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In this digital era, an online presence has transformed from being a mere bonus to an indispensable tool. As the hospitality industry navigates through the aftermath of global challenges, a redefined strategy is essential. Your hotel’s online footprint not only needs to be massive but also impactful. It’s a window through which a global audience views your establishment. Here’s why it’s absolutely pivotal to channel a significant portion of your 2024 hotel marketing budget into digital arenas:
Let’s take a look at some of the key areas of investment in your hotel’s digital presence for 2024:
Your website serves as the central core of your direct booking pathway. If it resembles this particular site , a refresh might be overdue. Essential features for your updated site should include:
Should your existing website design date back three years or more, it might be wise to allocate funds for a revamp in 2024.
Budget w/Site Redesign: If you are redesigning your website, consider a minimum of $2,000-$5,000 for a design refresh.
Budget w/New Website: If you are building a completely new site, consider a minimum of $10,000-$15,000.
Visibility on search engines is a game-changer. Most travelers start their journey with a search engine query. By strategically channeling your 2024 hotel marketing budget into SEO and SEM, you ensure your hotel appears high on search results, increasing click-through rates.
With Google tweaking its ranking algorithm over 500 times annually and your competitors consistently leveraging SEO to tap into online consumers, maintaining an active SEO strategy is crucial.
At the very least, hotels ought to schedule an SEO checkup twice a year, encompassing an audit, thorough analysis, and necessary adjustments. Such periodic interventions help uphold the foundational integrity of a website’s organic reach.
Conversely, if your hotel aims to robustly enhance its webpage performance and boost traffic and revenue via fresh content, a more intensive SEO approach is indispensable. Naturally, costs can vary substantially based on the depth and intensity of the desired SEO strategies. So, if an agency presents a singular SEO package, ensure it aligns with and fulfills your specific goals.
Budget: $500-$2,000/ month
How much a hotel allocates for media advertising hinges on its market’s competitive landscape and the campaign’s goals. Your budget will also correlate with how adeptly the marketing agency oversees your campaign. An adept digital marketing agency can reduce your Cost-Per-Click (CPC) and amplify the visibility of your ads. Lastly, budget is greatly influenced by the type of keywords a hotel targets. A campaign that targets only branded keywords in most cases will require a smaller budget because the cost-per-click (CPC) tends to be lower. However, if your campaign targets branded keywords as well as non-branded keywords, the CPC will be significantly higher for the non-branded keywords, thus a much higher monthly ad spend. As a hotel folds in non-branded keywords, expect higher CPC’s and lower overall conversion rates.
Baseline Media Spend Budget: Generally, the subsequent figures serve as a starting point. However, remember they are influenced by multiple factors such as the size of the property, level of competition, market type, and location:
Agency Oversight Fees for Paid Ads (Paid Search): The fees can fluctuate and are generally calculated as a percentage of your advertising expenditure. Depending on your set budget and chosen agency, expect management fees to range between 10% – 30% of your media budget.
Hotel metasearch ad platforms aggregate and compare room rates from various online travel agencies (OTAs) and other reservation platforms in a singular space. Notable metasearch platforms include Google Hotel Ads, Tripadvisor, Kayak, and Trivago. When travelers utilize these platforms, they input their hotel preferences and the metasearch engine showcases a range of booking options in a unified view. Upon selecting an option, travelers are redirected to the respective site to finalize their reservation.
Of all the metasearch platforms, Google and TripAdvisor tend to yield the highest traction. It’s recommended to initiate advertising on these platforms and gradually incorporate Kayak and Trivago based on needs and results.
Budget: For budgetary planning, consider the minimum following Ad Spend:
In the vastness of the internet, standing out is imperative. Content marketing crafts narratives that resonate with potential guests.
Quality content fosters brand loyalty, ensuring guests choose and return to your establishment.
Budget: Unfortunately cost to produce content can be across the board, making it difficult to provide an average range.
Social media isn’t a mere trend; it’s a phenomenon. As algorithms evolve and new platforms emerge, understanding your audience’s virtual hangouts is crucial. Platforms like Instagram, showcasing visuals, and TikTok, highlighting short video segments, can create unique narratives for hotels.
Organic Social Media Marketing encompasses:
For hotels aiming for a systematic approach to social media that yields quantifiable outcomes aligned with campaign goals, the service’s value intensifies. As a result, the agency would need to invest more time to adeptly deliver on these services.
Allocating your budget to these channels ensures tailored experiences, driving more potential visitors to choose your establishment.
Budget: $500-$3,000/ month (Cost may vary based on how many social channels are being managed and the amount of content being published per week.)
Budget: an ad budget minimum of $500-$1,000+/month
Digital word-of-mouth, in the form of online reviews, is enormously influential. Sites like TripAdvisor or even Google Reviews can significantly sway booking decisions.
Budget: If you wish to employ a service, consider spending a minimum of $500-$1,000 per month.
From an SEO perspective, content development on a blog can be very lucrative for a hotel website. Executing a blog marketing campaign the right way is crucial; otherwise, the hotel will risk putting marketing dollars into a blog campaign that yields little value. Therefore, the right way can be time-intensive. A hotel should post a minimum of once per month. Each post should be very targeted to a specific topic, provide value to readers, and be optimized for search engines.
Budget: Consider spending a minimum of $200-$300 per blog post.
In the vast sea of digital interactions, data is your compass. Analytics offer insights into guest behaviors and preferences. By investing in top-notch analytics tools:
In conclusion, crafting a masterful 2024 Hotel Marketing Budget isn’t just about allocation but strategic investment. As you dive into shaping your online presence, always be guest-centric, innovative, and data-driven. The realm of digital marketing is constantly changing. To stay ahead, keep an eye on emerging trends and consider which innovations might be most effective for your hotel’s specific needs. However, always prioritize marketing avenues that have consistently delivered the best ROI, some of which are highlighted above. You’ll find a balanced multi-channel strategy, tailored to the hotel’s unique needs and audience, often drives the best results.
Ready to forge an unbeatable digital strategy for your hotel? Don’t wait! Contact Blue Magnet Interactive and schedule a quick phone call to go over your budget needs and receive a free audit. We can go through the goals for your hotel and help you determine the right marketing mix to help you achieve those goals.
Treat your inbox to news about digital marketing and hotels.