Whether it's a rush of leaf-peeping tourists in autumn or a
fast-ringing register during the December holidays, seasonal businesses such as
guesthouses or hotels are often faced with the challenge of generating a year's
revenue in just a few months. But there are some ways to keep the cash coming
in all year 'round.
Unfortunately, like the saying goes 'a closed mouth don't
get fed'. To keep the money coming in, even after the key season has passed,
something has to give. This means thinking creatively, learn more about the
need of your customers and testing out new ideas.
Here are a few ideas to build into your hospitality
marketing strategies to deal with off-season emptiness.
1) Adopt a discount
policy
People love discounts and the perception of a “good deal”
will definitely help your business to be taken more into account. It is possible
to target a specific consumer type as well as to opt for specific categories
(senior discounts, group discounts, etc.). Or you can also put the discount promotion, for example, into one of the restaurants in the city you know the
owner. Another possibility is to link the discount promotion to social media:
for example, 5%-10% discount for those who share a promotional post on Facebook
or tag the brand name in a photo on Instagram.
2) Use local
activities and events
During the low occupancy period, it is important for your
business to generate more requests. You can use local activities and events as
a marketing opportunity to attract more guests. So take note of concerts,
parties, fairs, marathons, and parades in the area. You could also create a special
promotion implying a discount for anyone who will be present at the event or
make a partnership with the sponsors.
3) Create special
packages
Increase your customer base by creating special packages to attract guests. It can be the “Valentine package”, “family package”, “couple
package” or whatever you like … Make room for your fantasy! You may want to
include in the package a gift basket, a room decorated with rose petals and
free drinks, such as wine or champagne, etc. These actions will surely be of
great value to the business. Not only will it bring joy and satisfaction to the
customers, but it will also be a great way of promoting you! With this
marketing strategy, your business can also set a higher price in exchange for
the customer experience.
4) Retain customers
The customer loyalty program will help you increase your
hotel’s occupation, creating an even stronger relationship with your regular
customers. For example, you could send personal e-mails with a special discount.
It is wrongly believed, in fact, that people don’t check
e-mail promotions. Be sure they do it! Just think that current email service
providers differentiate primary mail from the one containing promotional
e-mails.
And many read the marketing-promotional section only to
check the discount offered by the website or newsletter to which they are
subscribed!
In a few words: never forget to get the mail address of your
guests when they are checking in.
5) Promote your
business to a local business
Did you know that you can increase the flow of your hotel
guests by promoting it to a local company for their events, such as business seminars and meetings? As you know, such events are conducted with so many
guests and consequently, they are very profitable because probably the company
will book many rooms at a time.
Also, keep in mind that some business events are repeated
every year, so it can become the source of a safer income!
These simple marketing strategies can prove to be very
effective in helping your business reach a broader market and increase
employment.
6) Look to major
destination events
Compile a list of any major landmark milestones or
groundbreaking events that your popular attractions are celebrating during that
time. If a major attraction is celebrating an anniversary, approach them to be
their official host hotel for the event. You’ll usually have to pay-to-play for
this type of partnership, but you’ll get massive exposure with an exclusive
link on their website and other marketing collateral promoting the event. Amp
up your value even more by offering an incentive to book with your hotel, such
as a free ride to get to the event. Or, another form of complimentary
transportation to/from. This type of partnership is competitive, so act quickly
before other hotels nab the ‘official’ spot.
7) Leverage smaller, but
still popular, local events
Restaurant weeks, festivals, marathons, parades, state
fairs. Pull together a list of events that would attract your target market and
fall during your slow period. Work out a special deal just for attendees, like
a discount when they show you their ticket stub upon checkout. Work with the
event organizers for additional placement on their marketing materials and
advertising of your discounted rate. Simply leveraging an event and creating a
partnership with event organizers can nudge a visitor to choose your property
over another.
