Blog

Hotel Marketing: How Understanding Planning Behavior Will Help You Get More Bookings

Date
3 Oct 2013
Author
Scott Brandon
Travel and Hotel Marketing pie chart

If your job depends on effective hotel marketing strategies, strategies that put heads in beds, you know you’ve got to understand your consumer. First, you’ve got to understand the marketing loop, but you’ve also got to understand who you’re talking to, when you should be talking to them, and where the conversation will happen.

To get at this (and many other hotel marketing questions) we conducted a survey of more than 2,000 leisure travelers who take at least 1.5 vacations every year. Here’s some of what we found:

· Women drive leisure travel. In our survey, 38 percent of respondents said the female in the relationship makes the travel plans, and 34 percent said decisions are made jointly. Add those numbers up, and you’ll see that your hotel marketing strategies must address women.

Are your current marketing efforts speaking to women?

· People are planning and booking further out than previously thought. 66 percent of our respondents begin their vacation planning process three months or more in advance.

Have you created findable content that answers these early planners’ questions?

· While travelers now visit an average of 22 travel related sites prior to booking, the single most influential tool for planning where to stay on vacation is Internet search. Search is huge when it comes to online hotel marketing.

Are you hitting SEO targets?

· 38% of travelers still book their hotel rooms by phone, not online. Do you make it easy for them to find the right number to call, even when they’re viewing your site from a mobile device?

We’ve got plenty of ideas and advice to help improve your hotel marketing strategies”and we’re giving away some of our best tips free in our Hotel Marketing Guide. Download it, read it, share it, and get ready to kill it.

Scott Brandon

Scott Brandon

Chief Executive Officer

Scott has led the growth of Brandon into a Southeastern powerhouse with over 120 employees in four offices across the U.S. As a highly sought-after strategist and business-minded visionary, he has helped develop and grow brands such as YETI Coolers, Southern Tide, CresCom Bank, Williams Knife Co. and Fish Hippie. Always on the forefront of technology, Scott’s focus is on data-driven marketing and developing growth minded strategies and tactics. Although he has an endless passion for marketing, Scott is happiest when he is outdoors hunting and fishing with his family.

Subscribe to our Newsletter
Don't miss out on our latest news and commentary and white papers, subscribe to our newsletter now!
You may also like
UX/UI Design
Blog

Build Smarter, Sell Faster — UX and Dev Tips for eCommerce That Converts

The best converting website designs are fast, are optimized for mobile and include a UX that’s designed for the user first.
holding laptop, social icons
Blog

Mastering Social Listening for Public Relations

Social listening in PR isn’t just helpful—it’s foundational for brands that want to stay relevant, responsive, and resonant.
Financial Laptop
Blog

Navigating Crisis Communications in Financial Marketing: Key Strategies for Building Resilience

Learn how financial brands can build resilience through proactive crisis communication. Discover key strategies to protect reputation, regain trust, and lead with confidence in any crisis.
Wilmington Health
True care outdoor billboard
See how Wilmington Health rewrote the rules on local care—transforming from underdog to undeniable with a brand built on True Care.
Santee Cooper
lady sitting on counter in laundry room
Our Defeat the Peak campaign proved that when bragging rights are on the line, even peak hours don’t stand a chance.