The modern hospitality industry calls for an innovative hotel marketing strategy to build a resilient base of wholesale, transient and corporate business, particularly during periods of low demand or off-peak seasons.
Incorporating a blend of organic and paid activities across platforms such as a Global Distribution System (GDS), Online Travel Agent (OTA) websites, and metasearch engines can offer a considerable competitive advantage. Let’s explore the multitude of benefits that these platforms provide.
Tapping into the Power of Global Distribution Systems (GDSs)
GDSs such as Sabre (which has 90% market share), Amadeus, and Galileo link hotels with an extensive network of Travel Management Companies (TMCs) across the globe, effectively putting your property in front of influential booking agents.
Broadened Visibility: By listing your hotel on GDSs, you gain access to a vast network of travel agents and industry professionals. This exposure can lead to high-volume bookings, essential during periods of lower demand.
Streamlined Booking Experience: GDSs offer a consolidated, real-time platform for rates and availability, making the booking process efficient and straightforward. This facilitates comparison between your property and others, giving you an edge if your amenities, rates, and availability are competitive.
Data-Driven Insights: GDSs offer invaluable data analytics and insights, enabling you to refine your offerings to meet market demands effectively. Armed with this knowledge, you can make strategic decisions to maximise occupancy and revenue during off-peak periods.
Advertising on a GDS platform, such as Sabre, can significantly boost your property’s visibility to travel agents and maximise high-value traveller bookings.
Leveraging Renowned Online Travel Agent (OTA) Websites
Online Travel Agents (OTAs) such as Expedia, Booking.com, and TripAdvisor play a significant role in driving both leisure and wholesale bookings, thanks to their widespread user base, established and trusted status, and digital marketing budgets that place them on the first page of search engines for generic accommodation search phrases.
Extended Customer Reach: These platforms offer an excellent opportunity to reach a diverse audience on a global scale, enhancing your hotel’s credibility and reach. While driving direct bookings is of importance, it is equally important to maximise opportunities through OTAs to drive base business. It’s also important to utilise these platforms to showcase your property during the ‘research’ phase of any potential guest.
SEO Benefits: A presence on these popular travel websites can boost your hotel’s search engine visibility, as these sites rank highly on search engine results pages.
Importance of User Reviews: These platforms provide transparency through user reviews, influencing booking decisions significantly. Managing your online reputation effectively on these platforms can attract and retain customers.
Importance of optimising your profile content: To ensure your property has the best chance of being seen on OTAs, it is important to ensure your profile information is regularly updated, reviews are responded to as soon as possible, and you are showcasing the best photos and descriptions you have available.
Capitalising on Metasearch Engines
Metasearch engines, like Trivago and Google Hotel Ads, combined data from various online travel agencies and direct hotel websites, offering users the ability to compare prices at a glimpse.
Price Comparison: Metasearch engines enable potential customers to compare prices from different sources quickly, which can lead to increased bookings if your hotel offers competitive rates.
Direct Bookings: These platforms often include the option for direct bookings, which can lower your reliance on OTAs and their associated commission costs, resulting in higher profitability.
Increased Visibility: Metasearch engines can increase your hotel’s online visibility by showing your property alongside major chains and well-known hotels, providing additional exposure.
We recommend optimising your profile content and considering a bidding strategy to drive direct bookings and capture market share that would normally be directed to OTAs. Bidding on these platforms allows you to set a ‘cost per click’ price that you are willing to pay for users to visit your booking engine and book directly, rather than guests booking through third party OTAs that take a significant booking commission.
You can place bids across various Metasearch engines using platforms like Koddi and TripTease, and watch your property’s direct booking engine visibility increase on the metasearch sites.
The best part? You only pay for the clicks you get. And with Google Hotel ads, you only pay one cent higher than the next highest bidder – meaning your CPC can be lower than the amount you entered as a bid.
Most customers understand the value of booking direct, and bidding on these platforms gives your hotel a channel to increase your direct bookings and average RevPAR (revenue per available room).
Creating a Dynamic Hotel Marketing Strategy
Creating an omnichannel approach that includes advertising across GDSs, OTAs, and metasearch engines will amplify your hotel’s exposure and maximise bookings across all guest segments. To recap:
- GDSs form the bridge between your hotel and TMCs/travel professionals
- OTA websites are an important channel for maximising your property’s exposure and visibility online
- Bidding via metasearch engines ensures the best opportunity for your hotel’s direct booking platform to be seen and selected over a commissioned OTA
Ensuring your profiles on these channels are optimised for every stage of the guest booking journey is imperative for maximising conversions and making the most of your media budget.
By harnessing the potential of these platforms, you can craft a comprehensive and effective hotel marketing strategy that maximises the opportunity to be seen by various market segments.
Whether it’s a priority listing on a GDS, a featured placement on an OTA website, or bidding for your book-direct engine in metasearch channels, advertising on these platforms provides your hotel with the opportunity to maximise market share and drive improved RevPAR.
And if this all seems a bit too overwhelming for your liking, or you simply don’t have the time to execute it, our expert team of professionals are here to help! Contact us today to discuss your hotel’s sales and marketing strategy.
