Since you’re traveling with your family, you’ll love having all the extra space this suite provides.  And the kitchen will be nice if you want to make breakfast or bring back take-out one evening.”</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Don’t make lower priced options sound undesirable:  This is especially important when guests decline the upsell offer.  Be sure to reinforce the positives of the lower-tiered rooms with statements such as “With this option you will still receive all the same amenities and services…” or “Although this room is a little smaller, it still has…”</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Utilize incremental sales techniques: In the mind of most travellers, they have already paid for their initial trip. While they didn’t want to pay the full amount for the king suite when they booked, they may be enticed when presented with the value proposition before or at check-in.  “For only $25 more, I can offer you one of our upgraded rooms. In addition to what you have already booked, you would receive&#8230;”</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Present the availability of upgrades as a unique opportunity: by saying something like: “We’ve had some of our upgraded rooms open up this evening&#8230;” or “Congratulations, you have qualified for a discounted upgrade today&#8230;”. When doing this, it’s also a good idea to position the lower rate by mentioning a reference point and therefore increasing the perceived value.  “These rooms are typically $300/night,  but because of these special circumstances, I can offer you  a special rate of $250/night.”</li>
</ul>
======================
FINAL THOUGHTS:
<ul>
<li>Don’t be afraid to upsell. You will get 0% of the upsells that you don’t ask for.</li>
<li>Train your staff &#8211; how, what and when you upsell is important and should be consistent</li>
<li>Make it about guest satisfaction and the revenue will take care of itself</li>
<li>Personalize the upselling process to your guest</li>
</ul>
CONTEST:
the first three hotels to email to erin.nemeth@triptease.com with subject line &#8220;I love direct bookings!&#8221; gets a free pass to attend The Direct Booking Summit!
Check out <a href="http://www.Triptease.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.Triptease.com</a> for great rate parity software and register for their Direct Booking Summit at <a href="http://www.directbookingsummit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.directbookingsummit.com/</a>
========================
Download the Fuel Leisure Trravel Study at www.fueltravel.com/study
========================
Follow Us on Twitter:
@_travelboom 
@stuartbutler 
@makavanagh 
@pdimaio
<div>
<hr />
</div>
<div></div>
Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a>. Download our leisure travel study at <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.fueltravel.com/study/</a>.

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 19 – The Art and Science of Upselling Your Hotel Guest

In the inaugural episode of the Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast, we discussed the OTAs vs. Direct bookings and gave some ideas on how you can reclaim some of your guests. In this episode, we discuss the fact that the war is heating up. All the players are circling their wagons and preparing for a battle royal &#8211; potentially to the death. Who will win?
If you like what you hear, please leave a comment below, share it with your friends, and also leave a review.
========================
Love them or hate them, OTAs are an important part of the travel ecosystem. When used correctly. They are immensely useful and can drive occupancy and revenue. When used incorrectly, they are an unnecessary expense that can handcuff a property and prevent it from being profitable.
In this episode, we discuss how this war started and who’s firing the biggest shots. We also look at the impact that this fallout is having on the consumer and offer our words of wisdom to the industry.
========================
ARTICLES THAT WE DISCUSSED THIS WEEK
More hotels offer discounts for booking directly
<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/hotels/2016/07/10/hotels-booking-loyalty-program-discounts/86826042/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/hotels/2016/07/10/hotels-booking-loyalty-program-discounts/86826042/</a>
Are online travel sites providing biased information? (follows on from the dimming article last week)
<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/are-expedia-priceline-online-travel-sites-providing-biased-hotel-travel-information/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.cbsnews.com/news/are-expedia-priceline-online-travel-sites-providing-biased-hotel-travel-information/</a>
Priceline CEO to Hotels: We Can Offer Discounted Rates, Too
<a href="https://skift.com/2016/08/05/priceline-ceo-to-hotels-we-can-offer-discounted-rates-too/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://skift.com/2016/08/05/priceline-ceo-to-hotels-we-can-offer-discounted-rates-too/</a>
The state of online travel agency bookings in charts
<a href="https://www.tnooz.com/article/state-of-online-travel-agency-bookings-charts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.tnooz.com/article/state-of-online-travel-agency-bookings-charts/</a>
In search of hotels, more travelers turn to OTAs than hotel websites
<a href="http://www.phocuswright.com/Free-Travel-Research/Channel-Surfing-Where-Consumers-Shop-for-Travel-Online" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.phocuswright.com/Free-Travel-Research/Channel-Surfing-Where-Consumers-Shop-for-Travel-Online</a>
Independent hotels increasingly dependent on OTAs
<a href="http://www.hotrec.eu/newsroom/press-releases-1714/dominant-online-platforms-gaining-market-share-in-travel-trade-no-signs-of-increased-competition-between-online-travel-agents-unveils-european-hotel-distribution-study.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.hotrec.eu/newsroom/press-releases-1714/dominant-online-platforms-gaining-market-share-in-travel-trade-no-signs-of-increased-competition-between-online-travel-agents-unveils-european-hotel-distribution-study.aspx</a>
=======================
Related Links:
Download the Fuel Leisure Trravel Study at www.fueltravel.com/study
Check out <a href="http://www.Triptease.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.Triptease.com</a> for great rate parity software and register for their Direct Booking Summit at <a href="http://www.directbookingsummit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.directbookingsummit.com/</a>
========================
Follow Us on Twitter:
@_travelboom 
@stuartbutler 
@marketingmeisha 
@pdimaio
<div>
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<div></div>
Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a>. Download our leisure travel study at <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.fueltravel.com/study/</a>.

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 18 – The War Between OTAs and Hotels is Reaching Boiling Point

How can you turn your guests into promoters of your property? Loyal guests can be your best marketers. Don’t overlook their potential. In this episode of the Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast, we break down some top tips to get your guests engaged and promoting your brand.
If you like what you hear, please leave a comment below, share it with your friends, and also leave a review.
========================
Show Notes:
In this week’s episode we analyze and discuss an article from Hospitalitynet.org by Sarah Came &#8211; a copywriter with GuestRevu. The article discusses ways that you can turn your guests into promoters of your property. Find the full article at <a href="http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4077315.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4077315.html</a>
<ol>
<li>User generated content (Check out <a href="http://www.flip.to" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">flip.to</a> for a great UGC tool)</li>
<li>Go after repeat guests</li>
<li>Don&#8217;t sell, inspire</li>
<li>Engage with your guests (past, present and prospective)</li>
<li>Ask for reviews</li>
<li>Don&#8217;t settle for satisfaction, aim for delight</li>
</ol>
========================
Related Links:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/the-automated-emails-your-hotel-should-be-sending/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Automated Emails Your Hotel Should Be Sending</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.guestrevu.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Check out GuestRevu &#8211; www.guestrevu.com/</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hospitalitynet.org/column/global/154000392/4077315.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Original HospitalityNet.org Article &#8211; 6 ways to turn loyal guests into promoters</a></li>
</ul>
========================
In The News
Expedia Caught “Dimming” Hotels with Lower Book Direct Rates: 
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-online-travel-agencies-manipulate-your-search-results_us_579e0279e4b00e7e269fa568" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-online-travel-agencies-manipulate-your-search-results_us_579e0279e4b00e7e269fa568</a>
Google Expanded Text Ads Are Here 
<a href="http://searchengineland.com/google-adwords-expanded-text-ads-live-254548" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://searchengineland.com/google-adwords-expanded-text-ads-live-254548</a>
========================
Follow Us on Twitter:
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<div>
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Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a>. Download our leisure travel study at <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.fueltravel.com/study/</a>.

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 17 – How to Turn Loyal Guests into Brand Advocates

Despite search engines doing their best to push organic results down and replace them with more paid ads, every hotel still relies on a steady stream of free traffic from organic search engine results. SEO can be very daunting due to the vastness of what it entails. Search engines look at hundreds of factors when determining which results should rank at the top of the results page for any given keyword. In this episode, we discuss some of the basic block and tackle on-page aspects that can have a significant impact in your overall search ranking..
If you like what you hear, please leave a comment below, share it with your friends, and also leave a review.
In The News
Verizon Buys Yahoo! For 4.8 Billion
<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2016/07/25/technology/yahoo-verizon-deal-sale/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://money.cnn.com/2016/07/25/technology/yahoo-verizon-deal-sale/index.html</a>
Brands Can Request Verified Twitter Accounts
<a href="http://www.marketingtechnews.net/news/2016/jul/20/brands-can-now-apply-verified-twitter-account-it-opens-everyone/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.marketingtechnews.net/news/2016/jul/20/brands-can-now-apply-verified-twitter-account-it-opens-everyone/</a>
Millennials Lead the Way in Travel Agent Usage:
<a href="http://www.travelagentcentral.com/trends-research/asta-millennials-lead-way-travel-agent-usage-56823" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.travelagentcentral.com/trends-research/asta-millennials-lead-way-travel-agent-usage-56823</a>
Westin Hotel Running Club
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/26/business/why-your-local-hotel-is-trying-to-hook-you.html?_r=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/26/business/why-your-local-hotel-is-trying-to-hook-you.html?_r=1</a>
========================
Show Notes:
Previously, we have discussed the <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-5-search-engine-optimization-for-hotels/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Top 3 SEO factors</a> in a broad manner. Today, we discuss things at a more granular and tactical level.
<a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-5-search-engine-optimization-for-hotels/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-5-search-engine-optimization-for-hotels/</a>
In a recent blog post, one of our resident SEO experts, Meisha, gave an in depth look at <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/ultimate-seo-audit-for-hotels/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">What you should include in an SEO audit</a>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="VACTqajdU6"><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/ultimate-seo-audit-for-hotels/">The #1 SEO Audit For Hotel Websites</a></blockquote>
<iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);" title="&#8220;The #1 SEO Audit For Hotel Websites&#8221; &#8212; TravelBoom" src="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/ultimate-seo-audit-for-hotels/embed/#?secret=zSjk6JDqVG#?secret=VACTqajdU6" data-secret="VACTqajdU6" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
Read the full article for a more detailed explanation and a list of technical items to check for, but here is the basic outline for on-page optimizations:
On-Page Optimizations
<ul>
<li>Canonicalization</li>
<li>URL Structure</li>
<li>Title Tag</li>
<li>Meta Description</li>
<li>Page Speed</li>
<li>Header Hierarchy</li>
<li>Image Alt Text &#8211; <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/ask-a-fueligan-how-can-i-write-great-image-alt-text/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/ask-a-fueligan-how-can-i-write-great-image-alt-text/</a></li>
<li>Schema Markup</li>
<li>Keyword Targeting &#8211; <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/proper-keyword-research-important-hotel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/proper-keyword-research-important-hotel/</a></li>
<li>Content Optimizations</li>
<li>Type/Amount of Content</li>
<li>Conversion Funnel</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J9GOo8Fn6ctJ5PeD_2y4QBd0bMjh1XsVWQCiVAaDC08/edit#heading=h.40dsaoh8f2qm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Download the FREE Fuel SEO audit and make a copy to use for yourself!</a>
========================
Question of the week: What are the biggest SEO mistakes that hotels make? Darren B.
===========================
Follow Us on Twitter:
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<div>
<hr />
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<div></div>
Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a>. Download our leisure travel study at <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.fueltravel.com/study/</a>.

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 16 – The Definitive Hotel On-Page SEO Cheat Sheet

Your social fan base can be one of your hotel’s best assets and word-of-mouth exposure can be priceless.  However massive social exposure is not always a good thing…
So what do you do when a guest tweets a photo of bedbugs, or someone posts a scathing review on TripAdvisor?  In this episode we discuss the three tactics for mitigating the damage when the social stuff hits the fan (S-SHTF) and even turning it into a win.
If you like what you hear, please leave a comment below, share it with your friends, and also leave a review.
In The News
Expedia Purchases Photo Sharing Site: <a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/expedia-acquisition-acquires-trover-travel-photography/">http://www.dgitaltrends.com/photography/expedia-acquisition-acquires-trover-travel-photography/</a> This combined with Orbits and CheapTickets expanding their reviews to rental cars is a sign that the OTAs are looking to chip away at the TA marketshare
Google releases new ways to edit Google Maps listings.
<a href="https://maps.googleblog.com/2016/07/more-ways-to-share-your-street-smarts.html">https://maps.googleblog.com/2016/07/more-ways-to-share-your-street-smarts.html</a>
How many hotels have jumped on the Pokemon GO Bandwagon
<a href="http://www.ryansolutions.com/blog/2016/pokemon-go-hotels/?utm_source=email&amp;utm_medium=buttonDBBOXr&amp;utm_campaign=stash">http://www.ryansolutions.com/blog/2016/pokemon-go-hotels/?utm_source=email&amp;utm_medium=buttonDBBOXr&amp;utm_campaign=stash</a>
========================
Show Notes:
Examples of S-SHTF
<ul>
<li>One client found one of the suggested searches on google for their hotel was “HOTEL NAME bedbugs”</li>
<li>Guest at a hotel posts a YouTube video of a stained mattress and suggests a murder took place in their room</li>
<li>You did something really wrong, such as fine your guests for negative reviews (<a href="http://venturebeat.com/2014/08/04/new-york-hotel-fines-guests-500-for-bad-reviews-on-yelp/">http://venturebeat.com/2014/08/04/new-york-hotel-fines-guests-500-for-bad-reviews-on-yelp/</a>)</li>
<li>The Weather Channel anything… storms and natural disasters</li>
</ul>
Strategy 1: Lemons into Lemonade 
<ul>
<li>This should be your default strategy for negative social press</li>
<li>Find guess with small issues and turn into big wins (Giraffe example)</li>
<li>You are building your positive social brand here</li>
<li>Monitor beyond your # or @.  Watch for brand and destination keywords</li>
</ul>
Strategy 2: Embrace and Turn 
<ul>
<li>Creating content to own the search results</li>
<li>Become the uber-expert</li>
<li>Be aggressive and overwhelm the negative</li>
</ul>
Strategy 3: Own Up And Apologize 
<ul>
<li>Own it fast if you’re going to own it at all.  You don’t want to be perceived as doing this as a last resort.</li>
<li>Be sincere and direct in your apology</li>
<li>Be “over the top” in terms of making it right.</li>
</ul>
Strategy 4: Fight!
<ul>
<li>This is the riskiest of all strategies because you can easily become the big corporation attacking the little guy.</li>
<li>Clear cut case of right v/s wrong</li>
<li>Clear evidence to the point</li>
<li>Prove your point but be nice and always take the high ground</li>
<li>Humor helps to break the tension</li>
</ul>
Strategy 5: Passively Monitor
<ul>
<li>WARNING: Be careful you are not missing an opportunity to turn an upset customer into a lifelong guest.</li>
<li>WARNING: Be sure your head is not in the sand</li>
<li>A good strategy if the issue is just a single comment/post and you believe any involvement will only add gas to a dying fire</li>
<li>Note the potential problem and address internally</li>
<li>Prepare in case your strategy needs to change</li>
</ul>
========================
Prepare In Advance for a S-SHTF
The time to prepare is before the crisis hits.  Take a page from Marriott’s playbook and create a detailed crisis plan (2001 plan released on Wikileaks) <a href="http://loyaltylobby.com/2013/10/15/marriott-crisis-management-guide/">http://loyaltylobby.com/2013/10/15/marriott-crisis-management-guide/</a>
<ol>
<li>Have a Plan &#8211;</li>
<li>Involve The Team &#8211;</li>
<li>Build Social Capital Now &#8211;</li>
<li>Monitor and prepare to react &#8211;</li>
</ol>
<a href="https://www.revinate.com/blog/2013/05/best-practices-in-hotel-crisis-management/">https://www.revinate.com/blog/2013/05/best-practices-in-hotel-crisis-management/</a>
Success Stories:
<ul>
<li>The Bed Bug Hotel &#8211; Addressed and owned the story
<ul>
<li>Addressed personal questions</li>
<li>Created content educating guests about their bed bug procedure (really cool)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Murder Scene Hotel &#8211; Won with content
<ul>
<li>(did they address the issue directly?)</li>
<li>Created a series of videos to bury the negative</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Joshie the Giraffe and Ritz Carlton &#8211; Lemons into lemonade 
(lost once &#8211; found, lost again at another hotel &#8211; replaced by Ritz)
<ul>
<li>Part 1: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-hurn/stuffed-giraffe-shows-wha_b_1524038.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-hurn/stuffed-giraffe-shows-wha_b_1524038.html</a></li>
<li>Part 2: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-hurn/great-customer-service-ne_b_8340954.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-hurn/great-customer-service-ne_b_8340954.html</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Death at the Grand Floridian &#8211; Apologize and make right
<ul>
<li>Over the top response at Disney including closing all beaches</li>
<li>Fences</li>
<li>Disney CEO Bob Iger personally calling family</li>
<li>Provided information, was transparent, and helped</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
Fail Stories:
<ul>
<li>Union Street Guest House &#8211; Decided to lie about fining guests by saying it was a joke</li>
<li>Amy’s Baking Company &#8211; Not hotel but FAIL: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/14/amys-baking-company-kitchen-nightmares_n_3274345.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/14/amys-baking-company-kitchen-nightmares_n_3274345.html</a></li>
<li>Claridges Breastfeeding Issue &#8211; <a href="https://storify.com/danslee/claridges-hotel-pr-nightmare">https://storify.com/danslee/claridges-hotel-pr-nightmare</a></li>
</ul>
========================
The 5 “A’s” Of A PR Crisis (credit to Forbes)
<ul>
<li>Assess. Calmly, despite the stress, identify the issue and determine the best course of action.</li>
<li>Admit. If you were at fault (or worse, lying) admit the transgression quickly and directly</li>
<li>Address. Specifically address what you are admitting and apologizing for.  Don’t mince words, be direct and succinct.</li>
<li>Atone. Make right what you made wrong.  Detail out your plan to ensure (1) you fix the issue and (2) layout out plan for it to not happen again.</li>
<li>Adapt. Move on a better person or company.  It’s time to begin repairing and rebuilding you social capital</li>
</ul>
========================
FINAL THOUGHT:
Understand even the best brands will hit social stumbling blocks, how you handle the issue will define your brand moving forward.
Follow Us on Twitter:
@_travelboom 
@stuartbutler 
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<h3>Related Articles:</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<h2 class="post-title entry-title"><a title="Permalink to Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 14 – How Your Hotel Can Benefit From Newsjacking (Pokemon Go Edition)" href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-14-how-your-hotel-can-benefit-from-newsjacking-pokemon-go-edition/" rel="bookmark">Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 14 – How Your Hotel Can Benefit From Newsjacking (Pokemon Go Edition) </a></h2>
</li>
</ul>

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 15 – How to Deal With a Social Media or PR Crisis

Pokemon are everywhere and Pokemon Go is everywhere in the media right now and everyone is trying to get their own little piece of attention from this world-wide phenomenon by trying to newsjack these imaginary monsters. This is the inspiration for an episode dedicated to newsjacking. What is Newsjacking and how can your hotel benefit from it? In this episode of the Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast, we offer examples of great newsjacking and also where it may have gone terribly wrong for some folks. We give our opinions and offer some simple do’s and don&#8217;ts
If you like what you hear, please leave a comment below, share it with your friends, and also leave a review.
SHOW NOTES:
There’s often an opportunity for your hotel to be relevant within a seemingly unrelated conversation. A prime example of this is the Pokemon Go phenomenon. Check out the article we wrote as an example: <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/7-ways-pokemon-go-can-benefit-hotels/">7 Creative Ways Hotels Can Benefit From Pokemon Go</a>
This is a form of newsjacking and it can really benefit your hotel.
What is Newsjacking? 
Newsjacking is the act of taking a recent news item or event to which lots of people are paying attention and injecting yourself into the conversation in a unique way that makes your hotel look good or in a way that draws positive attention to your brand.
Why should your hotel Newsjack? 
Newsjacking started life as a PR technique. It was used to raise awareness of your hotel. Overtime, it has also expanded to become a viable technique for inbound and content marketing. Some of the direct and indirect  benefits of newsjacking:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Inbound links to your website from highly authoritative media outlets.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Local/Regional media coverage</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Increased website traffic</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Increased SEO ranking</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Increased Social engagement</li>
</ol>
All of these benefits ultimately lead to more awareness, more visibility of your property and more bookings.
When to Newsjack 
Timing is everything if you want to be effective at newsjacking. Like most things that involve time, there’s a bell curve that can predict the lifecycle of any news item or event. It starts with the news breaking, soon after that, journalists are going to be scrambling to get more information and put out their own spin on the subject. After that, the public gets excited or hyper-aware of the event. Next, the topic reaches fever pitch and peaks. Finally, the news item will slowly die as it drifts through the old news phase and it’s inevitable irrelevance.
To most effectively newsjack, you have to be out of the gates fast. You need to create your own spin on the story between the time that the story breaks and the time that journalists produce their own content. Your goal should be to get included in the journalist’s stories because that will give you the maximum impact.
If you happen to miss out on the first wave of stories, not to worry. You may not get quite as much impact, but you can still capitalize on consumer awareness and the fact that they may be seeking more information or trying to formulate their own opinions.
The other thing to consider related to when to newsjack is more of a common sense thing. Pick your topics wisely. The following are fair game for newsjacking:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Sporting events</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Celebrity mishaps</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Popular TV show premiers and finales</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Award shows</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Political shenanigans</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Major holidays and anniversaries (depending on the event)</li>
</ul>
However, avoid anything that is tasteless or that would tarnish your hotel brand. For example: 
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Disasters or tragedies of any kind</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">High-profile criminal activity</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Controversial subjects that make your potential guests angry such as the bathroom laws in North Carolina or same-sex marriage. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Don’t trivialize something that is important to people</li>
</ul>
While these subjects may interest people and they may have a lot of attention, you have no business injecting your hotel into the conversation.
How to prepare your hotel to be a newsjacker
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Monitor the news &#8211; you can set up alerts from most major news outlets. You may also monitor what’s trending on Twitter.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Do keyword research &#8211; ensure that your content is using the words and phrases that have the highest search volume</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Know your stuff &#8211; spend some time learning about the news item or event. You want to make sure that you have all of the information before you jump in with two fee.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Determine your angle &#8211; come up with something novel or unique that ties your hotel to the news item or event. You have to have something to say to be newsworthy.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Get it done fast, but make sure it’s good &#8211; timing is critical, but so is the quality. Don’t rush it out if it’s not ready. Be sure to allocate the appropriate amount of time to the task at hand. This will ensure that people pay attention to you amidst the noise.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Spread the word &#8211; As with all content marketing, distribution drive the train. Be sure to not only push the information out on your social channels, but consider sending out a press release to local media outlets as well. They are the folks that you really want to engage.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Don’t forget the call to action &#8211; Brandin is great, social followers or email subscribers are better and better than any of those are hotel bookings. Think through your approach to ensure that you move these potential guests that are paying attention to you down the sales funnel. That could be an email popup or a special offer.</li>
</ol>
Examples of Good Newsjacking
Good news jackers add levity to a situation or provide some sort of unique value.
The most famous newsjacking of all time
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">OREO Tweet &#8211; 2013 “Power out? No problem. You can still dunk in the dark.”</li>
</ul>
Not only did it get thousands of retweets and social shares, it also inspired countless articles (including this one). That exposure drove brand awareness and sales for the tasty treat.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Arby&#8217;s Tweet &#8211; &#8220;Hey @Pharrell, can we have our hat back?&#8221; Gained 80,000 retweets and 60,000 favorites and a bunch of press. They also went on to purchase the hat from him. Other brands such as Hyundai congratulated their tweet. Plus, Pharell himself got in on the action with the response “Are you trying to start a Roast Beef?”.  The hat was soon auctioned on eBay, and guess who bought it?!? Arby’s of course. It set them back a cool $44,100. A great investment when you look at all of the additional media coverage it gained them.</li>
</ul>
Sometimes you can create the story
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Hilton’s Blue Monday popup resort in London &#8211; <a href="https://soniapnavarro.wordpress.com/2014/04/20/the-tales-of-a-hotel-and-newsjacking/">https://soniapnavarro.wordpress.com/2014/04/20/the-tales-of-a-hotel-and-newsjacking/</a></li>
</ul>
Examples of Newsjacking Gone Wrong
Bad news jackers take advantage of other people’s misfortune or appear inappropriate and self-serving,
Anything to do with hurricane Sandy 
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Sears tweet &#8211; Did hurricane Sandy affect your city? Get your generators, air mattresses and more at Sears.</li>
</ul>
(Looking at your as well Urban Outfitters and Gap)
Anything to do with people suffering
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">AT&amp;T Twin Towers tweet &#8211; “Never forget” with a photo of the twin towers held up on a phone to line up with the New York skyline.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Kenneth Cole tweet &#8211; “Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring line is available. The brand also got in trouble when the US government was trying to decide whether or not to go into Syria with: “’Boots on the ground’ or not, let’s not forget about sandals, pumps and loafers. #Footwear.”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Seahawks tieing in team loss with #MLKday</li>
</ul>
Be sure to pay attention to what you’re hotel is newsjacking
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">DiGiorno Pizza not paying attention &#8211; “#whyIstayed You had pizza”. They did not realize that this hashtag was intended for people to tell their domestic violence survival stories.</li>
</ul>
There’s a difference between newsjacking and becoming involved in a cause or movement
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Hotel Blue &#8211; breast cancer awareness. They turn their property pink for the month and donate a portion of sales to charity and encourage additional donations.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Marriott &#8211; speaking out on LGBT issues. Their CEO has stated that they will stand up for issues that are germane to their business. They are in the hospitality business and should be welcoming to everyone. They also employ many people who care a great deal about LGBT rights.</li>
</ul>
FINAL THOUGHT:
If your hotel has something to say, say it. If you’re trying too hard to find an angle, you’ll probably end up looking ridiculous. 
For those interested in saving 10%: check out ArenaFlowers.com tweet to save by using the flower code “AshleyMadison” for all aplogy flowers
<a href="https://plus.google.com/113057425745608974357/about">People United to Stop Pete DiMaio</a>
In The News
2016 JD Power Hotel Satisfaction Study:
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/Hotel-guest-satisfaction-plateaus-as-perks-become-standard" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/Hotel-guest-satisfaction-plateaus-as-perks-become-standard</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.successfulmeetings.com/News/Hotel-Updates/JD-Power-2016-North-America-Hotel-Guest-Satisfaction-Index-Study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.successfulmeetings.com/News/Hotel-Updates/JD-Power-2016-North-America-Hotel-Guest-Satisfaction-Index-Study/</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/jd-power-2016-north-america-hotel-guest-satisfaction-index-study" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/jd-power-2016-north-america-hotel-guest-satisfaction-index-study</a></li>
<li><a href="https://skift.com/2016/07/14/the-5-biggest-takeaways-for-hoteliers-from-this-years-j-d-power-hotel-guest-satisfaction-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://skift.com/2016/07/14/the-5-biggest-takeaways-for-hoteliers-from-this-years-j-d-power-hotel-guest-satisfaction-rankings/</a></li>
</ul>
Airbnb Partners For Business Travel:
<a href="https://skift.com/2016/07/12/airbnb-scores-another-corporate-travel-win-with-amex-global-business-travel-deal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://skift.com/2016/07/12/airbnb-scores-another-corporate-travel-win-with-amex-global-business-travel-deal/</a> 

Follow Us on Twitter: 
@_travelboom 
@stuartbutler 
@marketingmeisha 
@pdimaio
<div>
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Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a>. Download our leisure travel study at <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.fueltravel.com/study/</a>.
<h3>Related Articles:</h3>
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<li>
<h2 class="post-title entry-title"><a title="Permalink to 7 Creative Ways Hotels Can Benefit From Pokemon Go" href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/7-ways-pokemon-go-can-benefit-hotels/" target="_blank" rel="bookmark noopener noreferrer">7 Creative Ways Hotels Can Benefit From Pokemon Go</a></h2>
</li>
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Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 14 – How Your Hotel Can Benefit From Newsjacking (Pokemon Go Edition)

In this week’s episode of the Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast, we dig into the world of social media. What social media platforms are right for your hotel? What types of posts should your hotel be making? Which hotels are doing a good job on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and SnapChat? Find out below.
If you like what you hear, please leave a comment below, share it with your friends, and also leave a review.
SHOW NOTES:
Question: Which social media channels should my hotel be on? &#8211; Zoe C
Facebook
<ul>
<li>72% of adult internet users use Facebook (58% of entire adult population)</li>
<li>1.44B monthly active users</li>
<li>More women than men (77% vs 66%)</li>
<li>Skews younger, but stats remain impressive (82% of users 18-29… 56% of 65+ use Facebook)</li>
<li>US top country, strong presence worldwide (US = 15% of users)</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/business/news/audience-insights" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.facebook.com/business/news/audience-insights</a>
<a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/08/19/the-demographics-of-social-media-users/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/08/19/the-demographics-of-social-media-users/</a>
<a href="http://sproutsocial.com/insights/new-social-media-demographics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://sproutsocial.com/insights/new-social-media-demographics/</a>
<ul>
<li>Organic reach ~5%</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/business/ads-guide" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.facebook.com/business/ads-guide</a>
<a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/the-best-facebook-ad-formats-for-hotels/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Best Facebook Ad Formats For Hotels</a> &#8211; https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/the-best-facebook-ad-formats-for-hotels/
<a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/the-basics-of-facebook-advertising/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Basics of Facebook Advertising</a> &#8211; https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/the-basics-of-facebook-advertising/
Do’s:
<ul>
<li>Strong, identifiable, attractive cover photo &amp; profile images.</li>
<li>Utilize custom tabs → Hotel / Room tours, specials, book direct, contests, etc.</li>
<li>Use Facebook Open Graph meta tags</li>
<li>Post regularly</li>
<li>Encourage engagement</li>
<li>Create &amp; share hotel events</li>
<li>Experiment with new features → Facebook live video, 360 images, canvas, etc.</li>
<li>Share positive reviews / stories from guests</li>
<li>Respond to reviews → Good &amp; bad</li>
<li>Show personality</li>
<li>Showcase your destination</li>
<li>Check audience insights → A lot of good, FREE information here</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/facebook-marketing-for-hotels/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook Marketing For Hotels</a> &#8211; https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/facebook-marketing-for-hotels/
Don’ts:
<ul>
<li>Ignore bad comments, reviews</li>
<li>Set it &amp; forget it</li>
<li>Use hashtags, unless you are using your own branded hashtag, running contest, etc.</li>
</ul>
Pages We Like:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/YOTELNYC/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Yotel NYC</a> &#8211; https://www.facebook.com/YOTELNYC/</li>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hilton/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hilton Brand Page</a> &#8211; https://www.facebook.com/YOTELNYC/</li>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/myrtlebeach" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MyrtleBeach.com</a> &#8211; https://www.facebook.com/myrtlebeach</li>
</ul>
Twitter:
<ul>
<li>~23% of the online population uses Twitter (19% of adult population)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>310 Million monthly active users</li>
<li>Skews towards men (24% vs 21%)</li>
<li>Skews towards higher income &amp; higher education</li>
<li>Age is skewed to young adult population</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://about.twitter.com/company" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://about.twitter.com/company</a>
<a href="https://business.twitter.com/en/advertising.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://business.twitter.com/en/advertising.html</a>
Do’s: 
<ul>
<li>Strong, identifiable, attractive cover photo &amp; profile images.</li>
<li>Use photos &amp; videos in tweets</li>
<li>Use Twitter cards to make links in tweets larger, more customizable</li>
<li>Look at your Twitter Analytics → A lot of great, FREE info here</li>
<li>Respond to direct tweets, mentions</li>
<li>Retweet relevant news, media, etc.</li>
<li>Encourage engagement</li>
<li>Show personality</li>
<li>Use relevant hashtags</li>
</ul>
Don’ts:
<ul>
<li>Ignore tweets &amp; mentions</li>
<li>Set it &amp; forget it</li>
<li>Overuse hashtags</li>
</ul>
Pages We Like:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/Cosmopolitan_LV" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cosmopolitan Las Vegas</a> &#8211; https://twitter.com/Cosmopolitan_LV</li>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/AloftHotels" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Aloft Hotels</a> &#8211; https://twitter.com/Cosmopolitan_LV</li>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/WHollywoodHotel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">W Hotel Hollywood</a> &#8211; https://twitter.com/Cosmopolitan_LV</li>
</ul>
Instagram
<ul>
<li>28% of online adult internet users (24% of entire adult population) → 80% of Instagram users are under the age of 35</li>
<li>Skews towards women (29% women vs 22% men)</li>
</ul>
Paid vs Organic:
Run through Facebook Ads platform
<a href="https://business.instagram.com/advertising" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://business.instagram.com/advertising</a>
Do’s: 
<ul>
<li>Use high quality images &amp; videos</li>
<li>Descriptive, concise, clever captions</li>
<li>Encourage engagement</li>
<li>Use relevant hashtags</li>
<li>Add hotel location to image</li>
</ul>
Don’ts
<ul>
<li>Overuse filters</li>
<li>Overuse hashtags</li>
<li>Use low quality images &amp; videos</li>
</ul>
Pages We Like:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/selinahostels/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Selina Hostels</a> &#8211; https://www.instagram.com/selinahostels/</li>
<li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/gansevoort/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gansevoort Hotels</a> &#8211; https://www.instagram.com/gansevoort/</li>
<li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/urbancowboybnb/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Urban Cowboy Bed &amp; Breakfast</a> &#8211; https://www.instagram.com/urbancowboybnb/</li>
</ul>
SnapChat
<ul>
<li>Approaching Facebook’s level of daily video views (&gt; 7B each day compared to FB 8B)</li>
<li>65% of snapchat users upload their own photos daily → compared to &gt;35% on FB</li>
<li>More popular than Instagram among teens, younger demographics</li>
<li>More snapchat ads… advertising opportunities?</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/snapchat-gains-momentum-new-research/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/snapchat-gains-momentum-new-research/</a>
Follow Us on Twitter: 
@_travelboom 
@stuartbutler 
@marketingmeisha 
@pforiska
<div>
<hr />
</div>
<div></div>
Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a>. Download our leisure travel study at <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.fueltravel.com/study/</a>.
<h3>Related Articles:</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<h2 class="post-title entry-title"><a title="Permalink to The Best Facebook Ad Formats For Hotels" href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/the-best-facebook-ad-formats-for-hotels/" rel="bookmark">The Best Facebook Ad Formats For Hotels </a></h2>
</li>
<li>
<h2 class="post-title entry-title"><a title="Permalink to Facebook Marketing for Hotels: 5 Ways To Increase Your Impact" href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/facebook-marketing-for-hotels/" rel="bookmark">Facebook Marketing for Hotels: 5 Ways To Increase Your Impact </a></h2>
</li>
<li>
<h2 class="post-title entry-title"><a title="Permalink to The Basics of Facebook Advertising" href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/the-basics-of-facebook-advertising/" rel="bookmark">The Basics of Facebook Advertising </a></h2>
</li>
<li>
<h2 class="post-title entry-title"><a title="Permalink to Make sure all social media account handles associated with the brand are claimed. (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc)" href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/seo-checklists/have-social-media-profiles-been-claimed/make-sure-all-social-media-account-handles-associated-with-the-brand-are-claimed-facebook-twitter-instagram-snapchat-etc/" rel="bookmark">Make sure all social media account handles associated with the brand are claimed. (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc) </a></h2>
</li>
</ul>

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 13 – The Do’s & Don’ts of Social Media For Hotels

In this week’s episode of the Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast, we keep it short and sweet. We’ve been a little distracted this week with our local college baseball team, the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, winning the college world series and all that.  It’s also a holiday weekend in the USA, so we’re looking to clock off early and go hang out on the beach with an ice cold libation. For that reason, we’re going to cover a few news items but not dig into a specific topic. We hope that y’all are ok with that.
What&#8217;s going on int he world of  hotel marketing this week? Facebook update decreases your exposure. Will What3Words revolutionize way-finding?  Kayak gets into the bot game and more.
We’ll be back next week with an in depth look at <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/services/web-design-development/">social media for hotels</a>.
If you like what you hear, please leave a comment below, share it with your friends, and also leave a review.
SHOW NOTES:
In The News:
Facebook Algo Update &#8211; 7 Changes To Watch For 
http://www.fastcompany.com/3061481/seven-ways-facebooks-big-algorithm-change-will-affect-marketers-and-publishers 
Actual Update Announcement →well http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2016/06/building-a-better-news-feed-for-you/
TripAdvisor &#8211; Hotel Business vs Tours &amp; Attractions Business 
<a href="https://skift.com/2016/06/30/beyond-tripadvisor-hotel-bookings-its-tours-and-restaurants-on-track-to-become-500-million-business/">https://skift.com/2016/06/30/beyond-tripadvisor-hotel-bookings-its-tours-and-restaurants-on-track-to-become-500-million-business/</a>
What3Words Funding &#8211; Revolutionizing Location Travel Tech 
<a href="https://www.tnooz.com/article/what3words-8.5m-funding/">https://www.tnooz.com/article/what3words-8.5m-funding/</a> 
(if you need to find us, our office address is thunder.debts.baffle)
Does anyone even click those website-style nav bars in your email template? 
<a href="http://www.ryansolutions.com/blog/2016/email-template-navigation-bars/?utm_source=email&amp;utm_medium=buttonDBBOXr&amp;utm_campaign=stash">http://www.ryansolutions.com/blog/2016/email-template-navigation-bars/?utm_source=email&amp;utm_medium=buttonDBBOXr&amp;utm_campaign=stash</a>
Kayak launch Facebook Bot 
https://www.tnooz.com/article/kayak-facebook-messenger-bot/
Follow Us on Twitter: 
@_travelboom 
@stuartbutler 
@marketingmeisha 
@makavanagh
<div>
<hr />
</div>
<div></div>
Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a>. Download our leisure travel study at <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.fueltravel.com/study/</a>.
<h3>Related Articles:</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<h2 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/the-abc-of-testing-for-hotels/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Download the FREE guide to The A/B/Cs of Testing: How Smart Hotels Test and Grow</a></h2>
</li>
<li>
<h2 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-11-learned-hitec-2016/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 11 – What We Learned at HITEC 2016 </a></h2>
</li>
</ul>

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 12 – Travel News Roundup July 2016

Your friends from the Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast took a trip to New Orleans this week for the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition &amp; Conference (HITEC). We met lots of neat hoteliers and showed off our mobile app, booking engine, eCRM platform and analytics dashboard. We also met lots of cool new vendors and are going to cover a few of them in this episode.
If you like what you hear, please leave a comment below, share it with your friends, and also leave a review.
SHOW NOTES:
In The News:
Google looks to ease tensions within travel sector
<a href="https://www.tnooz.com/article/google-convenes-meeting-of-travel-brands-to-build-bridges/">https://www.tnooz.com/article/google-convenes-meeting-of-travel-brands-to-build-bridges/</a>
Google Releases new feature in Search Console to view stats on rich snippets and AMP
<a href="http://searchengineland.com/google-brings-rich-results-filter-search-analytics-report-within-search-console-252372">http://searchengineland.com/google-brings-rich-results-filter-search-analytics-report-within-search-console-252372</a>
Ads coming to local search pack, nothing is sacred:
<a href="http://searchengineland.com/google-confirms-ads-coming-local-pack-252407">http://searchengineland.com/google-confirms-ads-coming-local-pack-252407</a> 
What is HITEC?
The Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition &amp; Conference (HITEC) offers a unique combination of top-notch hospitality technology education, led by industry peers and experts, and an unparalleled trade show showcasing the latest products and services from over 300 companies, occupying more than 130,000 square feet.
Nowhere else can premiere hospitality professionals gather to learn and experience the technologies that continue to enhance our industry and our customers’ experiences.
HITEC is a service of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP).<a href="http://www.hftp.org/governance/"> More</a>
Trends that we saw:
<ol>
<li>Interactive/Digital signage was EVERYWHERE at the show. Though, we didn’t really see any standouts in this space.</li>
<li>On property communication and wayfinding seems to be the big thing this year as hotels are focusing more on the customer experience and trying to prevent negative reviews.</li>
</ol>
These are the vendors that we wanted to share with our awesome podcast listeners:
<ol>
<li>Zingle &#8211; <a href="http://www.zingle.me/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.zingle.me/</a> Guest messaging platform.</li>
<li>tracNcare &#8211; <a href="http://www.tracncare.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.tracncare.com/</a>  Software to take care of your property and your guests.</li>
<li>Flip.to &#8211; <a href="http://www.flip.to/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.flip.to/</a> A social sharing and brand advocay platform for hotels.</li>
<li>TripTease &#8211; <a href="http://www.triptease.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.triptease.com/</a> solutions that help you get more direct bookings.</li>
</ol>
Check out videos of these fine folks at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.facebook.com/fueltravel</a> 
Also, check out Stuart’s ex-brand crush: <a href="http://hiutdenim.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://hiutdenim.co.uk/</a>
Follow Us on Twitter: 
@_travelboom 
@stuartbutler 
@marketingmeisha 
@pdimaio 
@pforiska
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<hr />
</div>
<div></div>
Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a>. Download our leisure travel study at <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.fueltravel.com/study/</a>.
<h3>Related Articles:</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<h2 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/the-abc-of-testing-for-hotels/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Download the FREE guide to The A/B/Cs of Testing: How Smart Hotels Test and Grow</a></h2>
</li>
<li>
<h2 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/guestexpress-mobile-app/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Thee most profit-generating mobile app for hotels, Guest Express</a></h2>
</li>
</ul>

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 11 – What We Learned at HITEC 2016

In this episode of the Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast, we discuss whether or not a hotel needs a blog. You’re already super-busy, should you spend some of your precious time creating and maintaining a blog? Should the blog be a part of your site or separate? What topics should you write about? Come find out with your Fueligan friends.
If you like what you hear, please leave a comment below, share it with your friends, and also leave a review.
SHOW NOTES:
In The News:
<ol>
<li>Ad Blocking Stats &#8211;  <a href="http://digiday.com/publishers/global-state-of-ad-blocking/">http://digiday.com/publishers/global-state-of-ad-blocking/</a></li>
<li>8 BILLION video views per day on Facebook. BUT 85% are watched without sound. &#8211; everywhere reported on this.</li>
<li>Majority of Travelers Prefer to Book on a Mobile Device according to operamediaworks.com.  Cool infographic included &#8211; <a href="https://www.tnooz.com/article/majority-of-travellers-claim-they-prefer-booking-on-a-mobile-device/">https://www.tnooz.com/article/majority-of-travellers-claim-they-prefer-booking-on-a-mobile-device/</a></li>
</ol>
<h3>Describe types of content: channels, pages, news, events, blog</h3>
<h3>Benefits of blogging:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Gets more search engine traffic</li>
<li>Helps customers make a decision</li>
<li>Provides useful information</li>
<li>Positions your hotel as an expert</li>
<li>Affiliates you with events, attractions, restaurants, shops etc</li>
<li>Showcases the brand</li>
<li>Supports your social media</li>
<li>Helps generate inbound links</li>
</ul>
<h3>Content Ideas</h3>
<ul>
<li>Answer common questions &#8211; be helpful</li>
<li>Showcase the product: amenities, cleanliness, eco-friendly, location, brand promise etc</li>
<li>Talk to the staff &#8211; humanize the brand and make people comfortable</li>
<li>Sell your strengths such as nearby events/attractions</li>
<li>Sell the experience</li>
<li>Re-purposing Content in different channels</li>
<li>Not just written &#8211; videos, interactive, countdown, vacation response generator</li>
</ul>
<h3>Top blogging tips</h3>
<ul>
<li>Do your research &#8211; keyword research (Google Suggest, Search Console), idea generation</li>
<li>Include the team and the audience</li>
<li>Distribute the content</li>
<li>Be consistent with tone and frequency</li>
<li>Spend time on your subject line</li>
<li>Include a call to action (email signup, availability search etc)</li>
<li>Make Your content easy to share</li>
<li>DON’t copy/paste content</li>
<li>Do it better than the competition (10x)</li>
</ul>
Check out this awesome Headline Analyzer &#8211; <a href="http://coschedule.com/headline-analyzer">http://coschedule.com/headline-analyzer#</a>
Question of the week:
<blockquote>Should my blog be integrated with my website or separate domain/subdomain? Chris C</blockquote>
Follow Us on Twitter: 
@_travelboom 
@stuartbutler 
@marketingmeisha 
@pdimaio 
Come visit us at HITEC booth #627 in New Orleans June 20-23.
<div>
<hr />
</div>
<div></div>
Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a>. Download our leisure travel study at <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.fueltravel.com/study/</a>.
<h3>Related Articles:</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<h2 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/the-abc-of-testing-for-hotels/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Download the FREE guide to The A/B/Cs of Testing: How Smart Hotels Test and Grow</a></h2>
</li>
<li>
<h2 class="post-title entry-title"><a title="Permalink to Why Proper Keyword Research Is So Important For Your Hotel" href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/proper-keyword-research-important-hotel/" rel="bookmark">Why Proper Keyword Research Is So Important For Your Hotel </a></h2>
</li>
<li>
<h2 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="https://www.travelboommarketing.com/hotel-marketing-podcast/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-4-paid-advertising-for-hotels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paid Advertising for Hotels</a></h2>
</li>
</ul>

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