HeBS Digital hosted a session with Google at their NYC headquarters, placing the spotlight on ways hotel digital marketers can maximize revenues from the direct online channel. The two companies collaborated to provide valuable insights on the industry’s latest innovations, tips on how to lower distribution costs, best utilize Google’s newest products, and steal market share from the competition and the OTAs.
Following the overarching theme of “Direct Is Better,” experts from Google and HeBS Digital covered an array of pressing hospitality digital marketing issues. Speakers laid the groundwork for direct online channel success by offering insights on multichannel campaign execution, implementation of a ‘direct-website first’ marketing approach, and how to engage the travel consumer during each stage of their journey to a booking.
Topics covered at the “Direct is Better: 2016 Action Plan to Maximize Revenues and Lower Cost-of-Sale” Event included:
“How to Implement a ‘Direct is Better’ Strategy” – presented by Sara O’Brien, HeBS Digital Associate Director of Marketing, and Emily Ditman, HeBS Digital Associate Director of Client Services
Despite the fact that the recession is over and hoteliers have an array of revenue-driving tools and technologies available to them, hotels are still losing online share of voice at an alarming rate. Why are hotels losing the battle against OTAs, and how can hotels turn the tide?
OTAs may be spending billions in search engine marketing, but that only amounts to approximately $300 per month, per property. An independent property with the right approach can leverage its data to outsmart, outspend, and outearn even the most parasitic of OTAs. The key to success is harnessing the invaluable information that only the hotel possesses: first-hand knowledge of the market, the property, and its past guests.
Learn more about implementing a direct-first strategy by downloading HeBS Digital’s “Direct is Better” Checklist.
“The Anatomy of a Multi-Channel Campaign” – presented by Margaret Mastrogiacomo, HeBS Digital Senior Director, Creative Strategy
Margaret Mastrogiacomo walked the audience through the ins and outs of planning and executing a successful multichannel campaign. With the help of Nicole Ferrer, Corporate Director of Sales & Marketing at Triumph Hotels, and Tony Aslanian, Director of Sales & Marketing at The Grove Resort & Spa, the talk highlighted the three most important steps of building a multichannel campaign:
- Who: building a customer persona
- What: determining campaign messaging
- When: mapping the path to purchase
Watch an instructive video on how to execute a multichannel marketing campaign strategy targeting a specific business-need on HeBS Digital’s YouTube channel.
“Micro-Moments: The New Travel Consumer Journey” – presented by Victoria Fabiano, Agency Development Manager at Google
Victoria Fabiano provided invaluable context and easily digestible data related to the travel planner’s journey to booking. The presentation focused on micro-moments – the all-important moments at which travel planners reflexively turn to their devices to act on a need – and the impact of these intent-rich moments, when knowledge is gained, discoveries are made, preferences are shaped and decisions take place. These micro-moments happen via more diverse channels by the day, with a 50% year-over-year increase in mobile searches within the travel category and a two-fold increase in mobile conversion rates for travel content.
The hotelier’s greatest opportunity lies in the smallest moments: “I want to know,” “I want to go,” “I want to book,” and “I want to do.”
As an official Google Partner, HeBS Digital enjoys access to unique tools and insights, along with a direct connection to Google itself. HeBS Digital earned its Google Partner status by passing a series of Google advertising certification exams, adhering to best practices, and delivering consistently strong results for its client portfolio.
Contact success@hebsdigital.com if you would like information concerning upcoming HeBS Digital and Google co-hosted events.
