By Margaret Mastrogiacomo
As hoteliers plan their Q3 marketing strategy, it’s important to keep a pulse on the evolving digital landscape to make a greater impact on performance.
This month, Google announced updates to Google Image results, Twitter tests audio tweets, and CTV ads rise in popularity. From Search to Social Media and Design, here are the top 5 things you need to know now in hotel digital marketing.
1. Search: Google Image tests add more facts about images with the Knowledge Graph.
Google announced it has launched a new feature within Google Image search on mobile to show quick facts about each image in search results. Under the image preview window, Google has added knowledge panel details that you can open and expand to show more information about the image. In addition, Google said “to generate these links to relevant Knowledge Graph entities, we take what we understand about the image through deep learning, which evaluates an image’s visual and text signals, and combine it with Google’s understanding of the text on the image’s web page. This information helps us determine the most likely people, places or things relevant to a specific image. We match this with existing topics in the Knowledge Graph, and then surface them in Google Images when we’re confident we’ve found a match.”
What does this mean for hotel marketers? Images throughout a hotel’s website will be even more discoverable throughout image search and with greater context. To increase overall visibility in Google Image results, ensure all website images are optimized with appropriate alt image tags and descriptions where relevant.
2. CRM: Make hotel check-in social-distancing friendly.
The health and wellness of guests has become a top priority throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Allow guests to easily follow social distancing guidelines and increase guest satisfaction by integrating fast and personalized online check-in / check-out into your guest communication.
3. Social Media: Twitter announces audio tweets currently in beta.
Twitter debuted a test launch of audio tweets to a limited group of users. “There’s a lot that can be left unsaid or uninterpreted using text, so we hope voice Tweeting will create a more human experience for listeners and storytellers alike,” Twitter stated on this new feature. Voice tweets can be up to 140 seconds long and add another dimension for brands to distinguish themselves on the platform.
4. Display: CTV ads rise in popularity.
CTV is any TV that can be connected to the internet and access content beyond what is available via a cable provider. Think of CTV as using a smartTV to watch content through OTT devices (ROKU, Apple TV, etc). This year alone, 57.2% of the US population will be connected TV users with a large concentration of these users being millennials. CTV is a cost-effective medium to diversify a hotel’s marketing mix and reach new users where they are spending the most time.
5. Design: Oversized type and design elements.
To entice website visitors with eye-catching elements, websites are favoring large, prominent design components that make a statement. This magnitude of design applies to just about anything on a web page, from big, bold typography, to full-screen images and videos, and even oversized website menu icons.
