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Direct Booking Strategy

A Hotelier’s Guide to Using Digital Ads to Attract Local Guests

12 September 2023

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How to target potential guests who are looking to stay in your area with digital ads

In today’s digital age, hotels must have an online presence to attract and engage potential guests. One of the most effective ways to do this is through digital advertising campaigns that target specific demographics, behaviours, and preferences. In this blog post, we’ll provide a step-by-step guide on how a hotel can create a digital ads campaign that targets potential guests searching for hotels in their local area and hotels near attractions, activities, and experiences in their local area.

Step 1: Determine the Target Audience

The first step in creating a digital ads campaign is to determine the target audience. For a hotel targeting potential guests searching for hotels in their local area, the target audience might be residents of the local area or nearby cities who are looking for a weekend getaway or staycation. For a hotel targeting potential guests searching for hotels near attractions, activities, and experiences in their local area, the target audience might be tourists who are planning a trip to the area.

Step 2: Choose the Right Digital Advertising Platform

Once the target audience is determined, the next step is to choose the right digital advertising platform. For hotels targeting potential guests searching for hotels in their local area, Google Ads, Bing Ads, or social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram can be effective. For hotels targeting potential guests searching for hotels near attractions, activities, and experiences in their local area, Google Ads and Bing Ads can be effective, as well as travel-specific websites like Expedia, TripAdvisor, and Kayak.

Step 3: Choose Relevant Keywords

To ensure the ads are shown to the right people, it is important to choose relevant keywords. For hotels targeting potential guests searching for hotels in their local area, the keywords might include “hotels near me,” “staycation,” and “weekend getaway.” For hotels targeting potential guests searching for hotels near attractions, activities, and experiences in their local area, the keywords might include “hotels near [attraction name],” “accommodation [activity name],” and “hotels in [city name].”

Step 4: Create Compelling Ad Copy

The ad copy is what will attract potential guests and entice them to click on the ad. For hotels targeting potential guests searching for hotels in their local area, the ad copy might emphasise the hotel’s amenities and proximity to local attractions. For hotels targeting potential guests searching for hotels near attractions, activities, and experiences in their local area, the ad copy might emphasise the hotel’s location and proximity to the attraction or activity.

Step 5: Set a Budget and Bidding Strategy

To ensure the digital ads campaign stays within budget, it is important to set a budget and bidding strategy. For hotels targeting potential guests searching for hotels in their local area, a cost-per-click (CPC) bidding strategy can be effective. For hotels targeting potential guests searching for hotels near attractions, activities, and experiences in their local area, a cost-per-impression (CPM) bidding strategy can be effective.

Step 6: Monitor and Adjust the Campaign

The final step is to monitor and adjust the campaign. Regularly monitoring the performance of the campaign and adjusting the targeting, keywords, ad copy, and bidding strategy as needed can help to optimise the campaign and ensure it is reaching the right people and achieving the desired results.

In conclusion, creating a digital ads campaign that targets potential guests searching for hotels in their local area and hotels near attractions, activities, and experiences in their local area can be an effective way for hotels to attract and engage potential guests. By following these six steps, hotels can create a digital ads campaign that reaches the right people, conveys the right message, and achieves the desired results.

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