Gaining bookings these days is about visibility, visibility, visibility. This means you have to be as visible on as many channels as possible, with an added caveat that those channels need to be relevant to your particular style of accommodation of course. So how can you reach your widest possible audience and connect your business with its customers?
The easiest way is to vary your Distribution Channels. And having a good mix is the key element in an entire marketing strategy.
Distribution Channels may include;
Direct/brand.com – your own website with a great booking button, call to action and someone active on your emails to respond immediately to bookers
Direct/advertising – choose wisely. Not every advertising dollar you spend will give you bang for buck but used in the right way this can be add a great deal to your bottom line
Direct/specialised sales – let your past guests know what’s going on, reward them for their loyalty, let them be your word of mouth and tell their family and friends
OTAs – not always the devil!! Use them for their billboard effect. You’d be amazed what you can do with the data they provide and the opportunities they deliver. Work smarter not harder
GDS – can every agent in the world see your property? If the answer is no then this could be a small part of the puzzle that you’re missing.
Wholesalers – great opportunities to fill your rooms during low occupancy periods if you build the right relationships with this channel
Agents – They’re having a hard time at the moment but never discount this group of accommodation sellers, often they sell by word of mouth and personal experiences so treat them like gold.
To get the best results for your property to grow occupancy and revenue, you need a healthy marketing mix of these channels to assist in giving your business the greatest possible exposure. In today’s climate, marketing exposure both traditionally and digitally across all applicable channels is important.
So now I can hear you asking how do I do this plus operate my property day to day, this is where Koncet Konnect can help – we do what you don’t know how to do, don’t have time to do or just don’t want to do. We can help you with as little or as much as you need and because we’re an established team of tourism and hospitality experts we already have the contacts in place to make things happen quickly. Reach out if you’d like to chat abut how we can help you achieve the best marketing mix for your property.
Why not give yourself the best chance of winning that customer?