Elevate your holiday events with KeyBuzz’s expert digital marketing strategies
As the holiday season draws near, the hospitality industry gears up to create enchanting experiences for guests seeking memorable getaways. At KeyBuzz, we understand the significance of holiday events for hotels and resorts, and how effective digital marketing strategies can elevate these occasions to new heights. In this article, we delve into the art of holiday event marketing for hoteliers, offering expert insights and creative approaches to captivate and engage guests during the festive seasons.
1. Crafting Compelling Event Narratives
The foundation of successful holiday event marketing lies in crafting captivating narratives. Develop a unique and compelling story around your event that resonates with your target audience. KeyBuzz’s strategy involves leveraging the power of storytelling in your digital content, from social media posts to blog articles, evoking emotions and creating anticipation.
2. Use visual storytelling to transport guests to your event
Whether your speed is still photography or you have a mini- Scorsese within you, create immersive visuals that showcase the festive atmosphere on the property such as holiday decorations, treats, staff in ugly sweaters, and so on to show why YOU are a more fun and festive place than the business across the street. unique attractions, and memorable experiences that guests can expect at your event.
If resources allow, drone footage, slow-motion shots, and creative editing techniques can be used to create a truly captivating visual experience. Photos and videos can be captured via mobile devices, so that can keep the cost down. However, if you have a high school or local community college with a multimedia department, perhaps you can partner with them, engendering local goodwill and spreading good cheer.
One previous partner from the past, a hotel in a beach town in the Mid-Atlantic, simply replaced all of their local stock imagery of lightly clad people frolicking in swimsuits with the typical “fun in the sun” with folks either enjoying the indoor attractions or being outside in sweaters. Also, they took every one of their room types that offered fireplaces and made those the main images of the room type. That subtle shift of changing the narrative from “Summer Escape” to “Winter Retreat” had a significant YOY impact on their conversions.
Also, one need not reinvent the wheel every year. Go back in time, into your feed and resurface, reshare, and remind people of how great it was in years past. Play to a sense of nostalgia for those who are past guests and remind new travelers what they missed out on by not staying with you before.
3. Develop a multi-channel marketing campaign that reaches a wider audience
In addition to social media, consider using other digital channels such as email marketing, paid advertising, and search engine optimization (SEO) to promote your holiday event.
Have you looked into Targeted Travel Ads via Expedia? Considering the typical traveller is a layman mapping out the family vacation, Expedia et al are great places to start their planning journey. Get in front of them with a Travel ad, and you shouldl see brand website traffic lift as well.
Tailor your messaging and content to each platform, ensuring that your campaign is consistent and effective across the board.
4. See what People are Searching for and Align
One does not need to do an extensive content management research project to see what are top search items for your market. Google’s own auto-fill capabilities suggests to users what are some long tail key words they may be interested in to further idenitify what they are looking for. Looking at exmaple below, you can see a recommendations inlcude hotels with free parking, balconies, free airport shuttle service, and many more. Looking at these update your content focus and strategies to speak to those travllers. Update your main room imagery to showcase the amenities they are looking for rather than the normal “standard kong bed” room shot that is likley platsered all over the internet and everywhere you turn up. One does not need to remove the image, just modify the image sort order.
5. Offer exclusive discounts and packages
It is well anticipated that as soon as some of the readers get to this point, they will rear back and attest to high heavens that “Packages don’t book! So why should I do it?” If you are one of them, you wont be the first nor the last . To you, I point out that the while they may not book
a) Specials and Packages pages are almost always in the Top 5, if not Top 3 of website pages viewed. A high percentage of visitors go to, and as a result many of them may actually click on the booking engine to get rate. If they do not convert than, perhaps, at least for a small percentage of these users it is more a revenue management/ pricing issue and not customer lack of interest.
b) Visitors may have starteted to book based on interest in package but due to whatever thier reason, they closed on BAR or other rate. So while “packages may not convcert” they can lead to increased bookings”
BuIlding on #4, if people are looking for free parking or free breakfast, perhaps you do not have to give that amenity away, as much as just offer it at a disocunt. Breakfast for $1 is a very popular offer, and drives strong conversions.
If we again lean into assumption that most holidayt travelers are family/ budget focused travelers, a full service hotel in a market with a high percentage of select services is at a competitive advnatage because “everyone loves those waffles” and Free Breakfast hotels offer something standard you don’t, simply audit your package mark ups. Dop the $25 breakfast package mark up to $5, or use the $1 example and be more competitive. The net after package inclusion is backed out may be a bit, but it will also be higher than a booking from Hotwire or Expedia. So you may get a nice bump in both occupancy and ADR – a true Christmas miracle
6. Countdown Campaigns, Limited-Time Offers, Interactive Contests, and Giveaways
Build anticipation through countdown campaigns that highlight the approaching event date. Create a sense of excitement by revealing event highlights, special guest appearances, or exclusive offers as the days draw closer. KeyBuzz emphasizes the effectiveness of using email newsletters, social media stories, and website banners for countdowns.
Create a sense of urgency by offering limited-time deals or packages tied to your holiday event. Boost engagement and excitement through interactive contests and giveaways that encourage users to participate in challenges, share their holiday memories, or create user-generated content related to your event.
7. Post-Event Engagement
Extend the life of your holiday event through post-event engagement. Share event highlights, user-generated content, and guest testimonials to create a lasting impression. KeyBuzz emphasizes the importance of thanking attendees and encouraging them to share their experiences on social media platforms
Holiday event marketing presents a golden opportunity for hoteliers and hospitality professionals to connect with their audience in meaningful ways. KeyBuzz’s strategic approach to digital marketing can transform your holiday events into unforgettable experiences, ensuring that guests leave with cherished memories and a strong connection to your brand.
To learn more about how KeyBuzz Digital can help you create exceptional holiday events that resonate with your audience, please contact me for a free consultation.
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