"I'm putting it all in AdWords."

"I'm putting it all in AdWords"

For some time now, PPC has been the go-to marketing channel for smaller companies like independent hotels and resorts. PPC in general (and AdWords in particular) can do a lot of things. But not everything.

In fact, some GMs and marketing directors are complaining that they seem to be spending more but getting less. And that’s probably true.

Not only are costs going up, but also, because the AdWords arena is more crowded and chaotic than ever, it takes more to stand out. Common wisdom among many digital marketing firms is that you’ll need $10k a month to get any value out of it.

One thing that hasn’t changed is that the name of the property is still the most effective driver of AdWords responses. So ask yourself – how would anybody come to know the name of your hotel in the first place, and how can you get your name out there more?

Here’s another thought: AdWords is a great transactional tool – especially when you’re selling rate. Not so much for creative delivery of your Brand position. That’s not what AdWords can do. But a clear Brand position – one that creates desire for your property – is something you can use to drive both rate and occupancy.

This is not to say that PPC doesn’t have a role to play in marketing. Clearly, it does. But perhaps rather than put more money into AdWords look at what other channels can make your AdWords work harder. Sure, there’s a spending minimum you need to maintain, but if something isn’t working as well as it should, simply increasing your budget on it is a bit like that continuing-to-do-the-same-thing-over-and-over-and-hoping-for-a-different-result thing. The answer is to do something different.

Don’t abandon AdWords, but if you want to succeed, you should have a good understanding of the other channels open to you.

Or work with someone who does.

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