Having a strong PR strategy is crucial within the hotel industry. Hotels are all about experience, and customers want to know that they can trust the company that’s going to be looking after them – whether it’s for a night or two weeks of vacation fun. In a field as highly competitive as hospitality, the right PR strategy is the best way for today’s international hotels to get ahead of the game.
Of course, planning the right campaign is often easier than said than done. Here are just some of the things that international hotel brands need to think about when they’re planning their PR campaigns.
Planning is Crucial
Hotels are highly seasonal organizations. They need a plan to make sure that they’re getting a constant stream of visitors both in the active months throughout the summer, and in the quieter months of winter too. The best international hotel PR campaigns are generally based on 12-month calendars, where PR agents and marketing groups can work together to carefully plan everything from promotions to event opportunities.
The more planning a hotel business does, the better off they’ll be when it comes to keeping their PR and promotional strategies in check.
Tap into Consumer Passion Points
According to information from “Think with Google” most travelers go to the web when they’re in the early stages of the travel process. Customers of the international hotel industry like to explore their hotel options when they’re still trying to decide where they want to visit and what they want to do when they get there. Tapping into consumer passion points with images and content marketing can be a great way to generate attention.
Content marketing combined with a PR strategy can capture customer attention during the early stages of the buyer funnel, with articles about top things to see in a certain town, or guides covering information about upcoming events.
Maintain a Good Relationship with the Media
When it comes to PR, the media is either a hotel company’s biggest ally, or their most significant headache. The good news is that there are things organizations can do to improve their relationships with media outlets. For instance, doing research in advance to make sure that a hotel company sends the right information and press releases to the right companies is a great way to stay on the group’s good side. Additionally, exclusive interviews and insights can also be a highly enticing concept for those who want to cover the hotel industry around vacation season.
If hotels can tie their press releases and updates to causes that people in the community care about by hosting charitable events and fundraisers too, this can make them even more appealing to a wider range of media outlets.
Include Social Components
Finally, it’s difficult to have a PR strategy today without paying at least some attention to the concept of social media. Everyone is active on social today, and if a hotel doesn’t already know what people are saying about it on social media, they could be losing control of their reputation already.
Social media marketing strategies combined with PR solutions can also give hotels a better way to serve their customers by helping them to answer questions quickly and develop loyalty among some of their repeat customers.
