We send dozens or hundreds of emails to our guests every day. If you check your open rates, CTR, and even unsubscribe rates, you'll see that things aren't going as well as they used to. Is there anything I can do differently?
Probably the answer is yes.
Email marketing for hotels has changed. This remains an effective return on investment (ROI) tactic, but it's not the same as it was five years ago, or even two years ago. So, even though it is known to be effective, certain aspects need to be adjusted to create the best hotel email marketing strategy.
Let's take a closer look at the many changes to email marketing in 2024 and how hotels can build an effective strategy.
Big changes coming to hotel email marketing in 2024
In 2024, Google and Yahoo made several changes for users to reduce the amount of spam they receive and make it easier to unsubscribe. This means all businesses must include a one-link unsubscribe button and process unsubscribe requests within up to two days.
What does this mean? Basically, you'll see your database fluctuate a lot because unsubscribing is now easier than ever.
It also means you need to provide your users with content that makes it worth continuing to subscribe to avoid high unsubscribe rates.
The truth is, while unsubscribe rate may seem like a scary metric, it can actually be a valuable tool. A healthy unsubscribe rate across the industry is around 0.26%. This means that for every 100 emails sent, you can expect 2-3 unsubscribes.
On the other hand, giving guests an easy one-click unsubscribe option creates transparency and builds trust with guests. After all, you don't want to store them in the database just because there's no easy way to get out of it.
Ultimately, unsubscribers lead to a cleaner email list with more engaged users who are genuinely interested in your service and see the value. These loyal subscribers are more likely to convert into paying guests, increasing your hotel's revenue.
But is there more to the hotel than email?
An important thing to keep in mind is that email is not the only channel you should use to communicate with your guests. Just as many people prefer it, some prefer other channels such as SMS or WhatsApp.
Importantly, there is no one message that fits all channels. In this case, you need to understand your guests in order to make the right decisions and find a balance. Email marketing for hotels isn't dead, but you need to embrace and balance a multichannel approach.
Certain types of messages, such as reservation confirmations, are best received when sent via email. However, if you want to share Wi-Fi codes or breakfast discount codes, you can also use other channels such as SMS or WhatsApp.
And the golden rule is Always ask your guests for their preferred channel. This way, you can create a valuable experience for them from the first moment and increase their satisfaction.
Get inspired: 4 ways to improve communication with guests
3 types of email marketing
transaction email
Transactional emails are so named because they deal with transactions between you and your customers. These are typically automatic responses triggered by customer actions. for example, Reservation confirmation, room upgrade confirmation, etc..
Customers expect this type of email as reassurance that everything went well in the process. Well, just to confirm? No, it's not. These emails also give you the opportunity to communicate directly with your guests and convey the essence of your brand, helping you build relationships with them.
promotional email
From a literal point of view, promotional emails help promote products, services, or offers for guests. For example, we usually ship it out before your stay. To provide room upgrades, breakfast or dinner, spa treatments, or other special amenities.
The best way to make these email campaigns effective is to consider user profiles and preferences, rather than sending the same offer to everyone.
Cultivate email
While you may be thinking about regular newsletters, they are actually part of your nurturing emails. Keep your guests in the loop by providing them with regular information and updates about your business and services.
These emails are more about building trust and maintaining a connection than making an immediate sale. Plus, it's a way to remind your customers how much you value them.
How to build an effective hotel email marketing strategy
Hotel email marketing is more than just sending emails. It's important to build relationships with your guests and provide incredible value. Here are some best practices to help you build an email marketing strategy that improves your guest experience.
1. Gather insights about your guests
The first step to a successful marketing strategy is knowing your audience. For hoteliers, this means understanding their guests' likes and dislikes and adjusting their messages accordingly.
What services do they want most? Do they want a spa invitation or a discount on breakfast? How many people would book a suite versus a superior room? What are the most popular rooms? Which type?
The more insights you have about your guests, the easier it is to create personalized messages that provide value.
Hint: A Hotel CRM Collect demographic and behavioral data about our guests and analyze their preferences; Gather guest feedback
Uncover important insights.
If you would like to learn more about how data is used in hospitality, check out our article “Hospitality data: how to use it to increase lodging revenue”.
2. Create different email audiences
Once you have a clean guest database, segmenting your guests allows you to send targeted and personalized emails. When talking to customers, remember that there is no one-size-fits-all message. This means that it is unlikely that you will be able to satisfy all guest preferences with just one offer.
Some people may enjoy the dining experience at a luxury hotel, while others enjoy exploring local options. Another example is when a business traveler finds the offer of a couple's massage less appealing than if a real couple were traveling for their anniversary.
So instead of overwhelming your guests with offer emails that remain unopened, you should segment them and send only the right messages.
Again, CRMs designed for hospitality can segment guests in a variety of ways based on demographics, past interactions, booking history, etc., or combine several characteristics to provide even more customization. It is also very useful here as it allows you to
Some examples are: First-time customers, returning customers, millennials, non-breakfast reservations, and high spenders.
If you want to know more ideas from other viewers, read this article. 9 Audiences You Can Create for Better Hotel Marketing Campaigns.
3. Create engaging content
As mentioned earlier, this is key to making sure you don't have too many unsubscribers. While most emails are commonly skimmed, emails with engaging content tend to stand out and make people remember your brand.
Providing valuable information during a guest's journey is not enough. It also means creating an eye-catching headline, showcasing beautiful photos of your property, or simply being aesthetically pleasing. Create designs that embody your brand identity. Use photos, infographics, or illustrations to describe your services or properties in your emails.
After that, you should always add your personal touches. It's not just about putting your real name in the subject line. You can use the segmentation you create to personalize your email campaigns and send the right messages through the right channels.
Leverage the insights you've already gained from your guests. Now you know what they like and can craft messages that express the same ideas. For example, consider offering a returning guest her 15% discount at another hotel in a different location.
Learn how to get the most out of This article discusses personalization in hotel marketing.
4. Use A/B testing
A great feature of email marketing that hoteliers can also use has to do with A/B testing. That is, some viewers will receive an email with subject A, while others will receive an email with subject B. You can then evaluate which subject lines performed best and use that for the rest.
This test can be applied not only to the subject line, but also to the actual content and images within the email. That way, you'll know what sparks a reaction from your guests and captures their attention.
5. Analysis and optimization
The job doesn't end with just sending an email. It's important to track open rates, click-through rates, engagement rates, unsubscribe rates, and conversions to analyze the effectiveness of your campaigns. Use these statistics to adjust your approach and improve future campaigns.
Remember to keep your email list updated, as disengaged subscribers can negatively impact your overall email deliverability. Therefore, to ensure its quality and relevance, clean your email list regularly and remove inactive subscribers.
See how Bookboost can help boost your marketing efforts.
6. Plan ahead and embrace automation
Email automation can be a game changer. Not only for the guests but also for the team. For example, you can schedule welcome emails for new customers, thank you emails after checkout, and reminders for abandoned reservations.
Imagine how much time your marketing team could save by not having to manually send each email. When it comes to guests, automated emails arrive at the right time, making it easier to build strong interactions and relationships with your guests.
Read this article to understand how you can increase automation to save time in your facility. Hotel Automation: Best Practices to Save Time at Your Property.
Common mistakes to avoid
If you bombard your guests with generic offers, they may come across as unwanted spam. As we emphasized the importance of personalization above, Make your guests remember you by customizing offers for each guest.
Don't send email for email's sake. Too many submissions can lead to unsubscribes, while too few submissions can cause your audience to forget you exist.
Find the balance and what your audience likes and plan your guest's journey in advance. Remember, it's not the number of touchpoints that matters, but whether you're actually delivering value at each touchpoint.
Finally, don't forget to make your campaign desktop, mobile, and tablet compatible. Research shows that 41% of people read email on their mobile phone, 39% on a desktop, and the remaining 20% on a tablet or other device. As the use of mobile devices increases, optimizing your emails for mobile viewing is highly beneficial.
conclusion
Email marketing in the hospitality industry is more than just a way to communicate with guests, it will continue to be a powerful tool in 2024. However, not all guests have the same preferences, so you should aim for multichannel communication. Find the balance between email marketing, SMS and WhatsApp.
When it comes to email marketing for your property, an effective strategy can help hoteliers reach out to guests personally, increase brand awareness, and build long-term relationships. As the situation evolves, following our best practices and staying up to date with technology improvements and changes in guest behavior will strengthen your business.
Remember that every email you send contributes to the perception your customers have about your hotel. Let's cherish each one!
More bookings, more revenue, and better customer relationships. Are you ready to take your hotel business to new heights with email marketing in 2024?
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Johanna Bernoulli
marketing manager
book boost
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