It’s coming up to that time of year again… we don’t want to say the C word just yet but the dark nights have crept in and those organised are ticking off their gift list since their October paycheck.
Brands are striving to keep up with the pace of marketing campaigns for Black Friday, Cyber Monday and of course, Christmas – all of which seem to be launching earlier each year!
Consumers are spending more money online than ever before. It’s essential that your digital team have their strategy in place ahead of these big sales.
So how can hotels maximise their profits from these campaigns and go beyond the classic discount code?
Voucher Add-Ons
A great way to drive sales throughout the holiday season is by promoting online vouchers. Avvio has an option on the booking engine to upsell the traditional fixed-amount voucher. This will gives you the option to customise their voucher purchase with extra add-ons such as breakfast or champagne on arrival.
The upside of vouchers is, of course, their convenience but for some, they may seem impersonal. This functionality allows the customer to personalise the gift/voucher specific to extra’s the guest may enjoy!
Google Shopping
As Google Shop dominates the search engine, hoteliers need to be strategic when it comes to utilising this service.
While it is more suited to retailers and brand products, hotels can use it to their advantage for vouchers and gift cards.
Google has revamped the Google Merchant Centre, now making it more user-friendly – this will help advertisers to manage gift cards/vouchers more efficiently and use seasonal periods like this, to maximise sales.
Increase Brand Awareness
Optimising voucher sales through Google shopping will not only increase revenue, it also increases brand awareness.
Increase the visibility of your property, by attracting new customers. Strong imagery and a well-designed voucher will make yours stand out on the search engine – for example, using your best pool and spa images to offer a ‘Couples Massage Voucher’ as an upsell.
Of course, it’s no secret that word of mouth is still worth more than any marketing strategy when it comes to bookings. If a new customer is presented with a gift voucher for your hotel, they’ll more than likely recommend it to others if they’re satisfied with their stay.
Are you prepared?
We know how competitive the market is when it comes to big calendar days such as Black Friday or Christmas but it is imperative that businesses are prepared weeks if not months in advance when it comes to driving sales.
Your digital/marketing team will need to be putting their strategy in place to maximise revenue in the lead up to the festive season. Black Friday has already grown beyond the Fri-DAY itself, and offers are tricking out online already for ‘Pre-Black Friday Sales’.
Avvio has made it easier than ever for hotels to maximise upsells and customise vouchers – If you would like to find out more about the services we offer please email us at hello@avvio.com.
