A few observations about emails
(Email-A-Palooza, Part One)
Whether those of us who loved doing those glossy magazine ads like it or not, advertising for hotels and resorts is a different animal than it used to be.
Those half- and full-page ads have become, for the most part, cubes and leaderboards, two to three inches to a side. Another change is that email is used more and more, as an affordable vehicle – especially for independent hotels and resorts who don’t have the deep pockets of the big chains.
But it’s important to recognize that if emails, like small digital ads, are a big part of your marketing program, it’s still advertising, just like those glossy magazine ads — the goals and obstacles are exactly the same. Only the channel is different.
So it makes good sense to put as much strategic and creative thought into those emails as we all once did in media advertising.
Unfortunately, while almost every hotel on the planet has some sort of means for signing up for an email list not every hotel takes advantage of it.
Some observations:
Because we specialize in hospitality, we sign up for a lot of those lists, and it’s surprising how few emails we get. Not even a “thanks for signing up.” This is a missed opportunity to engage.
It’s also surprising how many properties don’t require anything but an email address when even just a zip code can be an immense help in sending out segmented campaigns. The goal is not necessarily just to gather a lot of emails, but to gather a lot of useful emails. An email all by its lonesome isn’t as useful as one with a name and zip code attached.
Because emails linked to your booking engine can enhance direct bookings, they can be a huge revenue source. We know this from experience.
Point is, with reduced budgets, GMs and DOMs are looking for to spend less to communicate with potential guests. Email can be a good way to do it.
But only if you use it.
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