It is really important to set up OTA and direct promotions regularly. OTA promotions to keep your ranking and visibility high when the consumer searches and a direct promotion ensures that your direct pricing will always be cheaper than the OTA’s.
Your OTA promotions don’t need to be only on 1 or 2 night stays, think about running them on extended stays or room types that may not be as popular sellers. If consumers are already happily booking 2 nights, then you could look at a 3 night promotion to encourage an extra night. If your standard rooms already sell well, then try running a promotion on your superior rooms to encourage a room upgrade.
It’s a little hard to run value add offers with the OTA’s as most don’t have the capacity for these to be loaded in their extranets. However, value adds can be an effective way of creating enticing direct promotions. Value add inclusions could include something like:
- Bottle of wine
- Late check out
- Pool towels
- Discount or vouchers at a local restaurant or cafe
- Discount or vouchers with a local tour operator
Value adds will give the consumer more reason to
- Book your hotel
- Book direct as they won’t receive these offers if they book through the OTA’s.
Also, building relationships and working with local operators and restaurants is a great way of showcasing your destination by highlighting to the consumer what there is to see and do in your local area. Giving them more reason to stay at your property.
If you need help with your direct and OTA promotions, contact the team at Koncept Konnect today!