There has been expeditious growth in the hotel industry over the past years. Many hotel owners and managers are devising new marketing strategies to ensure they remain profitable and viable in the hospitality industry. Guest engagement is one of the marketing strategies that many managers embrace because it increases retention rates and brand loyalty.
If you are a hotel manager who is wondering how guest engagement strategy can help grow your brand, continue reading this article.
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What is hotel guest engagement?
One of the new innovations that hotels should use is the hotel guest engagement, which is a marketing strategy where the hotel brand interacts with guests through a certain marketing channel, like social media platforms, and receives feedback about their experience. This strategy can influence potential clients’ habits, keeping them engaged throughout their booking journey.
Hotel guest engagement can create a long-term connection between the client and the hotel, building brand loyalty. It can also maintain a good relationship between the hotel and the client, thus, improving client satisfaction and encouraging hotel bookings. For a strategy to be successful, it should be able to measure responses or feedback, input, and relevant clients’ performance.
How to improve hotel guest engagement
Your hotel guest engagement strategy should always work towards your client’s interest. While implementing the strategy, always consider them throughout the entire process. Include the marketing and sales team to find out several things like what services your clients like and their common concerns. Consider crafting a customer-centric strategy that engages your clients consistently. Below are some strategies that can help you improve your hotel guest engagement:
Share your hotel mission and vision
Well-drafted automated massages can help your clients determine why they should keep booking your hotel. You can humanise your brand messages to highlight your story, mission, and vision. Listen to their expectations and frustrations before sharing a related vision and story.
Personalise your interactions
Engaging your clients directly may make them feel like they matter and are not just ordinary guests. Many people feel unvalued when they receive random email newsletters, social shares, and ads. Create a custom communication that may give your guest a personalised customer experience. Such personalised interaction can make your guests feel you are in tune with their interests and needs.
Try listening actively
Listen actively to what your guests are saying about your hotel. Sometimes they may be vocal about what they want. Ensure your strategy allows your guests to provide feedback and share their experiences with you. Record the responses and follow up on them to improve your hotel engagement.
Provide free benefits and offers
Rewarding loyal guests by reducing prices or free services can improve hotel engagement. Free benefits will always attract more customers to your hotel. This can make them become loyal guests of the hotel.
Use a social approach
Consider using social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, which have become popular for brands advertisement. Many hotel guests will share their experiences on these social platforms. Respond to their comments positively, show support for any cause, and repost their contents to nurture a good relationship with them.
Collect and address feedback
Correct feedback can improve your hotel guests’ engagement and gauge their satisfaction. Apply technical, quantitative, and qualitative techniques to access the feedback from your guests. You can implement a system of checks to ensure proper communication and follow-ups.
Host virtual meetings with guests
Hotels can maintain their customers’ relationships by engaging them in online meetings. Customer engagement meetings may help hotel managers share their products and services with new and returning guests, thus increasing conversing and brand awareness. It is also an important networking tool.
How do you engage with guests?
You can engage your guests when they plan a trip to your hotel. As a hotel owner, you can do the following:
- Ensure your hotel website is up-to-date to give your guest the correct information and booking details.
- Ensure your guests are treated in a modern way of hospitality during their stay in a hotel.
- Always encourage your guests to share their experience with the hotel during their stay through a survey.
How do hotels engage customers?
Hoteliers who want their business to thrive and grow to 5-star status have a way to engage with their customers. Hotels can engage their customers in various ways as follows:
- Following up on customers’ feedback
- Ask customers hotel-related questions
- Monitor social media feedback
- Attend industry events or conference
- Come up with customer loyalty programs
- Plan and host a company tour
What are the three important expectations of guests in a hotel?
The following are the three important factors any guest will expect to find in any hotel.
- Cleanliness of the hotel
- The clear communication channel in the hotel
- Peaceful sleeping environments
Having a successful guest engagement strategy can help better the relationship between your hotel and the guests. Hotels can improve these engagements by first investing in technology. A better experience can elongate a guest’s stay at the hotel. Guests can also be tempted to share their opinion with others online. Implementing these strategies correctly can boost your brand experience and increase your hotel retention rate.