Generating new business is an ongoing challenge for every resort and real estate project. When the numbers are down, it’s tempting to focus towards a new ad campaign or offering additional incentives to industry partners. 

If someone was to tell you that Content Marketing could solve your problems, you’d probably be sceptical. It sounds fluffy, and let’s face it: unless you’re an avid writer, it probably feels like a burden to sit and write thousands of words every week on top of all of the things you already do. 

In today’s world however, 84% of people want brands to entertain them, solve their problems, and give them experiences. Content marketing achieves that.  It also helps with SEO: websites with blog posts get 434% more search engine-indexed pages than those without them. 

And not only does content marketing potentially get you three times as many leads for 62% less money, but additionally, Hubspot recently found that marketing teams who prioritize content marketing are 13x more likely to achieve a strong, positive return on investment (ROI).  

HOW CONTENT MARKETING CONVERTS

Content marketing isn’t defined by the form of delivery (for example, blogging or email), it’s defined by how it integrates with your customers’ online experiences. Instead of bombarding people with something they don’t want, such as an annoying popup ad, you provide them with something they’re looking for, such as an article or video on a topic they just Googled. 

Whether it’s an email, blog post, webinar, podcast or video, content marketing aims to make people’s lives better. And it works. According to the Content Marketing Institute, after reading blogs containing product suggestions, 61% of U.S. consumers made a purchase.

HERE’S HOW TO MAKE CONTENT MARKETING DELIVER RESULTS FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Make no mistake: Content marketing is a science and an art. But even if you haven’t been investing in it to date, that doesn’t mean you can’t start reaping some benefits moving forward. 

Here are seven tips to achieve an amazing ROI in your hotel and hospitality content marketing. 

1. Create Relevant, Valuable Content That Connects With Your Audience 

The whole point of content marketing is to provide value to your customers. Hoteliers can take inspiration from companies in many other industries here as similar tactics work across the board. For instance, REI does this brilliantly. Their Co-Op Journal offers recipes, articles about saving the planet, helpful hints for various activities, and gear recommendations. 

At Itz’ana Residences, we focused content not just on the project itself, but more broadly on the destination around us. Content focused on the best places to picnic, the most private Mayan Ruin sites or where to eat locally to get a true Belize experience. The focus was to generously inform anyone who was interested in visiting Belize, placing us as a trusted authority on that destination. This won the trust of our audience, and brought people back to the blog site again and again.

Whatever you’re selling, create content that speaks to your customers. If you do it thoughtfully, you could become their go-to place for topics in which they’re interested.  

2. Learn What Your Customer Wants

We’re in a world where consumer data is widely available, and your hotel content marketing strategy could fall flat unless you’re using data to back it up. But how do you get started? 

If you’re ahead of the game and already have some blogposts or videos, check your analytics. Note what’s getting the most traction and expand upon concepts you’ve previously touched on by making them into full-length offerings that stand on their own. 

You can also look at the performance metrics on your social media channels. Find out what’s converting, and plan to create more in-depth articles or videos about those topics. It’s also useful to analyze what’s working for your competitors. 

The Google Ads Keyword Planner is another tool that will get your content in front of people who want to see it. And don’t forget that it can be as easy as simply asking your following questions! People love to be involved (more on this in point 7 below..)

3. Be Consistent

Inconsistencies confuse your customers, while consistency has been shown to increase revenue by 23%. Choose a schedule and stick to it, even if that’s once a month to start. Never over-promise and under-deliver, you’re better investing in quality and thoughtful content that resonates and engages. If you have some additional content, build it into your pipeline for the coming months.

Start as small as you need to in the beginning, and you can always increase your efforts once you know what provides the most ROI and once you have a bank of content built up for the coming 90 days.

4. Use Video

Cisco predicts that by 2022, video will account for more than 82% of all internet traffic. And since marketers that use video increase revenue by 49%, why not work it into your hotel content marketing strategy? 

Creating video content is cheaper than ever. When we created the Ka’ana Resort brand video in 2012, we had to hire a helicopter to shoot aerial scenes! This seems laughable just 8 years later, as the advent of drones has opened up opportunities to capture stunning angles and shots on a small budget. Don’t take that opportunity for granted.

Remember that once you capture great content, there are so many opportunities to share it — via social media channels, videos on your website, a YouTube channel, or even utilising it for your social ads.

5. Have a Documented Strategy 

Sixty-five percent of successful marketers have documented content marketing strategies. They’ve defined their goals, know what steps they need to take to achieve them, and are measuring their success. 

Although attribution is often tricky, implementing a measurement plan is crucial. If you know what content is leading to conversions, you can create more of it. So make sure to track and record your results so that they can inform how you tweak and change your campaigns.

6. Use It to Build Your Email List 

Email marketing delivers high returns — to the tune of $38 for every $1 spent. And content marketing generates traffic, which can be translated into email subscribers. One way to encourage people to opt-in is to give them something in exchange. Once you get consumers into your email marketing funnel, conversion rates are impressive. 

McKinsey reports that email is up to 40 times more likely to result in the acquisition of a new customer than social media! Working in hospitality gives you access to so many great stories and visuals, and email is a great and consistent opportunity to remind your potential guests and buyers why your property is so special.

7. Make Your Content Interactive 

Interactive content increases conversions by 40-50%. People already have too much stress in their day-to-day life, so why not give them the option of something fun, such as a quiz? Quizzes keep consumers involved, capture their email addresses, and get them into your email marketing funnel.

IN SUMMARY:

We hope these tips will inspire you to start using content marketing or to improve upon your existing hotel marketing and content strategy. If you’re out of ideas or you feel overwhelmed: reach out to us, as we would love to brainstorm new ways for you to take advantage of the opportunities at your fingertips.