The Importance of Content Marketing in Hospitality

You may have come across this phrase – “Content is King.”

While content marketing was initially seen as just a way for competitors to stand out, it is now a necessity for any modern brand.

If you own or run a hotel, you have a deeper relationship with your customers than managers of other companies. Even for a short stay, they turn to and trust you for advice on dining, entertainment, and accommodation for their needs.

Since you are expected to be a reliable source of information, what better way to reinforce this reputation than through content? Several studies have shown the value of content in most marketing strategies. It’s a great way to build customer loyalty, increase engagement, and reinforce your brand position. It’s also a great way to complement marketing, operations, and customer service.

Today, behind every great hotel or any company is a wealth of valuable and relevant content that really “speaks” to hotel guests. But you may still be asking yourself, why is content marketing so important for hotels?

Content Marketing in Hospitality

Why is Content Marketing so beneficial for hotels?

Content gives you a competitive edge

Content should answer questions, entertain or provide valuable information to your readers. When your hotel regularly produces content that informs and entertains, potential guests begin to trust your expertise, and there is a greater chance that they will end up choosing your hotel in the expectation that it will make their next trip a more enjoyable experience.

This can give you a big advantage over your competitors, especially if they do not offer advice, online content, or customized features. As well as giving an image of greater interaction, content can help improve your website’s search engine ranking (SEO), which in turn makes your hotel more visible than others in searches.

A good example comes from Choice Hotels Europe, which achieved in a 12-month period through the launch of a website called TravelTop6, dedicated to sharing tourist information about the various destinations where its hotels are located, an increase of 2,5 million new users and more than 3,400 visits to the Choice Hotels booking site. Overall, the investment resulted in a 35% increase in direct bookings.

Content Marketing in Hospitality

Content marketing is like dating. You need to add value, you don’t talk about yourself on the first date for 40 minutes. People would be so bored, right? You listen, you ask questions, and you focus on the person in front of you.

Tess Mattison (Senior Director of European Marketing for Choice Hotels International)

Lets you present your personalized services

In hospitality, personalized service can help you distinguish yourself from the competition. While your services and facilities may be widely advertised and described in brochures and on websites, customers always have questions about how your services can be adapted or tailored to their specific needs.

While the answers to these questions can be very valuable in influencing a customer’s decision-making, sharing all this content directly through your website can also be impractical. A good content marketing strategy will allow you to let all customers and potential guests know how your services stand out by sharing information through blogs and social media.

Helps reduce marketing costs

Even for a luxury hotel, advertising costs can be extremely prohibitive. In addition, the decreasing leverage of marketing campaigns makes advertising less effective and profitable. 

Content Marketing in Hospitality

With quality content, your hotel can introduce itself to travelers, build relationships, and generate new leads and bookings at a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing. Traditional media marketing is very expensive, involving costs for design, photography or printing, or advertising space on radio and television. Content marketing in the hospitality industry helps to reduce these costs because it is incredibly cost-effective.

Talk directly to your customers

Traditional marketing has been in decline for the past years – and it’s easy to see why. With the growth of social media and the ease and appeal of search engines, customers are mostly turning to the Internet to find what they are looking for. Fresh, original, and consistent content will make it easier for your customers to find you online, research your services and make informed buying decisions.

Content marketing keeps your brand/hotel in touch with what customers want, allows you to respond quickly to their questions, and gives you a trusted, knowledgeable, and accessible presence for all your customers.

Content Marketing in Hospitality

Enables better reputation management

Not all guests leave satisfied – they may complain about poor room service, hidden charges, or rude employees.

However, if you are dedicated to producing and publishing quality content on a regular basis, your website gains an advantage. Newer content and websites with hundreds of pages rank higher in the search engines.

s higher ranking on search engines, so your positive posts will outperform negative reviews and are more likely to come up first in a search for your hotel’s name.

Content Marketing in Hospitality

Content Marketing is, without a doubt, one of the most valuable investments you can make to promote your hotel. Quality, informative, and credible content will help you establish a trusting relationship with your customers and potential customers, paving the way for more direct bookings. 

Are there any other benefits of Content Marketing that you think should have been included in this article? If so, leave your suggestions in the comments below!

Maria João Proença
Content & Digital Marketing Specialist
ABC Sustainable Luxury Hospitality

Proudly Ambassador Global Wellness Institute
Happiest Places to Work – Awards

Digital Marketing & Content | Key Traits: Method, Creativity, Dedication

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