We Debunked the Top 10 Myths About Digital Hospitality Marketing

in Destination Marketing Organizations, General Marketing Insights, Social Media Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

re there things you always do as part of your hospitality marketing plans? Think about the tactics that you use to shore up your messaging. Are there any on your list that exist because you heard from someone who knows someone who said that A tactic works or B tactic never works?

As strategic as you try to be, myths and outdated ideas tend to wiggle their way into digital marketing plans. Some are even so ingrained in the marketing zeitgeist that you don’t even realize you’re using them just because.

The risk with basing your strategies and tactics on myths and misconceptions is that it can lead to ineffective strategies. So, if you’re in the throes of reworking your marketing plans for next year, this one’s for you. In this blog post, we’re going to take a look at some of the most pervasive myths in hospitality marketing and what you can do to kick them out of your marketing brain once and for all.

Myth 1: Social media is enough for a successful hospitality marketing strategy.

Here’s the truth. While social media is an important part of your marketing strategy, it’s just one component. A successful marketing strategy should include a mix of channels, including a website, email marketing, online travel agencies (OTAs), and search engine optimization (SEO). Always do your research to find out where your audiences go when they’re online, and meet them in those spaces.

Myth 2: Discounts and promotions always attract more guests.

Sometimes. While discounts can attract guests, relying solely on price cuts can devalue your brand and reduce profitability. That’s a big risk, especially for luxury hotels and resorts. Instead, offer guests promotions that reflect the perceived value of your offerings (other than room prices). (For example, offer spa discounts to guests, complimentary valet, or late checkout.)

Myth 3: High traffic to the website guarantees bookings.

Earning a booking is about so much more than your web presence. While active website traffic is essential, it doesn’t necessarily lead to conversion. As part of your marketing strategy, create a strong conversion rate optimization (CRO) plan to ensure that visitors are engaged and encouraged to book. Elements can include things like clear information, intuitive navigation, appealing visuals, an easy booking process, and more.

Myth 4: Online reviews don’t matter much in hospitality marketing.

Think about this one from your perspective as a customer. How often do you check reviews before making a decision? More and more, online reviews can make or break a business in the hospitality industry. When all things are equal between two properties, guests often rely on reviews to help them make that final choice. It’s essential to actively manage and respond to both positive and negative reviews to build trust and improve your online reputation.

Myth 5: All guests are the same – you don’t need to target specific demographics.

You can find the truth here simply by looking at the guests at your property. Demographics often vary widely (for example, a hotel that’s popular with business travelers but also happens to be outside a concert venue), and each of those audiences has different preferences and needs. Targeted marketing efforts that consider demographics, interests, and behaviors – ultimately focusing on your ideal customers, represented by buyer personas – can lead to higher conversion rates and a more loyal customer base.

Myth 6: Email marketing is outdated and ineffective.

This one may be surprising to some, but the truth is that email marketing – when used correctly – remains a powerful tool in hospitality marketing. Although marketing trends and fads tend to come and go, email has always been successfully reliable. In fact, personalized and relevant email campaigns can see open rates of as high as 20 percent. However, that doesn’t mean you can just write anything and send it. Smartly written, relevant emails with irresistible CTAs are the key to success.

Myth 7: It’s enough to have a mobile-responsive website.

A better word here might be essentials. Mobile optimization is today’s site-building standard, but it’s about more than just looking good on both a phone and a desktop. Mobile users also expect fast loading times, easy navigation, and for hospitality marketers, a seamless booking experience. (While most travelers do their actual booking on a desktop, almost half of them plan and research their trips entirely using their phones.)

Myth 8: All online travel agencies (OTAs) charge the same commission rates.

The truth is that commission rates can vary significantly between OTAs. Dynamic pricing, credit card fees, booking fees, and other factors play a role in how much commission hoteliers are expected to pay. The good news is that it’s possible to negotiate rates with OTAs to find a favorable agreement that suits your property and financial goals.

Myth 9: Once a guest books, your marketing efforts are done.

Here’s the truth: Once a guest books, it’s your job to entice them to book again. The marketing touchpoints that happen after they leave the check-in desk are what turn one-time visitors into lifelong customers. A strong customer marketing strategy should engage with guests before, during, and after their stay through personalized communication, follow-up offers, and loyalty programs.

Myth 10: It’s OK to copy competitors’ marketing strategies.

Even when they’re in the same niche – and even when they carry the same brand name – every hotel and resort is unique. And while competitor research is valuable, blindly copying others’ strategies isn’t likely to work for your unique property. Should you take inspiration from a campaign that you love? Absolutely. But from there, it’s essential to understand your own strengths, target audience, and brand identity to create a marketing plan that sets you apart.

More than ever, successful hospitality marketing requires thorough research, an understanding of customer trends, and a willingness to skip over tactics that won’t drive success – even if they’ve just always been there.

Want To Beat the OTAs? Here Are 9 Effective Strategies

in Destination Marketing Organizations, General Marketing Insights, Websites by Hawthorn Editorial

ravelers have access to a seemingly endless list of resources that can tell them the ins and outs of their travel destinations, activities, lodging options, flight prices, and more. In fact, travelers visit an average of 277 web pages before booking a trip.

Those research stops are all important touchpoints along the luxury traveler journey, but the most important one is yet to be determined – where do they go to finally hit the “Book Now” button? Recently, that answer has been an online travel agency (OTA), which offers travelers not only lodging, but flights, rental cars, attraction tickets, and even more. Two of the most popular OTAs, Expedia and Booking, account for around 60 percent of all travel bookings across the U.S. and Europe.

How can individual hotel and resort properties compete with these enormous one-stop shops? The answer: By focusing on what you have that they don’t – namely, direct bookings and guest loyalty. Here’s our list of tried-and-true ways that hoteliers can compete with (and even outperform) OTAs.

1. Curate Personalized Experiences

As an individual property, one of the key advantages you have over OTAs is the ability to offer personalized experiences. Unlike OTAs, where sheer size requires a one-size-fits-all model, your property can tailor its offerings to meet the unique preferences of your guests. This can include customized room amenities, special packages for celebrations, and even personalized concierge services. A focus on creating memorable, tailor-made experiences will attract travelers seeking a more personal touch that OTAs simply cannot replicate.

2. Incentivize Direct Bookings

Direct bookings bring more than just the opportunity to retain a larger share of the revenue. They’re also the perfect opportunity to build a direct relationship with guests. Individual properties can entice guests to book directly with exclusive perks such as discounted rates, free upgrades, late check-out, or loyalty program rewards. Direct booking also brings additional value, like more flexible cancellation policies and better customer support.

3. Invest in User-Friendly Websites

A slick, easy-to-use website is crucial for attracting and retaining potential guests. Invest in a responsive and easy-to-navigate website that provides comprehensive information about the property, including high-quality images, room details, and amenities. A seamless online booking experience is essential to encourage direct bookings, and user reviews and ratings should also be prominently displayed to build trust with potential guests.

4. Engage in Social Media Marketing

Social media platforms are an excellent way for hotels and resorts to connect with their target audience on a more casual basis and build a loyal following. By consistently sharing engaging content, stunning visuals, and stories about the property, you can create a community of loyal guests who will help bolster your brand story. You can also use social media to highlight unique features, promote special offers, and interact with guests directly, enhancing the guest experience and encouraging repeat visits.

5. Leverage Online Reputation Management

In a day and age where online reviews can make or break your property, digital reputation management is essential. Whether it’s a dedicated job or a group responsibility, your marketing team should actively monitor and review websites and respond promptly to both positive and negative feedback. Demonstrating a commitment to guest satisfaction and addressing concerns publicly shows potential guests that your property values their experience. Encouraging satisfied guests to leave positive reviews can also help boost a hotel’s reputation.

6. Offer Unique Packages and Promotions

To stand out from OTAs, brainstorm some unique packages and promotions that cater to specific niches or interests of your guests – honeymooners, adventure enthusiasts, spa lovers, or food connoisseurs, to name a few. By offering specialized experiences that align with your unique selling points, you can attract travelers seeking more than just a place to stay.

7. Implement a Robust Loyalty Program

Rewarding your guests for their continued business is a wonderful and effective way to build repeat business and encourage direct bookings. Consider offering perks like discounted rates, free nights, exclusive access to amenities, or even partnerships with local attractions. A well-designed loyalty program can foster a sense of belonging and encourage guests to return.

8. Focused Marketing

As we mentioned, OTAs are a one-stop shop. Because of their sheer size, there isn’t much room for individualization. That’s where individual property marketing can shine. For example, you can develop a targeted marketing campaign that highlights all of your cool, upgraded tech. Sustainability is another area that lends itself to an individual focus as it becomes increasingly important to travelers. Marketing these efforts individually allows you to share more details and catch a traveler’s attention far more effectively than when they’re quickly scanning through OTA listings.

9. Build Local Partnerships

Collaborating with local businesses and attractions can not only enhance the guest experience, but also create a unique selling point for individual hotels and resorts. Partnering with nearby restaurants, tour operators, or cultural attractions can lead to package deals and cross-promotional opportunities that attract travelers seeking a comprehensive local experience. The key to these perks, however, is booking directly with the property.

By focusing on personalized experiences, encouraging direct bookings, and leveraging technology and marketing strategies, your marketing team can create a compelling value proposition for travelers. Ultimately, however, the key to success lies in understanding what sets your property apart and shouting it from the rooftops.

Technical Audits 101: Here’s What They Are, and Why Your Website Needs One

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

his article isn’t sexy. It’s not about creating stellar marketing campaigns, writing killer copy, and designing award-winning art. Instead, this is about the back-end, behind-the-scenes, somewhat dry yet crucial side of marketing – conducting a comprehensive tech audit for your website.

Checking for broken links and duplicate content may not spark excitement, but it should be foundational to your marketing efforts. The primary goal of a technical audit is to identify and address any issues that may affect your site’s performance, functionality, or search engine optimization (SEO). And as we all know, a slow-loading website, or one that’s impossible to navigate on a mobile phone, can be a deal breaker for customers who expect a seamless process.

What Is Involved in a Website Technical Audit?

For many marketers, the “why” of a tech audit is easy to understand, but the “how” is a different story. It requires testing every single link on your entire website, clicking on every CTA, and digging through pages to ensure that a blog post or product isn’t listed multiple times.

While it’s possible to do this on your own, we highly recommend partnering with a trustworthy website expert who knows what to look for and, more importantly, how to fix issues. The right third-party partner will customize their audit to meet the needs of your individual site, but there are some common key components that are addressed across the board:

Website Speed and Performance: This involves analyzing the website’s loading speed, server response times, and overall performance. In addition to annoyed customers, a slow site can also lead to lower search engine rankings.
Crawlability and Indexability: This step ensures that search engine bots can access and index all the pages on your website, which is crucial for SEO. The process checks for issues like broken links, blocked pages, and proper XML sitemaps.
Mobile-Friendliness: With the increasing use of mobile devices, it’s essential that your website is responsive and provides a good user experience on various screen sizes. Google also considers mobile-friendliness as a ranking factor.
Site Architecture: At this stage, the audit focuses on your website’s URL structure, internal linking, and navigation to ensure it’s both user-friendly and search engine-friendly.
Duplicate Content: It’s important to identify and address duplicate content issues, which can harm SEO rankings. This includes duplicate meta tags, titles, and content across pages.
Technical SEO: SEO works behind the scenes, too. This step involves analyzing on-page elements such as meta titles, meta descriptions, header tags, and more to optimize visibility and overall performance in search results. This is different from on-page SEO, which focuses on content and keywords. Instead, technical SEO ensures that search engines can crawl, index, and understand your site’s content effectively.

How Can a Tech Audit Help My Luxury Business?

Although these benefits can apply across all industries, a tech audit for your high-end website is important in order to help optimize your marketing campaigns – here are a few examples of those marketing benefits:

Improved Search Engine Ranking: The higher your spot on the Google results page, the better your visibility to potential and current customers. A technical audit helps identify and rectify issues that may be negatively impacting your website’s search engine ranking.
Enhanced User Experience: A well-performing website that loads quickly and is easy to navigate provides a better user experience. This can lead to longer user sessions, higher engagement rates and events, and higher chances of conversions.
Competitive Advantage: Having a technically sound website can set your luxury brand apart from the competition. By completing an audit, you can identify and fix any holes within the website, products, services, or content.
Reduced Abandonment Rates: Slow-loading pages or technical errors can lead to visitors leaving your site before they complete a transaction – a technical audit helps keep guests clicking and staying on your site.
Better ROI: Digital marketing campaigns like pay-per-click advertising, social media advertising, or SEO are a considerable financial investment. An optimized website ensures that you get the most value out of your marketing spend by providing a platform that can effectively convert visitors into customers.

How Do I Perform a Technical Audit?

We always recommend partnering with an expert, such as a digital marketing agency, for any projects that dig into the tech world, because they can help ensure that nothing gets overlooked and all issues are solved. Selecting a partner with experience in your industry can also go a long way when it comes to understanding your unique issues, goals, and objectives. (Side note: Always ask for referrals!)

Prices can vary wildly depending on factors like your objectives, project scope, selected agency, expertise level, and more, but it’s a worthy investment. Once you’re paired with a qualified tech audit expert, here are some questions to bring to your first meeting.

1. What are your objectives and goals for the audit? Be specific and clearly define what it is you want to do, and what you want to achieve. Don’t be afraid to get into the nitty-gritty, either. If you have a specific goal of increasing your conversions from one particular CTA, for example, let them know. It will help guide the audit process.

2. What is your project scope? This can include things like budget, timeline, and any specific areas of concern. These factors will determine your costs. If budget is a concern, consider requesting a “good, better, best” package from them that outlines what they can do for you at various budget levels.

3. How will the audit process work? Have your audit team walk you through the entire process from start to finish. Ask for the order of operations, how much time will be required for each step, whether it will cause momentary issues for your site, and how much you’ll need to be involved. Some of the basic processes include an examination of page load times, mobile-friendliness, site structure, navigation, SEO, security, and more.

4. When will you receive a report, and what will it include? After the audit is complete, you should receive a detailed report with your resultsand recommendations. It will outline the issues discovered and propose solutions for improvement, and you can also request that it prioritizes fixes by urgency.

You Received Your Site Audit Report. Now What?

After the site examination is complete, it’s time for your team to get to work fixing issues. You can rely on your audit team to run testing and QA checks, but it can never hurt to have additional eyes on the issues that could cause the most problems.

One important thing to understand is that a technical audit isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it project. It’s essential to continuously monitor your site’s performance using tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, or recommendations from your digital agency. Over time, you’ll be able to assess the impact of the audit and identify any new issues that might come up.

As time rolls on, and if budget allows, periodic audits will help keep your site in tip-top shape. Regular assessments are important for making sure that your site remains competitive and user-friendly. Which, at the end of the day, attracts more customers and increases your ROI.

Ready to improve your site? Read more about the technical audit process at Hawthorn Creative and contact us to book your website audit!

7 Ways to Fill Your Meeting Spaces With Group Business Travel

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

he hotel industry has seen personal travel come roaring back since the pandemic shutdown in 2020, and recent figures show that business is back, too. In the second quarter of 2023, group business bookings were up nearly 102 percent from 2019. Imagine what attracting a bigger slice of that pie could do for boosting revenue and occupancy rates.

Hosting these events not only fills rooms, but also leads to additional revenue through catering, event space rental, and other services. Previously, we discussed how hotels and resorts of all sizes can attract personal business travelers – here are seven ways to attract the entire office.

1. Develop a Group-Friendly Infrastructure

Before you can attract group business, you need to ensure your hotel is equipped to meet their specific needs. It’s one thing to have a comfy co-working space or quiet rooms for personal business use, but it’s quite another to host a group of potentially hundreds of coworkers. Use this checklist to make sure you’re up to speed:

Flexible Event Spaces: If you don’t already have them, invest in versatile event spaces that can accommodate both small meetings and large conventions. Make it your top priority to make sure they’re well-equipped with state-of-the-art technology and ample seating arrangements.
Audio-Visual Facilities: If you’ve ever been to a speaking engagement where the tech won’t work, you know why it’s essential to equip your event spaces with the right equipment for both live and virtual presentations. Projectors, screens, microphones, and reliable Wi-Fi are at the top of the list, along with a tech expert who can be on-hand to troubleshoot.
Dedicated Event Team: In addition to an IT guru, assemble a team of dedicated event planners and coordinators who can assist groups with their planning and execution needs. Offering these services in-house can be a significant selling point for potential clients.
Catering Services: Meals are a big deal during group meetings – especially when everyone is spending hours and hours in a meeting hall. Be sure to offer catering services (either in-house or with a trusted partner) that are tailored to different group sizes and dietary preferences. A variety of menu options can make your hotel more appealing for event planners.

2. Leverage Digital Marketing

In today’s digital age, your online presence plays a crucial role in attracting group business. Especially if you haven’t been in this space previously, a smart digital marketing campaign can go a long way toward reaching the business travel demographic. Here are a few ideas for maximizing your digital marketing efforts:

Your Website: Create a dedicated section on your website for events and meetings that highlights your event spaces, services, and testimonials from past clients. This section can be used as the landing page for your digital marketing CTAs.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Use SEO techniques to improve your website’s visibility on search engines. Target keywords related to corporate events and include them in your content. In addition, be sure to update your Google My Business page to reflect your meeting and event content.
Social Media Presence: Maintain an active presence on social media platforms, especially LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram, where many corporate event planners search for venues. Share high-quality images of your event spaces and engage with potential clients.
Email Marketing: Build an email list of potential business travel clients and send out newsletters with updates, special offers, and success stories related to corporate events at your hotel. Personalize your emails to cater to different segments of your audience.

3. Network with Event Planners and Corporations

Online marketing campaigns get an extra boost when you’re able to meet event planners face-to-face. Networking is essential for any business, but building relationships with event planners and corporations can be a powerful way to attract group business. Here’s how to do it:

Participate in Industry Events: Attend industry conferences, trade shows, and networking events to connect with event planners and corporate decision-makers. Your presence at these events can help establish your hotel as a go-to venue for corporate gatherings.
Familiarization Tours: Offer complimentary tours to event planners, allowing them to experience your hotel’s facilities firsthand. Showcase your event spaces, accommodations, and amenities to impress potential clients. As an added bonus, offer them a free adult beverage.
Collaborate with Local Businesses: Partner with local businesses that often require event venues. These partnerships can lead to referrals and joint marketing efforts, which helps both businesses thrive.

4. Create Customized Packages

Get creative when it comes to your meeting spaces and meeting capabilities, because each group will have unique needs. Brainstorm customizable packages that cater to different needs and budgets. Or, ask your event planner contacts for strategy help. These are just a few of the possible options:

All-Inclusive Packages: Planning an event can be stressful if it has a lot of moving parts. Bundling accommodations, event space rental, catering, and AV equipment rental into a single price simplifies the planning process for event organizers.
Discounts and Incentives: Entice larger groups, multiple events, and repeat customers with special discounts on future events or other incentives. You could even consider a loyalty program just for repeat group business clients.
Unique Experiences: Differentiate your offerings by including unique experiences, such as team-building activities, spa treatments, or access to nearby attractions. Partnering with local vendors and attractions is a surefire way to create detailed, unique itineraries for your conferences and meetings.

5. Showcase Past Successes

If you’ve had a wonderfully successful event in the past, show it off! Highlighting your past achievements in the corporate event space can instill confidence and reassurance in potential clients. At Hawthorn Creative, we’ve found success with these tactics:

Case Studies: Showcase the positive experiences of past clients. Include the meeting’s goals and challenges, your solutions, customer and attendee testimonials, photos and videos, room layouts, and other relevant details.
Photo and Video Galleries: Build an Insta-worthy media gallery on your social channels and website featuring photos and videos from past corporate events. Invest in a professional photographer to make your venue stand out, then link to the gallery in your marketing efforts.
Reviews and Ratings: These days, reviews are equally as important as your internal efforts, if not more so. Encourage past clients to leave reviews on platforms like TripAdvisor, Yelp, or Google, because that firsthand recommendation is worth its weight in marketing gold.

6. Offer Exceptional Customer Service

Outstanding customer service is a key factor in attracting and retaining group business. When your guests arrive, they usually bring a lot of stress along with their luggage, so it’s your job to make their time at your property as easy as possible. Train your staff to provide exceptional service at every touchpoint:

Dedicated Event Coordinators: Assign a single point of contact to assist clients throughout the planning and execution of events. This personalized approach can make a significant difference, especially for busy executives who are pulling double duty and working while they’re on-site.
24/7 Support: Ensure that there is always someone available to address the needs and concerns of event organizers, even outside regular business hours.
Post-Event Feedback: Forge a long-term relationship with clients by engaging with them after the event is complete. Gathering feedback not only makes them feel like a part of the refinement process, but it also shows your commitment to continuous improvement. (If they return for another event, show them that you listened.)

7. Stay Up to Date with Industry Trends

The hospitality industry is constantly evolving, especially since the world emerged from the pandemic lockdown. Staying on top of the latest trends is a great way to attract group business, because it shows your relevancy and industry knowledge. These are some of the current trends to watch closely:

Tech Integration: Invest in the latest event technology for both front-of-house and internal efforts, such as virtual reality tours of event spaces or event management software that simplifies the planning process. These days, the expectation for attendees is that on-site tech will be readily available, accessible without delay, and easy to use.
Sustainability Initiatives: More and more, travelers are choosing their lodging based on a commitment to sustainability. If your property has implemented green practices, be sure to highlight them. And if it hasn’t, make it a priority. Impressive tech and cool meeting space aside – sustainability could make or break a contract.
Health and Safety Protocols: Develop and communicate robust health and safety protocols to reassure event planners and attendees, especially in a post-pandemic world. Show them that you have clear emergency protocols in place should the attendees need to evacuate the space.

What About Boutique Hotels?

Attracting group business can be more of a challenge for smaller properties that don’t have pre-packaged meeting space, but it’s not impossible. If you manage a boutique property, focus your outreach on what you have that they don’t – things like charm, a unique atmosphere, more personalized service, or killer dining options.

If you don’t have a traditional meeting room, get creative! Can your dining hall be temporarily rearranged for presentation seating, or is your giant front yard the perfect home for a tent? As long as you have the right event tech, any space can be used as a gathering space.

In addition, focus your marketing efforts on niche industries and companies that travel in smaller groups. If your hotel is in a scenic location, for example, try marketing to nature enthusiasts or companies in search of an intimate, private executive retreat.

And finally, if you’re struggling to land that first client – show them what’s possible by hosting your own event. Capture photos and videos that showcase your spaces, food, and tech, gather testimonials from happy guests, and create a social media marketing campaign.

Remember that a “group business meeting” doesn’t always mean a giant conference with thousands of attendees. Focus on what you have that makes you stand out from the competition, and market your unique value proposition to business travelers with the same goals.

Customer Loyalty Programs: What’s the Real ROI?

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

ow many amazing offers – from free cell phones to zero percent interest rates – have you seen for “new customers only,” while you’ve been loyal for years and can’t even get a five percent discount? It’s frustrating, and not likely to make you loyal to the brand.

Most businesses won’t succeed with new customers only, so it’s imperative that they give love to their loyal customers as well in order to retain their business in the future. Still, studies show that most marketing plans only focus on acquiring new customers.

How does that look for hotels and resorts?

First Things First: Here’s How to Measure ROI

The formula for calculating ROI is straightforward: ROI = (Net Profit from Loyalty Program − Program Costs) / Program Costs. Breaking down those top-line numbers is where things can get complicated.

Like any other marketing strategy, a customer loyalty program should begin at the end (the desired outcome) and work backwards from there in order to achieve your business goals. To help you get started, we’ve put together a list of our most recommended measurable KPIs:

Essential Data
It’s important to treat your data collection with care, because you get out what you put in. Incomplete data, gathering too small of a data set, or analyzing the wrong trends can give misleading results. Our customer loyalty strategies always include these data points:

Customer Data: Comprehensive data on loyalty program members, including their spending patterns, booking frequency, and preferences.
Cost Data: The expenses associated with running the loyalty program, including marketing, rewards, staff training, and technology.
Revenue Data: Revenue generated from loyalty program members, including room bookings, dining, spa, and other on-site services.

Audience Segments
Categorize your loyalty program members based on their behavior and spending habits. This allows you to analyze the performance of different customer segments separately. Here are our recommended metrics:

Customer Retention Rate: The percentage of loyalty program members who continue to book with your hotel over time.
Average Spend: The average spending of loyalty program members compared to non-members.
Churn Rate: The rate at which loyalty program members stop engaging with your hotel.
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): The total value a loyalty member brings to your hotel over their entire relationship with your brand.
Conversion Rate: The percentage of loyalty program members who redeem rewards or special offers.
Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): The cost of acquiring a new loyalty program member.
Net Promoter Score (NPS): This is a measure of customer satisfaction and loyalty, gained through surveys to assess program impact on customer sentiment.

Attribution Analysis
It’s also helpful to monitor metrics along the customer journey, such as email open rates, website metrics like time spent on site and bounce rate, and social media engagements, to see which channels are driving the highest ROI.

Control Group Comparison
If possible, create a control group of non-loyalty members with similar characteristics and spending habits. Compare the behavior and spending of loyalty program members to this control group to determine the program’s impact.

Other metrics that can help you paint a robust picture of your program’s success include A/B testing to assess the effectiveness of various strategies and promotions and customer feedback and surveys for direct, firsthand information on what’s working and what isn’t.

Beyond the Balance Sheet

The real Return on Investment (ROI) for your hotel customer loyalty program depends on various moving parts, including the program’s design, the effectiveness of its implementation, and the specific characteristics of your property and customer base. Some of the monetary benefits of a successful customer loyalty program include increased revenue, direct bookings (vs. third-party sites), customer retention, referrals and word-of-mouth marketing, reduced marketing costs, cross-selling opportunities with additional services like dining packages, and more.

It’s about more than just dollars, however. ROI can also include intangible benefits – those that don’t directly translate into revenue, but serve to drive loyalty, enhance your reputation, and entice new customers.

Some of the most important intangible benefits that come with customer loyalty programs include an upgrade in your brand reputation, increased customer engagement and feedback, richer data and insights, higher guest satisfaction and long-term loyalty, a competitive advantage, and more.

Something important to keep in mind: The ROI of a loyalty program may not always be immediately apparent. Building strong customer relationships and brand loyalty often takes time, and the full impact of a loyalty program may not be realized until guests become repeat customers over the long term.

End at the Beginning: Develop a Winning Strategy

If you start your planning at the end, with the business objectives and goals, then you work backwards until you get to the nitty-gritty: the tactics themselves. For any program to be successful, your strategies must ladder up to the main goal of building long-term relationships with guests – but this is the fun part!

This is where you get to be creative and think outside the traditional program perks like points-based rewards, free or discounted stays, special offers, and referral programs (although those are all essential). Beyond the monetary perks, your imagination is the limit for creating a loyalty program that works for your unique clientele. In need of some inspiration? Here are some ideas to get you started:

VIP Status: Loyalty program members often receive special recognition and status within the hotel, such as personalized greetings, welcome amenities, and exclusive check-in/check-out areas that allow them to skip the line.
Enhanced Services: Room upgrades, priority booking, complimentary parking, or personalized concierge assistance alone can turn someone from a one-time guest into a repeat customer.
Priority Access: Amenities like spa facilities, dining reservations, or other first-come-first-serve amenities can cause a bit of a flurry during popular times. Reducing the hassle of making arrangements ensures that loyalty members will have a seamless, stress-free experience.
Flexible Booking: Late check-out, early check-in, and the ability to modify reservations with ease add a layer of both convenience and reassurance.
Exclusive Events and Experiences: Hotels can offer loyalty program members access to exclusive events, such as wine tastings, cooking classes, or cultural tours, providing unique and memorable experiences.
Customized Offers: Loyalty programs allow hotels to personalize offers and promotions based on member preferences and behaviors, ensuring that members receive relevant and appealing deals.
Advance Notice: Members may receive advance notice of upcoming promotions, sales, or special events, giving them the opportunity to plan their stays and take advantage of exclusive offers.
Surprise and Delight: Hotels can surprise loyalty members with unexpected gestures, such as complimentary amenities, room decorations for special occasions, or birthday gifts.
Exclusive Content: Access to exclusive content, such as insider travel tips, destination guides, or behind-the-scenes hotel tours, can be provided to loyalty members, adding value to their membership.
Local Partnerships: Offer joint promotions and discounts at local restaurants, event venues, and activities to help drive revenue for both businesses.
Family-Friendly Benefits: Discounts on connecting rooms or complimentary access to the kids club can be welcome perks for traveling families.
Pet-Friendly Benefits: Make fur babies feel welcome with pet beds, treats, and even pet-sitting services.
Business Traveler Benefits: Ideas here include meeting room discounts, express check-in and check-out, airport transfers, and access to airport lounges for frequent travelers or high-tier members.

A Final Note

This isn’t an exhaustive list, nor is it all mandatory. And what works for another hotel may not work for yours. Take the time to do some customer analysis, either through data analysis or firsthand feedback, to find out what perks will align with your brand identity and satisfy your guest preferences. The more relevant your customer loyalty strategy is to your unique clientele, the higher your ROI will be.

Our Top Reasons to Invest in Your Website (and What to Expect)

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

t might feel like every company out there has a dot-com, but the truth is that 27 percent of small businesses don’t have a website. For many of them, it’s about budget. Challenges like low website traffic, advanced functionality, and maintenance costs outweigh the benefits, especially if they can just have a social media presence.

At the same time, those companies say they would use a website to help customers make purchases online and showcase their products and services. The study revealed that 87 percent of the small businesses without a website plan to build one in the next few years, but what should they expect for their investment?

Building a robust, intuitive website that includes things like contact forms, e-commerce, blogs, and mobile responsiveness can cost tens of thousands of dollars to build and maintain. It’s essential for a company considering laying out that type of cash to ensure that the site will bring them a smart return on investment. As expert website builders, we’ve put together a list of your various options, and what you should expect with each

The Benefits of Investing In A Website

Especially for luxury brands, the list of benefits is long. In addition to the enhanced online presence, websites can sell products, generate leads, and elevate brand perception. Here’s our roundup of everything a slick, modern website can achieve:

Global Reach
A website allows a brand to become international, expanding its customer base beyond its physical locations. This is especially important for luxury brands that want to tap into international markets and attract customers from around the world.

Brand Visibility and Credibility
A well-designed website can do a lot to not only enhance your brand’s credibility and image, but also build trust and loyalty. Think of it as a digital storefront that showcases your values, aesthetics, and story, as well as your products and services.

24/7 Availability
If you’re a global online business, your customers are always awake. Around-the-clock shopping can be a major green flag for shoppers who want to browse products, learn about the brand, and make purchases at their convenience.

E-commerce Opportunities
Online sales of luxury goods are expected to triple between now and 2025, leading to $91 billion in revenue. Beyond that, around 90 percent of luxury customers shop online at some point in their customer journey. If you don’t have a way for your customers to shop online, you’re missing out on your portion of this enormous pie.

Data Collection and Analysis
A website provides invaluable data on customer behavior, preferences, and interactions. Your analytics are a treasure trove for tailoring your marketing strategies, improving product offerings, and enhancing the overall customer experience.

Other benefits of a website include customer engagement and interaction (which builds loyalty), and personalized recommendations. A well-optimized website can improve your brand’s visibility and reach on search engines, making it easier for potential customers to find you. Customer reviews, testimonials, and endorsements will quickly help build your social proof.

Must-Have Website Elements

What elements are necessary for you to create a brand-worthy website? Here’s our list of ways to build a memorable experience that your customers will return to again and again:

Elegant Visuals and Imagery
No skimping on budget here. Your site should use only high-resolution, professional photos and videos that showcase products in exquisite detail. The use of minimalistic and spacious design creates a sense of luxury, and aesthetic consistency in imagery, color palette, and typography reinforces your brand identity.

Clean and User-Friendly Layout
Develop a well-organized layout that presents content in a clear and intuitive manner. Think: easy navigation with clear menus and navigation paths, and use of whitespace to enhance readability and focus on key elements.

Sophisticated Typography
Carefully selected typography complements the brand’s image. Ensure the use of elegant, readable fonts for headings, body text, and other elements.

Compelling Brand Storytelling
Create a dedicated website section that narrates the brand’s heritage, values, and unique story. Engaging content helps evoke emotions and build a deeper connection with visitors.

Product Showcases
Beautifully designed product galleries or sliders allow visitors to explore products in detail. Be sure to use multiple images of each product from various angles and include detailed product descriptions and specifications.

Responsive Design
Ensure the website is optimized for various devices, including smartphones and tablets, to provide a seamless experience.

Testimonials and Reviews
Sharing good reviews highlights the quality and exclusivity of the products. Display endorsements from well-known figures or satisfied customers on the homepage, where they’re easy to see.

Privacy and Security Assurance
This feature is especially important for customers who transact a large amount of money online. Your site should instill confidence by highlighting data protection and security measures.

Seamless E-commerce Experience
This includes product pages that are fully functional, multiple payment options, secure checkout processes, and clear return and exchange policies.

Personalization and Recommendations
Personalization has elevated from trend to expectation. By analyzing your website data, you can offer personalized product recommendations based on visitor preferences.

Contact and Customer Service
Just like payment options, be sure to have several ways to contact customer service, including by chat. A recent study found that 41 percent of online shoppers prefer live chat for contacting companies.

Social Media Integration
Be sure to include links to all of your brand’s social media profiles so visitors can stay updated and engaged online.

To enhance your site even more, you can include VIP access, interactive elements like 360-degree product views or product recommendation quizzes, partnership collaborations, or a calendar highlighting upcoming sales or events.

So, How Much Does All This Cost?

The answer to this question depends on factors like functionality, design, mobile integration, shopping capabilities, SEO optimization, and more. The good news is, websites aren’t an all-or-nothing deal. Here’s a look at what various levels of investment can achieve:

Basic Investment
If your site doesn’t need to do much (just serve as a landing page for a social media campaign, for example), you can design a simple digital presence that enhances your credibility and gives customers the essentials, such as upcoming sales and contact information,

Mid-Level Investment
Putting a little more money into your website will give you a more robust, functional site that includes mobile-responsive design. More methods for interacting, like forms, photo galleries, and opportunities to buy online, equals more engagement. It also helps enhance your digital reputation and serve as social proof.

Going All Out
If the sky’s the limit for your budget, the sky’s the limit for what your website can do. Expect a higher level of graphic design and aesthetic, and a robust e-commerce platform that includes a seamless experience for questions and returns. Shoppers can receive relevant, personal recommendations that enhance their user experience, as well as rich content in the form of blog posts, high-quality videos, or other interactive content.

A top-tier website also comes with important back-end features like A/B testing, analytics dashboards and integration, conversion-rate optimization, and bots that find broken links. Expect optimal SEO performance, full mobile integration, enhanced analytics, and perhaps most importantly, a competitive edge in the digital space.

It’s clear that websites – even simple ones – play a vital role in increased online presence. When used to its full potential, your website can become your No. 1 method for engaging with both potential and loyal customers.

Ready to get building? Hawthorn Creative has an expert staff of digital strategists, creatives, developers, and analysts who will help you create the site of your dreams.

6 Do’s and Don’ts for User-Generated Content

in Content Marketing, General Marketing Insights, Social Media Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

n a world where authenticity and connection are prized, the power of user-generated content (UGC) done right cannot be underestimated. But for luxury brands, this marketing tactic can feel like a double-edged sword. You know that it’s imperative to engage with your audience online to expand your reach, but it’s also important to protect the brand that you’ve worked so hard to craft. Is inviting the public to participate something you’re willing to risk?

We have good news. When done correctly and with proper guidance, both are possible. We put together our best tips and tricks for harnessing the potential of UGC to build a thriving community online while also staying true to your brand identity.

1. Understand the Power of User-Generated Content

UGC refers to any content, such as reviews, images, videos, or testimonials, created by consumers rather than the brand itself. When executed thoughtfully, UGC can elevate a brand’s reputation by offering authentic social proof, increasing engagement, and building a sense of community. It provides an opportunity to showcase real-life experiences and foster a genuine connection with customers – and that’s what they’re looking for. A recent study found that consumers trust “authentic, unpaid reviews from real customers more than any other type of content.” And their No. 1 preference? UGC.

2. Clearly Define Your Luxury Brand’s Identity

Before delving into UGC, it’s crucial for a luxury brand to have a well-defined identity. What values, aesthetics, and emotions does your brand evoke? What sets you apart from the competition? Understanding your brand’s essence helps ensure that UGC aligns seamlessly with your overall image. The more your customers know who you are and the type of image you portray, the more confident they will be to follow suit.

3. Craft Strict UGC Guidelines and Guardrails

Before asking your consumers to get creating on your behalf, it’s essential to establish clear guidelines for what you want (and don’t want) from your UGC. Your policies should be thorough and consistent, and cover areas like:

Aesthetic Standards
Provide guidelines on visual elements, such as photography style, color palette, and image composition. This ensures that user-generated content aligns with your brand’s visual identity.

Messaging Tone and Voice
This is one of the most important parts of your brand’s personality. Whether it’s formal, sophisticated, or casual, consistent messaging maintains brand coherence (and encourages creators to use it as well).

Quality Standards
Set expectations for content quality, from image resolution to storytelling. This ensures that UGC reflects the same level of refinement as your brand’s official content. In reality, you can’t control the internet. But if you can establish a very clear and obvious identity and personality for your brand, your customers are likely to follow your lead. After all, it’s why they love your brand in the first place.

4. Encourage Your Customers to Create

The majority of your customers aren’t going to create brand content for you just because. Once you’re ready, the next step is to encourage them to share their experiences with your products or services. It adds a personal touch to your brand and builds a sense of belonging.

One easy way to encourage participation is via a custom hashtag that you create to reflect your brand. Hashtags are enticing for content creators, and they also make the UGC easy to find on various social media channels. (Note: Be sure to do your homework on any intended hashtags to make sure they aren’t either tied to something on social media that you don’t want to be associated with or read in a way that can distract from your intention.)

Another way to generate UGC is by rewarding creators with contests and giveaways. Offer enticing rewards to incentivize participation and fuel excitement for your brand. If you choose this route, always remember the work/reward ratio and be sure that the prize you’re offering is well worth the amount of work you’re asking people to do in order to participate.

5. Curate and Showcase UGC

Once your customers start to submit content, it’s essential to do something creative and thoughtful with the posts to push them out to as many more people as possible. These content pieces serve as a testimonial and can generate up to five times more sales than paid ads, so leaving them to float out there in the ether can mean a big missed opportunity. How do you make the most of your UGC library? Here are a few ideas to inspire you:

Feature UGC on Social Media
Regularly share user-generated content on your brand’s social media platforms. It not only reinforces a sense of community, but encourages others to follow suit.

Create a Dedicated UGC Gallery
Design a section on your website or app to display user-generated content. This provides a central hub for customers to explore and engage with UGC.

Collaborate with Influencers
Partner with influencers who resonate with your brand’s values. Their UGC can reach a wider audience and lend credibility to your luxury brand. If the notion of searching for the right influencer seems daunting to you, our team of social media experts can help you find the perfect partner.

6. Engage and Reward Your Community

Getting one round of UGC is great, but if you want your loyal customers to keep coming back with more, you’ll need to engage with them, say thank you early and often, and show them that their effort is worth the reward. Always ask yourself, “What’s in it for them?”

Respond and Interact
Don’t post and run – engage with users who create UGC on your behalf. Responding to comments, liking posts, and sharing UGC demonstrates your brand’s appreciation and builds a stronger connection.

Offer Exclusive Experiences
Give your top contributors opportunities to go behind the velvet rope with experiences, discounts, events, and other interactive elements. This not only rewards their loyalty, it also deepens their connection to your brand.

Show Gratitude
Publicly acknowledge and celebrate your community’s contributions. Recognize exceptional UGC creators through features or spotlights, fostering a sense of pride and belonging.

UGC Is Smart – If You Handle With Care

User-generated content can be a compelling tool for luxury brands to build a strong online community while maintaining their brand identity. With clear guidelines, encouraging meaningful UGC, and showcasing posts thoughtfully, luxury brands can create an authentic and engaging digital ecosystem that elevates their reputation and resonates with a discerning audience.

Ready to see the power of UGC for yourself? Hawthorn Creative has an expert staff of digital strategists, creatives, developers, and analysts who will help you craft, execute and monitor smart campaigns.

Back to School: Our Top 10 Ways to Keep Your Rooms Full Even After Summer Vacation Ends

in Content Marketing, Event Venues, Hotels & Resorts by Hawthorn Editorial

hen vacation season officially ends and the kids head back to school, it may feel like your property goes from no vacancy to vacant in just a few weeks. Even if it’s been this way for years, you don’t have to resign yourself to the inevitable. With the help of some smart strategic planning, you can keep those bookings going all year long, even when your resort pools aren’t full of splashing, laughing kids and their families.

At Hawthorn Creative, we’re experts at finding creative solutions to our clients’ business challenges. Here are just a few of the ways we work with our destination marketing clients to think outside the box:

1. Craft Tailored Marketing Campaigns

For many family-oriented properties, the default setting for marketing is to focus on your all-ages amenities and activities. When those travelers can’t be on the road, however, shift your marketing efforts to target your other customer segments – or try to earn new ones.

During the off-season, for example, highlight the benefits of a quieter and more relaxed stay, such as couples getaways, business trips, or wellness retreats. Customize your promotional materials to speak to these specific groups, showcasing your hotel’s amenities and offerings that cater to their needs. (This tactic is No. 1 because it’s also essential to every other idea on this list. If your messaging doesn’t work, it’s possible that nothing else will, either.)

2. Offer Seasonal Packages and Special Offers

If marketing messages alone aren’t enough to grab their attention, up the ante with enticing seasonal packages that appeal to your various target audiences. Consider collaborating with local attractions, such as museums, theaters, or outdoor adventure companies, to offer incentives like bundled experiences, special offers, or discounts. Since many of your local businesses may also see a post-summer drop-off, this could truly be a win-win and lead to a mutually beneficial partnership.

3. Embrace Local Events

You’d be hard-pressed to find a community that doesn’t offer some version of a fall festival. Position your property as the home base for all of your area’s off-season happenings and partner with event organizers to offer special discounts or giveaways. For an out-of-the-box idea, you could also leverage any opportunities where your property is venue-adjacent. The right targeted marketing and messages could entice attendees to stay with you, rather than on-site.

4. Form Local Partnerships

As an extension of No. 3, you can greatly increase your visibility and reputation as the go-to property in town by forging partnerships with local businesses to create a network of mutual support. Consider reaching out to nearby restaurants, shops, or tour operators with ways to cross-promote each other’s offerings. We’ve written a lot lately about how hotels are becoming much more than just places to sleep, and this is one way to offer guests a fuller experience.

5. Enhance Your Guest Experience

A superior guest experience can lead to repeat bookings and positive word-of-mouth referrals. Invest in personalized services, impeccable cleanliness, and excellent customer service. Create a warm and welcoming atmosphere that encourages guests to return, regardless of the season. Offering a memorable experience will set your hotel apart and encourage guests to choose you even after the summer rush subsides.

6. Diversify Amenities

Continuing the guest experience ideas, another way to build loyalty and earn those five-star reviews is to include amenities that cater to interests beyond family activities. Features like a cozy lounge with board games, a spa and wellness center, or a themed bar can be attractive to people traveling without children (think: girls weekend getaways or business trips).

7. Capitalize on Business Travel

Would business travelers be interested in staying at a summer family resort? Yes – that is, if you create a smart strategy and messaging that speaks to their individual needs. Especially as conference season ramps up in the fall, your messaging could highlight amenities such as high-speed internet, business centers, and meeting rooms. Or, perhaps even more crucially, the ever-important hotel bar, which almost always serves as the meeting spot for coworkers and other business travelers.

8. Enhance Digital Presence and Online Booking

While a solid digital strategy is important all year, it’s a good idea to focus your efforts even more on the off-season, when fewer people are traveling. You can maintain your active online presence through a wide variety of channels, including social media, a user-friendly website, digital ad campaigns, and online travel agencies. To maximize your efforts, create content that’s engaging, visually stunning, and most importantly, speaks clearly to your non-family-vacation audience. Then, follow through with a seamless online booking process and spectacular customer service.

9. Offer Rain-or-Shine Activities

Curate a list of weather-independent activities and attractions in your area, and offer it to guests at several points along their customer journey. As a social media promotion, it can highlight all of your area’s options for entertainment, regardless of rain, sun, or snow. And, if sent digitally after booking or as a print piece upon check-in, this guide can serve as something a little extra that goes above and beyond. To get started, research local venues like museums, indoor galleries, cooking classes, and wine tastings.

10. Engage With the Local Community

This idea is indirectly related to booking, but it’s based on the notion that a good recommendation can be worth more than a targeted digital ad campaign. To have success here, it’s essential to become an integral part of your local community. Some ideas include sponsoring or participating in local events, supporting charitable causes, or hosting workshops and seminars. Being well-known in your area is a great way to strengthen your brand’s reputation and generate local interest in your hotel.

No matter which tactic you choose, remember that embracing creativity and adaptability is the key to sustaining bookings beyond the summer months, ensuring a thriving business and a memorable experience for every guest.

Are you ready to keep your hotel brimming with guests all year long? Hawthorn Creative has an expert staff of digital strategists, creatives, developers, and analysts who will help you craft, execute, and monitor smart off-season campaigns specifically tailored to your property.

3 Sustainability Efforts That Are On the Rise in the Hospitality Industry

in Brand Strategy, Content Marketing, General Marketing Insights by Hawthorn Editorial

ore and more, travelers are choosing lodging that aligns with their values, and one of the most important is sustainability. In fact, a recent study showed that as many as 81 percent of global travelers say that environmentally sustainable travel is important – that’s not a number that any hotelier can ignore.

And while “going green” isn’t by any stretch a new concept, what it means in 2023 looks different than it did in the movement’s early years. Pressure from both the traveling public and the competition is on the upswing, leading many properties to change from offering eco-friendly basics to planning full strategies around sustainability.

The hotels leading the charge are going all in, with some even making their way toward net-zero emissions. What can you do to make sure you’re staying ahead of the game? Here’s what’s trending:

1. Renewable Energy

This is a big step toward the goal of carbon neutrality. Forward-thinking properties are researching and investing in this evolving technology, and it may not be as cost-prohibitive as you imagine. The options for renewable energy are growing beyond the traditional solar and wind power to include power sources like:

Geothermal Heating and Cooling: Geothermal energy utilizes the Earth’s natural heat to provide efficient heating and cooling solutions. Hotels can use geothermal systems for space heating, water heating, and air conditioning. And because the entire system is buried beneath the ground, it doesn’t create any aesthetic challenges.
Hydropower: Hotels situated near bodies of water can explore hydropower options, such as small-scale hydroelectric generators, to produce electricity from flowing water. Imagine an old-timey grist mill with a working water wheel to power the machinery, times a million.
Biomass and Biofuels: Some hotels use biomass, such as wood chips or agricultural waste, to generate heat or electricity. Additionally, biofuels, such as biodiesel or ethanol, can be used in hotel vehicles or backup generators. (Cue the Willie Nelson music!)
Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Systems: These innovative systems, also known as cogeneration systems, produce both electricity and useful heat at the same time, all from a single energy source. At hotels, CHPs can be used to generate electricity while utilizing waste heat for space heating or hot water.
Energy Storage: Hotels may invest in energy storage solutions, such as batteries, to store excess energy generated from renewable sources. Stored energy can be used during peak demand times or when renewable energy generation is low.
Off-Grid Solutions: Some properties’ main amenity is their out-of-the-way location, which can make renewable energy a challenge. However, some hotels are getting around connectivity issues with off-grid solutions that combine renewable energy sources, like solar and wind, with energy storage and backup generators to ensure a reliable power supply.
Green Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs): Much like hosted internet service or website maintenance, you can enter into agreements to purchase renewable energy from third-party providers. This provides an opportunity to support renewable energy projects and reduce your hotel’s carbon footprint, especially if you don’t have the technology to generate renewable energy on-site.
Innovative Designs: Some hotels are incorporating sustainability into their aesthetic with innovative architectural and design elements that optimize renewable energy generation. Some recent trends include incorporating passive solar design principles or building-integrated photovoltaics, or BIPV. (Click the links to delve into technical explanations for each.)

2. Plastic Reduction and Elimination

This growing trend can bring substantial relief to our oceans and landfills. Most commonly, the calls to action for waste reduction include discontinuing single-use plastics, replacing single-use shampoo bottles with reusable pumps, investing in low-flush toilets, and laundering linens less often. But are there other ways to reduce your footprint? Here are some strategies to consider:

Water Filtration: One way to eliminate the need for plastic water bottles is to install water filtration systems in guest rooms and common areas to ensure safe and clean drinking water. As a bonus amenity, you can even provide your guests with reusable bottles at check-in.
Composting and Recycling: If you want your guests and staff to recycle as often as possible, make it as easy as possible. Set up effective, clearly defined waste separation systems for composting and recycling, train staff, educate guests about proper waste disposal practices, and then offer incentives like restaurant discounts to encourage participation.
Food and Beverage Service: Ditch your traditional single-use dinnerware for reusable or biodegradable plates, to-go containers, and utensils. You can even take it a step further by opting for bulk options when it comes to individually packaged condiments.
Plastic-Free Packaging: Beyond the products actually used by guests and staff, you can also help reduce plastic by sourcing products that come in plastic-free packaging. (This strategy can be a double win for the environment if your vendors switch to this type of packaging to remain competitive.)

3. Linen Rental

Outsourcing your property’s inventory and maintenance of bed linens, towels, cloth napkins, and other textile products may seem counterintuitive at first, but partnering with a third party to provide a steady supply of clean, high-quality linens comes with a number of environmental benefits:

Water Conservation: Linen rental services typically use industrial-sized washing machines that are more water-efficient than smaller, in-house laundry machines. This process reduces the overall water consumption required for cleaning hotel linens.
Energy Efficiency: Industrial laundry facilities are designed for energy efficiency, so they use advanced technology and larger loads to reduce energy consumption vs. traditional hotel laundry operations.
Chemical Use Reduction: Professional linen rental services often employ advanced laundry techniques and chemicals optimized for cleaning and stain removal. This can lead to a reduction in the overall use of detergents and harsh chemicals, which is better for both the environment and the health of staff.
Reduced Waste: Linen rental services typically have better control over inventory management, leading to reduced linen waste and a longer lifespan for linens. This minimizes the need for constant replacement, saving resources and reducing waste.
Collaboration with Sustainable Suppliers: Many linen rental companies offer eco-friendly options, such as organic cotton or recycled materials, allowing hotels to align their linen choices with their sustainability goals.
Certifications and Standards: Reputable linen rental companies likely adhere to environmental standards and certifications, giving hotels the assurance that their linens are being cleaned and maintained in an environmentally responsible manner.

It’s true that some of these projects require a significant investment up front, or just aren’t possible due to a hotel’s location or available resources. When determining whether one of these strategies is right for you, it’s important to weigh the initial cost against the long-term benefits, like improved energy security, enhanced brand reputation, and making a positive impact on local communities and ecosystems.

At Hawthorn Creative, we have a team of strategists and consultants with years of experience in the hospitality industry to help you make the best decisions for your property.

7 Tips for Marketing Your Wedding Venue in 2024

in Content Marketing, Event Venues, Hotels & Resorts, Social Media Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

right colors, stunning outdoor spaces, and maximalist decor dominated this year’s wedding scene. As we move into 2024, we can expect that same big-and-bold sentiment, with experts forecasting trends like vibrant color palettes, fun photo ops, and luxurious touches (think: champagne towers).

How can your venue be at the top of the list for couples who are planning their nuptials this year – and are prepared to go all out for their big day? Here are seven expert tips and tactics to consider when planning your venue marketing strategy.

1. Highlight Your Picture-Perfect Photography

If a potential couple wants to be married against a breathtaking backdrop, your pictures should leave them with no doubt that yours is the most stunning. If they’re looking for a nightclub-style party, your photos should invoke exclusivity, fashion, and fun. High-quality photos are the lifeblood of wedding venue marketing, so we put together a list of things that anyone – even those of us who aren’t professional photographers – can look for and request to ensure the perfect venue photo shoot.

From the blog: “If your wedding venue recently had a big renovation, your old photos are looking a little tired, or it’s just been a few years, it may be time to hire a photographer to do an original shoot of your venue. These shots will make your marketing team’s job easier, as they’ll better reflect your property and be specifically composed to portray it in the best light, as opposed to a real event, in which certain elements are out of your control.”

2. Show Off Your Sustainability Savvy

With the hospitality industry at large prioritizing sustainability more so than ever before, it’s no surprise that soon-to-weds are increasingly opting for something green, rather than blue, on their big day. To position your venue as a sustainable choice, you’ll want to highlight what makes your property eco-friendly, whether it’s partnering with sustainable local vendors or utilizing solar power. Ensure that your respect for the environment is at the forefront of all your marketing material – that way, you can attract like-minded couples who want to support sustainability while saying “I do” in style.

From the blog: “Pressure from both the traveling public and the competition is on the upswing, leading many properties to change from offering eco-friendly basics to planning full strategies around sustainability. The hotels [and venues] leading the charge are going all in, with some even making their way toward net-zero emissions.”

3. Keep Your “Google My Business” Page Up to Snuff

Google’s free listing tool for businesses is a crucial element of effectively marketing your wedding venue. After all, interested couples will be heavily researching potential wedding sites online to find the perfect fit – the more information they can easily find about your property, the better. And even better, a robust GMB page is great for SEO, and will earn points with google, rewarding your website with higher search rankings. Spend some time updating and ensuring all information on your GMB page is accurate, with high-quality photos to boot.

From the blog: “GMB has become such a standard now that companies that don’t complete their pages are the ones that stand out – and not necessarily in a good way. And it does have its share of competitors (Yelp, Facebook Business, and Foursquare, for example), but a recent study revealed that Google owns 92.61 percent of the search engine market. That one statistic alone is your signal to ensure that your GMB profile is up to snuff.”

4. Make Sure Your Brochure Is Worthy of Your Venue

When you have the right kind of wedding brochure, it’s doing a bunch of vital jobs for you – even more than showing off those pretty pictures of your venue. And whether you’re the hippest Gen Z venue in the area or a secluded mountain getaway, your brochure should make a potential couple flip through and say “This is the place.” Here’s a look at how to get the most out of your brochure.

From the blog: “Wedding planning is inherently social. We talk to our friends and family and bounce ideas around regarding the guest list, color scheme, food and beverage, and perhaps most importantly, the venue choice. The wedding brochure can serve as a talking piece and a focus for the couple’s conversations with others – both those who may have attended the venue tour and those who didn’t. When the bride describes the spot where she’s thinking about saying ‘I do,’ she’ll be able to physically hold the brochure in her hands, pass it to a friend or parents, and bring it alive more fully by pairing her description with your visuals.”

5. Invest in Social Media

With just a small ad spend (and a management fee, if you’d rather we do it) you can reach newly engaged couples in your area and drive them to your wedding page. The ROI can be towering, but the key to success is researching where your audience is online and meeting them there. Here’s how Bluemont Vineyard – a location that’s nailed the “outdoor setting with a stunning view” vibe – used social media with tremendous success:

From the blog: “In just the first month of Bluemont Vineyard’s social ad campaign, they saw 24,005 impressions, 4,210 people reached, 210 clicks, and a whopping 31 leads (brides and grooms who filled out the site inquiry form on their website) – all thanks to a $400 ad spend, plus our management fees. All told, the first month saw a whopping 33x return on investment.”

6. Understand Exactly – Down to the Dollar – How Valuable Site Visits Are

While your brochure and social media drive top-of-funnel awareness, a visit to your venue is what really brings a couple’s wedding vision to life. They’re almost always a prerequisite to booking, so it’s logical that you should try to drive as many qualified venue tours as possible. But did you know it’s possible to assign a dollar value to those visits, making it easier to determine your marketing spend?

From the blog: “After answering just four questions, there are a couple of simple calculations you can perform to figure out how to put a dollar value estimate on each step in your sales funnel. From there, you can dive deeper to figure out how different marketing tactics for your wedding venue are performing, based on how qualified those leads are. The result is a simpler, smarter, more informed marketing plan that you can tackle, regardless of how much time you have to devote to marketing.”

7. When in Doubt, Use This Scorecard

The marketing tactics on the scorecard linked here total 100 points – if you tally up the ones that you’ve got covered, how close do you get to a perfect score? This is a quick exercise to see whether you’re on the right track and where you should spend a little more time.

From the blog: “Are you confident that you’re doing enough with your wedding venue marketing? We thought through the whole process – from that moment just before the newly engaged couple finds you to the point after the vows have been said, the cake has been cut, and the wedding is over – and took a go at giving you a scorecard to vet your current marketing efforts.”

Event-Centered: How to Drive More Hotel Bookings by Featuring Upcoming Events in Your Area

in Destination Marketing Organizations, Event Venues by Hawthorn Editorial

ravelers head out of their homes and hit the road for a million and one reasons: to check destinations off their bucket list, to escape the everyday in search of solitude (or adventure), to attend their favorite band’s concert in a faraway state, and so much more.

As hotel marketers, understanding the reasons people travel is essential to honing your recommendations and packages to meet those needs. Here, we’ll focus on navigating your local event scene, and how becoming an expert in all things “to-do” can help you drive more bookings.

First, Establish Your Hotel as a Premier Event Partner

The first step to effectively promoting the events in your area is to be aware of everything that’s happening, from small weekend farmers markets to world tour concert stops. Your first instinct might be to take to the web or social media, and you can definitely find a wealth of information there. But to really have your finger on the pulse and put yourself out there as the go-to lodging for out-of-towners, here are some out-of-the-box ways to expand your networking:

Attend Local Events

Don’t just read about it, be about it. Actively participate in various local events to not only see first-hand what they’re about, but also to meet organizers, sponsors, and attendees. Engage in conversations as often as possible, be sure to bring business cards along, and enjoy the time spent connecting with your community.

Establish Partnerships

Follow-through is essential after you’ve attended an event – it’s the time when you begin to establish partnerships with event organizers and other local businesses involved. Prepare a proposal that highlights the benefits of a partnership, like driving mutual traffic through hotel/ticket packages, room blocks, and more.

Consider Sponsorships or Hosting

Consider hosting an event on-property, which can greatly increase your visibility and brand exposure. A word of caution, though, is to be picky. Say “yes” to events that align with your target audience and brand values so attendees are more likely to pick your property for their overnight stay.

Use Social Media Wisely

Be sure to connect with your new contacts via social media – both business-to-business and on a personal level. Send follow-ups to any influencers you might meet, and be active on their pages to establish a bond. (Once you start linking up for events, you can also use social media to promote what’s happening locally on your pages.)

Utilize Local Directories

Make sure your property is listed in all of the local event directories (online and offline) as well as tourism websites and brochures. Having your name on the list – especially at the top of the list – makes it easy for visiting guests to find your hotel when seeking accommodations.

Network with Local Event Planners

Do a little digging to see if there are event-planning agencies or organizations in your area. Forge connections with them, consider a little public relations outreach to make your property top-of-mind, and ask them to have conversations on ways that you can help each other win.

Meet Local Influencers

Influencers can go a long way when it comes to getting the word out about your property. Collaborate with content creators who have a significant following in your area and routinely post about local happenings and events. Invite them to stay at your hotel during one of their upcoming events and ask them to share the experience with their audience.

Once you’ve established partnerships, have a full calendar of everything happening in your community, and understand clearly which events would be your best opportunities for partnership, you can get to the fun stuff – getting creative and planning!

Next, Promote, Promote, Promote

How (and how much) you harness the local event scene to promote your property will depend on a number of factors, including the type of event, time of year, number of expected guests, and whether it aligns with your property’s brand. It can be as simple as putting together your own list of local happenings that you share with guests or as detailed as hosting a themed event of your own that takes over the entire property. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Offer Event Packages and Promotions

One surefire way to drive event-related bookings at your property is to offer package deals, such as tickets to the event along with accommodations and maybe even transportation to the venue. You can promote these packages on your hotel website, social media channels, or targeted email marketing. And, with the right partnerships already established, you can ask your event partner to promote these deals on their channels as well.

Create Event-Themed Content

With or without established partnerships, you can write blog posts, social media posts, and email newsletters that include information about upcoming events. Be sure to provide all the basics – the who, what, when, and where – as well as the why your guests would love to attend. (Again, be sure the events you’re promoting are in line with your brand and values.) While not a direct package partnership, a well-placed “Book Now” CTA at the end of your posting lets guests know that your property is perfectly located for easy event access.

Promote Sponsorships or Partnerships

Collaborate with event organizers to cross-promote each other’s offerings. For example, your property can be mentioned in their event materials, and in return, you’ll pass out those event materials to all of your guests. Social media videos from each other’s locations could draw lots of attention (and mutual followers).

Exclusive Offers

You can get creative here – complimentary breakfast for guests who show their event wristbands, free shuttle service to and from the event, early check-in or late check-out for eventgoers, or themed swag bags for guests who purchased a ticket package. The sky’s the limit, so think outside the box and give your guests something that will help them remember your property just as much as the event itself.

Event Information Desks

Here’s an idea that can work two ways – an event-managed info desk in your hotel lobby where guests can learn more and purchase tickets or a hotel-managed info desk on-site at the event where guests can sign up for loyalty programs or be entered for giveaways.

Post-Event Follow Up

Especially if you offer an event package, send follow-up emails to your guests and encourage them to write reviews on your property that include information about the event, too. It can help set the tone that your property is perfect for next year’s event.

Targeted Ads

Use online ad platforms to target potential guests who have also shown an interest in local events, attractions, or other related topics. Create ads that tailor to this audience’s interests and let them know that your property is the perfect place to rest their heads after an action-packed weekend.

At the end of the day, using local events to market your property is all about finding the right event at the right time that appeals to your typical guest profile and travel budget. Get creative, be bold in networking and asking for partnerships, and treat your guests to lodging plus adventure.

If you’d love to become a part of the local event scene but aren’t sure how to get started, Hawthorn Creative has an expert staff of digital strategists, creatives, and analysts who can work with you every step of the way.

It’s All About the Experience: Hotels That Win Are So Much More Than a Place to Sleep

in Hotels & Resorts by Hawthorn Editorial

fter the past few years, it’s hard to define the word “normal.” In so many ways, we’ve left tradition behind, realizing that you don’t need to keep doing something the same way just because that’s how it’s always been done.

For travelers, getting outside of that box means “doing what they want to do, not what everyone else is doing.” The Expedia 2023 Travel Trends report refers to this sentiment as the “No-Normal,” and says that trends so far this year show a global shift in mindset for travelers. They’re actively seeking all-new experiences, from jet-setting around the globe to the biggest culture capitals of the world to heading for wide-open spaces (cowboy hat included).

How can your property capitalize on this rapidly growing trend? Turn your hotel into an experience of its own. Whether you’re a boutique, niche hotel or a Fortune 500 brand name, it’s fun to get creative and think of ways to wow your guests. And those unexpected surprises are a great way to build customer loyalty and drive both new and repeat bookings.

Upgrading amenities to experiences can take two forms: enhancing those you already offer, or creating completely new ones that will surprise and delight. First, here’s a look at some simple ways you can get started – or make sure you’re staying the course:

Create cozy and comfy accommodations. Guests appreciate clean, comfortable, well-designed rooms that help them truly relax after a long and stressful day. If you haven’t already, consider upgrading your rooms to include things like memory foam mattresses, soaking tubs, or smart lighting.
Demand excellent customer service. A guest’s interaction with your staff members can make or break their visit (and lead to a great or not-so-great review). Ensuring top-notch customer service from the first interaction to the last can go a long way toward creating a memorable experience.
Make sure the internet works. This may seem obvious, but nothing ruins a business traveler’s trip faster than a hotel room with spotty – or no – wifi. There are many ways to upgrade your tech experience, but one of the most essential is to ensure that your guests have reliable access to the fastest speeds possible.
Cook up quality dining options. Even if your property only offers continental breakfast, you can still make it the best continental breakfast your guests have ever had. Always ensure that the dishes are hot, the wait staff is wonderful, and that your dining menus offer local, fresh cuisine.
Beef up your gym. A well-appointed gym can be a make-or-break option for some guests. To turn your gym into a fitness experience, invest in some of the latest equipment and offer a variety of ways to work out. It’s also a smart idea to consider TVs and ways to keep the gym smelling shower fresh.
Get local. Offer your guests a guide to everything they need to know about local attractions, events, restaurants, and more. The experience of finding hidden gems and living like locals is rapidly trending in 2023, and the perfect opportunity to get on board.
Sweat the small stuff. There’s a reason that cruise ship attendants create creatures out of bath towels – passengers love them! Thoughtful touches like fresh flowers, personalized notes for special occasions like anniversaries or birthdays, or even free water bottles in the room can make a great first impression (and leave a great lasting one as well).
Go to the dogs. If you don’t, consider allowing guests to bring their pets. And if you’re already pet friendly, give their furry friends a great experience, too! Things like indoor potty areas in case of rain, treats distributed during check-in, and maybe even crates for rent can give travelers added security that their fur babies will have a great time as well.

Leveling Up Your Guest Experience

If your amenity game is on point, it’s time to take things to the next level by creating experiences that will drive conversation, good reviews, repeat visits, and word-of-mouth referrals. It’s true that some of these require an investment to be successful, but when “experience” is already at the top of every travel list and still climbing, the hotels that can deliver on that need will come out on top.

Ready to step it up a notch? Here are some ideas to get your creative gears turning.

Offer culinary experiences. Why not take dinnertime to the next level by offering not just superb meals, but the chance to learn how to create them? Access to chefs, exclusive dining events, cooking classes, and local culinary tours are sure to attract foodies to your property.
Go from spa to ahhhhh. Many luxury hotels already have spas, but you can set new trends in relaxation and wellness by going above and beyond the traditional menu. Consider things like meditation classes, salt caves, yoga, or even wellness retreat weekends with a focus on relaxation, mindfulness, and self-improvement.
Double as a tour guide. Step up the idea of offering your guests local information and consider offering tours and excursions of your own that start and end at your property. Whether you’re in a scenic rural area or a bustling city, create itineraries that would appeal to your typical guests.
Make it personal. Another hot trend right now is personalization, which can range from the simple-yet-effective tactic of calling a guest by name to allowing them complete control over the ambiance of their room, from lighting to music to pillow preference.
Host workshops and learning opportunities. Depending on where your property is located, set up classes for your guests that will enhance their local stay, like kayaking or canoeing, photography, wine tasting, city navigation apps. The key to success here is to understand what interests your guests while they’re with you.
Become the VIP. If your property brings in a lot of business travelers, host a happy hour in one of your gathering spaces so that they can meet and network in a social setting. If you’re a family-friendly hotel, host a themed holiday party. Or, extend the party off-site by partnering with local attractions and events.
Think outside the room. If it’s feasible and in line with your values and guest profile, consider offering accommodations that are beyond the traditional, like bunkhouses, treehouses, underwater suites, cabins, or glamping-style tents.
Entertain the kids. Make the whole family feel welcome with experiences like family-friendly excursions, activities for all ages, a kiddie pool, or even a kids’ club that operates as a drop-off center so the adults can have some time to be themselves.

As you plan, it’s imperative to keep your brand, values, and guest profile top of mind. Always put those things at the top of the list, and make sure that whatever you’re planning ladders back up.

If this all sounds great but a little daunting, Hawthorn Creative has an expert staff of digital strategists, creatives, and analysts who can work with you every step of the way to come up with unique ideas that your guests will love.

Insta-Worthy: How to Double Your Audience on Social Media In a Year

in Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

hether you live by it or loathe it, social media continues to grow by leaps and bounds. These digital platforms are no longer just the places to get all the neighborhood tea, but also to do business. And while it feels like there are a million metrics to track across a million platforms, there’s one question that always gets asked first: How many followers do you have?

To monetize on Instagram, you need at least 10,000 followers. On Facebook, it’s the same number, along with other qualifications you need to meet depending on your objectives. On TikTok, it’s 1,000 followers to drive sales through live-streaming, and 10,000 to become a part of the Creator Fund.

Creating the Right Content for Your Luxury Brand

If you aren’t even close to those numbers, how do you cross those necessary starting lines so that you can claim your piece of the social media pie? The first step is to have a clear understanding of your brand and how luxury brands play in the social space. Here are some goals to shoot for:

Visual Excellence: As a luxury brand, your content should be visually stunning. It’s essential to invest in high-quality photography, videography, and graphic design that showcases your products in an elegant manner.
Storytelling and Emotion: Craft compelling brand stories that evoke emotions and create a sense of desire and aspiration. Be sure to focus on the lifestyle and values associated with your brand, so that it’s not just a product – it’s a status symbol.
Brand Heritage and Legacy: Many luxury brands have a long history and heritage, and social media is the perfect place for celebrating yours. Create content that showcases your legacy, craftsmanship, and enduring appeal. This, combined with the ideas above, all work together to reinforce your brand values.
Behind-the-Scenes Content: Giving your followers little glimpses of #bts – aka behind the scenes – action, such as your craftsmanship process or exclusive events, adds an element of exclusivity and authenticity to the brand. This is also great content for livestreams.
Sustainability and Ethical Practices: Luxury brands are increasingly incorporating sustainability and ethical practices into their brand stories. Consider content that highlights your efforts to be environmentally responsible – it resonates with socially conscious consumers, especially Gen Z.
Consistency and Cohesion: This is an important one: While your tone may change depending on the social channel you’re using, it’s imperative to keep a consistent brand voice and identity across all of your social media platforms. It reinforces your luxury image and fosters recognition, even if you’re a bit more serious on Instagram than you are on TikTok.
Cultural Relevance: Spend as much time being a social user as a creator so that you’re aware of current trends, pop culture, and social issues. When it’s appropriate and aligns with your brand values, these opportunities can be a good way to connect with your followers on a deeper level.

How to Double Your Social Media Followers

Once you’ve created your content, here are some social-posting strategies that can help you see your numbers rise quickly, no matter which channel(s) you choose to focus on. Regardless of the tactics you choose, however, the key to success is a well-thought-out, strategic approach that’s consistent and always connects back to your brand aesthetic. Here’s our step-by-step guide:

Define Clear Objectives: What is your purpose for increasing your social media following? Are you seeking brand awareness, more engagement, lead generation, or an increase in sales? Answering these “why” questions first will help you focus and guide your strategies.
Know Your Target Audience: Do some extensive research to identify your target demographic and understand their preferences, interests, and behavior on social media. Knowing the way they behave on social, as well as what kind of content they gravitate toward, will help you tailor content that you know will resonate.
Use Hashtags Wisely: Hashtags are used to increase your post visibility and attract new followers by topic, and a smart hashtag strategy can mean the difference between success and failure. Each social channel operates differently when it comes to the number and type of hashtags that are ideal, so it’s important to stay on top of what’s trending to discover the right hashtags for your goals.
Be Consistent: Every social media platform offers user analytics to help you find the ideal times/days to post. After you’ve made a few posts, take a look at your audience’s online activity to find out when they’re most likely to see your content. That doesn’t mean to only post when the timing feels right, however. The algorithms like consistency, so it’s important to maintain a consistent posting schedule so that your followers know when to expect you. (If they really like your content, they’ll be waiting for the next post to drop!)
Engage and Interact: Many brands overlook this aspect of building a social strategy, but the ones who win take the time to respond to comments, messages, and mentions promptly. Start a conversation by asking questions, running polls, and encouraging user-generated content – it goes a long way toward fostering a real sense of community.
Use Advertising to Boost: There are some creators who want every. single. follower. to be gained organically. But if you ask us, investing in targeted ad campaigns falls under the category of “work smarter, not harder.” All of the major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, offer powerful targeting options to reach your ideal audience.
Partner With Influencers: The right social influencer can help you see a bigger ROI on your products or services than even the best targeted ad campaign. Your ideal influencer is at the intersection of current trends and has a similar aesthetic as your brand, mutual followers, and a shared human experience. If finding your perfect influencer seems like an overwhelming task, Hawthorn Creative has social media experts on staff who know that community inside and out.
Curate Exclusivity: Reward your social media followers with exclusive offers, discounts, or early access to new products. This can incentivize people to follow your brand and stay engaged. Limited editions can also help create a sense of urgency and desire that appeal to longtime brand loyalists as well as newcomers.
Give Stuff Away: Organize contests and giveaways that encourage people to follow your brand and engage with your content – but the offerings shouldn’t be just anything. Make sure the prizes you select – whether products, services, or tickets to a must-attend event – are attractive and relevant to your target audience. That said…
Cross-Promote: Social media is a great space to partner with complementary brands or businesses to cross-promote each other’s content. Through joint livestreams, duets, stitches, or even co-created content, finding the right partner can expose you to an entirely new audience.
Make Sure Your Shopping Experience Is Seamless: This one isn’t optional. As a luxury brand, it’s imperative that your social media profiles offer direct links to your websites or individual products, relevant CTA buttons, and a reliable destination page without broken links. Make it easier than expected to purchase your products or services.
LOOK AT YOUR DATA: This one’s in ALL CAPS on purpose, because it’s the single most overlooked – and single most helpful – tool that you have in your social media marketing arsenal. Analytics dashboards tell you the times of day and days of the week that most of your followers are online, how many people viewed your content, how much engagement you got, how many new followers you’ve gained, and a lot more demographic information.

If this sounds like a lot of work, that’s because it is. Growing your social media following doesn’t happen overnight, but with consistency, patience, a smart strategy, and a willingness to shift based on what’s working, you’ll see your follower numbers start to rise.

If social media feels like something you don’t understand, or don’t have time to understand, Hawthorn Creative has an expert staff of digital strategists, creatives, and analysts who can work with you every step of the way.

Here’s How to Build Buyer Personas (and Why You Need Them)

in Marketing Topics by Hawthorn Editorial

hat’s a buyer persona, anyway?

You’ve probably heard that term floating around a lot, but do you actually know what a buyer persona is, how it’s constructed, and why it’s an important element of a smart marketing campaign? If you’re familiar with the concept but fuzzy on the details, pull up a chair. Let’s dig in

Buyer Persona Basics

Also known as customer avatars, buyer personas are fictional, generalized representations of your ideal customers. They’re created based on market research, data analysis, and real customer insights. These personas represent the common needs, preferences, motivations, and pain points of your various customer segments. They usually have a name and a (stock) photograph to represent them, and ideally, when you create your marketing strategy, it’s a form of one-on-one communication that seeks to empathize with that “person.”

Every buyer persona is created uniquely for a particular brand, but they all share some commonalities as a foundation, including:

Demographics: These include factors like age, gender, location, occupation, income level, education, and other relevant demographic information.
Goals and Motivations: What drives your customers to seek your types of products or services? Are they motivated by aspiration, a feeling of belonging, or even by fear? Understanding what drives them to hit the “Buy Now” button is invaluable, especially when you can use that information to truly empathize.
Challenges and Pain Points: This involves an examination of the issues your ideal customers face and the challenges they see as obstacles to purchase. It could be something physical like budget or distance, or something psychological like fear of trying a new technology, social media burnout, or feeling like there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Whatever your customers’ pain points are, you can use your marketing tactics as reassurance, confidence, or whatever else they seek.
Behavior and Interests: This includes information about how customers behave online and offline, as well as their hobbies and interests.
Buying Preferences: Are your ideal customers online shoppers, or do they prefer handling merchandise before buying it? Are they willing to shop from a social media platform? Understanding how and where your customers prefer to make purchases can inform not only your marketing messages, but also sales and distribution strategies.
Communication Preferences: Knowing which channels and formats resonate with customers enables businesses to effectively engage and communicate with them.

Where Do You Find the Information?

This is the hard part – collecting all of the relevant data. Creating a persona involves both quantitative (numbers) and qualitative (words) research and can include both first and second-person research.

To get the answers directly from your customers, you can conduct surveys, interviews, or focus groups, collaborate with your sales team to get their stories, or even take to social media to read comments and reviews. You can also form an online community where customers can discuss your products in an open forum.

For secondary research, things like industry reports and surveys, website and social media analytics, and even a competitor analysis can help round out the picture and fill in any gaps.

The good news is you don’t have to try and boil down a pile of disparate data into one persona. If your analysis is showing several different types of customers, then create an avatar for each one. With those in hand, it can help target your marketing even more.

Do Customer Personas Actually Help?

In a word, yes. Putting a “face” to your ideal customer creates a human connection that might otherwise be missed if you’re purely looking at data sets. It’s worth its weight in marketing gold to be able to speak to your customers directly about what their concerns are and answer them.

Once your buyer personas are complete, here are some ways to take full advantage of them:

Targeted Marketing: It goes without saying that understanding your customers’ needs and preferences makes it easy to tailor not only your marketing messages, but the channels on which they’re served.
Content Creation: Buyer personas are the heart and soul of content strategies – if they’re thorough, you may even find your marketing messages within those helping marketers create relevant and valuable content that attracts and engages their ideal customers.
Product Development: Although it’s only semi-related to marketing, having personas on hand and building products and services based on buyer personas’ preferences ensures better alignment with customer expectations.
A Customer-Centric Approach: By focusing on the needs and desires of specific buyer personas, you can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty throughout the entire customer journey.

Are the Rules the Same for Luxury Brands?

The basic rules are the same, but as with anything that deals with a niche customer base, there are some unique situations to consider. As a luxury brand, it’s important to also put these extra factors into play:

Research and Data Collection: As a luxury brand, you may be in the fortunate position to collaborate with a market research firm to help you with data collection. A good agency can also create customer surveys, conduct focus groups and interviews, and scour social media for valuable insights. If you choose to work with a research firm, be sure that they’re also giving you insights into the consumer behavior patterns, spending habits, and lifestyle choices of affluent customers.
Niche Audience Segments: While many brands across the board often have diverse customer bases, that term is defined a little differently for luxury brands. In this case, the term diverse includes high-net-worth individuals, aspirational luxury buyers, and other specific groups. And although the basic data may be the same – a smaller audience means it may be harder to pin down.
Motivations and Values: Luxury consumers’ motivations often go beyond functional needs – they also seek emotional and experiential value in their purchases. It’s important to fully understand the emotional drivers behind their desires for exclusivity, status, and prestige, because those things are often what guide their decision-making process.
Lifestyle and Interests: Much like the larger audience segments, luxury customers will have diverse lifestyles and interests, but within a niche. Understanding how your customers live and how they play can help you tailor your marketing messages to align with those preferences. Consider studying travel habits, fashion choices, leisure activities, and other similar demographics when creating your personas.

Without a doubt, buyer personas play a vital role in aligning marketing strategies with the needs and preferences of your ideal customer. Leveraging this information as often as possible can work across the board to improve not only sales, but customer engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty.

Want help with the heavy lifting of creating your brand personas? Hawthorn Creative has an expert staff of digital strategists, creatives, and analysts who will work with you every step of the way.

Personalization: How to Capitalize on the Current Hot Trends

in Content Marketing, General Marketing Insights by Hawthorn Editorial

ersonalization has been around in some form since the ’90s. But over the years, advances in machine learning, AI, and big data have evolved the concept from fun trend to must-have amenity. In 2023, receiving communications that address them by name, relevant trip recommendations, location-based updates and more are just something that travelers expect.

In fact, recent surveys reveal that 86 percent of travelers will be looking for personalization during their travel experiences. That’s no small slice of the hospitality pie. We put together a list of the most popular trends for 2023, and how you can ensure your property is always ahead of the game.

Guest preference tracking. There are so many opportunities to map your customers’ journeys, from the start of their research to a post-travel survey. It’s possible to collect information from every guest interaction, then use machine learning to create a personalized recommendation engine based on what they’ve told you their interests are. (One word of warning: Always use guest information safely and ethically.)
To reach the full potential of this trend, don’t forget to pay attention to repeat guests. Preference tracking is a great way to personalize rewards for returning customers as well. In a world where all of the good deals seem to be aimed at new business only, this can be a great way to build satisfaction and loyalty.
Hyper-personalization. As the name suggests, this trend goes beyond run-of-the-mill personalization. Hyper-personalization which focuses on individual travelers vs. traveler segments, delivers completely unique, tailored, and relevant experiences to individual travelers. By analyzing large volumes of data, advanced technology like AI, machine learning, and analytics can be used to create personalized experiences at a granular level. And this isn’t a nice-to-have. A recent study found that 71 percent of travelers expect personalized interactions, and 64 percent get frustrated when they don’t.
Real-time custom updates. This aspect of personalization focuses on delivering relevant experiences in the moment based on immediate user actions, behavior, location or context. This technology involves a combination of data analysis, predictive analytics, and automated decision-making to make relevant selections. (Do you know those moments where you get an ad or a recommendation and you say to yourself, “How did they know?” That’s real-time personalization at work.
Contextual personalization. This tactic is largely based on time and space, taking into account a user’s location, type of device, time of day or browsing behavior to deliver personalized recommendations. Understanding context allows you to deliver a much richer and more timely experience.
Omnichannel personalization. It can be overwhelming to choose which media channels to focus on for a marketing campaign, but the demand for seamless and consistent experiences across the board is growing. To win in this space, it’s essential to deliver tailored experiences across various touchpoints, such as websites, mobile apps, social media, email, and even physical stores if it applies. To take it a step further omnichannel means delivering a consistent message that fits the tone of each channel (Tiktok vs. Instagram, for example).

The benefits of personalization

Some of these tactics require a pretty significant investment, especially if it involves best-in-class tech. Is it worth it? A recent McKinsey study says yes: personalization can cut customer acquisition costs in half, increase revenue by up to 15 percent, and achieve up to 30 percent ROI. There are a number of ways to achieve those numbers, but they all have one thing in common – think about yourself as a consumer, and what causes you to make the leap from shopper to buyer.

Improved customer experience. Personalization enhances the customer experience by delivering tailored and relevant content, recommendations, and offers. When customers feel that a brand understands their needs and preferences, they are more likely to engage positively with the brand, leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty.
Increased customer engagement. By providing personalized experiences, brands can capture the attention of customers, increase their interaction and time spent with the brand’s content or offerings, and encourage them to take desired actions such as making a purchase, subscribing to a service, or sharing feedback.
Higher conversion rates and sales. Personal, relevant marketing messages and recommendations can have a significant impact on conversion rates and sales. Think about yourself as a customer: When you receive recommendations that align with your interests and needs, you’re more likely to hit the Book Now button.
Increased customer loyalty and retention. Brand loyalty can be a make-or-break purchase factor these days, and personalization plays a crucial role in fostering that relationship. By tailoring experiences to individual customers, brands can strengthen emotional connections and create a sense of being valued.
Enhanced customer lifetime value. Put all of this together and it leads to a higher customer lifetime value (CLV), which encompasses customer retention, repeat purchases, and upselling or cross-selling opportunities. And, at the end of the day, the foundation is just four words: “This brand (or hotel, or destination) gets me.”

Hearing from your customers directly

We as marketers are able to read trends, understand the science and make smart decisions, but at the end of the day, it’s what the customers want that matters. The McKinsey researchers wanted to know those answers, so they went straight to the source and asked. Here’s what more than 2,000 respondents said their top requests were:

“Give me relevant recommendations I wouldn’t have thought of myself.”
“Talk to me when I’m in shopping mode.”
“Remind me of things I want to know but might not be keeping track of.”
“Know me no matter where I interact with you.”

You can dig into the details of this research here.

If personalization sounds like where you want to be but you aren’t sure how to get started, Hawthorn Creative has an expert staff of digital strategists, creatives, and analysts you can work with you every step of the way.

in Brand Strategy, Content Marketing, Destination Marketing Organizations, Event Venues, General Marketing Insights by Hawthorn Editorial

our brand story is the secret sauce that sets your business apart from others in your category or industry, so it’s crucial to develop a narrative that helps you connect with your target audience through shared values and emotional bonds. For luxury companies, whether event venues, hotels, medical spas, or others, a brand story is a combination of history, craftsmanship, exclusivity, and emotion, all woven together in a powerful story that speaks clearly to your discerning target audience.

Every luxury brand story is bespoke, but here are some common threads that can help you build a strong foundation:

Embrace Heritage and Tradition
Many luxury brands are built upon a rich heritage that spans decades or even centuries. This is your starting point for crafting a powerful story. (You’ve survived ages, and here’s why.) Delving into your historical roots is also the doorway to accentuating other elements that set luxury brands apart, like craftsmanship, expertise, and attention to detail. (More on that later.)

Embracing tradition also creates a sense of authenticity and exclusivity, which appeals to customers who appreciate the artistry and dedication behind each product. In addition, highlighting your brand’s mission and values, iconic historical design elements, or legendary figures associated with the brand can go a long way toward establishing an emotional connection through nostalgia and a sense of prestige.

Showcase Craftsmanship and Quality
When you think about your luxury brands and businesses, what comes to mind? Often, its unparalleled craftsmanship and uncompromising quality. A powerful brand story weaves a compelling tale about your company’s dedication to perfection through anecdotes about the premium materials, best-in-class service, advanced training, and artisanal dedication that goes into every step of your process.

By revealing the behind-the-scenes glimpses (which are trending under the hashtag #bts on social media), you can pique your target audience’s fascination and admiration for how much work goes into what you do. Highlighting attention to detail and the pursuit of excellence also creates a perception of value, reinforcing your brand’s luxury status and creating a unique selling proposition that justifies premium pricing.

Cultivate an Aspirational Lifestyle
Especially if your business is service-oriented, you’re selling a lot more than just products – you’re selling a lifestyle. By crafting a brand story that taps into the desires and dreams of your target audience, it’s possible to forge a deep and lasting emotional connection.

Some ways you can achieve this are by using carefully curated imagery, storytelling, influencer collaborations, and testimonials to showcase the experiences, values, and aesthetics associated with the brand. In the right combination, brand storytelling elements can transport potential customers into the world they want to experience, whether that’s aesthetic beauty, opulence, world-class service, or relaxation and refinement. If this all sounds like feelings, it is. Luxury brands, at the end of the day, are all about the experience.

Foster Personalization and Exclusivity
Luxury brands excel at providing personalized experiences and exclusivity, and these elements should be reflected in your brand story. Tailoring the narrative to your ideal customer’s desires and preferences creates a sense of exclusivity and makes them feel special. One way to understand the way they think is to use customer data, like location, preferences, and user history to paint a larger picture. With that information, you can then deliver targeted content that resonates deeply.

Another way to forward the idea of exclusivity is by focusing both on the exceptional customer service customers can expect during every interaction, and on exclusive offerings that they can’t get anywhere else, like limited-edition collections, bespoke services, and VIP events that enhance your brand’s allure.

How to Develop Your Brand Story

Ready to craft your brand’s narrative? We put together a 10-step guide to help you from beginning to end.

Understand your brand identity. Start by understanding your brand’s unique identity, values, and essence. What makes your luxury brand special? What are your core values, mission, and vision? Define your brand’s personality and the emotions you want to evoke in your customers.
Define your target audience. Identify your target audience and understand their desires, aspirations, and motivations. What are their lifestyle preferences? What are their needs and wants? Tailor your brand story to resonate with their aspirations and values.
Uncover your brand heritage. Luxury brands often have rich histories and legacies. Dig deep into your brand’s past and heritage. Identify key milestones, iconic designs, craftsmanship techniques, or brand ambassadors that define your brand. Incorporate these elements into your brand story to create a sense of tradition, authenticity, and craftsmanship.
Craft a compelling narrative. Develop a narrative that brings together your brand’s identity, heritage, and values into a captivating story. Consider using storytelling techniques such as a hero’s journey, a rags-to-riches narrative, or a tale of passion and dedication. Make sure the story is authentic, engaging, and aligns with your brand’s values.
Emphasize craftsmanship and quality. Luxury brands are known for their attention to detail, exquisite craftsmanship, and superior quality. Highlight these aspects in your brand story to demonstrate your commitment to excellence and to differentiate yourself from mass-market brands.
Create an emotional connection. Luxury brands often evoke emotions such as desire, aspiration, exclusivity, and status. Tap into these emotions when crafting your brand story. Use visuals, music, and language that elicit an emotional response from your audience, making them feel connected to your brand on a deeper level.
Ensure consistency across touchpoints. Ensure that your brand story is consistent across all touchpoints, including your website, social media, packaging, in-store experience, and customer service. Consistency helps reinforce your brand story and build trust with customers.
Engage influencers and brand ambassadors. Collaborate with influential personalities or brand ambassadors who align with your brand values and can help amplify your brand story. Their association can add credibility and reach to your storytelling efforts.
Evolve with your audience. Monitor the evolving preferences and aspirations of your target audience. Stay up to date with cultural trends, societal changes, and technological advancements. Continuously refine and adapt your brand story to stay relevant and maintain a strong connection with your audience.
Create an air of exclusivity. Luxury brands often cultivate an aura of exclusivity. Leverage this by creating limited editions, personalized experiences, or invitation-only events. Make your customers feel like they are part of an elite community, enhancing the allure of your brand story.

Finally, and this is a point we reiterate loudly and often – developing a brand story, marketing, and analysis is an ongoing process. It’s crucial to continuously evaluate the impact of your storytelling efforts, gather feedback from your customers, and refine, refine, refine based on what you learn.

Hawthorn Creative has years of experience helping luxury brands cultivate their brand stories, along with an expert staff who can lead you seamlessly through the entire process.

Our Top 10 Marketing TED Talks

in General Marketing Insights by Hawthorn Editorial

hese days, everyone knows what a TED Talk is. (Talk about a successful branding campaign!) The phrase has become a household name, and anyone who has a TED Talk is automatically considered a next-level expert in whatever subject they’re discussing.

In the field of marketing, TED speakers have helped the industry uncover new perspectives, discard old ones, and think outside the box. There seem to be new talks available every day, but we’ve put together a list of our top 10 must-watch marketing TED Talks from the past years, along with links to watch.

How Great Leaders Inspire Action

Simon Sinek, Author
Sinek speaks about the simple differences between world-changing leaders and everyone else. He explores the concept of the “Golden Circle” and how starting with one simple question – Why? – can change everything about the way you communicate.

Why we love it: Sinek’s examples go as far back as the Wright brothers, proving that while tactics and channels may change, the foundations of leadership and success in marketing remain the same.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp0HIF3SfI4&t=532s

Why Videos Go Viral

Kevin Allocca, Global Director of Trends & Culture at YouTube
Allocca, who is the author of Videocracy, talks about the three things that make a video viral – tastemakers, communities of participation, and unexpectedness.

Why we love it: Who among us doesn’t wish for our video marketing content to go viral? It seems impossible, but Allocca’s secret sauce (while we can’t completely control it) can give us some insight in how to create content people will notice.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpxVIwCbBK0&t=63s

Sweat the Small Stuff in Marketing

Rory Sutherland, Veteran Marketing Strategist and Author
In his talk, Sutherland challenges the traditional notions of value and demonstrates how small changes can have a significant impact on consumer behavior.

Why we love it: We sometimes get so focused on what we come up with in conference rooms that we forget what’s actually important to our customers. This is a great reminder that it’s about your audience, not you.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkLcwHmnPV4

The Four-Letter Code to Selling Anything

Derek Thompson, Podcaster, Journalist, and Author
Why do we like what we like? Is there a formula? Throughout time, philosophers and thought leaders have said yes – but times change, especially when it comes to marketing. Thompson talks about the one word that binds a common thread across all consumer platforms, and whether it actually works.

Why we love it: This is simply fascinating. A look into the psychology behind how modern humans think and what motivates us. A comment on the video sums it up perfectly: “Sometimes it takes someone to explain something that we already know before we can digest it. excellent talk.”

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pY7EjqD3QA&t=9s

Using Data to Shape Humanity

Talin Koutnouyan, Marketing Data Analytics Expert
Koutnouyan has led the way in marketing data analysis, inventing a methodology that helped drive up to 30% ROI for Fortune 500 companies. As she says, “Just because data is easy to measure, doesn’t mean it’s the right metric to use.

Why we love it: Koutnouyan is a unicorn – she has the left-brained superpowers of being able to sift through large amounts of data, and the right-brained artistic skill to turn it into a story.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIriiLEQvso&t=369s

What Physics Taught Me About Marketing

Dan Cobley, Keynote Speaker and Former Google Executive
Dan Cobley explains how the principles of physics can be applied to marketing, emphasizing the importance of understanding and adapting to the changing landscape. (Specifically, Newton’s second law, which states that the bigger something is, the more difficult it is to change it.)

Why we love it: Drawing connections between two seemingly opposite ideas (in this case, physics and marketing) is a wonderful way to gain new perspectives on something, especially when you’ve been working within the same guardrails for a long time.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cwW_S29faQ

How Your Brain Responds to Stories – and Why They’re Crucial for Leaders

Karen Eber, Leadership Consultant
Eber believes in the power of good storytelling, and how it can shape and impact people’s lives. And whether those stories are told through corporate communications, marketing, or interpersonal relationships, they are the gateway to common ground and understanding.

Why we love it: Marketing is all about storytelling. Whether you’re trying to entice visitors to your destination, or inform them about a cold event coming up, or encourage them to take the leap and visit your spa. Crafting a story that resonates with your target audience is so much more effective than straightforward information.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJfGby1C3C4

7 Tools for Building a Business People Trust

Marcos Aguiar, Core Member of BCG’s Technology, Media and Telecommunications and Global Advantage Practices
Why do we trust some companies and not others? Aguiar digs into this topic to not only dissect the qualities of trust, but also to offer companies ways to make sure that their building a business that is trustworthy.

Why we love it: When more and more millennial and Gen Z consumers are saying that the emotional connection they feel to a company is a deal-breaker, it’s more important than ever to run a business that builds trust.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJUrQKY_A5g

What Consumers Want

Joseph Pine, American author who coined the term “experience economy”
Authenticity in marketing is a hot topic these days, but what if there’s no such thing? Pine talks about the evolution from a commoditized economy to a service-based, experiential one and back again, and how everything we experience is authentic to us, even if it’s rendered.

Why we love it: This is an interesting way to examine the blurry line between authentic and artificial, and why it may not matter. The point is to create a meaningful experience that your consumers will resonate with, regardless of how it’s constructed.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RD0OZCyJCk

Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders

Sheryl Sandberg, Former COO of Meta and Founder of LeanIn.org
Sandberg’s talk touches on gender equality and the importance of empowering women in leadership roles, which can have implications for marketing strategies targeting diverse audiences.

Why we love it: Representation matters, especially when it comes to marketing. The more diverse your workforce is, the more likely you are to create a campaign that resonates with your target audience, even if they look or feel differently than you do.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18uDutylDa4

There’s a whole wide world of TED Talks out there, dating back as long as two decades ago. If you’d like to watch even more about marketing (or any topic that interests you,) you can find the entire archive at TED.com

Here’s Why Google My Business is One of the Most Important Tactics in Your Marketing Strategy

in General Marketing Insights, Search Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

ven if you don’t know its formal name, you’ve seen it before. Practically every business has a Google My Business (GMB) page – a profile page that shows the name, address, contact information, hours, and other relevant business information whenever they come up in a search result.

In fact, GMB has become such a standard now that companies that don’t complete their pages are the ones that stand out – and not necessarily in a good way. And it does have its share of competitors (Yelp, Facebook Business, and Foursquare, for example), but a recent study revealed that Google owns 92.61 percent of the search engine market. That one statistic alone is your signal to ensure that your GMB profile is up to snuff.

Why is Google My Business Important?

Many of the reasons tie back to the massive amount of influence Google has over the world of online search. (It’s even become its own verb – to Google something). By updating and optimizing your GMB page, it helps you gain a bigger piece of that already huge pie. Here’s how:

Increased visibility. GMB is one of the smartest ways to increase your visibility online. When someone searches for a business or service related to your industry, a robust GMB page is more likely to push your business to the top of local search results (including Google Maps).
Improved customer engagement. GMB is an excellent way for businesses to interact directly with their customers by allowing them to leave reviews, post updates, and ask questions. Always remember, however, that engagement is a two-way street. (In other words, don’t post and run.)
Accurate information. This includes business hours, location, phone number, website, and maybe even your social channels. Provide as many ways as possible for customers to find and/or contact your business. Bonus points for including a photo of your front door – it’s an easy way to let customers know that they’ve reached the right spot.
Cost-effective advertising. This might be the best part about GMB – it’s completely free! That’s one seriously cost-effective way to widen your audience and increase organic growth.
Insights and analytics. Google My Business is about more than just front-end info and design. It also provides insights and analytics that can help you understand your audience and how they’re interacting with their online presence. (Spoiler alert: It’s not always what you think!) It can also help you identify areas for improvement and track the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.
Integration with Google Maps. This feature, which allows your business to pop up when someone conducts a “near me” search, is a great way to expand local presence.

How Do I Update My GMB Page?

If it’s been a minute since you’ve taken a look at your Google My Business profile, we put together an easy, three-step guide to help you get back on track:

First, sign in to your Google My Business account. If you don’t have an account, you can create one for free.
Once you’re signed in, click on the location or business you want to manage.
You’ll be taken to a dashboard where you can update your business information, such as your address, phone number, website, business hours, photos, and more. (Make sure to revisit this information periodically so it stays accurate.)

Do You Have Tips for Optimizing My GMB Page?

Let’s say you “technically” have a GMB page, but it’s been so long since you checked on it that you don’t remember the password. Knowing that it’s a smart way to promote your business, what can you do to get it up to snuff? Here are some ideas:

Complete your business information. Make sure that every blank that you can possibly fill in is filled in, and then double-check it to make sure everything is accurate.
Choose the right categories. You’ll have the option to select categories for your business, so be sure to make smart choices. Being in the right categories helps Google understand what your business is all about and improves its changes of appearing in related searches.
Add high-quality photos and videos. We don’t mean snaps from your phone here. Showcase your business, products and services in professional, clear images that let customers see exactly what you’re all about.
Encourage customer reviews. They’re a great way to increase your visibility and even more importantly, build trust with potential customers. For their convenience, you could even create business cards with a QR code linking directly to your review page.
Respond to those reviews. Whether good or not-so-good, be sure to respond to customer reviews ASAP. It’s a great way to say thanks, resolve potential issues before they escalate, and show other customers that you’re active and engaged. (It’s also a great way to use tone of voice and messaging to reinforce your brand identity, whether it’s elegant, playful, or somewhere in between.)
Use Google Posts. Posts are much like other social media channels. It’s an opportunity to share updates, promotions, and events with your customers. A few examples include alerting customers to changes in hours due to holidays, announcing upcoming events, or showcasing limited-time products.
Monitor and analyze your performance. GMB also offers insights and analytics for free. Keeping a regular eye on how your page is performing is an easy way to see where you’re excelling, and where you can identify areas for improvement.

Without a doubt, Google My Business is an essential tool for growing your online presence and reputation. If the process seems daunting to you, our expert staff can help you get started, optimize, and maintain your profile.

Want to Work With a Brand Agency? Here’s What to Expect

in General Marketing Insights by Hawthorn Editorial

hat do you picture when you hear the phrase “brand agency”? A fancy, high-rise office space on one of the coasts filled with young professionals coming up with Super Bowl ads? Or a Mad Men-style setup where executives smoke cigars while they decide the next great, soon-to-be household name?

In reality, brand agencies are a little bit of both. At their core, they specialize in developing, managing, and enhancing the brand identities and strategies for their clients. Those can range from Fortune 500s to nonprofit organizations to startups. And typically, they all offer some version of the same menu.

If you’re a luxury client, however, like a medical aesthetic spa, wedding venue, winery, or high-end real estate agent, it’s important to find a brand agency that has specialized expertise in helping luxury brands develop and maintain their reputation through copy that sets the tone for an exclusive design aesthetic. Let’s break down what services a brand agency typically offers, and what you should pay special attention to as a luxury client.

1. Research, Including Markets, Audiences, and Competitors

The first step toward developing a strong, smart brand is understanding what the current business market is like, whom it’s trying to reach, what it’s trying to say, and what the competition is up to. This may also include a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) to get a clearer picture of where the business stands relative to others in the industry.

Advice for luxury brands: One smart strategy here is to start at the end. What other luxury campaigns has a brand agency executed, and what were the final results? Success at the end of the day usually begins with diligent research and homework at the beginning. If you have a sit-down interview with a potential agency, ask them questions about your market, your likely audience, and your competition.

2. Brand Strategy Development

After all the market research is complete, it’s time to hone in on what the client’s goals are, including their brand positioning (luxury, eco-friendly, or adventurous, for example), target audience, messaging, and other key elements of their brand strategy.

Advice for luxury brands: You’ll likely have unique positioning and niche target audiences, and a brand agency can help you develop a brand strategy that reflects your values and speaks to your target market. After your partner agency conducts market research and identifies key opportunities, remember that you know your own brand best. Don’t be afraid to bring your expertise to the table to craft a strategy that feels right for your audience.

3. Brand Identity Design (Voice, Tone, Design)

This step in the process turns vision boards and plain text into logos, color schemes, fonts, and visual style. It’s also when a brand develops messaging that reinforces the visual style and resonates with its target audience. Examples of this include a tagline (BMW’s, for example, is “The ultimate driving machine”), as well as some early marketing messaging ideas, since one tends to lead to the other.

Advice for luxury brands: Campaigns for brands like yours often require a high level of craftsmanship and attention to detail in their brand identity and design. Here again, ensure that you’re developing your identity in partnership with your agency to develop a distinctive, elegant look and feel that will appeal to your target audience. Once you have your brand identity – show it off everywhere, from your website to your in-house signage and everywhere in between.

4. Brand Marketing and Communications

Brand agencies can help businesses develop and execute marketing and communications campaigns that effectively promote their brand and engage their target audience. Marketing campaigns can be executed several times a year and are most often tied to seasons, holidays, and new product launches.

Advice for luxury brands: Like other brands, digital channels are one of the largest ways to reach customers today. The key to success here, though, is knowing where your target customers are hanging out online. A good brand agency will be able to conduct that research and put together a strategy that leverages the latest trends, abides by best practices, and offers you a high ROI.

5. Post-Campaign Analysis

During and after marketing campaigns, brand agencies can help businesses gather and analyze data and insights about performance, engagement, and other KPIs that are determined at the start of the project. Analysis lets the client know what’s doing well, and where there’s an opportunity to tweak or try an additional tactic.

Advice for luxury brands: This is where a good brand agency’s expertise can help take your campaigns to the next level. Once they deliver this data to you, take a look through it and don’t be afraid to ask questions about the results you’re seeing. And remember, marketing campaigns are living creatures, so if you stumble on a road block, your agency will know how to adjust and get your back on the right path.

6. Brand and Reputation Management

This is a brand’s long-term maintenance plan: monitoring its presence and reputation online, ensuring consistency across all platforms, watching out for copyright infringements, and advice for when it may be time to change things up a little bit.
Altogether, this expertise can help businesses build a strong, memorable brand that sets them apart from the competition and resonates with their intended audience.

Advice for luxury brands: Perhaps more than others, luxury brands need to maintain a high level of consistency and quality in all aspects of their brand at all times – your guests expect no less. A brand agency has several ways to help ensure that your values and messaging are consistent and present in all the right places: One is monitoring your social media channels, and sometimes even handling responses to online comments. Another is public relations, a tactic used often by luxury clients to maintain their reputation. Whether an agency has this capability in-house or works with a trusted partner, a PR strategy that can connect you to the right media outlets, the right influencers, and the right event opportunities is an important part of your overall plan, and something typically exclusive to high-end brands.

How to Select the Right Brand Agency

Now that you know what a good brand agency will be able to offer you as a client, here are some things to consider when choosing a partner:

Experience: Look for an agency with experience working with luxury brands or businesses in your industry. One that can demonstrate a proven track record in luxury branding will have a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities associated with this market.
Expertise: Assess expertise in areas such as brand strategy, messaging, design, and marketing. A strong agency should be able to present a team of experienced professionals from project management to accounting to creative.
Creative approach: Review their portfolio and assess their creative approach. Do you like what you see? Is their aesthetic one that you can envision for your brand? Look at their work from a consumer perspective, and ask yourself if it speaks to you.
Collaborative approach: Choose an agency that isn’t afraid of a collaborative approach to working with clients. In order to succeed together, they should be willing and able to listen to your needs, provide valuable insights and guidance, and work with you to develop a brand strategy that meets your goals.
Reputation: Can’t hurt to look up some reviews and testimonials from past clients. What’s the agency’s reputation in the industry? Excellent customer service is just as important as a world-class brand strategy, and a strong agency will agree.
Cost: Talk dollars and cents. How much will it cost to work with this agency? Ask them to deliver numbers, and ensure that their pricing aligns with both your budget and the value you expect to receive.

Hawthorn Creative has years of branding experience for luxury clients in a wide variety of spaces, including wedding venues, real estate, senior living communities, medical spas and more. Let’s sit down and talk about how we can help you outshine the competition.

Artificial Intelligence: How It’s Impacting the Travel Industry (and How to Use It Wisely)

in General Marketing Insights, Hotels & Resorts by Hawthorn Editorial

rtificial intelligence – it’s the hottest of hot topics lately, from ways that it’s helping make our lives easier, to ways that it’s… not.

For hotels and destinations, AI has the potential to not only enhance your customer experience but maybe even change the way you operate as a whole. This powerful tool has the capability to personalize, analyze, predict, and serve as a personal assistant for not only your guests, but also your staff. Here’s a look at just a few of the things this popular new tech can do.

6 Advantages Artificial Intelligence Can Offer

1. Personalized travel recommendations: One of the things we often lament are recommendation engines that don’t give good suggestions, but AI is changing all of that. AI can analyze massive amounts of traveler data in the blink of an eye and make relevant recommendations on the spot. It uses data points like travelers’ past behavior, preferences, searches, and social media history to understand what they’d like to do and how they’d like to do it.

2. Chatbot assistants: Much like the iconic Rose at the the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, hotels can empower chatbots to provide 24/7 customer assistance, resolve issues in real time, and answer FAQs. These don’t replace the job of a concierge, but rather free that position up to handle the more complicated requests.

3. Facial recognition: This application of AI is being used at some hotels to streamlining the check-in and check-out processes, prevent fraud and enhance security. Instead of digging through their belongings for ID, guests can simply stand in front of a camera for instant identity verification.

4. Robotics: Robots can complete a wide range of on-property tasks, from delivering room service to disinfecting rooms to pointing guests to the nearest restrooms or elevators. Check out this video of how robots at the Sheraton Los Angeles San Gabriel do everything from transport luggage to deliver a late-night snack.

5. Predictive analysis: Just like data can be used at the individual level to make recommendations, AI can also use analytics to make large-scale predictions, including weather reports, flight schedules, peak travel times, pricing, inventory management and more. Automating as many of these tasks as possible means a higher ROI, more efficiencies, and more focus on the complicated tasks that can’t be done without human smarts.

6. Local guides: Whether hotel guests are on property or haven’t arrived, yet, AI-powered programs can help them book flights, rent cars, make restaurant and attraction reservations, and more. It all adds up to an enhanced customer experience that they’re going to want to enjoy again and again.

Top 5 Challenges in Artificial Intelligence

That all sounds great, but AI isn’t perfect. Recent users of programs like chatGPT have reported some potentially serious issues, including a discovery that the technology “hallucinates,” coming up with completely wrong answers. Here are some other concerns about AI.

1. Privacy: Remember that “massive amount of data” we referenced earlier? That’s all personal, and all about you. Although ethical marketers use that data carefully to craft “you” as an anonymous shopper profile, it could wreak havoc in the wrong hands. Make sure that you have robust and strict privacy and data-collection policies in place before you work with any AI company.

2. Bias: Even though it’s “artificial intelligence,” the code is still written by humans, with human biases, preconceptions and preferences. Because of this, it’s still imperative to keep a living eye on your automated functions to ensure they’re giving customers the experience you want them to have. (In other words, chatbot concierges run amok.)

3. Technical difficulties: AI is not do-it-yourself. It’s a highly complex system that’s still in experimental and growth stages, which means that it not only comes with system bugs, it requires technical expertise to administer correctly. Always ensure that you have the right resources in place to deploy these types of systems in a controlled, effective manner.

4. Customer experience: This type of technology should enhance the customer experience, but if not executed correctly it can cause confusion and a million frustrations. (It’s like the next level of shouting “Representative!” at the phone). If you decide to implement AI to make recommendations, help with booking or perform other customer tasks, our advice is to be mindful of what your customers want, what they have responded well to in the past, and test, test, test to make sure the service runs smoothly.

5. Cost: This is the bottom line for so many business decisions, and AI isn’t cheap. As you head down this road, it’s important to weigh the potential benefits against the costs of development and adoption. Is it worth the investment? Or are other approaches more beneficial for your company?

AI is a Rapidly Growing Trend: 5 Ways to Level Up

Artificial intelligence has been around as a concept for decades, but in 2023, it’s not only reaching scale, it’s becoming an expected standard. A recent study found that 74 percent of travelers are interested in hotels using AI to tailor services and offers like room pricing, food suggestions, or discounts.

In other words, if you want to stay competitive in the hospitality game, AI is no longer a nice thought. If you’re ready to level-up your AI game, here are initial steps to get you on the the right path.

1. Define your goals: Specify the areas where you want to use AI to improve the hotel experience, either for guests or staff. The opportunities with AI are endless, so (especially where budgets are concerned) it’s important to focus your needs.

2. Do your homework: Research everything you can – all available solutions, the features they offer, the things other hoteliers have been saying about them, and the vendors who specialize in various services. The more information you have, the more you know not only what you do want, but what you don’t.

3. Develop a plan: What’s your timeline? Set realistic milestones for implementing any new technologies, determine a budget, and assign resources. Especially with emerging tech like AI, it’s also important to identify risks and potential bugs at the outset, along with a plan for mitigating any issues that arise. (A trusted vendor partner can be a life-saving help in this area.)

4. Train your staff: Everyone should be comfortable not only using any new technology, but be familiar with procedures and protocols. This is also a great time to ease any job-related fears that may arise.

5. Continuously monitor performance: AI is not a set-it-and-forget-it tech. It’s constantly evolving, which means it needs to be constantly under the watch of human eyes. This includes ensuring that it’s achieving goals and delivering an enhanced experience. Regular evaluations can determine what’s working, and where adjustments need to be made.

While it’s true that AI can be expensive, the cost of falling behind trends can be even more harmful. Coming up with a smart solution for your specific property is a matter of knowing what you want to improve using tech and creating a solid plan for how you’ll get there.

Myth 1: Social media is enough for a successful hospitality marketing strategy.

Myth 2: Discounts and promotions always attract more guests.

Myth 3: High traffic to the website guarantees bookings.

Myth 4: Online reviews don’t matter much in hospitality marketing.

Myth 5: All guests are the same – you don’t need to target specific demographics.

Myth 6: Email marketing is outdated and ineffective.

Myth 7: It’s enough to have a mobile-responsive website.

Myth 8: All online travel agencies (OTAs) charge the same commission rates.

Myth 9: Once a guest books, your marketing efforts are done.

Myth 10: It’s OK to copy competitors’ marketing strategies.

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1. Curate Personalized Experiences

2. Incentivize Direct Bookings

3. Invest in User-Friendly Websites

4. Engage in Social Media Marketing

5. Leverage Online Reputation Management

6. Offer Unique Packages and Promotions

7. Implement a Robust Loyalty Program

8. Focused Marketing

9. Build Local Partnerships

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What Is Involved in a Website Technical Audit?

How Can a Tech Audit Help My Luxury Business?

How Do I Perform a Technical Audit?

You Received Your Site Audit Report. Now What?

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1. Develop a Group-Friendly Infrastructure

2. Leverage Digital Marketing

3. Network with Event Planners and Corporations

4. Create Customized Packages

5. Showcase Past Successes

6. Offer Exceptional Customer Service

7. Stay Up to Date with Industry Trends

What About Boutique Hotels?

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First Things First: Here’s How to Measure ROI

Beyond the Balance Sheet

End at the Beginning: Develop a Winning Strategy

A Final Note

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The Benefits of Investing In A Website

Must-Have Website Elements

So, How Much Does All This Cost?

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1. Understand the Power of User-Generated Content

2. Clearly Define Your Luxury Brand’s Identity

3. Craft Strict UGC Guidelines and Guardrails

4. Encourage Your Customers to Create

5. Curate and Showcase UGC

6. Engage and Reward Your Community

UGC Is Smart – If You Handle With Care

RELATED READING

1. Craft Tailored Marketing Campaigns

2. Offer Seasonal Packages and Special Offers

3. Embrace Local Events

4. Form Local Partnerships

5. Enhance Your Guest Experience

6. Diversify Amenities

7. Capitalize on Business Travel

8. Enhance Digital Presence and Online Booking

9. Offer Rain-or-Shine Activities

10. Engage With the Local Community

RELATED READING

1. Renewable Energy

2. Plastic Reduction and Elimination

3. Linen Rental

RELATED READING

1. Highlight Your Picture-Perfect Photography

2. Show Off Your Sustainability Savvy

3. Keep Your “Google My Business” Page Up to Snuff

4. Make Sure Your Brochure Is Worthy of Your Venue

5. Invest in Social Media

6. Understand Exactly – Down to the Dollar – How Valuable Site Visits Are

7. When in Doubt, Use This Scorecard

RELATED READING

First, Establish Your Hotel as a Premier Event Partner

Attend Local Events

Establish Partnerships

Consider Sponsorships or Hosting

Use Social Media Wisely