How to Make Your Hotel and Destination Social Media Content Feel Authentic

in Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

“The last decade of social media was all about being polished and put together, aspirational and inspiring. Now, everyone’s sick of it.”

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hat’s a quote from a recent Crowdriff report — and it’s pretty direct. If you’ve observed social media from a consumer perspective lately, though, it’s obvious: Perfect is out. Authentically imperfect is in.

The new authenticity standard has become expected across most age groups, but the concept took off largely thanks to Gen Z, 73% of whom say that they prefer to shop from brands with experiences that “inspire and delight.” This rings especially true in the crowded landscape of hotels and destinations, where offering the finest linens, award-winning meals, or unparalleled views won’t cut it anymore.

Don’t misunderstand — those amenities are still important, straightforward paid ads still have an essential part to play in your overall marketing mix, and not every property caters to the 27-and-under crowd. But the travel market is crowded, and social media is ripe with opportunities for hotels and destinations to create genuine relationships with potential travelers.

We put together some ideas for connecting with savvy, discerning, modern travelers on social media who prefer real, unfiltered experiences:

1. Embrace User-Generated Content (UGC)

UGC, content created by guests who want to share their travel experiences on social media, is near the top of the list for authentic content. These photos and videos are usually captured via smartphone, feature real people, and offer candid views and opinions on the property that viewers trust. When harnessed to its full capability, UGC is a powerful tool for luxury hotels and destinations. This type of content serves as a powerful word-of-mouth endorsement and goes a long way toward showing potential guests that your property delivers the experience they’re seeking.

Ideas and Inspiration

  • Create a branded hashtag: A unique, catchy hashtag encourages guests to tag your property in their posts. This also makes it easier for your marketing team to find and share UGC. (One caveat: Research hashtags before using them to make sure they’re not either tied to something untoward or have the potential to be read incorrectly.)
  • Showcase diverse perspectives: Highlight UGC from various types of guests — families, couples, solo travelers, and business travelers — to paint a full picture of the experiences your property offers.
  • Incentivize UGC: Encourage guests to share their experiences by offering incentives like discounts, complimentary upgrades, or entry into a contest. Make sure to ask for permission before reposting, and always credit the original creator. (For more resources on making sure you’re approaching UGC legally and ethically, read our usage guide.)

2. Tell Genuine Stories

As a marketer, you can use the power of storytelling to not only craft an enticing story about your property but also give potential guests a true feel for what it’s like to stay with you. From the history of your building to local lore and staff experiences, there are endless stories waiting to be told — your job is to find and share them in a way that will resonate authentically with your target audience. Presenting your offerings as a story vs. a list of facts also elevates your content by adding depth and a personal touch.

Ideas and Inspiration

  • Feature your employees: Introduce your audience to the people who make their stay special. Share the journey of your chef — like this Reel from Wentworth by the Sea — the experience of your concierge, or the story of your housekeeping staff. Authentic stories about real people humanize your brand and help guests feel at home, especially if they recognize someone from your content. (As a bonus, imagine how special and valued your employees would feel after being recognized on social media..)
  • Highlight local culture and heritage: Dive into the history, culture, and traditions of your surrounding area. This not only educates your audience but also positions your property as an integral part of the local community.
  • Share guest experiences: Ask guests to tell stories about their unique experiences during their stay with you. This serves as a great first-person recommendation, and the information can be used across multiple formats, including video and print.

3. Show Behind-the-Scenes Content

One of the best ways to show authenticity on social media is to share what goes on behind the scenes of running your hotel or resort. From peeks behind the curtain to blooper reels, #bts content makes viewers feel like VIPs with exclusive access. Vertical, short-form videos that serve as property tours or on-the-spot interviews give travelers an authentic look at the property and what happens there. It also helps showcase the effort and care that goes into creating a luxury experience for guests.

Ideas and Inspiration

  • Daily operations: Share candid moments from the daily life of your hotel — morning rituals, preparations for events, or your meticulous housekeeping routine.
  • Event preparations: Take viewers along as you prepare for a special event, like a wedding or a conference. This is a great way to show off your strengths in both creativity and operations.
  • Seasonal changes: Create and share timely seasonal content, such as updating menus or redecorating spaces. This can create a sense of excitement and anticipation for guests planning to visit during a particular time of year.

4. Leverage Real-Time Engagement

Engagement is a two-way street, and the best social media strategies involve real-time interaction with your audience. This shows that your brand is attentive, responsive, and genuinely interested in your guests’ experiences. It’s also a great way to build community, trust, and loyal followers — both online and off.

Ideas and Inspiration

  • Go live: Use platforms like Instagram Live or Facebook Live to give tours of your property, host Q&A sessions with your staff, or broadcast events as they happen. Live content is inherently less scripted and polished, which adds to its authenticity. Just be sure to keep an eye on the comments and answer questions as you go.
  • Respond, respond, respond: Reply to comments, mentions, and messages in real-time (or as close to real-time as possible). Address questions, thank guests for their positive feedback, and handle complaints with grace and professionalism.
  • Create interactive content: Instagram Stories offer features like polls, questions, and quizzes that allow you to engage directly with your audience. This is a great way to boost engagement, but there’s an even bigger benefit: First-hand, valuable insights from your ideal audience about their preferences.

5. Go Easy on the Editing

Visual content is the backbone of social media, especially for luxury hotels and destinations. However, there’s a fine line between showcasing your property in its best light and over-editing your visuals to the point where they no longer look real. (If you’ve ever looked at real estate listings for a home only to find that the actual house doesn’t look anything like the photos, you know what a letdown that can be.)

Ideas and Inspiration

  • Go natural: Use natural lighting and real settings for your photos. Avoid excessive filters or Photoshop. The goal is to showcase your property as it truly is — beautiful, welcoming, and luxurious, but still real.
  • Candid moments: Instead of staged photos, capture candid moments. A family enjoying a meal, a couple relaxing by the pool, or a guest taking in a sunset from their balcony — all of these evoke positive emotion and authenticity.
  • Highlight imperfections: Don’t be afraid to show the human side of your property. A child spilling a drink at dinner for kid-friendly properties, a chef’s flour-dusted apron, or even a rainy day scene can add character to your content and make it more relatable.

6. Tap Into Micro-Influencing

According to recent research, 61% of Gen Z-ers and Millennials say they trust influencers, but the people they follow are not necessarily the most well-known creators. In fact, just over half of the influencers listed as favorites among Gen Z were unique to one person.

This trend toward favoring creators with smaller audiences is called micro-influencing, and what it’s shown over the past year or so is that influencer marketing is more about quality over quantity. Travelers are drawn to influencers who are relatable to them, whether they have 3 million followers or 3,000. Once again, Gen Z leads the trend, with half of this age group saying influencer recommendations are a “critical factor” in their purchasing decisions.

Ideas and Inspiration

  • Choose your advocates carefully: Partner with influencers who have a genuine connection to your property or destination. They should share your brand’s values and have an authentic following that trusts their recommendations.
  • Develop long-term partnerships: Instead of one-off collaborations, consider building long-term relationships with influencers. This allows them to experience your property over time and provide more in-depth, genuine content.
  • Stop worrying about followers: Micro-influencers may have smaller followings but often have higher engagement rates and more trust from their audience. They can be especially effective in niche markets, like bed and breakfasts or unique destinations.

Creating authentic social media content for luxury hotels and destinations is an art that balances transparency, engagement, and storytelling. It requires moving beyond the polished, staged images that dominate the industry and embracing the real, the raw, and the relatable.

Our team of experts can help you create a social media presence that resonates deeply with today’s discerning travelers. Let’s talk.

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Stay Another Day: How Your Content Can Inspire Guests to Book Early and Stick Around Longer

in Content Marketing, Destination Marketing Organizations by Hawthorn Editorial

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t’s been more than four years since COVID-19 kept us all at home, but we’re still feeling the urge to catch up on all that travel and exploration we missed. That sense of carpe diem has led to an increase in impulse getaways, with hotels and resorts seeing more last-minute bookings and shorter stays. Plus, it’s easier than ever to book and plan a vacation on your phone in an hour, rather than spending weeks mapping out an itinerary.

Late-arriving, here-and-gone visitors can be great to fill in holes left by cancellations and slow times, but they’re not the bread and butter of the hospitality industry. To inspire guests to book early and check in for longer stays, properties need to get creative and highlight the array of experiences they offer — making it clear that a couple of days isn’t nearly enough when there are so many enticing things to do, see, and eat onsite and in the area.

Here are some ideas for simple yet impactful content that invites travelers to stick around — plus ways to get the message out to your audience effectively.

Lean Into Seasonality

Think about timing and seasonality when crafting and sharing content: As fall begins, or even during the last dregs of winter, tap into your Northeast contacts and remind them that they can make their California dreamin’ (or Hawaii or Arizona or Florida dreamin’) a reality next year (at a lower price), if they book now.

You can also tap into the sentiments connected with holidays or other milestones. Send an email to your list around Thanksgiving encouraging them to plan their midwinter vacation: “Here’s something you’ll be grateful for in February — a week at the beach.” Or, around Mother’s Day, encourage them to bring Mom along on a once-in-a-lifetime family trip.

How to share the message: Email personalized with a first name is the best way to share offers with past customers — you want them to feel singled out and seen. (Studies show emails with personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened, and personalized emails garner six times more revenue.) But a flash sale on social media is another approach, maybe with a 24-hour limit or for a pre-defined number of guests. Share seasonally focused content on social media as well, with images that show off your property.

Incentivize Them with Teasers

What do you want to think about when you’re not on vacation? Your upcoming vacation, of course. On the special offers page of your site (if you don’t have one, build it — they will come!), let visitors know that when they book early, say six months out, you’ll keep in touch and remind them of all the excitement in store for them.

Then, once someone books, add them to an email drip campaign for regular updates designed to entice them to plan their trip, get excited about the destination, and potentially add more nights to their stay. Emails might include details about local events happening when they’re with you, a quick video showing off your latest amenities, and other reminders of what makes your property unforgettable. It can be simple — if you’re by the sea, one of your emails could be a rundown of the average temperature and sunrise/sunset times on the week they’ll be with you, plus a gorgeous image and a message like “Wish You Were Here — Just XX Days!”

Once you’ve gotten soon-to-be guests pumped up and shown them how much there is to do on your property and in your area, throw in a few CTAs to book an extra day or two. If this seems like a lot of work, remember it won’t go to waste: All this cool content can be repurposed for multiple years and for other campaigns.

How to share the message: Ideally, your email platform will allow you to create an automated drip campaign. If not, you can schedule a series of emails weekly to each new group of guests. Plus, use the tidbits included in each email, like videos and property updates, for emails targeting new guests and social media posts.

Let Them Choose Their Own Adventure

According to a recent survey by the travel company Amadeus, 70% of global guests want hotels to provide information on unique activities in the area before they arrive, yet only 20% of them were able to get those recommendations. This is low-hanging fruit and — to mix metaphors — most of it is evergreen as well.

Create a seasonal tailored itinerary that’s tempting for both guests who’ve already booked and those who haven’t yet. You can change them up four times a year, or more often, but you don’t have to constantly reinvent the wheel. Focus on what makes your property and your area unique — cultural attractions nearby, your farm-to-table restaurant, weekly live music in your onsite wine bar, ways to connect with nature, and more.

How to share it: Make it a blog post, like this one highlighting Key Largo on the Opal Collection’s blog. And/or let guests download the PDF on your website and plan their itinerary; consider making it a day-by-day checklist (with lots of days!). Make sure to include an easy way to book — or to add days if they’ve already booked — once they see how much they want to fit in. Try a call-to-action like “Need extra days to do it all? We’ve got you covered” with an embedded link to a landing page that lets them make or add onto a booking at a discounted price.

Tap Into Their Taste Buds

Nothing slows the scroll like a luscious food photo. Tempt your list and followers to open your email or click on your post by teasing a recipe that’s unique to your onsite restaurant or bar. Highlight a seasonal ingredient, your mixologist’s latest craft cocktail, or a regional dessert that your chef has perfected.

Once you’ve whetted your reader’s appetites, take advantage when they’re onsite by leaving a card in their room that reminds them of the special regional dessert or signature fish dish they’ll find in your restaurant (feature dishes you offer year-round, so you don’t have to reprint often). You can also add treats that can be ordered between meals — like a late-night TV tray with crunchy, salty snacks, or, if your property has an outdoor fire pit, a house-made s’mores kit like this one crafted by the Ojai Valley Inn team.

How to share the message: Email and social both work well, with a link to the recipe on your website (maybe in a blog post). Include links on the landing page to your full menu and to your booking and/or special offers pages.

Invite Them to Something Special

Is there a beloved annual or one-time event in your area — and if not, are you up for creating one? Either way, you can entice guests to plan ahead and book longer stays by crafting an invitation to a weeklong, themed experience that leads up to the special occasion. It might be a big art show, a Pride parade, or a musical festival or concert — tour tourism, driven by stars like Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo, is huge this year, with 44% of people saying they would use a concert as an excuse to visit a new destination.

Choose an event that makes sense for the ambiance of your property, the guests you typically host, and the audience you hope to build. If your property is a grand old hotel, partner with an antique book fair that comes to your city each year, and schedule of week of high teas, readings, and book discussion groups. (Share the books to be discussed only after visitors book their stays!) A great example is the annual Winter Wine Fest at Wentworth by the Sea, near Portsmouth, New Hampshire, which runs for a full month with events all along the way, from multi-course Grand Vintner’s Dinners to Bubbles & Jazz Brunches.

How to share it: Create an invitation tailored to the vibe of your event. If you have the budget for snail mail, an invitation postcard to your list could get their attention; otherwise, start with email invitations and post on social media if you don’t sell out fast enough.

Need help putting these ideas into action and sharing your messages far and wide? Contact our team of innovative content developers, writers, designers, and social media pros.

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Will AI-Created Content Hurt My SEO? And Other Questions About the Future of Content Marketing

in Content Marketing, Search Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

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s artificial intelligence continues to impact almost every aspect of content marketing, it’s important to not only understand where its capabilities lie as of now, but also where they’re headed. The technology is evolving rapidly, which means that what doesn’t work for marketers one year could become indispensable in the future.

If you’re part of a creative team in today’s AI landscape, you can use the technology to brainstorm big ideas, create first drafts of potential headlines and slogans, and even design logos. Using a machine to boost creativity is a game-changing advancement, but it’s important to remember that AI is still in its infancy. Although it can be great for initial research or the start of an idea, it’s still up to us humans to refine, strategize, and make the final call.

At Hawthorn Creative, we’ve been closely following the advent and evolution of artificial intelligence, how it relates to content, and how we can better use it to serve our clients. For this article, we’re focusing on one of the most-used tactics in content marketing — SEO — and how artificial intelligence can help (or hinder) your strategy.

Here’s How AI Can Help Your SEO

One of the most beneficial things about AI is its ability to process vast amounts of data in milliseconds. When that ability is applied to SEO, it means that you can have a list of relevant keywords, phrases, and ranking data in short order without having to wonder whether you’re choosing the right mix. And since AI algorithms learn over time, they can follow trends and suggest changes or refinements that help you better navigate search algorithms.

Initial Content Creation
If you’re tasked with writing a blog post on something new, AI is a great way to learn about the topic in a plain, easy-to-understand way. Or, if you’re writing a trend piece on the top travel spots in Europe and want to see what the general consensus is online, AI can pull together that information. It’s more than just a one-time content generator, though. Because of the back-and-forth nature of AI, you can refine the process as you go with prompts like “Can this be geared toward a beginner audience?” or “Can you incorporate the most relevant keywords?”.

This process, called natural-language processing, helps AI to learn relational links between not only keywords and phrases, but also user behavior and search trends. With all of this data at the ready, AI programming can help you automate many of your SEO tasks and return better results than you’d achieve by performing them manually.

Content Optimization
Once content is created (a job that should always include a human writer’s touch!), AI can sift through analytics data to not only see which pieces of content are performing the best, but offer suggestions for refining your strategy. This makes it a strong writing partner, but it’s not just limited to blogs or traditional marketing materials.

AI can also enhance your website by providing users with relevant recommendations or answering simple questions. (In turn, it can take all of that data — a keyword that keeps coming up in customer service queries, for example — and suggest keywords, predict user behavior, and more.)

Back-End Automation
Behind the scenes at a website, artificial intelligence can help developers automate technical SEO tasks like finding broken links, fixing code, optimizing metadata, and better organizing pages. One of its most beneficial assets, however, is its ability to assist with building backlinks — a crucial yet challenging tactic in a strong SEO strategy. The ability to run these tasks on autopilot is a huge benefit for developers, who are then freed up to focus on the bigger picture of website enhancement and maintenance.

On the Flip Side, Can AI Hurt Our SEO Strategy?

As we’ve mentioned, AI is a helpful assistant for creating and refining SEO efforts, but it could lead to trouble if it’s used as a replacement for the human brain. And even as it gets smarter, it’s still a machine that’s producing output based on whatever input it receives. Typing a content prompt into a chatbot and calling it a day can not only lead to off-brand strategy or terrible writing, but also search engine penalties.

Keyword Stuffing
If you ask AI to create a blog post using five or six keywords, it may return a piece of content that’s not only written badly, but stuffed to the gills with those words or phrases on repeat. Called keyword stuffing, this is considered a black hat SEO tactic and is often penalized by search engine crawlers. The AI isn’t doing it maliciously, but rather taking whatever information it’s received and generating output. It’s imperative that a human take any initial AI-generated content and finesse it for other humans to read and understand.

Incurring Search Engine Penalties
Relying too heavily on AI can also result in duplicate content that’s published across the web, which is a red flag for search engine crawlers. When landing on the first page of the Google search results is the goal, it’s crucial to ensure that your content doesn’t get tagged for any shady practices, intentional or otherwise. (Note: Google doesn’t ban AI-generated content, but like other content, it scours the web for black hat SEO and other unethical techniques used to improve rankings.)

Unethical (and Just Plain Bad) Content
The potential problems that have guided ethics discussions around AI to date include bias, misinformation, transparency, and privacy rights. First, AI pulls its answers from data that already exists, which means that it could be using a biased site as a source. Beyond that, bots like ChatGPT don’t share their sources, which means you have no way to track down where the information is coming from.

Finally, AI can actually produce answers that aren’t anywhere close to the truth. To experience this for yourself, ask an AI bot to write a bio about you and see what it says. One of our writers once experimented with using AI to create a profile article based on interview notes, and it turned an IT specialist into the “Visionary CEO” of the company.

The bottom line is that AI can be a great helper, as long as humans remain in control of the process. One of the best ways for you to figure out what will work best for your marketing (and what won’t) is to jump in and try it. Experiment with different tools and algorithms, see how answers change if you add or remove information from prompts, create images, and input data to see how it works.

Our in-house strategists understand the best ways to use artificial intelligence to enhance your marketing campaigns. If you’re ready to dive into the future of content marketing, let’s talk.

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Social Media Management for Hotels and DMOs: Here’s How to Keep Your Followers Engaged

in Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

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uilding a social media following is tough work. It can take months of consistency, outreach, top-notch content creation, and more to push that snowball up the hill. Once you get to the summit, though, you look out over the horizon and see them: followers. Loyal, engaged followers who like, comment, share, and otherwise hang out in your social spaces.

Establishing a digital community is only the first part of the journey, though. Attention spans are short these days, and if you don’t take the time to nurture your loyal followers, they’ll fade away from your page (and fast). In this blog, we’re skipping past the audience building to focus on the next equally important part of the process: maintaining that audience through community management.

Here’s a look at some of the questions we get most from our clients about how to best manage, engage, maintain, and show appreciation for their online community:

Should the brand page respond to comments?

The answer here is a quick and decisive yes, because posts that receive more engagement tend to get priority in the world of social media algorithms. No matter the channel or the comment, the best practice for a branded response is to maintain a consistent, professional, and engaging presence. However, the tone of each individual response should depend on both the nature of the comment and where it was posted. Let’s break it down per type:

Public Comments (Positive and Negative)
It’s not just engagement that drives posts out to a wider audience, but quick engagement soon after the original post is published. We suggest making it a standard part of your hotel’s digital strategy to have someone available to monitor and respond to posts as soon as they go live. And don’t just have a repetitive, canned response ready – carefully read each comment and take the time to craft a thoughtful response.

If the comment is positive, start out with a sincere thank you and then engage further by asking a question or encouraging them to share even more. For negative comments, be sure to keep it polite and professional. A good rule of thumb is to thank the commenter for bringing the issue to your attention, acknowledge that they had a bad experience, and either offer a solution on the spot or ask them to contact your customer service team.

If the issue warrants, it can also be good policy to reach out to individual commenters via DM to dig further into the issue they shared. (More on that below.)

@Tags
Much of the advice for responding to tags is similar, but being tagged on someone else’s post opens your page up to a much bigger audience than just your own channels. When that’s the case, it’s imperative to respond in a way that shows an understanding of the tag, along with professionalism and personality.

Positive tags, for example, can lend themselves to a simple “Thanks for the tag!” If you love the content you’re tagged in and it’s appropriate for your brand style, let the commenter know. For neutral tags or questions, such as “@brandname, Can you add this drink to your menu?” It’s appropriate to thank the commenter for the tag and include a simple response like “We’ll pass it along to our chef!”

As with negative comments, negative tags should be handled promptly and politely to show that you take feedback seriously (or, if they’re spam or inappropriate, ignored altogether). For legitimate negative tags, acknowledging the user’s concerns or offering apologies if necessary go a long way toward building trust, as well as offering a solution if relevant.

DMs
Responding to direct messages is a bit of a different strategy in that it’s a one-on-one conversation. Like public comments, however, it’s important to respond to messages in a timely manner. There’s often a hesitation to contact a brand through social media DMs because users aren’t sure there’s anyone monitoring the page, so a quick and accurate response can go a long way to build trust and satisfaction — even if it’s an automated response saying “We’ve received your message and will get back to you within 24 hours.”

For personalized responses, put yourself in the shoes of a customer service expert: answer questions in a professional tone and to the fullest of your knowledge. But since you aren’t a mind reader, get in the habit of asking for more information or clarification if you need it to respond properly. It’s also good practice to follow up (if necessary) to see if the issue was resolved.

One final note: This may seem elementary, but use emojis early and often! They’ve become an integral part of the online lexicon, and sometimes 😂 really is worth a thousand words. Plus, it’s an opportunity to be playful without alienating your brand voice.

What are some best practices for social media community management?

When we help our clients manage their social media communities, we go through a weekly checklist to monitor and encourage engagement that includes:

  • Liking comments
  • Following new users and accounts, and liking user photos that tag or hashtag a property-related post
  • Reposting/requesting to share user-generated content when appropriate
  • Responding to select DMs (around 1-5 per month) using answers from a client-created FAQ document

We also work in partnership with a member of the client team, who is trained to help with responses during off-hours or in the case of viral posts.

Another simple yet effective best practice for community management is to ask questions. End your post with “What’s your favorite beach destination?” or ask for content, like “Share photos from your favorite activity at our hotel.” Users are naturally inclined to answer questions or provide information when asked for it, which drives not only a conversation but also encourages user-generated content.

Two common threads connect all of these tactics: acknowledging and listening to your followers. If videos fall flat but your community loves responding to polls, post more polls! If Instagram is where the action is, focus your efforts there. This doesn’t mean stop producing videos altogether or neglect your other social channels, but trends like these are signals to tweak your social media marketing.

How can community comments help my hotel social media marketing strategy?

We’ll answer the question with a real-life example: A client noticed a Facebook user commenting that they were visiting the property for a bachelorette party. The information was passed along to the on-property team, who was able to make a note on their reservation and greet them with special treatment when they arrived.

In another example, an Instagram conversation between two friends went back-and-forth about how badly they needed a mountain getaway. The client’s sales team responded to their thread with a special booking offer, leaving the comment section not only wowed by the quick and public response, but also by the hotel’s dedication to becoming their destination of choice.

In a wider sense, engaging with your social media community is also a great way to take the pulse of your audience: to listen to their feedback and keep track of what they like and what they don’t — not just in the social world, but in real life at your property. If you hear a lot of complaints that the breakfast isn’t diverse enough, for example, it could be a great opportunity to add an all-you-can-eat buffet (followed by a social media post that says “We heard you! Your breakfast choices are now endless.”)

Can I use a bot for that?

With the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, we’ve been asked quite often if AI bots can take on any of the time-consuming tasks of community engagement. Our answer is yes, with caution. These days, AI-powered chatbots can be used to handle common customer inquiries or respond to FAQs, which can free up support personnel to focus on larger or more complex issues.

Because it can learn the optimal times that your community is likely to engage with your posts, AI can be a great help in automating post scheduling to accommodate those times — especially if they’re outside of normal hours. Some programs can even go so far as to recommend content based on past posts that saw high engagement.

Beyond your own page, AI can help you track industry trends through a tactic called “social listening,” where it tracks mentions of not only your brand, but others in your industry and category, across social channels and alerts you to important conversations or potential issues.

And finally, the massive computing power of AI makes it infinitely better at analyzing data than any human brain. It can provide detailed performance tracking, predict trends, and keep your social strategy at optimum performance.

Do you know what AI can’t do, though? It can’t add that creative human touch that gives your property its unique personality and charm. Users crave authenticity, and younger generations are turned off by obvious advertising or sales-heavy language. While an AI bot can craft an answer to a question, it can’t craft a human answer. That’s why we see it as a creative assistant, and not a replacement.

If you’d like expert help with your brand’s social media community management, our team can help. Let’s talk.

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We Can’t Wait to Meet You: How to Write a Pre-Arrival Email They’ll Actually Read

in Content Marketing, Email Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

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o get into the right creative space for this article, put yourself into the mind of a traveler. Think about the last place you went on a leisure vacation, or where you’d like to go. How cool would it be to receive an email a few days before your arrival filled with personalized recommendations, location-specific guides, and other goodies to get your vacation started a little early?

In this email, you find out about on-property amenities, get tips on the local area, and maybe even discover a little treat as a way to say thanks.

Pre-arrival emails are a great way to greet your soon-to-be guests, deliver personalized content in a digital format, and let them know that you’re excited to see them. The type of content depends on your property and your audience, but these emails can include things like links to blog posts, audience-specific itinerary ideas, and exclusive perks.

To help inspire you, we’ve put together some ideas to help you brainstorm personalized email ideas across a variety of traveler categories.

Step 1: Know Your Audience

The first thing to know is that personalization is just that: personal. There’s no way to speak to a wide audience with a generic email, so that means putting in the work to create multiple versions that cater to multiple audiences. Depending on the size of your email list, the concept of “individual” can vary a little. For small, boutique inns and bed and breakfasts, it might be possible to craft truly personal communications for each guest.

As the number of rooms goes up, however, personalization becomes more about speaking to your guest personas, or small groups of people who share the same interests, travel preferences, and basic demographics.

Step 2: Speak to a Party of One

There are plenty of programs out there that will allow you to insert a guest’s first name seamlessly into an email, so even persona-based email versions can have personalized greetings. When you begin an email by calling the guest by name, it immediately creates a one-on-one conversation between you and them.

Beyond the salutation, your pre-arrival email should tell the traveler a story that gets them excited. Use clear headings, short blocks of text with links to further reading, and relatable content to help them imagine themselves already at your property.

Here’s a secret: You can get away with a single email template. The body of all pre-arrival emails can include content like blog posts, itinerary ideas, and CTAs that easily point guests toward on-site amenities and services like spas, restaurants, or poolside cabana rentals. The personalization happens in the details: the copy that opens the email, the type of content you serve up, and the ideas you offer.

For example, a personalized email for new guests can include a welcome, a “What to Expect” section, a property map, and some local recommendations. For returning guests, you can offer a welcome back and a blog post to say “Here’s what you missed!”

Emails are wonderful in that their real estate is unlimited, but it’s important to remember that readers skim. Always put the most important information at the top (we call it “above the fold”) and tier your email in importance from the top down, so that readers are sure to get the most essential information.

Pro tip: For longer emails, include a table of contents at the top that lets readers know what’s in store. You can even include anchor links to allow them to jump around within the email.

Step 3: Offer Them Personalized Content

It’s time to think out of the box. Put yourself into the shoes of your travelers and try to imagine what specific content pieces you could include that elevate you above the competition. We put together a few starter ideas — broken down by different types of travelers — to get your wheels turning:

For New Guests

It’s beneficial to roll out the red carpet for newcomers and make them feel like they’re VIP guests from the moment they book their reservation. These types of emails should convey a lot of excitement about welcoming them to experience the property for the first time.

To captivate this audience in pre-arrival emails, you can provide a virtual property map that allows guests to get to know the layout of your property before they arrive and provide important information to make their stay more enjoyable. This is a great time to highlight activities and programming that may be available during their stay, or invite guests to make reservations for dining, spa treatments, tee times or rentals.

For Returning Guests

Have you noticed that many businesses focus their big benefits on new customers only? Personalizing a message to return guests is a great way to let them know that you value their loyalty.

When creating content for return guests, take this as an opportunity to get down to the individual level. If guest data is available from their previous stay, you could use that information to send them personalized offers that match their preferences. If that’s not an option, consider creating a “What’s New” blog post centered around recently added activities and offerings on your property — that way, they’ll know what changes to expect since their last visit.

For Business Travelers

Sending personalized pre-arrival emails can be a great way to make business travel not so blah. If guests see long hours of work on the horizon, you can help them find ways to relax and unwind after a busy day.

One way to ensure business travelers can fully enjoy their trip, no matter how packed their schedules are? Recommend the best delivery in town. Travelers are well-versed in delivery services these days, but offering them your curated recommendations for the tastiest restaurants can help them narrow their choices — and ensure they experience the flavor of your destination, even with limited time to go out and about.

For Families

Traveling with littles is a whole different experience from traveling with just adults, or solo. For the caregivers, it requires some heavy lifting, both physically and mentally. Personalized recommendations for fun family activities can be a huge help to parents.

By curating and sharing a family-friendly local guide, you’ll set parents up for success on their upcoming trip. Let them know which restaurants are good for kids, if there are local family-friendly attractions or activities, and so on. To take it up a notch, partner with these businesses to offer guest discounts. Bonus: Share a list of no-Wi-Fi activities for the kiddos to help guests achieve a fully unplugged, in-the-moment getaway.

Things to Consider

Succeeding in your personalization efforts depends a lot on the type of property you have, the amenities you offer, and how much access you’re able to get to traveler data. One of the best ways to gather that information up front is to ask them directly, perhaps through a questionnaire attached to their confirmation email. Another way is to ask questions on social media: It may not be quite as personal as one-on-one, but it can give you a good idea of what your ideal travelers are looking for in general.

One word of advice: If your email space is tight — or you’re worried about load times — one strategy would be to tell travelers about the offers, then create the actual pages on your website. Dedicated email links can also help you track traffic drivers.

If you’d like some expert brainstorming help, our team of content strategists are experts in defining your audience — plus figuring out what makes them smile. If you’d like to get started, let’s talk.

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How to Offer Guests the Ultimate Nature Connection Experience

in Destination Marketing Organizations, General Marketing Insights by Hawthorn Editorial

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hen it comes to vacationing, the new buzzword is balance — or, as the Swedes say, lagom. Author and travel photographer Lola Akinmade Åkerström describes lagom as the “optimal” (not best) solution for maintaining balance and removing stress within your control. Lagom could also be described as a sense of well-being and harmony, within yourself and in your surroundings.

Vacationers might find that harmony in a carefully calibrated balance between lounging on the beach and shopping, between food trucks and four-star dining, or between massages and golf games. In fact, the search for the perfect, elusive blend of luxurious relaxation and active experience has been cited as one of the top trends in travel in 2024. But for those truly seeking inner equanimity and peak wellness, one proven place to find it is the natural world.

The Science Behind Nature’s Stress-Reducing Benefits

People go on vacation for lots of reasons, but one of the biggest is simply the desire to feel better. And the great outdoors can be the key to that quest — multiple studies highlight the power of nature to slow us down and lift our spirits. Time outdoors has been shown to reduce cortisol (aka the “stress hormone”), improve mood, and decrease activity in the amygdala, the part of the brain most closely related to fear and panic. A 2024 study found that people who frequently visited public green spaces — like parks, gardens, and forests — had lower levels of anxiety and depression. And the more connected they felt to nature during these visits, the greater the mental health benefits they experienced.

What makes nature such a powerful stress reducer? As with wellness practices like yoga, the alchemy involves a combination of physiological and psychological factors that work from the “top down” (mind informing body) and the “bottom up” (body informing mind). For example, Japanese researchers theorize that breathing in certain aerosols released by trees elevates our “natural killer cells,” strengthening immunity, which has been linked to stress resilience. Meanwhile, walking through a beautiful natural setting prompts us to pay closer attention to what’s around us — a form of active mindfulness that can reduce stress and anxiety levels. The exact formula may remain mysterious, but what’s clear is that spending time in nature can make us happier and healthier.

The 5 Types of Nature Vacationers

Travelers who want to incorporate a nature connection component into their vacation aren’t necessarily looking for the same things. Everyone has their own way of relating to the natural world, whether it’s a mellow family hike, a view of the ocean from behind an umbrella drink, or a kayaking adventure through alligator-infested waters. Moreover, some tourists may not prioritize outdoor experiences at all. But if they’re packaged in a way that speaks to their vacation goals and they’re willing to give it a try, the built-in benefits will likely take over from there.

Here are five ways humans interact with nature to boost well-being, plus tips for how hotels and resorts can support and enhance those experiences.

Relaxers

Most of us can relate to this one. Simply taking in a scenic vista can feed our senses and calm our minds. The hospitality industry tends to focus on this aspect of nature connection, and you can’t go wrong here. Comfort is critical for Relaxers — super-comfy benches and lounge chairs, blankets or throws available when a cool breeze whips up, perhaps a “free library” of beach (or hammock) reads, and, of course, easy access to a cold drink and a crispy snack.

Explorers

Explorers want to follow unknown paths and discover unexpected places. Scratching that itch might be as simple as cutting a trail through a small forested area on your property, and having a local landscape artist create a flower-filled courtyard with a water element for wanderers to come upon. Or you could work with a local nature preserve or adventure company to craft a unique off-site experience.

Interactors

While closely related to Explorers, Interactors want more hands-on experiences with nature or natural materials. Interactive nature offerings might include a flower-arranging workshop, an earth-based pottery class, or a beekeeping and honey-tasting experience like the one offered at Ojai Valley Inn in Ojai, California. This group would also enjoy a special dinner menu culled from local farms and wineries.

Admirers

Another of nature’s powerful stress-reducing properties is the emotion of awe. Awe — the feeling you have when you gaze at a gold and purple sunset or a rainbow after a storm — can quiet the nervous system and even trigger the release of oxytocin, the “love” hormone. Resorts might support experiences of awe by scheduling sunset or full-moon walks, arranging seating options to frame the most impressive views on site, or spotlighting a special feature of the property, like the iconic many-colored hydrangeas that burst into bloom each spring at the Woodstock Inn & Resort in Vermont.

Stewards

This group is committed to earth stewardship — actively working to protect the planet through conservation efforts and activism. Even when they’re on vacation, Stewards want to be a force for good in the world. Give them the opportunity to learn about local ecology and participate in inspiring preservation projects. For example, Opal Collection’s Hutchinson Shores Resort and Spa teaches guests about the endangered sea turtles that nest on its beach and invites them to help ensure the safety of the giant mothers and their young each nesting season.

More Ways to Provide a Nature Connection Experience

You don’t need sea turtles or sweeping vistas to incorporate nature-based wellness experiences into your offerings. Here are some ways to provide those experiences by tapping into resources you already have.

Celebrate Local Flora and Fauna

What makes your part of the world special? Whether it’s an annual maple syrup tradition, the flocks of timberdoodles (a.k.a. woodcocks) that mate every spring in your neighborhood, or a unique phenomenon or site — like Ojai’s “pink moment” when the mountains catch fire at sunset, or Ice Glen in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where you can feel cool drafts emerging from the deep rock crevices even in midsummer — make it part of your brand. Spotlight the natural beauty and richness of your region through education, outings, interactive workshops, themed festivals, and seasonal menus (see: maple syrup).

Partner with Nature Organizations

To provide varied experiences for your guests, work with local organizations like nature museums, parks, preserves, conservancies, and farms. For example, the Woodstock Inn & Resort partners with the nearby Billings Farm & Museum, providing free admission to guests so they can roam through the apple orchard and heirloom garden and meet Jersey cows and draft horses. For your Explorers, offer curated adventures through the landscape by working with local companies that provide guided hiking, kayaking, sailing, horseback riding, or biking experiences.

Bring Nature into the Spa

Spa offerings can provide the ideal melding of wellness and nature, by integrating skincare products containing natural, local ingredients. For example, the Opal Spa at the Reefhouse Resort & Marina in Key Largo, Florida, brings the seaside setting into the treatment room via products made with mud, mineral water, algae, plant extracts, and essential oils. Connect with local artisan companies that focus on ingredients grown close to home, and highlight them in your spa offerings and promotion.

Foster the Experience of Connection

As the science shows, the benefits of nature come not just from being in it, but from paying attention to it. To support that, hotels and resorts can offer guided experiences that encourage guests to tune into their natural surroundings. This might take the form of yoga classes on the beach or in the rose garden, meditative hikes, or a beautifully printed map of the grounds or menu of outdoor activities. Consider constructing a hedge labyrinth guests can wander through, or designing magical outdoor seating areas in special spots, with string lights woven through branches or along fences covered with flowering vines.

Walk the Talk

If you’re marketing natural experiences as part of your offerings, be sure to practice what you preach by doing your part to protect the environment. Most people think carefully about where they’ll spend their vacation dollars, and as many as 81 percent of global travelers say that environmentally sustainable practices are important to them. Consider how your property can become more eco-friendly — by investing in green energy, reducing waste, increasing recycling and composting efforts, and limiting the use of plastics (for example, by providing reusable bottles and water sources, or using biodegradable to-go containers and utensils). Ultimately, it’s good for business because it makes your guests and the planet happier.

Need a hand marketing these nature-focused experiences to your guests? Contact our team of marketing strategists and hospitality experts.

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Generative AI and Google Search: Here’s What We Know So Far

in Content Marketing, Search Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

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ou’re finally starting to see real results from your SEO strategy. It’s solid, your rankings are climbing. You’re on trend to be in the top three results … and then Google changes the entire game.

You’ve probably noticed that Google’s search engine results page (SERP) looks a little different these days. Right at the top, there’s an AI-generated overview that sums up your query, along with links to its sources and other information. The results we’re used to — the sponsored and organic links — are pushed farther down the page.

This new technology is called Generative Search Experience (GSE) or, more recently, Google AI Overview. The goal is to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide search results based on more than just keywords and key phrases, and some businesses are concerned about how it will change the game for marketing.

How does Google AI Overview Work?

Google’s AI program works a lot like ChatGPT by searching the web, as well as its own databases, and compiling the information into one summary paragraph. The key difference between traditional search and AI is that through repeated interactions with a user, it learns to add context and intent to its answers — even if something wasn’t directly asked.

If someone had previously been searching for wedding dresses, for example, AI can use that data to infer that if the next search is “event venues” the user likely means wedding venues. If someone searches “lodging,” the AI bot sees their location and that they have kids based on previous search history and streamlines the search results to cater to those inferred needs.

This type of technology is still considered experimental and has yet to achieve the level of trust that users are accustomed to when they just return a regular search page. And unlike Google’s previous Knowledge Boxes, which just provided short snippets of information based on the regular search algorithm, AI Overview’s attempt at context sometimes produces nonsensical answers that leave readers scratching their heads.

Google AI Overview Challenges

Gartner predicts that AI may cause organic search volume to drop by as much as 25%, and you may already be seeing a dip in your numbers. A number of factors are at play here, including AI’s ability to answer questions quickly and succinctly. If someone gets the info they need, they may bounce without clicking any of the organic SEO links.

Another related challenge is digital real estate. Despite web pages having seemingly endless space, the section at the very top is the most valuable to marketers. This area is known as “above the fold” and much like its newspaper namesake, it’s the spot that’s guaranteed to be seen, even if a user doesn’t open the paper (or, in our case, scroll.) The new challenge will be getting your links to appear in that coveted spot, but just how that works is still a mystery as the feature continues to work out bugs.

Finally, because of AI’s tendency to hallucinate answers, some brands are worried that negative press or comments online could needlessly harm their reputation, or that the bot could incorporate biases into its answers that don’t reflect reality.

But where some people see challenges, we see opportunities to innovate and get ahead of the curve.

Opportunities for the Hospitality Industry

For hotels, resorts, DMOs, wedding venues, and other hospitality-related businesses, Google AI Overview presents a unique situation. Where a user might be satisfied with a quick-hit answer for simple questions, a short description about a resort property, for example, will only entice them to click through and learn more.

What this means for marketers is an increased emphasis on keeping content fresh and relevant so that it appears in that AI Overview paragraph. Here’s an example: If visitors to an area are interested in attending local activities, their search might include the words “this weekend” or “next week.” If they’re traveling a bit off traditional schedules, they might search for “late check-out.”

This is the perfect opportunity to include all of those things on your website and make them easily accessible to the search bots. Develop a section for current events, and make sure that your FAQ section is up-to-date, clear, and easy to access.

You’re also likely to see long-tail keywords added to your content strategy. These are phrases, and sometimes even full sentences, that users type into the query bar. For example, if a keyword phrase is “hotel near me,” the long-tail version of that might be something like “luxury hotel in {city} that’s under $300 a night and has free breakfast.” Optimizing your content around those more specific searches could increase your chances of showing up in AI Overview.

Finally, it will be essential to engage with your audience online and ask for engagement. User reviews, user-generated content, and social-media interactions will increase your visibility to not only your audience, but Google’s crawlers as well. This part of your strategy will come into play as the AI gets better at interpreting context and intent. It’s even possible that your online reviews may hold more weight than your SEO optimization, although that’s not yet certain.

In the meantime, use this opportunity to dig into your marketing toolkit and consider branching out into other channels, especially if your strategy is Google-heavy. Some underused tactics, like short-form video, are great ways to increase engagement and reach new audiences.

And finally, remember that Google AI Overview is in its infancy. It will be buggy, it will evolve, and it will probably make us scratch our heads once in a while. We understand that changes can be daunting, especially when it comes to understanding complex technology. But if you ask us, that’s the perfect opportunity to reevaluate your marketing strategy, find room for innovation, and even set standards for search moving forward.

Our SEO experts can help you craft a strategy that includes Google AI Overview and more. If you’d like to get started, let’s talk.

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Getting Inclusivity Right in Your Wedding Venue Marketing

in Brand Strategy, Event Venues by Jennifer Munro

Simply put, marketing solves a problem for consumers by connecting them with products and services. It sure sounds easy, but effective marketing isn’t a one-size-fits-all undertaking. Chances are, most people within your target audience have something unique about them that makes them different, whether it be related to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, or physical ability. Inclusive marketing today isn’t “outside the box;” rather, it reflects the world around us.

For wedding venues, focusing on a narrow demographic not only limits your messaging, but can also drive potential clients to competitors who are getting inclusivity right in their wedding venue marketing. In this blog post, we explore what inclusivity is, why it’s important, and the steps you can take to ensure your marketing message resonates with people from all backgrounds.

Respect: Don’t Assume Couples Want Traditional

Inclusivity is more than diversity. Inclusive marketing expands messaging in a way that enables underrepresented groups to fully experience and connect with your brand. As a wedding venue, you’re already adept at finding ways to make each wedding unique by personalizing it to the individual couple, so it’s really just a matter of expanding on that.

In 2015, the US Supreme Court struck down the ban on same-sex marriage, legalizing it in all 50 states. Because there wasn’t an established playbook, it gave gay and lesbian couples the opportunity to write their own rules and develop meaningful expressions of the wedding ritual rather than simply falling in line with expectations and traditions.

If you approach every wedding (and every couple) with an open mind, without assumptions based on previous experience, you will open the door to inclusivity, regardless of whether the couple fits neatly into an existing box.

Reimagine: Learn about the Couple & Let That Shape the Event

Think back to the first time you hosted a wedding for a blended family — that is, a couple who had children from a prior marriage, or stepparents (some of whom may not have been on the best of terms with one another). It probably required some creative problem-solving to make things work logistically for the couple, without alienating anyone in the process. No one knows the ins and outs of weddings like you do, and couples of all stripes are relying on you to anticipate any issues that might arise.

Many couples, for example, have eschewed the long-standing ceremony tradition of seating their families and friends on opposite sides of the aisle, opting instead for open seating. Similarly, the tradition of the couple seeing each other for the first time at the altar has largely been supplanted by a “first look” — an intimate moment shared between partners in a private setting that can help mitigate wedding jitters, allowing the couple to be more present at the ceremony.

Instead of trying to fit the couple into a set of predetermined roles and rules, take the time to find out more about them as people and let the event shape itself. It’s okay to ask questions! Find out what’s important to them, how they see their celebration unfolding, and what makes them different from other couples you may have served.

Represent: Walk the Talk in Your Offerings & Marketing

A New Perspective

Wedding preparation can take many forms. Challenge the assumption that brides want a space equipped with lighted mirrors and stylist’s chairs to spend the morning primping and preening while grooms smoke cigars, play video games, and drink beer. Gender-neutral accommodations for wedding preparation with similar amenities allow couples to choose the environment that makes sense for them.

Gender-Neutral Pronouns

As more and more consumers are abstaining from labels, it’s important to seek out gender-neutral pronouns to avoid alienating the very consumers you’re trying to attract to your venue. Don’t underestimate the importance of pronouns as tools for affirming gender identity. Using the plural (they) in place of the singular (he/her) across your marketing materials can clearly signal to potential couples that your venue is a welcoming and inclusive environment.

Inclusive Language

So much of “traditional” wedding terminology is highly gendered, from “Best Man” and “Maid of Honor” to using titles like “Mr. and Mrs” on all wedding stationery. Here’s a short list of terms and some acceptable alternatives you might consider incorporating into your media efforts. (Don’t forget to check the verbiage on your website contact form and any contracts that use exclusive language.)

Instead of bridal party…try wedding party

Instead of bridal suite…try dressing room, hospitality suite/lounge

Instead of bride and groom (singular)…try brides and grooms (plural)

Instead of husband/wife…try partner, spouse, beloved

Instead of bridesmaid/groomsman…try attendant

Instead of Best Man/Maid of Honor…try Person of Honor

Instead of Mr. and Mrs….use full names instead

Highlight Real Stories

One of the best ways to help potential couples envision their nuptials at your venue is through the visuals on your website, blog, and social media channels — so it’s crucial that these photos represent real people of varied backgrounds. When selecting the imagery you use in your marketing materials, ask yourself: Do these visuals represent couples of different ages, ethnicities, and body types? Are we regularly showcasing same-sex weddings and LGBTQIA+ ceremonies?

With 70% of Millennials and Gen Z more likely to support a brand dedicated to diversity and inclusion, the importance of highlighting your venue’s inclusive values cannot be overlooked. Don’t be overwhelmed by the idea that you need to include everyone in your marketing initiatives — instead, be mindful of excluding a particular group.

You may also consider the option of “holding space” in your marketing photography by highlighting your venue and its unique celebration spaces without an overt focus on people. This leaves room for interpretation among potential clients, making it easier for them to visualize what their own wedding might look like.

Use Commonalities to Unite

Fortunately, you needn’t look far to find a common thread among your existing and potential customers: They’re visiting your website or scrolling through your social media accounts because they’re getting married, and they’re considering your venue to host their celebration. Focus on the things that unite your clientele rather than what separates them: They’re simply two people committing their lives to one another before their community of family and friends.

Review: Step Back, Survey, and Assess Your Sincerity

In order to resonate with existing and prospective clients, an inclusivity initiative needs to emanate from the very core of your brand — it can’t be a gimmick or appear to be rooted in financial gain. Couples seeking inclusivity in their venue selection will be able to see right through any halfhearted attempts to elevate your social sensitivity score, so it has to be woven into your corporate DNA.

Start by taking a hard look at your wedding venue branding. You might even consider performing an inclusion audit to assess the messages your venue sends, surveying employees from different departments for fresh perspectives. You’ll not only reap the benefits of appealing to a wider audience, but you’ll attract and retain the best and brightest talent and experience higher employee engagement — all of which position your venue for continued success.

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Launched a New Site? Here’s How To Keep It Up and Running

in Search Marketing, Websites by Hawthorn Editorial

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fter months of planning and hard work, your slick, modern website is finally live for all the world to see. (Congratulations!) You may be thinking your work is done, and it’s time to sit back and watch the leads come in. However, launching a new site doesn’t mean your job is totally finished — it’s just reshaped itself a bit.

Once a website launches, the focus shifts from designing and building to monitoring, maintaining, and optimizing. You’ll need to assess how your SEO strategy is performing, whether your conversion rate is increasing, and where your site visitors are coming from. Here’s our list of the top things we watch out for when maintaining a client’s website, and why they’re important:

Website Traffic

Site traffic is one of the most common KPIs. Why? For starters, it serves as a barometer of your overall site performance (as well as your inbound marketing tactics.) Using Google Analytics for this tracking gives you access to a treasure trove of information, including not only the number of visitors, but also their demographics, general location, and online behavior. Having a solid understanding of this data can serve you well across the board, from identifying the most popular content to creating recommendation engines and marketing strategies that align with what your site visitors are drawn to most.

Conversions

These metrics are really what it all boils down to — enticing your site visitors to take action. To buy, to subscribe, to visit, to make an appointment. Your conversion metrics and goals are uniquely yours, and something that you should set when you first begin your website redesign process. Measuring those outcomes is a clear indicator of whether your efforts are positively impacting your business goals. If you aren’t seeing numbers you like, it’s an opportunity to try and figure out where the bottlenecks are, do some A/B testing, or work with an experienced marketing agency to further optimize your site.

Page Load Time

Think about your reaction when a web page takes “forever” to load (even if it’s really just a few seconds.) We expect our digital experience to be instantaneous, and a slow-to-load website can cause a ripple effect of issues, from higher bounce rates to lower search rankings. While our agency will optimize page load time as part of the initial website build, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on the overall speed of your site after launch to ensure everything is running efficiently. Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool can help identify pages that need optimization, as well as differences between browser and mobile vs. desktop, in order to ensure a seamless user experience.

Site Uptime

Even worse than slow-loading pages? Pages that won’t load at all. A site that’s down can be detrimental to your online presence, especially if you’re in the middle of running a marketing campaign that’s sending people to your landing page. Even if you’re working with a strong website agency, it’s essential to keep eyes on your site every day to make sure that it’s generally loading and working the way you want. You can also use a monitoring service, like Pingdom or Uptime, that will do that work for you and send you alerts if your site goes down.

Security

Cybersecurity threats are constantly present. And, if you’re gathering customer information like addresses and payment information, it’s imperative to keep it safe. To ensure a safe website — especially if you’re using a complicated site that’s built on WordPress — we recommend adding a security plugin (if you haven’t already) like Wordfence. These services can protect your new website from malware and monitor for any outdated software or weak spots in your infrastructure.

SEO Performance

This is probably the most hands-on element of post-launch maintenance, especially since the rules around SEO change regularly. Keeping a close eye on your SEO metrics will give you a good picture of what phrases your visitors are using to search and whether your strategy is effective. As your brand continues to grow and evolve, you’ll likely be adding additional content to your site — so ensuring that new copy is optimized for search engines is crucial. It’s also important to track, maintain and grow your site’s performance every month, which is why we recommend clients choose an ongoing SEO package.

User Feedback

It’s always important to remember that your website is designed for your ideal audience. People who have interacted with your site from a completely objective point of view can have valuable insights, so it’s a good idea to find out what they have to say. You can use surveys, feedback forms, or social media channels to gather the information, but the key is to look for repeated comments or trends (There will always be outliers.) Engaging with your audience in this manner also helps build trust and loyalty.

Our team of experts is dedicated to making sure that our clients’ sites remain well-oiled and focused on meeting business objectives. If you’d like help optimizing your website, let’s talk.

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Why You Should Steer Clear of These Black Hat SEO Tactics (and What to Do Instead)

in Content Marketing, Search Marketing, Websites by Hawthorn Editorial

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hat’s “black hat” SEO? Like the black hat signals in old Western movies, black hat SEO is the bad guy. These taboo tactics could take the form of stuffing your metadata with your competitor’s name, cloaking URLs to increase rankings, or buying links. In short: Black hat SEO refers to any underhanded or manipulative way of increasing a website’s search rankings.

Black hat SEO isn’t illegal, but it is unethical and widely frowned upon. Black hat tactics violate search engine guidelines and can result in penalties or even getting banned from search engine results altogether. In a world where organic and local search account for 69% of digital traffic, that outcome could wreck your business.

So, what are some of the most common black hat tactics out there? We’ll take a look at a few examples, along with our (good guy) tactics for raising your search engine rankings in a way that won’t get you canceled. Think of this blog as our version of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Black Hat SEO Tactics

Keyword Stuffing
This is an SEO technique that’s aptly named. It involves overloading a webpage with keywords or phrases to try to manipulate its ranking in search engine results. Keyword stuffing includes stuffing page titles or adding way too many target keywords or internal links into the content in an unnatural way. (If you’ve ever stumbled upon a stuffed webpage, you’ll know exactly how this looks and reads.) Keywords and phrases can also be stuffed into a site’s meta tags and alt tags, or even hidden in text throughout the site by coloring the font to match the background, making it invisible to the reader.

As the web crawler algorithms have advanced, they can easily spot and penalize this behavior. And that’s a good thing, because a keyword-stuffed webpage is awkward at best, and unreadable at worst.

Improper Backlink Acquisition
Your website gets a backlink when another site links over (back) to you. They’re an essential part of a strong SEO strategy because Google sees them as evidence of your website’s authority and trustworthiness within your industry. Think of backlinks like word-of-mouth recommendations.

Because they’re so important, some websites resort to improper methods of acquiring them. Some of these black hat tactics include buying backlinks, trading backlinks with other sites solely for the purpose of search engine rankings, submitting your site to low-quality directories, or comment spamming. Like keyword stuffing, these practices violate search engine guidelines.

Cloaking
This is a deceptive technique in which websites serve up different content based on the user. For crawlers, the site may present content beautifully optimized with keywords and links that increase search engine rankings. When regular users click on the site, however, they may see entirely different content that has nothing to do with the topic of their search.

This practice also violates search engine guidelines and is considered highly deceptive, but search engines constantly update their algorithms to detect and penalize websites that do this. Sites found to be cloaking can face severe consequences, including being taken off search engine results pages completely.

Hidden Text
A variation on keyword stuffing, hidden text occurs when a long list of keywords is written on the page but is rendered invisible to the reader. Hidden text can be a font color that matches the background, positioned off-screen or behind an image, or use a zero-point font size.

Some sites also use CSS or Java programming languages to hide text on the front end. Much like the back-end techniques, web crawlers are usually a step ahead and will ultimately block those pages.

What To Do Instead

The answer is simple: Do the work. Create an amazing website that you have no reason to hide. Research and get to know your target audience, be creative and smart with your strategy, and build a reputable online presence that people want to interact with.

Instead of trying to game the system, focus on creating high-quality, relevant content that incorporates keywords using natural language and in a way that provides value to users. Instead of tricking your visitors with cloaked websites, make sure your content and metadata are search engine-optimized.

Thinking about buying backlinks? Skip that unethical practice and instead, cultivate relationships with peers in your industry that will make them want to link to your site. It all comes back to taking the high road — and the rewards are worth your investment of time and effort.

The Hawthorn Creative Approach to SEO

We work with clients to create powerful strategies that combine SEO and SEM (search engine marketing) while keeping a constant eye on the ever-evolving criteria that guide the world of online search. Our SEO experts continually assess and adjust our clients’ strategies and build websites that are search engine-optimized from the start to ensure that they launch from a strong position.

If you’d like us to help you create a “white hat” SEO strategy that works, let’s talk.

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Why Hospitality Brands Should Use Short-Form Video for Social Media Marketing

in Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

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ou’ve likely heard over and over that one of the best ways to showcase your property is through high-quality video on your social media accounts. This is absolutely true, but creating successful video campaigns goes far deeper than just producing and publishing quick-hit videos.

On almost every social media platform, short-form videos have emerged as a potent tool for capturing attention and driving engagement. In fact, 82% of people say they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service based on a brand video they saw on a social channel.

But between the idea for a video and the final analytics, there’s a mountain to climb: developing smart, effective strategies for not only creating the right stories for video, but producing and promoting them well. That’s what we’re going to take a look at today: How to be pioneers of a tactic that will make you stand apart from the crowd.

What Short-Form Video Can Do for Social Media Marketing

Slow the Scroll
The ideal length of a short-form video varies by social channel, but video should always captivate the attention of its viewers within seconds regardless of where it plays. (And with an ever-dwindling attention span for online viewers, that’s an essential skill.) The most effective scroll-stopping videos have a creative, engaging, and relatable hook that causes perpetual scrollers to stop, take notice, and share.

Increase Engagement
Social media was designed for sharing, and videos are a reliable way to generate more likes, comments, and shares compared to static images or simple text-based content — especially now that Facebook and Instagram Reels have grown in popularity, along with YouTube shorts. Social media algorithms also favor video content, giving it higher visibility in users’ feeds. And perhaps most importantly for conversion, short-form videos that speak to timely issues, such as special offers or holiday events, foster a sense of immediacy and prompt viewers to take action.

Enhance Brand Storytelling
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a thousand pictures. Hotels and resorts can use short-form videos to tell compelling stories about their properties by showcasing the unique experiences, amenities, and ambiance they offer much more than any single photograph. Whether it’s a breathtaking sunset view from a luxury suite or a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the hotel’s award-winning restaurant kitchen, videos evoke emotions, create lasting impressions, and help guests picture themselves at the property.

Provide Mobile-Friendly Content
It’s been interesting to watch vertical video go from an unacceptable format in a horizontal-only world to not only acceptable, but preferable with the advent of social media and users accessing videos on their mobile devices. Mobile-friendly content ensures seamless viewing experiences, allowing hotels and resorts to reach their target audience wherever they are, whether it’s during their daily commute or leisure time. And filming vertically means the shot is framed correctly from the beginning, without the need for cropping.

How to Make Your Video Stand Out

While any hotel or resort can make videos, it’s more difficult than you might think to tell strategic, smart, and creative stories that communicate a vibe or an idea effectively, without relying on a templated approach or formula. To elevate your short-term videos into a class of their own, here are some tips and tricks:

Know Your Audience
We can’t emphasize enough the importance of creating buyer personas and journeys to serve as the foundation for all of your marketing strategies. A thorough understanding of your target audience’s preferences, interests, and pain points is essential for creating compelling video content. Tailor your videos to resonate with your audience’s desires, such as family-friendly activities, highlighting luxury amenities, or promoting wellness retreats.

Keep it Concise
Short-form videos thrive on brevity and clarity. Keep your storytelling concise, focusing on the most captivating aspects of your property or offerings early and up front — in other words, don’t bury the lede. Instead, aim to convey your message within the first few seconds to grab viewers’ attention and encourage them to watch until the end.

Keep It Real
Gone are the days of hard-sell, straightforward advertising. If you want to engage with your audience on social media, your content must be authentic. In fact, 56% of consumers say a brand should be more relatable on social media, and 34% say that too much self-promotion is a straight turn-off. Instead, they want to be entertained, made to feel at ease, and swept away from everyday stress.

Showcase Unique Selling Points
What makes your hotel or resort different from all the others? Identify your unique selling points and emphasize them in your videos. Whether it’s panoramic ocean views, personalized concierge services, or eco-friendly initiatives, highlight what sets your property apart from the competition. (Even if you’re a business-focused hotel that’s part of a larger organization, you still have a uniqueness about you. Maybe it’s the people who work on your staff — what are their stories?)

Incorporate Visual Storytelling
Utilize visual storytelling techniques to create engaging narratives that resonate with viewers emotionally. Show real guests enjoying memorable experiences, stunning vistas, or delicious cuisine, allowing potential guests to envision themselves at your property. (Be sure to get media releases for anyone you film who’s not a paid actor.)

iPhone taking video of building in front of a mountain landscape

Short-Form Video Topic Ideas

Here are a few idea starters to get you thinking about ways that you could showcase your property (You’ll find many more in our blog post about using video content to attract guests.) Remember these are just the sparks of ideas — be sure to put your own spin on what makes your property one of a kind. (Pro tip: Watch videos made by your competitors, and break those molds. Find your own bespoke ways to tell your property’s story!)

Showcase Your Tech
Short-form videos provide an excellent platform for hotels and resorts to show guests what it’s like to stay at the property. And because tech is one of the hottest rising trends in hospitality, it’s the perfect way to show off yours. Create short videos demonstrating your in-room tech in action, like automatic blinds, smart-assistant-controlled heating and air, or keyless entry.

Share Guest Experiences
Hotels and resorts can capitalize on the growing trend of authenticity by showcasing real guest experiences and testimonials. This is a little bit different from paid influencer campaigns: Featuring satisfied guests enjoying their stay, participating in activities, or praising the exceptional service can go a long way toward building credibility and trust with potential guests. User-generated content can also be incorporated into videos, showcasing authentic moments captured by guests themselves.

Promote Special Offers and Packages
Have a holiday deal coming up, or offering a special package that includes tickets to an arena concert coming to your area? Short-form videos are an effective way to promote special offers, packages, and deals — especially since the marketing can be targeted to specific audiences. Ideas here can also include ephemeral topics like seasonal promotions or limited-time offers, or tailored packages for special occasions like weddings, honeymoons, or business outings.

Highlight Local Attractions and Activities
Beyond the property itself, hotels and resorts can use short-form videos to highlight nearby attractions, activities, and experiences. From exploring pristine beaches to embarking on adventurous excursions, or discovering cultural landmarks, videos can showcase the destination’s allure and position the property as an ideal base for exploration and relaxation.

Celebrating Milestones and Anniversaries
The fleeting, timely nature of social media is perfect for short-form videos that highlight significant milestones and anniversaries, like your grand opening, a decade of operation, recognition of awards and accolades, or work-iversaries of some of your stellar employees. Create quick, impactful messages that incorporate your brand story, but don’t reflect the moment.

A Word on Video Production Pricing

It’s tempting to use the 4K cameras that many of us carry around in our pockets to film social media videos, and while that may work well for your personal pages, we can’t stress enough the importance of investing in professionally filmed and edited videos for your brand accounts. This is especially true if you’re a luxury brand, because a DIY social media video isn’t likely to either reflect your exclusive brand identity or appeal to high-end customers.

That said, here are some things to consider when budgeting for video shoots:

  • Pre-production: Concept development, scriptwriting, location scouting, and talent sourcing.
  • Production: Filming with professional equipment, crew, and on-site logistics.
  • Post-production: Editing, sound design, color grading, and adding music or voiceovers.
  • Distribution: Optimizing videos for various social media platforms and implementing targeted ad campaigns for maximum reach and engagement.

Ultimately, the cost of video production comes down to the production quality, location, duration, and any additional services required. While it may be a hefty up-front price tag, the returns in terms of increased brand awareness, engagement, and bookings can be worth that initial investment.

As a full-service agency, Hawthorn Creative provides high-end video production services and more. If you’d like to sit down with us to discuss ideas, let’s talk.

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How To Choose the Right Website CMS for Your Company

in Content Marketing, Websites by Hawthorn Editorial

Y

our website may have a best-in-class public-facing design, but it won’t work correctly without a little magic behind the curtain. A content management system (CMS) is the tool that allows you to change and add content, move things around, and make technical adjustments from the back end of your website – in other words, it empowers you to modify and adjust your website’s content as necessary for your brand.

If you start Googling, you’ll quickly see that there are endless CMS choices out there. How do you narrow the field and pick the right system for your site? We’re going to discuss three of the most popular options: WordPress, Squarespace, and Webflow. All three have the same end goal — to provide users with an intuitive, problem-free website experience on both the front and back ends.

So, which CMS is right for your business? We’ll break it down to help you make the right decision.

Information Gathering

Before you decide which CMS to use, there are quite a few things to consider. Some of the starter questions are below, and if you’d like to dig even deeper, we put together a guide for writing a website design RFP that goes into more detail. (You can find it here.)

  • What is your budget for the website build? For ongoing maintenance?
  • What does your business do and how does your website fit into your processes for running your business?
  • Do you plan to expand your business in a significant way in the future? Will your website need to scale with this growth?
  • Who will be editing your site? How much experience do they have and what is their skill level?
  • What third-party tools are you using for marketing? (Hubspot, Salesforce, etc.)
  • Will you need booking or marketing integrations?
  • How hands-on do you want to be once your site launches?

If your site will include e-commerce, here are a few more questions to consider:

  • What are your product offerings?
  • How many products do you have?
  • What is the level of complexity with your products? (Add-ons, variations, customizations, etc.)
  • Do you have a fulfillment process in place? (Will your site builder integrate with that service?)

This isn’t a comprehensive list of questions, but it will get your gears turning in the right direction. Site needs can be extremely unique, especially if your business follows industry regulations like retail, restaurants, or alcohol sales.

With all those answers on hand, here are some of the pros and cons of each CMS:

WordPress

More than 43% of websites use WordPress as their CMS, making it by far the most used system available right now. Although it started as a simple blogging platform, its open-source nature has helped it grow into a tool that can allow users to create any type of site they want. That level of freedom and flexibility requires more developer knowledge than some of the other platforms out there.

Pros

  • It’s completely customizable, with underlying code that’s accessible and editable.
  • There’s a library of almost 100,000 plug-ins available from WordPress and third-party marketplaces (add-ons like e-commerce, SEO, security, and so on).
  • Pre-designed themes are available (some free, some paid).
  • It’s free to use without a monthly plan.
  • Have questions? There’s a large developer and support community online to help.
  • Integrations are available with APIs, payment portals, booking software, Shopify, and marketing CRMs like Hubspot.
  • You’ll have the ability to grow and scale your website (however, you may need to upgrade your hosting platform if your site grows in page count).

Cons

  • The Gutenberg editor is a form of a drag-and-drop editor, but if you’re planning to make any site updates on your own, WordPress isn’t intuitive out of the box.
  • Customization requires a basic knowledge of coding language.
  • Frequent security updates are required.
  • Not all plug-ins are created equal, and some can cause SEO and/or functionality issues.
  • Highly complex sites with many images, plug-ins, etc. can cause lag time.

Pricing

While the WordPress software is free to use, its functionality is limited. To customize your site, you need to add plug-ins, which range from free to monthly subscriptions of $50 or more. Additionally, WordPress is a third-party hosted site, which means you’ll need to pay for your domain name and hosting separately.

That said, this is purely the cost of hosting the WordPress site. Factors like choosing paid themes, customization, development, and back-end maintenance are all at additional costs, which means WordPress could get quite expensive depending on your needs.

The Bottom Line

  • Choose WordPress if your site is either already complex or may grow in the future, if you need integrations for booking or marketing (or something else), or if you want complete control over website design and customization options.
  • Don’t choose WordPress if you only need a simple site without the potential for scale.
  • Don’t choose WordPress until you’ve partnered with an experienced, smart agency team who can not only help with the design and initial build, but maintenance and back-end upkeep as well.

Squarespace

Squarespace is a closed-source program, which means that others can’t contribute to it. It’s also fully hosted, which means that your domain name, hosting, and site build take place within the Squarespace universe. There’s no software to install and it’s extremely intuitive to use, but that convenience and ease of use comes with limitations.

Pros

  • The drag-and-drop interface makes design easy.
  • Sites can launch live quickly.
  • It’s perfect for the basics, like call-to-action landing pages.
  • Mobile responsiveness is automatic.
  • There’s a library of gorgeous, modern templates.
  • Everything is integrated, so no plug-ins are required.
  • SEO is integrated, but only with basic features.
  • No coding experience is required; there’s no access to the Squarespace back-end.

Cons

  • No access to the back end of the site means that the options for customizing templates or fixing certain issues are limited.
  • The hosting plan can get expensive if you’re paying for features you don’t use.
  • It’s possible to outgrow the builder, and Squarespace sites only work within the platform.
  • Integrations would require some coding knowledge or a third-party service. Not all integrations can work with Squarespace, and results are not guaranteed.

Pricing

Squarespace pricing ranges from $16 per month for personal use to $52 per month for the advanced commerce plan, and more for enterprise plans. Every monthly plan starts with a 14-day free trial. As with WordPress, this does not include design, development, and ongoing maintenance. Your partner agency will typically provide custom quotes for this aspect of the work.

The Bottom Line

  • Choose Squarespace if you want a simple solution that lets you set it and forget it (unless you need to go in and make small content updates).
  • Don’t choose Squarespace if you expect your website to grow, if you have a large or complex site with multiple integrations, or if you want a customized design.

Webflow

Webflow combines all of the best elements of Squarespace and WordPress into one – an intuitive, drag-and-drop interface that allows complete customization. Because Webflow tackles design and development in one process, you can change things up as you go. That said, the level of freedom that comes with Webflow also means there’s a steep learning curve.

Pros

  • There’s a real-time, drag-and-drop visual builder (which can cut development time and cost).
  • You’ll have the ability to add (limited) customization.
  • Pre-designed templates and themes are available.
  • It allows for team collaboration when building, which can cut development time.
  • There are automatic responsive designs.
  • Animations can be integrated without having to know coding.
  • E-commerce is built in (with the paid commerce plan).
  • SEO is integrated, but only with basic features.
  • No plugins or code are required, but basic knowledge of HTML and CSS is helpful.

Cons

  • You need to invest the time and effort to learn how to use it.
  • You’re unable to customize at the code level.
  • There’s no mobile app for quick changes – it only works on desktop.
  • Pricing plans can be confusing and expensive.
  • Customer support is limited to email only.
  • Integrations are limited and require knowledge of code.
  • Like Squarespace, websites built on Webflow are hosted on the platform’s servers and can’t be migrated to another system.

Pricing

Webflow splits its pricing between general and e-commerce plans. General plans for simple sites are free but slim, with only two pages through $39 a month for business plans up to 150 pages. E-commerce packages start at $29 a month and range up to $212 a month for websites at scale. Beyond that, design and development costs will depend on the complexity of your site and your individual business needs.

The Bottom Line

  • Choose Webflow if you want to be able to design your site in real time, require limited customization, have a website that’s large but not necessarily complex, and need something budget-friendlier.
  • Don’t choose Webflow if you need a simpler site or if you prefer to work out of a template and don’t need customization.

The more you understand your goals, your brand story, and your functionality needs, the easier it will be to choose the right platform. And if you’d like some expert guidance, we’re only a few clicks away. At Hawthorn Creative, our experienced team of website builders has crafted custom, best-in-class sites for businesses of all sizes across the hospitality industry. If you’d like us to take the lead on your project, let’s talk.

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Hawthorn Highlight: Meier Lake Increases Site Traffic by 60%

in Content Marketing, General Marketing Insights, Hotels & Resorts, Marketing Topics, Search Marketing, Websites by Hawthorn Editorial

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eier Lake Resort, a stunning retreat in Hatcher Pass, Alaska, is truly secluded — not just because of its remote location near the top of the world, but also thanks to its quaint accommodations totaling only 12 rooms. A completely restored summer camp surrounded by 120 acres of untouched Alaskan wilderness, it’s the perfect home base for leisure travelers and professional groups alike.

The Goal

Increase seasonal bookings and general awareness of the resort as a destination for wellness outings, corporate meetings, and gatherings.

The Challenge

Low SEO rankings for critical keywords hindered the resort’s awareness online.

The Strategy

In order to get to the bottom of why their current SEO strategy wasn’t working, we performed a site audit to determine where additional keywords and key phrases could be incorporated, both on the public-facing pages and the back-end site hosting platform.

Based on those results, we crafted a robust strategy:

  • Updated the website with a focus on font size and navigation.
  • Created a clearer path to their contact form.
  • Introduced a new CRM that included the additional touchpoint of SMS messaging.
  • Created a strong backlink profile to target the core keywords.
  • Created a strong Google My Business page to push keywords.
  • Updated navigation links to create an order that was easier to use.
  • Optimized the site SEO by creating a new keyword list; and added new keywords in titles and meta information.

SEO Results

  • Meier Lake’s website has gone from no search result ranking to the top two pages for the keywords “Resort AK,” “Alaska resorts,” and “Resort in Alaska.”
  • Those keywords all have a difficulty score near or above 40. (Keyword difficulty is a measure of how challenging it is to rank for a certain keyword, on a scale of 0 to 100.)

Overall Results

  • User growth has increased 28% for organic traffic and more than 60% overall.
  • Site visits grew 55% from Q4 2022 to Q4 2023.
  • Form submissions increased 48% during the same time period.

Feeling inspired to elevate your digital marketing strategy? Reach out to Hawthorn Creative’s team of SEO experts.

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Demystifying the Website Redesign Process: Here’s What You Can Expect

in Content Marketing, Websites by Hawthorn Editorial

Y

ou’ve partnered with the perfect website design partner and it’s time to hit the ground running on your new site build. It’s an exciting time, but it’s also challenging to ensure that your site looks beautiful, meets your goals, and is functional across multiple platforms.

At Hawthorn Creative, we work to make our clients’ lives during this time as easy as possible, and that starts with asking questions, gathering information, and setting expectations for every step of the process.

We also assign every web project a dedicated account manager and project manager, because experience has taught us that if our clients are fully prepared and guided throughout the process, it can ease fears, relax tensions, and eliminate some of the trepidation that comes with such a large project.

Along the way, you can expect revisions — it’s a normal part of any website development process. An experienced agency like Hawthorn, however, can anticipate where those are most likely to occur and make tweaks along the way to ensure a smooth process. Here’s a peek at how we build a strong foundation for website redesign projects:

First, the Project Scope

Like any solid strategy, the first step is homework, research, and information gathering. It’s where all of the expectations are set (with a nod to potential flexibility) and puts both the client and project team on the same page at the same time. Here’s what we discuss as part of the project scope:

Client Responsibilities
You’ll be asked to provide all of your assets to your designers, including photos, logos, and any other relevant brand documents or files, as well as logins and passwords to your current site. If you’d like any integrations or enhancements, like e-commerce or a new blog, now is the time to define these in detail. (Don’t worry, you’ll be guided through each of these steps by way of a thorough onboarding questionnaire.)

Revisions, if required, are our opportunity to work together to improve the site during the design phase, but the number of rounds baked into your overall project price will depend on your individual agreement and needs. (We typically include two rounds for each of the various stages, like wireframes, the homepage, and interior templates.) We put this under client responsibilities because it will be your job to provide feedback in a timely manner in order to stick to the established timeline.

Agency Responsibilities
As your agency partner, we’re responsible for defining how many pages (within a range) you anticipate building, as well as who on our project team will lead each part of the process: writers and editors, photo researchers, asset managers, UX designers, developers, and more.

We also guide clients through discussions around goals for the site, the capabilities it needs, future expansion goals, and how much of the maintenance they do (or don’t) want to do after the site is live.

Once we have all of this information, we build a sample sitemap to help determine the range of page count, and that’s what we use to give you a price quote. The project is still in the proposal phase at this point, and the final SOW happens after the kickoff call.

Kickoff Call
This is an important part of the process, and everyone who attends should come prepared with questions pertaining to their roles. From the agency side, kickoff calls may include copywriters, designers, developers, QA team members, project managers, and anyone else who may be involved at some point during the project.

A good kickoff call will align everyone to your goals, answer outstanding client questions, and clarify any additional information the creative team needs to get started.

Project Scope, Management, and Timelines
Once we fully understand your goals, we’re able to create a project scope. This is a robust document that details all of the project phases, including hours estimates for both production and administrative work (think: client calls and project management), timelines, an expected launch date, scheduled checkpoints, and expectations for what happens if the project goes over hours or budget.

Copy, Design, and Build Phase

Design and UX
This is one of the most exciting phases of developing your site, because you start to see it come to life on the page. The first design you’ll see is a wireframe, which is a basic outline of how your various pages will look and how the content will flow. It’s nothing fancy, but it allows you to focus on user experience and the structure of your site without worrying about the actual words and pictures just yet.

At the same time, we work together to finalize the site navigation and a full sitemap. Both of these steps are crucial to the rest of the project, because they set the foundation both for the best user experience and a framework that will lead to conversions.

Once the wireframes and sitemap are approved, we craft messaging and website copy that’s tailored to fit the space. We provide a number of options regarding copy — we can provide you with SEO keywords and you can write, we can refresh your existing copy, or we can start from scratch and create all-new content for you. Once a draft is complete, the copy is reviewed in a Word document before it’s flowed into the website — this is the stage for making any major revisions.

During this phase, we’ll also review your current Google Analytics and optimize your site (and any new copy) according to critical search keywords.

Once the wireframe is approved, you’ll get the first peek at your designed homepage, where you’ll be able to see many of the design elements for your site as well as some basic functionality (what happens when you hover your mouse over a link, for example.) We focus on the homepage first — not only is the homepage the first thing visitors see, but it also sets the color, fonts, design elements, and messaging tone that guide how we design the remaining interior pages. Typically, we use the look and feel of the homepage to create templates for interior pages, although the interior page content sometimes requires custom design.

Development, QA, and Launch
This is the stage where web developers take design concepts and bring them to life online (they take the designed CTA buttons and make them actually click to their locations, for example). Usually, you’ll review changes on what’s called a staging or beta site — one that you can see with a password but isn’t viewable to the general public.

The final stage before launch is quality assurance. That’s where we test your website on a number of different desktop and mobile browsers, note any issues, and send them back to the developers to fix. QA targets errors like broken links, typos, issues with mobile responsiveness, and other technical problems. They’re considered the final gatekeepers before the site goes live. (In some cases, the QA team also checks the site once it’s live for any errors that happened during launch.) The client isn’t usually involved in this process; our goal is to present you with a final, working, live site.

Post-Launch Support

That said, you will have time to review the site live and make any last-minute changes or call out any errors. From there (and depending on your SOW), our development team can offer support in a number of ways: they can provide a custom training guide to your team so that you can make any updates to your site on your own, manage plugins and monthly updates on the back end to ensure that your site continues to function properly and securely, regroup with you once a year for the chance to edit your copy and design, or be on-call for any live issues that need to be resolved quickly.

To see some of the work we’ve done, check out our portfolio. If you’d like to work with our creative and experienced development team, let’s talk.

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Need a New Site? Here’s What to Include in Your RFP

in Content Marketing, Destination Marketing Organizations, Websites by Hawthorn Editorial

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edesigning and relaunching a new website is no easy feat. While it’s stunning, engaging, and attention-grabbing once it goes live, the preparation and work that goes on behind the scenes can take months of hard work between many collaborating teams.

As with many other marketing tactics, achieving success starts with doing your homework upfront: knowing the audience, business objectives, and brand story. And the best way to do that is to ask a lot of questions. (And we mean a lot.)

When a client comes to us for a website design, we help them think through every aspect of their project, so that when we begin the creation process we’re already on the same page. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at some of the questions we ask, so that you can be sure to include the answers in your brief:

Goals and Objectives

Just like any other marketing strategy, your website strategy should start with the end. When we’re clear on your business objectives, it’s easier to stay focused while working back from the desired endpoint. Here are some questions to consider:

  • What are your business goals?
  • Are you currently achieving them? If not, why?
  • What’s working about your business? What’s not working?
  • What are your biggest marketing challenges?
  • Who is your current audience? Is your ideal customer someone different?
  • Who are your top competitors? How are you different?
  • What tactics are currently a part of your marketing strategy?
  • What is your budget?
  • What’s the timeline?

It can also be helpful to conduct a SWOT analysis on your company and see if you can find links between any of the four categories and your current site. (If something is working well because of your site, you’ll want to be sure to carry that aspect over to your new one.)

Website Questions

Now that you’ve refreshed your memory on the main business objectives for your organization in general, it’s time to delve into how your website can help you achieve those. And while your answers may be slightly different here, remember that everything should ladder up to the overarching goals.

To start to outline what you want for your site, begin with functionality:

  • What’s the main objective for your new site? (What is the main action you want someone to take on your new website?)
  • When was the last time you conducted a technical audit?
  • Does your current site have eCommerce? Will your new site?
  • Does your site need to be ADA-compliant?
  • How many pages (approximately) is your current site? Will you plan to add or eliminate pages for your new site?
  • What do you like/dislike about your current site?
  • Provide examples of websites you love, and explain why. The more specific you are about what you like and don’t like about your examples, the better.
  • Is CRM integration required? If yes, how would you like your CRM and your website to interact with each other?
  • What are your technical functionality requirements? (These can include integrations with booking platforms, a blog, event calendar, newsletter signup, social feeds, and more.)
  • Do you currently have/use Google Analytics?
  • Are you able to give your design agency administrator access to your current site?
  • Do you want training and the ability to add content or elements yourself? If not, do you plan to work with an agency for maintenance post-launch?

From there, it’s time to zoom out a bit more:

  • Is your current website a good representation of your business? Why or why not?
  • Is there content that’s missing from your current site? Or content that needs to be removed?
  • How was your current brand positioning developed?
  • Would most people in your company be able to give a concise, consistent elevator pitch for what your company offers and to whom?

And finally, it’s important to have an overall picture of the rest of your marketing strategy:

  • Social media (paid and organic)
  • SEO
  • SEM
  • Email
  • Content Marketing

If you’re thinking that this is a lot of information that’s going to take considerable time to gather, you’re correct. It’s important for a number of reasons, though. First, if you’re planning to search for an agency partner, a generic RFP can lead to proposals that are inaccurate across the board, from resources to budget estimations to timelines. Second, an agency that doesn’t take the time to understand your website to this level may not be your best choice.

At Hawthorn Creative, we guide clients step by step through the entire website redesign process, from helping them understand why a website is an important investment through ongoing analytics services. If you’re ready to develop your ideal website, contact us and let’s get started.

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Your Guide to UGC Rights Management

in Content Marketing, Destination Marketing Organizations, Social Media Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

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or some brides, the wedding photos and videos are as important as the wedding itself. They’re ready and willing to share the images everywhere, even telling their venue that it’s fine to use the content on their website. It sounds simple, but if the bride had a professional photographer take the pictures, it may surprise you to learn that she doesn’t own the copyright – the photographer does. While she has permission to use the photos for her own personal use, publishing them on a commercial site, like a wedding venue, requires written permission from the person who took them.

Wedding photos are just one example of user-generated content (UGC). When used properly, incorporating UGC into your marketing can be hugely successful. The right hashtags and great submissions can elevate your brand with both current and new audiences, but working with UGC comes with extra requirements that other marketing tactics don’t. Namely, legal rights and permissions. And where you think things may be straightforward, they’re likely not. That’s why we’ve put together a guide for the different types of UGC and what you need to do to ensure you’re using the content legally.

First, What Defines User-Generated Content?

UGC is exactly what the name implies: content that’s about your business, but not created by your business. Customers, followers, users, fans, influencers, and anyone else can create UGC, whether it’s on their own whim or requested by you.

Some popular examples of UGC in the hospitality industry include guest vacation photos and videos, property walk-throughs, Insta-worthy food snapshots from the on-site restaurant, and wedding or other event photos.

UGC is popular among social media users, with 93 percent of customers saying it’s very helpful when making a purchase decision. That’s a significant number. Even more remarkable, more than one-third of Gen Zers believe that within a few years, UGC will have more credibility than brand-generated content.

That’s not a trend you can ignore.

In this post, we’ll take a look at the basics of UGC rights management, including what you as a business can and cannot do with submitted content. For more information, we’ve included links that dive deeper into each concept.

What Are UGC Rights?

If an individual user posts about your property on their personal social media pages – even if they tag you – it’s clear that the content still belongs to them. But if you love the photo, is it okay to use it in a marketing campaign? If you solicit content using a hashtag that you created, does that content now belong to you? The user rights about UGC can be complicated, but understanding the legal landscape of permissions is essential to keeping yourself out of a legal quandary. (Just ask Volvo.)

To start off, any content developed by anyone (including your brand) is called intellectual property and includes copyright, trademark, and other IP laws. The guidelines are more strict for businesses – you can’t use a Beatles song in a campaign without legal permissions, for example – but the law says that if an individual user creates original content, they hold the copyright unless they’ve transferred those rights to someone else. If you’re going through UGC that features your brand, assume that everything you see, including images and sounds, is under copyright protection.

UGC Rights Management

Even if you haven’t used user-generated content in your campaigns before, your brand should have clear policies and procedures in place for managing UGC rights. This includes obtaining permission to use content, monitoring and moderating user submissions, and responding to requests for content removal or modification. The key is to ensure that all UGC complies with your content guidelines and legal requirements. This may include removing or editing content that violates copyright or trademark laws, contains offensive or inappropriate material, or otherwise poses legal risks to the brand.

Consent

Stock photography sites like Adobe Stock and Shutterstock feature images taken by individual artists, but they make rights management easy by offering upfront licensing packages with permissions already built in. When it comes to individual users online, however, the process can be a bit more complicated.

If you find content you love that highlights your brand and would fit perfectly into your upcoming campaign, the first imperative step is to track down the original owner of the content and seek their consent to use it. At Hawthorn, we see the biggest challenge in this arena with user reviews. Often, brands will want to highlight five-star reviews, but even if the reviews are listed publicly on their website, it doesn’t mean they have permission to reuse them.

If you’re able to find the original user (which can be a difficult task if an image has been shared and reshared), draw up a form that outlines how you intend to use the content, including where and for how long it will be used, and work with the owner to obtain clear and explicit permission. For company-initiated requests for UGC, the legal terms and guidelines can be laid out in service agreements that users must agree to before being able to submit.

For content you find online, use written, direct communication with the owner.

Attribution

Once permission is attained, it’s still essential to give proper attribution to the creators of any UGC you use. This can include the user’s name, username or social media handle, and when possible, providing a link to the original source of content. (Determining attribution should also be outlined in the initial agreement you set up with the owner.)

If you’re interested in seeing user permissions in action, the images found on Creative Commons all come with instructions on how they can be used and how they must be attributed. Other stock sites also list attribution requirements. A good rule of thumb is to assume that all content needs attribution, so always check the fine print to see how it needs to look from a legal standpoint.

Endorsements and Disclosures

If you share UGC that shares endorsements or testimonials (like the user reviews we mentioned earlier), you need to make sure that you not only have permission, but that the content complies with any applicable advertising regulations. This can include things like disclosing any material connections between the brand and users, such as sponsored or influencer content. The endorsements must also be truthful and not misleading.

Endorsements get even more complicated if you’re going to use the content on a social media platform, many of which have their own disclosure requirements for sponsored content and paid partnerships. And, if your company is international, those laws may be different as well.

Privacy Rights

Although express consent covers many privacy rights, it’s still important to ensure that a user’s personal information is protected if they want it to be. For international content, privacy rights also include complying with relevant data protection laws, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union.

Privacy can be especially complicated if people other than the creator are included in their videos. In those cases, consent must be obtained from every person whose face is identifiable. And perhaps the most complex situation is if you decide to broadcast live on a social channel while patrons are visiting the establishment. Often, venues cover this legality with general notices posted around the property that people may be filmed. If the environment is controlled, it’s possible to gain consent before the livestream begins.

Finally, remember that a participant can withdraw their consent at any time.

Content Moderation

If you’ve ever had a post or comment removed from a social media platform for “violating community guidelines,” you understand how content moderation works. While it can be automated or manual (like Facebook group moderators, for example), it’s important to create a process for moderating any UGC to make sure it complies with your content guidelines and legal requirements. This may include removing or editing content that violates copyright or trademark laws, contains offensive or inappropriate material, violates the terms and usage of the hosting platform, or otherwise poses a legal risk to your brand.

A Word About Fair Use

In the U.S., fair use means that brief snippets of copyrighted material may be used under some circumstances without obtaining the owner’s permission. Typically, however, fair use applies to criticism, news reporting, teaching and research, and individual use. Commercial use (such as for a business marketing campaign) does not fall under this doctrine.

If navigating the legalities of UGC feels intimidating, working with an experienced brand agency can help. Our full-time staff of experts will be your partners in ensuring that everything in your marketing campaigns follows legal guidelines.

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The Creative Process: Feedback Dos and Don’ts

in General Marketing Insights by Hawthorn Editorial

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hen marketing clients and their creative teams are in sync, it’s pure magic. The copy sings, the design is showstopping, and the KPIs are beyond expectations. When they aren’t, however, miscommunications can lead to project delays. Over the years working with clients here at Hawthorn, we’ve learned that there’s one thing that can send a project in either direction: feedback.

If the goal is a beneficial, collaborative relationship that results in the best possible outcomes, it’s important to learn how to navigate this essential part of the process with care. With that in mind, we put together some of our most common dos and don’ts for giving creative feedback.

Dos and Don’ts for Providing Creative Feedback

DO clearly define your objectives. Clearly communicate the project’s goals and objectives to the creative team. Provide context about the target audience, desired brand image, and specific outcomes you’re aiming to achieve. In other words, fill out the kickoff questionnaire with as much detail as you can.

DON’T take a shot in the dark. Speaking of that kickoff questionnaire – it’s an important document in the creative process, because it gives the team a foundation from which to build the work. A nearly empty questionnaire can cause delays, and more rounds of feedback.

DO provide specific feedback. Offer detailed and specific feedback on what aspects of the creative work you like or dislike. If you are having trouble articulating what you’d like to see changed, see if you can find examples or reference points that can illustrate your ideas and guide the team in the right direction. In many cases, a picture is worth more than a thousand words.

DO consider brand identity. When reviewing your creative, make sure that the work aligns with your business’s brand identity and values. One way to avoid” off-brand” creative is to provide brand guidelines and style guides at the very beginning (along with that complete questionnaire) to maintain consistency across all marketing materials.

DON’T forget your audience. While aesthetics are important, don’t prioritize them over functionality or relevance to the target audience. Ensure that the work serves its intended purpose and delivers meaningful value to customers, or it can result in creative that looks cool, but doesn’t resonate.

DO be timely. Provide feedback in a timely manner to avoid delays in the project timeline. Prompt feedback allows the creative team to make necessary adjustments efficiently and keep the project on track. It also ensures that the creative team can still keep the schedule running smoothly through their internal processes.

DO offer constructive criticism. This phrase is thrown around a lot, but what it means is to provide suggestions in a way that does two things: one, it helps the creative team understand why you’re asking for a change, and two, it helps them understand how to improve their work. Frame feedback in a positive and supportive manner, highlighting both strengths and areas for enhancement.

DO ask questions.  Trusting the expertise of the creative team is crucial – there’s a reason you hired them to begin with! That said, it’s encouraged to ask your team to explain why they made certain creative decisions. In fact, it can make the entire process even better.

DO encourage creativity. Inspire your creative team to innovate and pursue new ideas, as long as they stay within the parameters of the project. Give them a wide berth to explore different ideas and approaches that can elevate your brand’s marketing efforts. Sometimes, the team comes up with an idea that you didn’t even know your project needed. Embrace collaboration as an opportunity to bring together diverse perspectives and achieve better outcomes.

DO communicate preferences. Being clear about any specific preferences or requirements upfront helps avoid misunderstandings later on. The questionnaire or kick off call is the perfect place to provide detailed information about your expectations regarding design elements, messaging tone, brand identity, and any other relevant factors. When this happens early in the process, the creative team can tailor their work to meet your vision and avoid unnecessary back and forth.

DON’T personalize feedback. While preferences are good, asking the creative team to change a color because you personally don’t like it isn’t constructive. (This happens more than you’d expect.) Remember that you likely aren’t the target audience and remain focused on the project’s goals.

Find out more about working with a brand agency, and check out our full list of services. Our in-house writers and designers have years of experience collaborating with hospitality clients to create successful marketing campaigns.

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2024 is the Year of Luxury: Is Your Marketing Strategy Ahead of the Trend?

in Content Marketing, General Marketing Insights, Hotels & Resorts by Hawthorn Editorial

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s travelers take to the roads and skies this year, they’re searching for two big things: experience and luxury. A recent survey found that one of the hottest trends for 2024 is a desire for experiential journeys tailored to travelers’ interests. Guided by the need to achieve both internal and external harmony, travelers are seeking experiences that are personal, balanced, and exclusive.

For luxury hotels and resorts, this is the perfect opportunity to emphasize and effectively market the amenities that put you at the top of the luxe list. And for properties that don’t traditionally fall into that category, it’s the right time to flip the script and show travelers your indulgent side. We’ve put together some inspiration to help get you thinking about what guest experiences can set you apart from the crowd:

Create Personalized Experiences

All hotels and resorts – not just those in the luxury category – should already be well ahead of the trend toward state-of-the-art tech, which has been growing steadily over the past several years. The industry has seen an emergence of robust digital amenities like concierge services, personalized itineraries, and even the opportunity to select your preferred in-room amenities, temperature, and more.

With that in mind, this is the year to focus a marketing campaign around everything on your menu that makes each stay unique. (If you’re having trouble coming up with a list, now is the perfect time to take the steps necessary to create one.) Your guest data can help you in two ways here: to create buyer personas in order to target new potential customers and to send targeted, personalized emails that highlight upcoming events, promotions, or exclusive offerings based on your guests’ previous preferences.

Audience data can also help you grow a relevant, timely blog. Unlike emails, a blog post gives you more online real estate to showcase amenities or dive more in-depth about your luxury story. Once published, your blogs can serve as landing pages for your newsletters, digital ads, and social media campaigns. (The blog you’re reading is one great example of this tactic. At Hawthorn Creative, we update our blog regularly and use email to alert subscribers to new articles. We also offer full-service blog strategy, writing, and maintenance for our clients.)

Guest data is also invaluable for up-and-coming luxury properties. If you want to upgrade your image, it’s essential to make a solid investment in data analytics (whether that’s money, time, or both) to glean information about your past guests. Showing a real understanding of their personal desires – especially if this is an avenue you haven’t taken before in your marketing – can go a long way toward crafting a luxurious, exclusive atmosphere.

Elevate Your Print Marketing

While it may seem like digital avenues rule the marketing world, don’t discount print marketing efforts just yet. When it comes to showcasing the luxurious qualities of your property, print marketing strategies – magazines, brochures, coffee table books, and more – can be highly effective. Why? For starters, print materials allow you to show off your property through high-resolution photography, stunning typography, and elegant design.

At Hawthorn Creative, we produce custom magazines for travel and hospitality clients. Our team writes and develops highly engaging feature-length content, providing the ability to dig deeper into a destination as well as property amenities and offerings like spas, dining outlets, and more. Magazines are also an invaluable vehicle for creating aspirational travel content that appeals to luxury travelers. These stunning in-room publications can help turn one-time visitors into lifelong customers.

Show Off on Social Media

Social media remains one of the most successful and engaging ways to showcase your property’s opulence, whether it’s all-encompassing or focused on a few key areas. A strong social media strategy – while ultimately unique for each brand –  includes regularly scheduled posts that highlight your amenities using high-quality photos and videos, engaging captions, and relevant hashtags. It’s important to understand the audience and expectations for each channel and create content accordingly.

It’s also important to remember that above all, social media is about storytelling. Obvious selling is becoming more and more of a detractor, especially for younger audiences like Gen Z. Instead, they respond to aspirational and visually captivating stories. To emphasize exclusivity, it’s imperative to utilize the expertise of professional copywriters, designers, and photographers – keep the iPhone footage for your personal page, no matter how good you think it looks. (Leave the handheld storytelling to your influencers.)

Stay on Top of Reputation Management

One last word about creating a luxurious online presence – you can develop all the smart marketing strategies you want, but bad user reviews can negate all your hard work if not handled properly. It doesn’t feel good to earn less than five stars, but the way you respond can not only mitigate the damage, but also help repair it.

That said: If you’re a luxury property that doesn’t respond to your online community, it’s time to start. Designate someone (or a team, if you’re on multiple channels) to monitor reviews and comments and respond in a timely manner.

Positive reviews and comments are easy – leave a thank you note! Make it personal with specifics, such as “We’re so glad you enjoyed dinner at our restaurant!” Negative reviews are a bit trickier, but the key to success is transparency: Own mistakes, show regret, and either provide an explanation or a solution in a professional manner.

Reviews can also be great content for social media or other posts. With permission, you can use guest testimonials or five-star ratings – especially if they mention the level of luxury, personalization, or exclusivity your property offers – to boost your credibility and counteract any negative impressions.

If reputation management – or any other tactic outlined here – feels overwhelming to you, Hawthorn Creative has a team of experts who can help.

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How to Choose the Right Images: Original Photography vs. Stock

in Content Marketing, General Marketing Insights, Photography & Video by Hawthorn Editorial

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f you want the world to see your business as luxurious, every aspect of your brand needs to exude sophistication, elegance, and exclusivity. From your website to social media and everything in between, your brand’s visual style plays a crucial role in shaping the perception of your company.

This isn’t something that just happens on a whim. Striking exactly the right tone with your copy and imagery is a strategic, intentional process that can take a lot of time and effort, because the details matter in this competitive space. In this blog, we’re going to focus on choosing the right imagery to elevate your brand: live photo shoots vs. stock photography, plus the pros and cons of both.

Original vs. Stock Photography

First, let’s take a look at the differences between creating your own images and using someone else’s. Here are some factors to consider for each. (We’ll take a look at the new, third choice – AI-generated photography – at the end of this article.)

Advantages of Stock Photography

  • Convenience: Although it can still take time to find the perfect stock photo, going this route is a quicker solution for sourcing high-quality imagery compared to the time and expense that come with photo shoots.
  • Variety: This is the reason it can take a long time to find the perfect stock photo, especially if you aren’t quite sure what you’re looking for. The available platforms have huge collections of images that cover a wide range of themes, styles, sizes, subjects, and more.
  • Cost-effectiveness: Stock imagery requires you to pay a licensing fee (We don’t recommend free sites, but more on that later.) But compared to commissioning original photography, purchasing stock images can be a more cost-effective option. This is especially good for smaller businesses with limited budgets.

Disadvantages of Stock Photography

  • Lack of Exclusivity: Since stock images are available to multiple users, there’s a risk of encountering the same visuals on other websites. This could cause confusion among your customers and diminish the uniqueness of your brand.
  • Limited Customization: You may find a lot of stock photos that are 99 percent perfect – but not quite. Some stock sites allow you to alter their photos, but it depends on the type of license you buy.
  • Ethical Considerations: Stock photos in some categories tend to perpetuate stereotypes or lack diversity. When you’re sorting through photos, pay extra attention to ensuring that your brand is inclusive and diverse.
  • Low-quality Images: Especially on free stock sites, the imagery isn’t likely to be as high-resolution or high-quality as your brand requires. It’s very important to look at any downloaded photos in various sizes to ensure they don’t get pixelated.

Advantages of Original Photography

  • Authenticity: Original photography allows you to capture the unique essence of your brand. It’s something that younger consumers – who aren’t keen on hard sells – tend to gravitate toward. For some, a feeling of authenticity can be the reason they interact (or don’t) with a brand.
  • Customization: With original photography, you have complete control over the creative direction. This ensures that the visuals align perfectly with your brand’s aesthetic and messaging.
  • Exclusivity: By commissioning original photography, you ensure that your images are unique to your brand, enhancing your brand’s identity and differentiation in the market.

Disadvantages of Original Photography

  • Cost and Time: Original photography will often be your most expensive option for imagery.
  • Logistical Challenges: Organizing photoshoots, securing locations, and coordinating schedules can present logistical challenges, especially for businesses with limited resources or tight timelines.
  • Maintenance: Unlike stock photography, which can be easily replaced or updated, original photography requires ongoing maintenance and management to ensure your library is as relevant and up-to-date as possible.

Achieving Success With Original Photography

If you decide to schedule a live photo shoot, get ready to do a lot of planning, organizing, and adapting. You’ll need a clear understanding of your brand’s aesthetic and messaging, what the photos are trying to convey, and the little details that can make or break your final result.

We offer a wide variety of options for original photo shoots, including architectural, lifestyle, event-focused, social media mini-shoots, and more. We work hand-in-hand with our clients to understand their marketing objectives and adhere to these best practices:

  • Develop a strategy: Much like a content strategy, a smart photography strategy starts at the end, by defining your vision and goals for the project.
  • Draft a creative brief: Once you’ve articulated your images, the next step is a thorough brief that outlines the desired aesthetic, mood, and style that will best align with your brand and appeal to your target audience.
  • Use a professional photographer: Creating imagery for a luxury brand is not the time to use iPhone photos. Hire an experienced photographer with professional equipment whose portfolio and skills align with your desired outcome. Most photographers have their own lighting and equipment, but if not, they can provide the needed expertise for finding the right vendor.
  • Choose your support team wisely: Be sure that your selected location, models, hair and makeup people, and any props are aligned with your brand identity. All professionals in this space should have portfolios for you to peruse, so ask to see them and choose partners that match your desired aesthetic.
  • Anticipate hiccups: Always have a Plan B, just in case your makeup person gets sick, it rains, your prop tablecloth doesn’t arrive on time, or a location accidentally double-books you.
  • Pay attention: During the photo shoot itself, never take your eye off the ball. Keep close track of both the overall images and the small details to make sure nothing veers from your desired look. In addition, ask to review images in real-time in order to provide feedback or make adjustments. This is an important step because it will be far more expensive to have to re-gather everyone than to go into overtime pricing.

Achieving Success With Stock Photography

If you choose the stock photography route, a lot of your success will come down to selecting the right source provider. Not all platforms are created equal, so it’s essential to select a vendor that can deliver the type of images you need.

At Hawthorn Creative, our full-service branding services include photography consultation, strategy, and sourcing. Here are our best recommendations for finding high-quality, luxury stock imagery that reflects your brand prestige:

  • Choose premium platforms: Just like avoiding iPhone photos for luxury companies, we also recommend that you steer away from free stock photography sites. Instead, opt for reputable companies that specialize in high-quality, premium content – and be willing to pay for it. Some of our favorites include Getty Images, Adobe Stock, and Shutterstock.
  • Focus on authenticity: Prioritize images that convey a sense of elegance and exclusivity. Choose high-resolution images with refined composition, lighting, and attention to detail. Cliche or generic imagery could dilute the exclusivity of your brand.
  • Avoid trends: Select images that evoke a timeless sense of sophistication rather than fads that can be fleeting. (Unless you’re creating content centered around something topical.) This is especially important for print pieces that aren’t updated as often as their digital counterparts.
  • Create a shot list: If you were doing an original photo shoot, what kinds of images would you capture? Having a shot list on hand when you’re searching through stock photography can not only help you find the right photos, but focus your search terms as well.
  • Maintain brand consistency: If you’re choosing imagery for an email campaign, consider the look and feel of your other properties – does it work well with your website, social media accounts, and digital ads?
  • Read the license agreement: Stock photos come with different rules and restrictions, especially when it comes to commercial use. Some are exclusive rights, for example, meaning that once you use an image it’s taken out of consideration for others, and some aren’t allowed for commercial use at all. Read through the fine print as you’re researching stock photography providers to understand their legal requirements.

The Rise of AI in Stock Photography

In recent years, advancements in artificial intelligence have transformed the stock photography industry. You’ve likely seen images that people have created using AI-powered tools and algorithms – at this stage of the game, many of them are almost right (but not quite).

For stock platforms, AI has streamlined the process of image search, tagging, and recommendation, making it easier for users to find relevant content quickly. You can use AI-powered image recognition, for example, to help search for similar images. This is a huge advancement from a number of perspectives: One, being able to find stock imagery that matches the overall aesthetic of your other images, and two, cutting down the time it takes to sift through thousands of images by hand.

There are ethical questions, however. For example, some companies refuse to allow any AI-generated imagery that shows faces in a commercial context, because those images are still based on someone’s face and there’s no feasible way to get their permission. Because AI draws on existing data, it’s also more likely that the images it produces might be stereotypical vs. authentic and diverse.

Finally, AI-generated images can lack the human touch and emotional depth of photos captured by professional photographers, which can potentially impact the overall aesthetic and storytelling of a brand.

The bottom line, from our perspective, is to approach AI with caution. Until the science improves, you’re more likely to get exactly what you’re looking for with original or well-sourced stock photography.

If you’d like help developing your image strategy, Hawthorn Creative’s team of experts can work with you every step of the way, from initial ideas to sourcing vendor partners.

RELATED READING

Redesign vs. Refresh: Which One is Right for Your Site?

in Content Marketing, General Marketing Insights, Websites by Hawthorn Editorial

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aintaining an engaging and up-to-date online presence is crucial for businesses across all industries. But understanding the how, why, where, and what can be overwhelming. There are two common strategies that guide companies through site updates: a complete redesign and a smaller, less complicated refresh.

Each one has a goal of enhancing the user experience and keeping the website relevant, but they differ significantly in scope, frequency, costs, and outcomes. We put together a side-by-side comparison breakdown of each approach:

Understanding the Basics

Redesign
A website redesign involves a comprehensive overhaul of the entire website, encompassing not only the visual elements but also the underlying structure, functionality, and user experience. It often includes changes to the site’s navigation, layout, content, and sometimes even the technology stack.

A redesign can also increase engagement, clicks, and conversions. For example, Hawthorn Creative developed a website design (and associated marketing) for Walters Wedding Estates that was a lot more than just gorgeous – it resulted in a 27% increase in time on site, 25% increase in page views per session, and a 50% increase in SEO traffic. (Read the case study here.)

Refresh
On the other hand, a website refresh is a more superficial makeover that focuses primarily on the visual elements of the site. During a refresh, the design elements such as color schemes, fonts, imagery, and overall aesthetics are updated without significant alterations to the underlying structure or functionality.

Estimated Costs

Website Redesign
The costs associated with a website redesign can vary significantly based on the complexity of the project. Factors such as the size of the website, the extent of functionality changes, and the need for new technology integration contribute to the overall expenses. On average, a comprehensive website redesign can range from a few thousand dollars for small websites to tens of thousands or more for larger, more complex projects.

Refresh
Compared to a redesign, a website refresh is generally more cost-effective. Since it focuses primarily on the visual layer, the expenses are lower, making it a more budget-friendly option for businesses looking to maintain a fresh appearance without undergoing a complete overhaul. Refreshing can cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending on the scope of the changes.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Redesign Advantages
Undergoing a complete overhaul may be a larger investment, but it also brings with it a host of advantages that are imperative to remaining relevant online and ahead of the competition. First, a redesign allows for holistic improvements of your site’s structure, functionality, and user experience. It also provides an opportunity to adopt the latest technologies and development best practices. (This is especially important in the areas of cybersecurity and SEO.) Finally, a site redesign is the perfect opportunity to realign your online presence – and stay ahead of the competition – with fresh branding, updated design, and new product shots.

Redesign Disadvantages
The disadvantages of a complete website overhaul come down to two things: time and money. Because of their complex nature, redesigns are time-consuming projects that can require extensive planning, development, and quality assurance testing. It can be a costly project, too, not only in development costs but also in pattern changes that can temporarily disrupt both your internal teams and the end-user experience.

Refresh Advantages
Think of a refresh as a redesign lite. It’s a simpler, quicker way to give your site’s appearance a facelift without the investment of a redesign – something especially beneficial if your site updates regularly to reflect seasonal changes. It’s also a more budget-friendly option, which makes it accessible for smaller businesses with limited resources. And, since it’s mostly design-based, a refresh can also happen with minimal disruption to the daily routine simply by scheduling it as a regular project.

Refresh Disadvantages
Because a refresh focuses on design changes only, it doesn’t address any underlying structural or functional issues that may be present. You may not see a significant boost in user engagement or site performance from a refresh, and its short-term nature can mean more frequent updates.

Which One is Right for Me?

The decision between redesign and refresh depends on various factors, including the goals of the business, budget constraints, and the current state of the website. While both approaches offer distinct advantages, it’s important to base your strategy on desired outcomes and long-term objectives.

When to Redesign
Choose this option when your site needs significant changes, like structural or functional improvements. One of the most important considerations is the state of your site’s back-end functionality and security. If it’s been years since you’ve updated your tech stack or cybersecurity policies, your site could be vulnerable to exposure. Finally, a redesign is the best choice if your company is undergoing a rebranding.

For example, Hawthorn Creative helped AW Plastic Surgery, a leading medical aesthetics practice, redesign their site so that their online presence matched the 5-star in-person experience. The new design resulted in a 222% increase in organic traffic and a 49% increase in “Contact Us” forms completed per month. (See the case study here.)

When to Refresh
If you’re on a limited budget, a refresh is your best bet for a cost-effective way to maintain a fresh appearance. It also works well if you’re content with the overall branding of your site and navigation, but want to update the look and feel through design or copy. For businesses that have frequent events or consistent seasonal changes, refreshes are on a regular rotation throughout the year.

Should I Hire an Expert?

Like other strategy decisions, the surest way to make the right choices is to start at the end. Determine your website goals, what’s currently working well, and what’s not, and then work backward to mark steps along the way. At Hawthorn Creative, we have a team of experienced website professionals who can guide you through the entire process, from initial decision-making to final testing.

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Travel Across Generations: How Hotels, Resorts, and DMOs Can Attract the Entire Family

in Destination Marketing Organizations, General Marketing Insights, Hotels & Resorts by Hawthorn Editorial

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ome properties focus on business travelers, some target young adventurers, and others cater to wellness seekers. But in this article, we’re focusing on Choice D: “All of the above.” We’re taking a look at how properties can market to several generations at the same time.

With all the talk about building buyer personas and targeting your marketing strategies, casting a wider net might seem counterintuitive – How do you make your property attractive to the kids and their grandparents at the same time?

It requires some innovative thinking, rule-bending, and smart targeting to cater to the diverse needs and desires of families spanning different age groups. We put together a list of marketing ideas to inspire you, along with some of our own multi-gen marketing success stories.

Highlight Your Diverse Accommodations

The concept of “parents in one room and kids in another” is outdated; the modern family vacation calls for a more nuanced approach. Hotels and resorts now offer myriad options, from spacious suites to interconnected rooms and private villas. Be sure to highlight your uniquely diverse options for group stays, and include pictures so families can envision themselves enjoying the spaces.

Curate Online Itineraries

Here’s another outdated idea: Generic itineraries that just feature local attractions without keeping their target audiences in mind. To attract multigenerational families, it’s important to craft itineraries that cater to different age groups. That doesn’t mean the entire family is stuck together the entire time – if you have an on-site spa, for example, offer an option for the parents to enjoy while the grandparents take the kids to get ice cream.

Hawthorn Marketing Case Study
We created a digital itinerary for multi-gen travelers as part of a website redesign for the New Hampshire Lakes Region Tourism Association. We included family-friendly attractions that everyone will enjoy, such as a ride on a mail boat, an easy hike with amazing views, relaxed-atmosphere restaurants, and more. You can see the full itinerary, along with our innovative interactive design, here.

Show Off Your Tech

Do you have Alexa-enabled rooms, automatic blinds, or other cool tech? Offering up-to-date digital amenities not only makes the stay easier for the adults – it can also be a massive boon for the kids (and their screens). One of the best marketing tactics for showing off your property’s tech is social media, especially platforms that utilize video. Showing the tech in action is a great way to help families visualize their potential lodging. When marketing your tech features, focus on the convenience, but don’t forget to highlight how cool they are, too!

Create an Emotional Connection Through Storytelling

Another great way to utilize video-based platforms is to create high-quality, experiential videos that help the family imagine themselves on-site. These videos can touch on amenities like unique accommodations and personalized services, but those should be secondary. Instead, focus on your property’s “why.” Answer questions like: What do you hope your guests will feel both during and after their stay? Why is it important for your property to cater to kids as well as adults? Why is your property the one that will create the best memories?

Segment Your Marketing Campaigns

Even though the family will be traveling as a group, the diversity within multigenerational families calls for segmented marketing campaigns. Tailor messages and promotions to specific age groups, ensuring that each family member feels individually addressed. Whether it’s discounts for children or spa packages for grandparents, targeted campaigns speak directly to the varied preferences of different generations.

Hawthorn Case Study

Opal Collection asked us to develop a multi-generational itinerary for them that would feature several of their luxury properties and work well for both print and digital. Our solution, a special feature called Across the Ages, highlighted options for families based on their travel goals. The Sagamore Resort, for example, was featured in a section for active families, with highlights split between adults and kids. (You can see how it looks in print here.)

Collaborate With the Right Influencers

In the age of influencer marketing, collaboration with partners who connect with different generations can be a game-changer. To market to multi-gen travelers, partner with family-oriented travel influencers who can give a first-hand account of the property’s accommodations, amenities, and perks for both adults and kids. It’s a great way to not only highlight your property in a casual way, but also to gain word-of-mouth credibility among the influencer’s followers.

Don’t Forget About Traditional Media

While digital marketing is crucial, traditional media still holds sway, especially with older generations. Printed brochures or magazine ads, television features, and radio promotions reach a significant portion of the population, and that’s crucial if the grandparents serve as the family vacation planners. Adapting your digital campaigns for traditional media helps properties tap into the preferences of older generations, who are more familiar with those platforms.

Team Up With Local Partners to Offer Packages

DMOs, hotels, and resorts can form collaborative partnerships with other businesses to offer tailored vacation packages that appeal to all ages. This can include airlines, local attractions, restaurants, or big events that are likely to draw a crowd. Offering a package as an all-encompassing experience could be a huge help for traveling families who feel overwhelmed making separate reservations.

When multi-gen travel is approached with a smart strategy that’s appealing across age groups, yet segmented in messaging and targeting, you can set your property as the stage for a lifetime of cherished family memories.

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