Today, you are going to find the competition on every corner. How are you going to stand out from the crowd?

I have 16 ways you can do this.

Welcome to another edition of Hospitality Property School.

I am your instructor, Gerry MacPherson.

Last week, I shared 16 marketing idea you could use to attract more guests.

Today, I have 16 more to inspire you.

.Tweet to @KeystoneHDC

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Let’s get started.

1. Unusual holidays

Popular holidays such as Christmas and Valentine’s Day are very competitive but you could boost occupancy rates during those slow periods by celebrating some more unusual dates.

A few dates to consider are Remembrance Sunday, St Patrick’s Day, St Andrew’s Day or a famous person’s birthday.

Create a whole day around the event with custom menus, activities, decorations and costumes to encourage locals and guests to attend.

2. Maintain a Local Events Calendar

As a small or independent innkeeper, you have the luxury of creating a website that will fully engage your guests, so be certain that you update it with events that might be of interest to them—especially local events that don’t happen all the time, like food festivals or carnivals.

3. Retarget Previous Customers

People are more likely to return to a property they’ve visited and enjoyed before than visit an area they’ve never been to. Keep client contact information stored and organized by using a CRM, and make sure to regularly follow up with your best clients.

4. Communicate on Social Media

Use your hospitality property social media to speak directly to your guests and foster relationships. You can announce specials, tell guests about activities, and even show your photos on social media—for free.

5. Have a Personal Touch

There has been a lot of discussion around the impact Airbnb has had on the hospitality property industry. In order to stay competitive, properties need to find ways to stand out. One way to do this is to encourage your staff to make each guest feel at ease and cared for. Answer questions and be ready with suggestions for where to go and what to eat, along with information about what is going on around your area.

6. Use Video Email Software

Videos are viewable on any device, and your guests will love getting them. You can use them to welcome first-time guests, to show them a little about the property, or even to just send them a birthday message.

7. Have Your Customers to Market for You

Offer incentives to guests who make fun or quirky videos of your property and post them to social media. You could offer a discount to anyone who posts a fun video about your property to YouTube or Facebook, and you can also add the video to your YouTube channel and promote it there.

8. Partner with Local Establishments

Weave your hospitality property into the fabric of the local community by developing partnerships with local institutions, venues, museums, and cultural centres.

Provide some space for them to display rack cards and coupons in your property, which will act as added value for your customers. In exchange, require them to place a link on their website for out-of-town guests to take advantage of your properties deals.

9. Make Selfies Fashionable

Take advantage of your guests who love to post. Create an environment that asks your guests to share their vacation memories from your property on social media. Invite an artist to paint a mural so beautiful and unique that guests can’t help but pause for a picture. Tying your brand to the positive memories made and shared by your guests will increase not only organic reach but brand loyalty.

Before I carry on, have you seen all the Keystone HDC post downloads to help grow your business? We add new ones every month and they are free. You can find them at

KeystoneHospitalityDevelopment.com/KHDC140

10. Remarket to Decision-Makers

Since we have to coordinate our travel with our partners, family, and friends, we’re likely to search several times over a few weeks before ultimately booking our rooms. Knowing this, it’s particularly important to make the most of remarketing to the same or similar audiences; keeping your brand top of mind for purchasers during this decision process is key.

11. Create a Google My Business Page

It is always a good idea to add specific information about your property on Google My Business. This includes pricing, rooms available, contact information, photos, and reviews. Doing this increases the chance that your property will pop up in Google searches.

12. Make It Easy to Book a Room on Your Website

Make it simple to book a room on your website by testing the flow and making sure the booking process is smooth, the pages load fast, and that it is obvious where to go to book. If customers don’t immediately see what they are looking for on your website, they will just leave and go to your competition.

13. Use Instagram to Give Customers a Glimpse of Your Property

Consumers are using Instagram as a primary method of research to decide which properties feel like the best fit for their needs. Customers have turned to social media to peruse user-generated content of the property to see what the hospitality property “actually” looks like. Their first impression is often the property’s own Instagram page, so it’s important to run a well-groomed account that greets these researchers with genuineness and professionalism.

Are these making sense? Let me know by leaving a comment below

14. Use Twitter to Provide Exceptional Customer Service

Use Twitter to help respond to customer comments and questions. If your property receives a Tweet with a comment, complaint, or question, respond as soon as possible to let your followers know you care. If there is a complaint, find out the whole story and respond in an apologetic, understanding tone.

15. Collect emails and Create a Landing Page Aligned with Your Ads

Use a landing page just for ads so that you can capture the email address of those who are interested in your property. A landing page lets you tailor the message to align with the ad by focusing on the key benefits of your property. This makes visitors much more likely to convert.

16. Make It a Habit to Respond to Comments

Too many companies don’t respond to comments, shares, and mentions on their social media pages. If you are only using social media to publish content about your property, you are missing the big picture of engaging with your community. It had enough to get followers to engage with a share or a comment.

In conclusion

Hospitality property marketing uses a wide variety of promotional tools and tactics. By implementing some of the ideas you have seen over the last two editions, you will see the increased booking, more positive reviews online, and many return guests.

⇒ TO READ OR LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE ON KEYSTONE HOSPITALITY PROPERTY CONSULTING:

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RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Keystone HDC Post Downloads

We add to them every month.

KeystoneHospitalityDevelopment.com/KHDC140

The Keystone HDC Training Tutorials

https://courses.keystonehospitalitydevelopment.com/

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