Winter is knocking on the door, and hoteliers are starting to promote their packages and special offers for the cold months. With the approaching holidays, celebrations, and opportunities for skiing experiences, preparations for the start of the winter season are also underway.
There are so many things that a hotelier has to do that many of the tasks are left on the back burner. However, here are 3 things not to forget before the start of the winter season:
1. Identify who our guests are
The most important task that every hotelier must decide is who they are trying to attract to their hotel. Proper targeting is the foundation for successful results. There are many groups of guests who travel during the winter months, and we cannot please everyone. Therefore, we must carefully and thoughtfully determine who our target audience is.
Winter hotels only have a few months of the year to make the most of, so it's good to know who we're trying to attract with our packages so we know how to do it.
2. Set achievable and measurable goals
"To achieve greater profits than last year"is not in itself a goal that can help us in business. In the hotel industry, we must set clear, achievable, and measurable goals. Only then can we determine how we have performed during the upcoming winter season compared to last year.
The measurability of objectives may consist of RevPar valuethat we are trying to achieve, or in the number of new Facebook fans – Regardless of what it is, our goal must be quantitatively measurable.
3. How will we reach our audience?
Of course, we cannot forget to promote our offers. However, we often overlook a very important detail—all channels for promoting and distributing our packages must be synchronized. This means conveying the same message on our website, social media, travel agencies, and booking sites, rather than acting in different directions.
There are many ways to reach our target audience, but we need to focus on some of them. In addition to the traditional ways, we can also use:
- Group offers – Suitable for large corporate or family groups, team building events, Christmas parties, etc.
- Countdown to the holidays – with a special offer for each remaining day until Christmas or New Year's Eve
- Special discounts for fans on Facebook – a good way to measure the effectiveness of social media as part of our sales channels
- Marketing with content – Creating a hotel blog with useful information for guests is a good way to build brand awareness, loyalty, and indirect marketing.
Whatever methods we choose, we must not forget that preparation is the key to success. If we have an action plan and a working marketing and sales strategy, we can be sure that the winter season will bring us the expected results.
Travel Mind can help with the preparation and overall marketing of winter hotels – take a look at our services and Contact Us!
