Our Blog
FIRST, start by listing all the things you need in terms of your hotel’s marketing.
- Website Design and/or Management
- Analytics & Reporting
- Content Marketing Strategy (i.e. Brand Voice, Personas, etc…)
- Copywriting
- Social Media Management (Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, etc…)
- Search Engine Optimization / Search Engine Marketing
- Advertising Management
- Blog Research & Writing
- Photography & Videography
- Online Reputation Management (Yelp, TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Expedia.com, etc…) (Here are Six Tips for Online Reputation Management for Hotels & Restaurants)
- Graphic Design (Business Cards, Rack Cards, Flyers, Brochure, Letterheads, Envelopes, etc…)
- Loyalty Program Design & Management
Some hotels function under the following 3-step mindset:
1. I need marketing, but I don’t have the time.
“Let’s create a local newspaper ad to hire a marketing person ’cause we hear about this new thing that all the kids are doing called Social Media and I can’t be bothered to do that, I’m busy all day running my business.”
2. What should the job description be?
Hmmm, let’s Google hotel marketing job description, copy/paste something very similar to the list above. Shazaam. DONE.
3. How much should we pay em’?
“Well, we really don’t have a budget for this person, so let’s see who’s willing to do it part-time to start, with the possibility of full-time depending on performance after 1 month. If we’re not seeing good ROI, we’ll just sack the idea…”
Basically, what it boils down to is that this is the person you’re trying to hire…
They’re a gold-maned Unicorn with laser eyes, who breathes fire, with a tom-cat jockey wrangler, who wields a gold-plated 45 cal. pistol, that only works if a rainbow is present. Thank you interwebs for providing a picture of our ideal Hotel Marketing Manager. #NailedIt
Unfortunately, I’ve seen this job description more than once before. In fact, I’ve seen it more than 10 times. This person doesn’t exist. Even if you find a person who is actually well-rounded & skilled at most of these tasks, there is no possible way they could have enough time to do ANY of those tasks well. What you’re looking for is a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none… You know that never ends well, right?
In today’s marketing world, you need a dedicated master of each marketing task that will work together as a team towards pre-established goals within your marketing strategy, yet also have the ability to change track as soon as market conditions dictate.
***Here is the realistic way to divvy up the marketing load…***
HIRE ONE EMPLOYEE, who is a content marketing wizard & writing genius, who can manage about ~50% of those tasks and pay them accordingly. You get what you pay for. Marketing managers earned a median annual wage of $137,400 in May 2014, according to the BLS. If you think the summer intern is the right choice to manage all your social media, you’re dead wrong. As for the rest of your marketing needs, empower your fancy new employee to manage the process and find the best company or companies to do the rest of the work.
Hotel Marketing you should outsource to an agency or consultant…
-
Strategic Planning & Training (Hire me!)
-
Website Design
-
Copywriting (Hire these folks!)
-
Search Engine Optimization / Search Engine Marketing
-
Photography & Videography (Hire a professional, your cell phone photos for brochures don’t cut it)
-
95% of your Graphic Design (Business Cards, Rack Cards, Flyers, Brochure, Letterheads, Envelopes, etc…
Source: (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes112021.htm)
IN CONCLUSION…
“The best hotel marketers have the ability to create awesome content, deliver it in the right context, to the best channels at the right time.”
– John Stocki
For all you nay-sayers…enjoy.
Hi, I’m John Stocki and I AM the Stocki Exchange
I AM your go-to guy for all things hospitality marketing!
The Stocki Exchange was founded on the idea that everyone within the hospitality industry should be informed about current marketing best practices and trends that will help their business grow.
I have been lucky enough to spend almost ten amazing years fully immersed in global marketing within the hotel and restaurant industry in Australia, the Middle East, China, and the US. Through this global experience, I quickly developed a true passion and understanding of the hospitality industry. This combined experience and passion have allowed me to apply a straightforward and direct approach to helping others grow their businesses through great marketing.
Because your business is your vision, I’m here to help you make that vision 20/20. With a wildly straightforward approach, I will never waste your time or tell you only what you want to hear. My goal is to help make your business successful, even if that makes you a little uncomfortable.
Oh, and I LOVE to cook and am a purveyor of craft beers & bourbon. So, that kinda feeds into my love of the hospitality industry. Who doesn’t love good food and drink?
Comments ( 0 )
Leave A Comment
