Summer Business Travel: Coworking Space Can Help You Increase Your Midweek Bookings

in Hotels & Resorts by Hawthorn Editorial

ummer equals weekend travel. Family vacations, girlfriend getaways, tropical adventures, and more. They’re wonderful for business, and properties often fill up their weekends months in advance.

But what about Monday through Thursday? Rooms often sit empty during those summer days, but you can increase your mid-week business by catering to business travelers.

What Is a Coworking Space?

Many hotels have business centers. The spaces usually contain a printer, some extra monitors, and high-speed internet connections that allow business travelers to get some work done while they’re on the road. But let’s be honest: Those rooms can be pretty small, and pretty sterile – not exactly the type of place you’d want to open your laptop, grab a cup of joe, and work the day away.

Enter the hotel-based coworking space, a trend that’s been growing in popularity lately, especially post-pandemic, when an estimated 12 percent of the American workforce is fully remote and another 28 percent is hybrid.

The concept is simple and follows the philosophy behind other, independent coworking spaces – give workers who don’t have a dedicated office a convenient, unique, and fun space to get comfy and get to work. The best coworking spaces offer common areas for collaboration, quiet booths for taking phone calls, private spaces with internet access, drinks, snacks, and most importantly, fast, reliable Wi-Fi.

One of the first hotel chains to imagine this idea was the Ace Hotel in New York, which converted its lobby into a workspace called, appropriately enough, “The Lobby.” (Today, it’s become a hugely popular meeting space for young professionals in the city.) They marketed it as a collaborative space for entrepreneurs, freelancers and other creative professionals, and the idea soon inspired others to follow.

Today, many hotels have joined the trend by converting their underused spaces, including lobbies, loungers and conference rooms, into coworking areas. Some properties have even branded these spaces (Wojo by AccorHotels in Europe, for example).

What Are the Benefits of a Coworking Space?

Adding coworking space benefits everyone. As a hotel owner, it allows you to generate additional revenue by not only using more of your space but attracting new clientele. At the same time, those traveling for work will gravitate toward coworking spaces. If that space is inside a hotel – win-win! Here’s a closer look at the benefits of adding coworking space to your property.

Attractive workspace: Many remote workers find themselves in independent coworking spaces or coffee shops because they’re comfortable, have character, and get them out of the four walls of their home offices – especially if good coffee and snacks are always available.

Additional revenue: By adding a coworking space, you can generate revenue in a number of ways. First and most obvious, your midweek bookings will increase because business travelers will be attracted to your property. Private workspaces are usually offered at a premium. And finally, it’s an opportunity to monetize spaces around the property that might otherwise just be sitting empty.

A unique, fun amenity: Offering this amenity (and making it highly visible in searches and marketing materials) is a way to make your property stand out from the competition. Imagine showing up at the top of the list on a third-party site when a traveler selects “coworking space” as a filter option

Networking opportunities: This is a two-pronged benefit. Not only can you give your business travelers a chance to connect and collaborate with others, you have the chance to connect with them as well. The unlikeliest of business partnerships have been formed in coworking spaces – you may just be opening the doors to an influencer who can take your property to the next level.

How Do I Get Started?

If you’d like to add your property to the growing list of travel-based coworking spaces, here are some steps to get you started:

1. Take a look at your available space: Is there an area of your property that will work? Consider underutilized conference rooms, lobbies, or other areas that can be transformed into a productive workspace. Remember, coworking aficionados are looking for comfort and unique experiences, not sterile spaces.

2. Understand your target audience: What type of traveler would you like to attract to your coworking space? The list can include remote workers, entrepreneurs, professionals who regularly travel as a part of their job, or all of the above. Understanding their needs will help greatly in designing a space that meets them.

3. Choose your amenities: What will you offer your coworking customers? (This question can be better answered once you understand No. 2 above.) Some things to consider include high-speed Wi-Fi, scanners, printers, a three-hole punch, paper cutter, and other extra office supplies, as well as coffee, snacks, and maybe even a fireplace and some cozy blankets for use if you’re in a cold-weather climate.

4. Promote, promote, promote! Once you’re ready to open your coworking space’s doors, make sure that you get the word out to as much of your target audience as possible. Tactics can include good real estate on your property’s website, social media, and target digital campaigns. It’s also important to update your profiles on sites like Hotels.com, Expedia and more to feature your new amenity.

Hotel-based coworking space is an idea that’s growing, but not yet saturated, which means it’s the perfect opportunity to create your space and set the trend.

From Chatbots to Connectivity: 6 Ways To Use Tech To Improve Your Guest Experience

in Hotels & Resorts by Hawthorn Editorial

ithout a doubt, technology has become so ingrained in our lives that we aren’t sure how to live without it. So many things that we used to do in person – banking, doctor’s appointments, shopping – have been completely reshaped because of tech.

In the travel and hospitality industry, the standards have been set for online reservations, customer service, and reviews. But how can your destination use tech to make the guest experience better than ever? Here are some ideas for ways you can use tech to stand out.

1. Mobile Check-in

This is a trend that caught on during the pandemic to offer touch-free check-ins and stuck around because guests really liked it. Enabling mobile check-in allows your guests to bypass the front desk and go directly to their rooms without waiting in line in the lobby, which allows your staff to focus on other essential administrative tasks.

But what about room keys? The answer is keyless entry – using tech like bluetooth or NFC and QR codes that let guests use their smartphones to unlock their room doors and exterior doors. This is a win-win because it keeps your traffic flowing smoothly, and also cuts down on trips to the front desk to replace a lost or deactivated key. (We’re willing to bet that more people misplace their room keys than they do their cell phones.)

A winning example: The Annex Hotel, an upscale Toronto boutique hotel, offers both mobile check-in and keyless room entry to rave reviews. They also use a digital concierge to help guests make the most of their stay (more on that later).

2. Chatbots and Virtual Assistants

When guests complete their mobile check-in, they receive a text from your property’s virtual chatbot, who can answer questions like “What time is breakfast?” and “What attractions are nearby?” Chatbots are a tremendous opportunity to give your hotel a personality and provide tremendous added value to your guests – all in the palm of their hand.

Chatbots are a great way for properties who don’t otherwise have concierge service to offer it to their guests. And for those that do, a digital concierge can serve as an enhancement to the experience, be available 24/7, and free up the human concierge for more complicated requests.

A winning example: The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas has a digital concierge named Rose who introduces herself to guests via text as the “Resident Mischief-Maker” after they check in. Her personality perfectly matches the style of this modern resort with messages like “P.S. When I’m in a good mood, I tend to be generous with friends.” and “As your virtual hook-up …” Rose also frequently talks about her human friends, positioning herself as an enhancement, not a replacement.

3. In-room Technology

Amenities aren’t all about thread counts and cocktail bars – these days, guests are also looking for high-speed internet, smart TVs, and streaming services like Netflix or Hulu. Other perks that bring the tech can include smart lighting and blinds, temperature controls, and wireless charging stations for all those electronics. (Imagine how cool it would be to say, “Alexa, lights off” from the comfort of your luxurious hotel bed.)

A winning example: The Loews Hotel 1000 in Seattle has rooms that are completely tricked out with tech, including a work desk with a connectivity panel, a VoIP phone service that lets you make calls anywhere in the world for free, and controls for customizing not only the room temperature, but also humidity, artwork, and music. Finally, infrared sensors let housekeeping staff know whether the rooms are occupied, which means no more knocking on the door when guests are still asleep.

4. Mobile Apps

How cool would it be if guests at your event venue could order a drink from the bar, get an alert when it’s ready to be picked up, and then pay online? Or make dinner reservations, book tours, check in and out of hotel rooms and even more? A robust, well-designed mobile app can provide a seamless experience from start to finish for not only your customers, but also your staff.

A winning example: Is there a larger, more well-known destination than Walt Disney World? The company’s mobile app, My Disney Experience, lets guests book fast passes, store their ticket information, see park hours, make dining reservations, order food, and more. It also offers real-time suggestions for rides and attractions that have short wait times, creates daily itineraries based on user interests, and even keeps track of where you parked your car. The list goes on and on, making it one of the most robust destination apps out there.

5. Personalized Communication

There’s just something about being addressed by your first name that feels special, and tech allows you the opportunity to do that for every guest with ease. The trend toward personalization began with adding a guest’s first name to email and text communications, but it’s since grown to include amenities like personalized recommendations and post-visit surveys. By gathering just a bit of information about your guest (are they traveling with kids, for example) you can create a recommendation engine that offers up the perfect restaurants and attractions for that traveler.

A winning example: Hotel Luganodante in Switzerland offers guests an amenity called MyPage, where they can choose from more than 150 options for their rooms, from room temperature to pillow types to what kind of drinks and snacks they’d like in the mini bar,

6. Augmented/Virtual Reality

This trend can serve as an extension of the virtual concierge, and can include virtual tours of local attractions, 360-degree views of available hotel rooms, and more. The possibilities here are only bound by your imagination, but here are two winning examples we love:

A winning example: Back to the Loews Hotel 1000 in Seattle, where the lobby includes a virtual golf club. Choose your favorite golf resort (there are more than 50 to choose from!), grab a cold adult beverage and swing away. A specially designed movie screen is designed to simulate your game based on where your ball hits.

Another winning example: You want to go on a cruise, but balcony rooms are expensive. Royal Caribbean gives guests in interior staterooms an outdoor experience with a virtual balcony, a floor-to-ceiling projection with real-time views of the ocean outside. Check out this YouTube video to get a feel for what it’s like.

Summer Travel 2023: 7 Hot Trends for Travelers

chools are winding down, the weather is getting nicer, and the nights are getting longer. It can only mean one thing: Summer travel season is right around the corner. Traveler priorities have shifted a lot over the past few years, so it’s important to stay on top of what’s trending as your customers hit the road.

What’s hot this summer? The need for slow, meaningful exploration, unique experiences and a feeling of health, wellness and safety.

Summer travel is returning to pre-pandemic popularity levels. According to the U.S. Travel Association, travelers spent $93 billion in February – that’s 5 percent higher than 2019 levels and 9 percent higher than spending in 2022. In addition, more than half of all travelers (55 percent) said they were planning to prioritize leisure travel spending (even over clothing, home improvements or eating out.)

If you own or manage a destination, this is exactly what you want to hear. And even better, another recent report revealed that luxury travel is on the minds of many travelers who want to make up for a few lost years: 80 percent of survey respondents between the ages of 18 and 34 are willing to pay to upgrade their experience. But travelers have seemingly endless options for how to spend their time. How can you ensure that they choose your destination? Here’s a look at the types of travel that are hot for summer.

1. Road Trips

Road trips have always been a popular way to travel, but they are now more popular than ever. With the pandemic still a concern and airline prices that are still cost-prohibitive, people are opting to hit the road. Although it may take longer to reach their destination, travelers love having more control and flexibility over their travel experience.

How to win: To welcome them (and their car), offer local maps that highlight all of the interesting locations in the area that are easily drivable.

2. Outdoor Adventure

Perhaps as a reaction to Covid concerns, outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, and camping are continuing to gain popularity. Travelers are seeking out destinations that offer opportunities to connect with nature and experience adventure, including national parks, mountain ranges, and coastal destinations.

How to win: If your destination is near an outdoor hotspot, shout it out loud! Offer directions, partnership discounts, and a luxurious place for weary travelers to rest after a day of adventure.

3. Sustainable Travel

According to a recent article, 70 percent of travelers think traveling sustainably equals a better experience – especially for Gen Z, who are well aware of the impact that tourism has on the environment. They’re looking for ways to travel responsibly, which includes choosing eco-friendly accommodations, supporting local businesses, and reducing their carbon footprint.

How to win: Ask yourself, are your green initiatives at standard, or do you have room for improvement? In areas that your destination does its part to save the environment, be sure to let your guests know. And if your list is short, it’s important to understand that for the up-and-coming generation of travelers, sustainability can be a deal-breaker.

4. Digital Detox

As technology continues to infiltrate every aspect of our lives, travelers are seeking out destinations where they can disconnect and unplug. (In fact, as many as 36 percent of travelers say they would give up social media for a year if it meant they could take their dream vacation.) This trend is known as a digital detox, and it involves taking a break from technology and immersing oneself in nature or other activities. Destinations such as remote cabins, yoga retreats, and meditation centers are popular choices.

How to win: Create a social media campaign that’s focused on unwinding, unplugging, and getting back to the basics. Even if you’re located in the heart of a bustling city, it’s possible to find moments of peace.

5. Multi-Generational Travel

Multi-generational travel is becoming more popular as families look for ways to reconnect and spend quality time together. With the pandemic highlighting the importance of family and community, multi-generational travel offers an opportunity to strengthen bonds and create lasting memories.

How to win: Create sample itineraries and trip inspiration ideas that highlight all of the family-friendly activities in your area, like the one we put together for the Lakes Region Tourism Development Association. Your large groups of travelers will appreciate all the hard work that you did to bring them recommendations.

6. Wellness Travel

Wellness travel is a trend that has been growing over the past few years and is set to continue in 2023. Travelers are seeking out destinations that offer opportunities for relaxation, rejuvenation, and self-care. This includes spa retreats, yoga retreats, and meditation centers.

How to win: Invest in sponsored ads that put your destination’s wellness spa front and center, then use smart targeting to reach your ideal clients. Or, if you’re beachside, bring in a yoga instructor to hold sunrise classes on the sand.

7. Slow Travel

This up-and-coming travel trend involves ditching the hustle and bustle of a planned vacation for deep immersion in a destination. Travelers want to go out of the tourist areas, leave the marked trails and experience the local culture and way of life, and connect with the people and places around them. Sounds wonderful to us!

How to win: Create a series of videos that position your destination as an experience. Create an atmosphere that puts your traveler into the picture with a feeling of belonging and peace. (We put together a list of great examples to inspire you.)

The Seven Best SEO Tools To Help Optimize Your Website

in Content Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

hat is SEO exactly? In simple terms, SEO (search engine optimization) is the way that you get your pages to pop up first when someone conducts a Google search that’s relevant to your content. When someone types in “family friendly hotels,” for example, a search engine’s crawlers will go out looking for blog posts, websites and other pieces of content that contain both that exact phrase and others that are similar.

SEO comes in different flavors, including on-page, off-page and technical. They all focus on different areas but work together to help improve your rankings:

On-page SEO: This type of SEO is all about the words on your website, including page titles, internal links, content, and more. Optimizing here helps your site rank higher in search results.
Off-page SEO: These are tactics that you use in places other than your webpage, including social media marketing, link building, and more.
Technical SEO: This is SEO work that you do in the back office (so to speak) to help your rankings. It can include tactics like improving your site’s download speed, creating a site that’s mobile-responsive, and eliminating duplicate content.

Keywords Are Key

The No.1 way to increase your search rankings is to have a strong keyword strategy. Keywords are the words and phrases that people use to make queries in your industry. Hawthorn Creative is a marketing agency, for example, so relevant keywords might include “content marketing” “social media marketing” “copywriting,” and longer phrases like “marketing agencies with experience in hospitality.” (Those are called long-tail keywords.)

When searching for keywords, it’s important to find the right balance of the most popular, the least popular, and keywords that rank somewhere in the middle. If there’s too much competition out there, it’s not likely to affect your ranking. But if you can find the sweet spot within an area of specialization, you can reach your target audience.

Most of the SEO tools on our list below offer keyword services, but here are two that focus specifically on that task:

Keywords Everywhere is a browser extension that turns your Google results page into an analytics dashboard. When you make a query, it offers similar suggestions and gives you information on those keywords and phrases rank. It’s a fantastic tool and free to use.
QuestionDB is a tool that looks for question-based searches in your industry, but it goes well beyond Google. It also crawls sites like Reddit and Quora as well to bring back not only keyword suggestions, but content suggestions as well.

If your SEO contains the right mix of keywords in these key areas, it will shoot to the top of the list – and that’s where you want to be. According to recent research, most users don’t even scroll to the bottom of the first search results page, let alone move to the next one.

So, how do you find the right keywords? It’s part knowing your audience and part using the right keyword tools. We’ve put together a list of our top 7 SEO tools, and how each one of them can help:

No. 1 Google Analytics

Google is by far the most used search engine (it has over 90 percent of the market share), so their tools are worth two spots on our list. The first is Google Analytics, which measures metrics like where your site viewers are coming from, what content they’re interacting with most, and how long they spend on your site. It also includes audience demographics, traffic-drivers, and conversion rates. Best of all? It’s free.

No. 2 Google Search Console

This companion program, also free, allows you to monitor your presence in search results and fix issues if they arise. You can find out which queries brought users to your site (those can be turned into keyword phrases) and submit your site map to Google for the crawlers.

No. 3 SEMrush

SEMrush is a paid tool that gives you access to more than 55 types of reports, including insights into your competitors’ SEO strategies. The tool helps you select the right keywords and optimize for a local audience, and it even offers suggestions for improving your on-page SEO.

No. 4 Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a comprehensive paid tool that’s been trending lately. Its features include auditing tools for your site, competitor analysis, rank tracker, keyword progress, and something we especially love – a content explorer, which lists the top-performing content pieces in your niche.

No. 5 Moz Pro

Moz is a long-standing SEO tool that’s been building its reputation for a long time. The Pro version is the choice for most marketers, because it comes not only with rank tracking, keyword suggestions, and content optimization, it also includes a crawler that will dig through your site to find issues with your technical SEO and a robust analytics and reporting dashboard.

No. 6 Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO stands out from the crowd because it was specifically built to be a WordPress plug-in. It works in conjunction with the popular website builder to optimize on-page SEO, giving users a green, yellow or red light to indicate the status of their SEO efforts. It also works on your technical SEO and helps improve readability.

No. 7 Screaming Frog

Screaming Frog is a desktop-based site crawler that focuses on technical SEO, working behind the scenes to help you optimize your site. Features include finding broken links, duplicate content, analyzing page titles and metadata, and more. It’s a more technical tool versus one that offers keywords, but it’s equally as important.

The Luxury Customer Journey: How to Reach Luxury Customers at Every Touch Point

in Content Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

oday’s luxury travelers may only represent 27 percent of the travel population as a whole, but they’re likely to spend $2,000 more than the typical traveler – that’s one seriously desirable demographic. How do you attract these spendy travelers to your destination? Learn to speak luxury.

If your goal is to cater to travelers who want nothing but the best and have the money to achieve it, it’s important to get inside their heads and understand not only what they’re seeking from their travel, but why. Once you have that information, you can get down to the how.

We put together a step-by-step plan for helping you understand your luxury customers and engage with them in a way that will resonate at every touch point.

Step 1. Do Your Homework

Conduct research to find out as much as you can about your ideal customers’ demographics, travel preferences, and expectations. If you don’t have an analytics company that you work with, this can be accomplished through customer surveys, reading through online reviews, and studying your social media to see what travelers are saying about your destination.

In general, today’s luxury travelers skew male (but not by much) and are a bit older than other travel audiences, have young children, are well educated, and see food/cuisine as a top priority when choosing a destination. Your audience may look different, so it’s important to do some digging.

Step 2. Create a Roadmap

What stages do luxury customers go through when they decide to go on a trip? Defining the stages of travel is the next step, because those are the points where you have the opportunity to engage. Most typically, these include:

Inspiration and research: Where do they want to go, what attracts them to a location, what would they like to do while they’re visiting?
Booking: It’s decision time. At this stage, customers will finalize their transportation and lodging.
Pre-trip planning: After a trip is booked, it’s time to start working on the details like choosing tours and attractions, booking time at the spa and researching the area’s dining options.
Arrival: In a word, this stage of their journey should be seamless. Luxury travelers expect amenities like valet parking, easy check-in, a warm welcome, and bellhops handy to help with bags. To make the experience even better, invest in technology like mobile check-in and keyless room entry.
On-site experience: This is your opportunity to let your travelers know that they made the right choice with your property. Attention to detail is key here, from personalized recommendations to concierge services that can include booking spa and dining appointments.
Departure: When you say goodbye, let your customers know that you’ll miss them as much as they’ll miss you. Consider leaving a little parting gift inside their room (high-end snacks and bottled water for the road, for example), and once again be ready to help them with their luggage.

Step 3. Identify Touch Points for Each Stage

Now that you have the roadmap, it’s time to determine how your customers interact during each stage of their journey. For example, what resources do they use for planning and research? Research shows that 32 percent of luxury travelers used an official destination website to plan travel in the past year. They also frequently turn to agents and advisers to help with planning. Understanding this type of information makes it clear where you need to engage these customers and make sure your property is featured.

The booking stage is the perfect opportunity to offer personalization options and begin offering added value, like trip inspiration and information on exclusive tours, personalized service, and envy-inducing photo opportunities.

When they arrive, your luxury customers should feel like you’ve been expecting them. Be sure to greet them by name, and consider creating a full-color brochure or gated web page that outlines all of the special perks (and photo spots) that are only available to them.

By taking the time to dig into each stage of your roadmap, you’ll be able to create a thorough list of all the ways that customers might interact with your property, and vice versa. From there, you can develop a strategy for personalized communication every step of the way.

Step 4. Make It Emotional

A large part of any trip is how it makes you feel, and many of the purchase decisions we make in all areas of life are based on emotion. Ask yourself: What emotions are luxury travelers feeling at each touch point? Are they excited when they’re planning, tired when they finally arrive, and sad to leave? These tidbits of information, known as psychographics, can help you create customer personas and really get a feel for how their journey will affect them emotionally.

Keep in mind that the emotions experienced by luxury travelers are likely very different from those traveling on a budget. In addition to the excitement that everyone feels when they travel, luxury customers might also feel a sense of accomplishment and exclusivity – and it’s your job to create a customer experience that reflects that. (One way is to put together an experiential video that focuses on moments rather than amenities. Here’s a look at some of our favorites.)

Step 5. Exceed Expectations

Luxury travelers have certain expectations when they travel, including high-end accommodations, upgrades, exceptional spas, fine dining options (and no problem making a reservation), attention to detail, and exclusive experiences that aren’t available to the general public.

They also crave personalization at every touch point, from welcome messages to being greeted by name at check-in, to personalized recommendations for on-site and off-site activities. Consider a handwritten note to welcome them upon arrival, or one to bid them farewell and thank them for their stay.

Step 6. Measure the Results

How can you tell if your customer journey map is correct? Metrics like repeat bookings and referrals are good indicators, along with online reviews – little gems of information that can tell you so much about what you’re doing right (and what you need to work on). While the errant review might just reflect someone who’s angry at the moment, take the repeated feedback seriously. It’s a great way to get inside your customers’ heads.

It’s All About the Experience: 5 Marketing Examples That Travel and Hospitality Marketers Use to Entice Guests

in Content Marketing, Hotels & Resorts by Hawthorn Editorial

t has probably already been drilled into your head: Now, more than ever, consumers crave experiences over material things. Since 1987, the amount of money that US consumers have spent on live experiences has increased by 70%, and much of that is led by millennials. In fact, 72% of millennials said they would rather spend their money on experiences than material goods.

This means that hotel brands now have a unique opportunity to connect and make an impactful impression on consumers by capitalizing on this “experience economy.” So, yes, while it’s great to show off a resort’s gorgeous property and unique amenities on a website, in email campaigns, and on social media, it’s just as important to market the destination. And we’ve got just the experiential marketing examples – several of which we’ve written for our clients (just think of us as your friendly experiential marketing agency) – that are quenching consumers’ thirst for fulfillment – and more importantly: driving bookings and visits.

Ideas That Spark Wanderlust

Some travel destinations just get stuck in your head, like the best daydream ever. Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is one of those places for us. With its majestic peaks, breathtaking views, and nonstop activities, it’s one of the top destinations for skiers (and even non-skiers). But a visit there is about more than just the slopes – you’ll find opportunities to snowmobile, dogsled, and even go whitewater rafting in the warm summer months.

The Snow King Resort Hotel, a Benchmark Property, wanted to let its visitors know that their picturesque destination has unlimited adventures on offer, so they worked with Hawthorn Creative to spark some wanderlust. This digital guide offers resort visitors the ultimate look at what Snow King has to offer, both on-property and in the surrounding area. The Adventurist offers adrenaline-pumping adventures, while Flavor Of… highlights the area’s best cuisine. The guide rounds out with a locals guide, a weekend itinerary suggestion, and even a digital map that pinpoints every one of the guide’s recommendations, giving visitors everything they need to craft an action-packed trip to the Grand Tetons.

Destination-Focused Email Campaigns

Scattered up and down the Eastern Seaboard from Bar Harbor, Maine, to Key West, Florida, Opal Collection comprises 26 luxury waterside resort properties and recognizes the need to capitalize on their respective resort destination experiences. And that they do: not just with a custom blog site we built for them – Opal Unpacked (for which we still manage copy, imagery sourcing and selection, and content loading) but by pushing out those various valuable pieces of destination content marketing in the form of three email campaign types.

The first is an “Opal-wide” campaign, which delivers monthly to blog subscribers and past resort guests to share a hand-selected assortment of content that cross-promotes the different resort destinations. The second is a “property-specific” campaign, sent out twice a year to past guests for each of the 26 properties, which pushes out content about new happenings, attractions, and ways to maximize their time during an upcoming visit. And, lastly, the “pre-arrival” campaigns. Scheduled to fire within a week of guests’ booked visits, the campaign utilizes content that serves as inspiration for how to truly take advantage of their upcoming vacation. In a nutshell, it’s a strategy that positions Opal Collection as the utmost expert on how to best experience the destinations.

Digital Concierge

Encircled by the famous Topa Topa mountain range in Southern California’s upscale bohemian village of Ojai, the 220-acre Ojai Valley Inn is quite the destination in itself, offering cooking classes with celeb chefs, beekeeping and honey tastings, horseback riding, yoga, golf – the list goes on. To help guests best take advantage of the dizzying array of activities offered on-site and beyond, in 2017 the resort unveiled its Discover Ojai Center, a one-stop vacation planning hub located on the grounds. Here, guests work with “experience planners” who provide hands-on immediate planning. But it’s not merely limited to folks already on-site – a comprehensive digital version of the center also lives on the resort’s website, giving potential consumers a peek at all that is at their fingertips. For those who eventually book, an experience planner works with guests prior to arrival to help create custom itineraries and make any necessary activity reservations. The result is a finely tuned visit, where the best of the valley is tailored to each guest’s individual taste.

Online Guide

Having been recently restored to its original 1920s art deco grandeur with palazzo-inspired architecture, lofty chandeliers, an upscale restaurant, and a lavish spa, Hotel Saranac is something of the marquee hotel in downtown Saranac Lake, New York. But another draw to this property that it wisely capitalizes on? The fact that it’s located in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains and uniquely positioned to take advantage of all the iconic attractions that call this place home: 46 famous 4,000-foot peaks, all located within an hour’s drive; the neighboring Olympic village of Lake Placid; and scores of arts, culture, and gastronomic gems.

Enter Field Guide, a trusted local resource written and built by Hawthorn Creative that lives on the hotel’s property website to showcase all there is to do in the destination. Divided into four separate categories (Adventure, Explore, Drink & Dine, and Unwind), the guide is easily navigable based on interests, and, once a user clicks into a category, showcases an array of locally vetted activities, highlights, and reasons to visit paired with punchy copy and engaging web design. The benefit to the client is twofold: If a potential guest is googling “things to do in the Adirondacks,” Hotel Saranac is in a prime position to populate and deliver that info – and that, my friend, leads to conversion. Additionally, if someone is considering booking the hotel, but isn’t quite sold yet, this type of things-to-do content often helps tip the scale so they feel confident that they’re not just booking a hotel, they’re booking an experience.

Destination Content Integrated on Landing Page

Surrounded by more than 5,000 acres of countryside and forested areas in Amenia, New York, the newly renovated Troutbeck offers upscale lodging in an eighteenth-century estate where Mark Twain, Henry David Thoreau, and Ralph Waldo Emerson all once stayed. But rather than focus exclusively on this Hudson Valley hideaway’s historic, low-key, and luxurious accommodations on the hotel’s landing page, it integrates experiential content in the form of clickable tiles that showcase the local hiking, skiing, fishing, and horseback-riding scenes, among others. The message? That Troutbeck is an estate for an escape with all the activities an outdoor enthusiast could ask for, just two hours north of New York City.

Top 7 Metrics to Pay Attention to in Google Analytics

in Event Venues by Hawthorn Editorial

he only thing constant about website data analytics is that they’re always changing – not just the numbers you’re crunching, but also the numbers that programs like Google Analytics decide are important. And while the amount of data for your site is seemingly endless, it can be overwhelming if you’re not used to it.

To help you narrow your focus, we’ve put together a list of the most important data points right now according to Google Analytics, and why they matter.

1. Conversion Rate and Goal Completions

Number one with a bullet! This has got to be your number one KPI; after all, it’s tracking the most important actions you want your users to take on the site. The goals are yours to define (sales, bookings, form submissions, newsletter signups, etc.), but they’re extremely important to track as they reflect your overall business and marketing goals. So get these bad boys established and start tracking.

2. Pages Per Session

This metric tracks the amount of browsing someone does once they’ve found your website, and will tell you whether people are taking a quick glimpse at your homepage then bouncing, or digging in for more. This matters because it measures how interesting your content is. Is your site engaging enough to bring viewers in beyond the first click? If you’re finding that people come and stay awhile, that’s great! If they’re not, it could be an indication that it’s time to revisit your copy and messaging.

3. Time on Site

This ties in with pages per session as an indicator of how much time people are spending with your content. This is useful on several fronts: if your site has a blog (like this one!), time on site will tell you how long readers spend looking at your content and clicking links to related articles. For eCommerce sites, it can tell you things like how much time visitors spend browsing your inventory. In either case, the more time spent on site, the more useful your content is as a whole (vs. just one page).

4. Location of User

Why does it matter where users are coming from if something is online? It’s part of understanding who your customers are, especially if you have products for sale. Where you’re located can have a big impact on how customers shop and what they buy – think about Wisconsin vs. Florida in January, for example. Google Analytics takes an in-depth look at location-specific user information that includes demographics, so it’s possible to get a clear picture of who is visiting your site.

5. Landing Pages

In this case, “landing page” means the first page that visitors encounter when they come to your site. This ties in with number 6, below, to show which pages are performing well based on a number of factors like social media targeting, SEO, and digital campaigns. If your top landing page is the destination for the CTA in your Facebook ad, it’s a good indication that the campaign is effective. If people are landing on individual blog posts first, that’s a good sign that you’re doing well at optimizing for SEO. If your top landing pages seem random, however, it may be a sign to reevaluate your current tactics.

6. Demographics

Demographics are the characteristics that paint a picture of who you are – age, gender, income, location, education, and so on. These are the first types of marketing metrics you learn about in school – and some of the most important, because demographics tell you who your customers are. You can use them to create customer personas, target advertising, and so much more. In Google Analytics, demographics can also include interests.

7. Source/Medium and Referrals

Knowing how your audience is finding you is key to understanding how your marketing channels are driving traffic. Putting a lot of effort into social media and seeing a lack of traffic coming from Facebook? Time to reassess. Same goes with SEO or any marketing tactics that are going to show results over time. In order to understand whether your efforts, budget, or time is paying off, you’re going to want to keep a sharp eye on where your web traffic is coming from.

This list isn’t exhaustive of the data you can find in programs like Google Analytics by any means, but if you keep an eye on these seven areas – not just in real time but as trends over time – they can give you a good idea of the overall health of your website and associated marketing campaigns.

Case Study: AW Plastic Surgery Converts with High-Quality Blog Posts

in Medical Aesthetic Spas, Practices & Suppliers by Hawthorn Editorial

W Plastic Surgery is a Portsmouth, New Hampshire–based surgery center that turned to Hawthorn Creative to help them improve their overall website visibility, user experience, and conversion rate. We were happy to partner with them, because high-quality, well-written, informative, and purposeful blog content is like going fishing with the best bait imaginable. Not only are you going to attract more fish to your line (yes, an analogy for visitors to your website), but they’re going to stick around, do some exploring, and try a few nibbles until you eventually hook ’em (read: convert).

Since the start of our partnership in 2020, our work with this boutique practice has included restructuring their website to make it more user-friendly (also improving their path to conversion), search marketing (including on-page SEO and ongoing SEO to bring more traffic in), and organic social media management. In this post, we’re going to look at their blog performance in particular – and how realigning their strategy vastly improved the number of “contact us now” clicks they saw.

Does Blog Content Still Matter in 2023?

In a word, yes! We’ve been tracking the metrics for AW Plastics for several years now and the trends are clear – having a great company website is good, but it’s not enough for a well-rounded marketing campaign. Think of it like this: Your beautiful landing page is the final destination, but your SEO-optimized blog posts are the path that gets visitors there. Not many people can pull a URL out of their head and go directly to a site, but if they google “Is plastic surgery right for me?” and reach your blog post, it’s the gateway to your site.

The more blog content you have and continually add, the more opportunity for your company to show up in search engine results that drive traffic to your website in organic search – and that, in turn, means more visibility. (Not to mention, Google recognizes the frequent posting of quality content and rewards it with higher search rankings.)

So How Do You Create Blog Content That Converts Traffic into Leads?

In the case of AW Plastic Surgery, they had a previous blog managed by another agency that was producing regular posts – and they were actually seeing a good amount of traffic. But when it came to conversion, the issue wasn’t solely tied to traffic; it was the bounce rates, time spent on page, pages per session, and average time per session. They were too low, a sign of low engagement that was a result of dry copy, lack of CTAs, or links to additional relevant blog posts.

After taking over the management of AW’s blog content (where an on-staff content writer with a background in journalism and years of writing for the web began cranking out new monthly blog posts for the brand), we were able to see a vast improvement in our new content over the content created by the previous agency in just four months. Here’s a look at the latest numbers:

Higher Overall Session Time – On average, a session duration of 2:51 versus the previous agency’s 0:29.
Users Exploring More Pages Per Session – On average, 1.69 pages per session versus the previous agency’s 1.13.

This means that, after entering the site via our blog posts, users are engaging and exploring more of our client’s site over longer periods of time more often than they were through the posts produced by the former agency. It also showed that, in that same span of time (July through November), our content was producing more conversions – which, in this case, was someone eventually filling out the “contact us” form after initially landing on the website from one of our blog posts.

So How Did We Do It?

To be honest, the previous agency had good subject potential and keyword research (which is why their posts saw a good amount of traffic), but it lacked the following four critical elements that make for good content that engages a user for a longer period of time and encourages them to spend more time exploring the overall site:

1. COPY THAT SETS UP AW AS THE AUTHORITY

While the past agency worked with AW to develop the blog’s content angles, they didn’t actually interview anyone at the practice before writing. They simply researched the subject and wrote it, sending the content to Dr. Anthony Wilson to review and edit prior to posting.

“I used to have to do a lot of rewriting,” says Dr. Wilson. “I don’t do that with Hawthorn. Their writers and editors are skilled, taking the time to personally communicate with either me or the appropriate member of my team to truly understand the treatment we’re talking about – from surgery to skincare – and the target audience. The result is carefully crafted, purposeful material that’s well worth the investment.”

For example, on-staff experts are always quoted directly in the content, like in this “Your Essential Fall Skincare Checklist” post that features insight from Tracy Thaden, a clinical aesthetician and medical assistant at the practice. Not only does this put a face to the very staff members that potential patients would be interacting with at AW, but it builds the entire practice as a trusted interpreter to digest and distill the latest trends for them – and that’s key to keeping them coming back.

2. WELL-WRITTEN, ENGAGING COPY

Since AW is a practice offering cosmetic surgeries as well as non-invasive treatments, to some degree, you can expect the copy to read a little “medical.” And while that’s certainly okay, it doesn’t mean you can’t add some flavor to the content, particularly to the headlines, excerpt, and intro.

See an example of one of our posts, “How to Get Rid of Jowls: 4 Treatments for 4 Stages of Sagging” versus an older post like “Why Are Women Electing Smaller Breast Implants?” We’re selecting these two posts because, from September (when our post first went live) to the end of October, both of these posts saw roughly the same number of sessions. However, our post saw an average bounce rate of 59%, with 2.48 pages per session, and session duration of 1:27, while the other saw an average bounce rate of 86%, 1.23 pages per session, and session duration of 0:16. Our post also earned AW three conversions in this time frame, while the other saw 0.

3. BLOG CTAs (CALL TO ACTION)

Within all of our posts, we design and include a “button” that uses snappy copy to instruct a user to take a certain desired action – i.e., read more about Dr. Anthony Wilson on the About page like in this post, or book a consult related to the topic like in this post. The previous content did not do this, and therefore missed out on a vital opportunity to encourage users to engage with other parts of the website.

4. IN-TEXT LINKS AND CONCLUDING “ADDITIONAL READING” SECTION

Similar to the concept above, if you want users to stay on your website and look around, you’ve got to give them the means to do so. Therefore, we always include text links to other sections on the website wherever it makes sense (for example, if we mention a skincare product or a service, we link to where you can find more info about it under the skincare store page or services pages). Lastly, at the end of each article, we always provide a list of “related reading,” essentially three additional articles on related topics to encourage visitors to keep reading.

Next Up: We Refresh Their Older Content

When it comes to the posts created by the previous agency, we’re not about to throw the baby out with the bathwater. After all, many of these posts had good angles and subject potential that were clearly drawing readers in through organic traffic. So in addition to continuing to generate new blog content, we are also revising and refreshing AW’s older pieces of blog content that have higher traffic and pageviews, but lower engagement. That way, we can ensure that readers are truly getting the informative read they want, while AW – a leading medical aesthetics practice on the New Hampshire Seacoast – continues to get the leads they deserve.

Day Trippin’: 7 Ways to Help Your Hotel Become the Focal Point for a Fun Itinerary

in Content Marketing, Hotels & Resorts by Hawthorn Editorial

ith airfare skyrocketing and stories about mishandled flights bombarding the headlines, many people are asking themselves, “Where can we go that’s driveable?” It’s the perfect opportunity to position your hotel as not only a place to rest their heads, but the basecamp for everything on your local area’s must-see list.

Suggested itineraries are something we see quite often from tourism departments, online travel sites, and other destination-based businesses, but it may not be something you think of as a resort amenity. However, offering up packed itinerary options filled with exciting adventures goes to the very heart of hospitality – showing your guests that you care about their entire experience, whether they’re on-property or out sightseeing. But how do you go about planning the perfect day for a wide range of visitors? We put together a step-by-step guide for creating craveable itineraries.

1. Create a map of local points of interest

Borrowing an idea from tourist-destination cities like Boston and St. Augustine, one great way to visualize all there is to offer in your area is to make a map. Whether you do this as an internal exercise or turn it into a public-facing piece, marking all the local attractions, restaurants, and must-see spots helps you get a good idea of how close various stops on your itinerary are. The map can simply include locator pins, or extra information like the mileage from your hotel to the destination or other information about the point of interest.

Hawthorn Creative put together a number of different itineraries for the Lakes Region Tourism Association of New Hampshire, including ideas for older couples, wellness seekers, foliage viewers, and more. Every itinerary was created based on visitor profiles to the region, and it’s something that translates perfectly to a specific hotel or resort.

2. Develop various guest profiles

Who are the guests that book stays at your property? Are they families, spring break revelers, honeymooning couples, business travelers, or a little bit of everything? Understanding your audience is important here, because you can put together itineraries for them that you know will appeal. And you don’t have to choose just one. You can create versions for adventure, fun for all ages, wellness and relaxation – let your guest profiles lead the way.

For example, The Snow King Resort in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, has created a Wanderlust guide that includes ideas for foodies, adventurers, weekend warriors, and more.

3. Mix and match for a variety of options

Once you know who your audiences are and what’s available around you, it’s time to put your itineraries together. Most commonly, visitors arrive for a weekend getaway at check-in time on Friday and leave at check-out on Sunday, so begin with a Friday-night activity and end with something for Sunday around noon.

In addition, you can create itineraries that are more loosely constructed – a general one-day itinerary, for example, could cover all of the area’s most popular highlights for travelers who are on a limited timeframe. For business travelers, highlight after-work activities and open-late restaurants. The better you know your guest profiles, the more fun you can have.

4. Make your hotel a focal point of the itinerary

While the point of this exercise is to give your guests a guide to getting out, it’s also important to bring them back to the hotel to enjoy your amenities! For example, a weekend itinerary could include “Saturday afternoon poolside” or kick off Friday night with “drinks and dinner at our award-winning on-site restaurant.”

That said, if your resort is all inclusive or packed with amenities, you could also offer an itinerary that takes place entirely on-property. This can be especially helpful for guests who are looking for a weekend escape from the grind.

5. Partner with other local businesses

Everyone loves added value and perks, and one of the best ways to offer those to your guests is to partner with businesses in the area. If you have a family-friendly property, for example, reach out to the local indoor golf or arcade and see if they’d be willing to offer discounts to hotel guests. If you don’t offer any late-night dining options, see if a local pizza place will do the same.

This differs from individual partnerships that you may have already established that include these businesses in your itineraries. Here’s an example:

For a family-friendly weekend itinerary:
Saturday afternoon: Get your golf on! It’s kids vs. grown-ups at this exciting arcade, where you can bowl, play laser tag, play retro pinball, and more. Mention that you’re staying at our resort for a free round of mini-golf.

6. Ask your guests for feedback

One thing we’ve learned in our years of marketing is that sometimes what we think is the perfect solution isn’t even close to what our audience is looking for. (You may think a pottery studio is a great family activity, for example, but discover that it’s not something your guests find engaging.)

The best way to avoid missteps and incorrect assumptions as you’re planning your itineraries is simple: ask your guests what they’ve been up to. This can be a simple question as they’re checking out – “What did you do while you were in town?” – or a more formal survey that you send via email once their stay is complete.

7. Treat your employees to some fun team-building

If you aren’t sure that you want to recommend a local restaurant or have never been to the brand-new rock-climbing facility, there’s no better way to check it out than inviting your staff members to an afternoon getaway.

How to Create Social Media Content Pillars That Fuel Your Overall Strategy

in Event Venues, Social Media Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

reating a social media strategy that reaches your target audiences effectively is only the beginning. While an overall campaign looks at your big goals, objectives, and KPIs, it includes a lot of moving parts that must all function together like cogs in a wheel.

One of the most important elements of a solid campaign is your content strategy: deciding what messages you want to deliver, how you want to deliver them, and to whom. This can be a complex process, especially if you have multiple messages and a diverse range of target markets.

An effective way to keep all your disparate messages organized and on track is to separate them into content marketing pillars, or buckets. Each pillar represents a key topic or theme that serves as a foundation and a way to remain focused as you build out your publishing calendar. Pillars will help you ensure that your content is consistent, focused, relevant, and valuable, and will serve as a safeguard for not missing anything important.

(It’s easy to go off the rails when you’re thinking creatively – we know about that firsthand! Content pillars act as your guiding stars to ensure that your message isn’t lost, or delivered in a way that won’t resonate.) Here are some ways to create content pillars that work:

1. Identify your target audiences

Yep, we say this a lot, but it bears repeating: your campaign will not be successful if you don’t have a clear picture of whom you want to hear your message. This includes a lot more than basic demographic information too. What are their pain points? What would they like to know about your venue? What are your most commonly asked questions?

Your research should also include their social media habits, like the platforms they spend the most time on and what types of content they engage in. If you don’t have access to a market research firm to help you determine these analytics, one way to do a little recon is to scroll the social channels of your main competitors. While it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, you’ll at least be able to see what they’re talking about. Take note of the type of posts that get the most engagement.

Work we love: The Sagamore Resort uses its Instagram page (designed and managed by Hawthorn Creative) to talk to its target audiences, including engaged couples, families, and those seeking a relaxing weekend away.

2. Be clear on your brand voice

What does your brand stand for? How does it speak? It can be easy to get swept up in the snark on Twitter or fall into the latest trends on TikTok, but if those things stray from what your brand represents, they can do more harm than good. Instead, focus on what makes your venue unique and how you communicate that. Can you change up your tone a little bit to match the style of LinkedIn vs. Facebook? Absolutely. But the core of every post should ladder back up to your brand voice and style.

Work we love: The Lake Placid Lodge understands that its picturesque backdrops are perfect for Instagram. The account (designed and managed by Hawthorn Creative) focuses on Insta-worthy content to create an irresistible vision for this lakeside retreat.

3. Brainstorm content ideas

Now for the fun part! With your guardrails in place, it’s time to start coming up with content ideas that align with your goals and objectives. Here are several suggestions for how to approach this stage.

Spend an hour or so brainstorming every idea imaginable. Take copious notes, don’t say no, and reach for the stars without restrictions. From there, take the ideas and filter them through team members whose job it is to make them work within your guardrails. (Can you afford Ryan Reynolds as a spokesperson? Maybe not. But you’ve always been interested in an influencer campaign.)
Start with the end. If you’re having trouble with creativity, determine your CTA … where do you want your viewers to end up? Once you have that answer, create a story and pathway to get them to that spot. (If you’d like a bride to ultimately book a tour of your venue, for example, craft a story that will entice her to click.)
Group your ideas by pillar. This can work whether you start with a general brainstorm session or write your pillars on the whiteboard at the beginning. If your messages revolve around “Affordability,” “Unique Adventure,” and “Room Enough for Everyone,” brainstorm ideas that tell those three stories.

A few important notes to remember: (1) Stop every once in a while to refresh your memory on the overall strategy goals so that your content ideas remain focused, (2) Don’t just consider what you want to say, but how you’ll say it – some ideas lend themselves naturally to video or photography (or vice versa) and others are best communicated with the written word. A quick “blog post” or “Instagram reel” next to your idea will ensure that you don’t forget anything along the way.

4. Create a comprehensive publishing calendar

This may be one of the most important steps you take in establishing your content pillars. We recommend a multi-platform scheduling tool, like Hootsuite, where you can see everything that’s due to be published on every platform by the day, week, or month. Start by marking the dates that are timely and can’t be missed – grand openings, big events, registration cutoff dates, and other deadline-driven events. Determine how far in advance you want to promote them, a good cadence for repeating important news, and which platforms are the best for getting the word out.

From there, start filling in the blanks. You may want to consider color-coding or otherwise designating each content pillar as you go so that the various topics are distributed evenly (or concentrated on one best platform, if that’s the case).

5. Refine, refine, refine

One of the best things about social media is that it’s constantly in flux. If you posted a TikTok video that definitely did not go viral, you have the chance to try something new almost immediately. Conversely, if you have one that did go viral, you know that you should be doing more of the same.

As your campaign progresses, it’s important to pay close attention to not only your back-end analytics, but your real-time post engagements. Which posts are being liked and shared? Which ones get the most comments? Hearing firsthand what your audience is thinking is worth its weight in gold. And remember that when it comes to content – it’s what they engage with (not what you think is cool) that matters. Listen to your audience and meet them where they are. When you give them the right content in the right context, you’ll have no doubt of its success.

MedSpa Photography Should Inspire Authenticity

in Content Marketing, Medical Aesthetic Spas, Practices & Suppliers by Hawthorn Editorial

f you’ve spent any time on social media lately, you’ve no doubt come across ads for makeup, gym equipment, or aesthetic services. And the trends are clear: Marketers are embracing complete authenticity – something that’s nearly the polar opposite of what you may have found online in the not-too-distant past.

Especially if you’ve been trained in the “Photoshop to perfection” school of marketing, how do you create photos that are inspiring and aspirational, but show real results? Here are a few ideas for how to find the balance that will give your customers a realistic, attainable look at what your procedures and services can do for them.

1. Create your visual story

Like all elements of marketing, your photography should start with understanding your audience and creating a plan. If your ultimate goal is to attract qualified leads to your business, that means speaking to them in a way that’s relatable – and a picture is worth a thousand words. If you’re a high-end, luxury, exclusive aesthetics practice with a celebrity clientele, for example, your visual story should reflect that. If you focus on a niche, your visual story should leave potential customers with no doubt about what you offer.

2. Showcase a wide range of before and after results

While some customers definitely see incredible results from aesthetics services, other results are more subtle. It’s important to show both in your before and after gallery. Why? Because potential customers want to know what the procedure will do for them. If they see someone in your photography who looks like them, they’ll be better able to relate.

Along those same lines, it goes without saying that the “after” photos should show improvement, but beware of making that photo so much better than the “before” picture that people think it’s fake. (See note below about lighting.)

3. Introduce your doctors and aestheticians

At the end of the day, your customers are interacting with the person who’s performing their procedure or treatment. Warm, inviting photographs of your staff can go a long way toward building trust. Be sure to capture them in their “natural habitat” around the office for a feeling of authenticity, and have them look exactly as they do when they see patients for that connection between online marketing and their real-world experience. Consider having them do video demonstrations of your various service options – especially if any equipment used may look scary or overwhelming at first glance. All of this combined will create a good synergy between authority and approachability.

4. Ask your customers to be your ambassadors

According to Insider Intelligence, 62% of consumers said that they were more likely to purchase if they could view customer-generated photos and videos, and as many as 21% said they’d like to see a product in action before they purchase. Translated for medspas, this means asking some of your best customers to post their results from their own personal page, in their own style.

5. Ditch the stock photos

If you’re on a limited budget, your first thought might be to turn to a stock photo site for inexpensive – or sometimes even free – photographs for your website. When the trend is toward embracing authenticity in your digital marketing, however, stock photos give a staged feeling that isn’t relatable to many of your customers.

Instead, we suggest hiring a local photographer to do a custom photo shoot that includes images of your office, customers, doctors and staff, and more. If your budget is tight, consider hiring a photographer in trade for aesthetic services of an equal amount. You could even get perfectly good photos and videos for social media using a high-quality smartphone.

MedSpa Photography Tips and Tricks

Get permission from all models. Whether you hire a professional photographer or DIY it, one thing is essential – make sure that everyone who appears in your photographs or videos has given you exclusive permission to use their image and likeness on camera. You can find standard media release forms online, and make sure everyone signs them before you begin. Privacy is a top concern for medspas, and a business could find itself in hot water if someone who wanted to have a procedure done under the radar is suddenly featured on your TikTok account.
Don’t use the same staff members in every photo. People come and go, so we recommend staging the same photograph using various groupings. That way if someone moves on from their position, it’s painless to replace the image.
Lighting matters. One of the things that can make viewers incredulous of before and after photos is vastly different lighting. One way to avoid this is to set up a studio area in your office, get the lighting right, and take all of your photos in that space for consistency. Ring lights are great for an inexpensive yet professional studio setup.
Be aware of copyright. While you probably won’t get in trouble for picking up sounds or songs and using them on your personal social media channels, it’s an entirely different story for a commercial business. It’s important to check the copyright status of any song you may want to include with your videos – most of them will be off-limits.

Why We Love These 3 Social Media Campaigns

in Social Media Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

hen a hotel’s social media campaign is good, it makes you want to keep scrolling for more. You want more pictures, more videos, more information – more of everything that resort has to offer. For hotel owners, a loyal online audience is a worthy goal, especially in this area of sharing, reposting, and reviews. Why? Because fans of a particular location bring authenticity without even trying, and their words are as valuable as any paid campaign (without the initial investment).

With that in mind, here’s a look at some of our favorite hotel and resort campaigns that are making their way around social media right now, from large name brands to boutique locations you may never have heard of. Which one is your favorite?

RIU Hotels

What: An international chain of hotels and resorts with approximately 100 locations across 19 countries
Website: https://www.riu.com/en/home.jsp
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Riuhoteles
Insta/TikTok: @riuhotels

Why We Love It:

RIU uses social media to show you that no matter where you go in the world, you can find sunny skies and relaxation. On Instagram, images are focused on sun-kissed beaches, clear waters, sparkling pools, and the ultimate in relaxation everywhere you go. The company highlights trends and holidays, including its recent Valentine’s Day–inspired “Love At First Sight” post, featuring scenes of happy couples discovering “the most romantic destinations in the world.”

We especially like their Insta Stories section called “Play With Us,” which invites followers to interact via polls, quizzes, and questions.

RIU’s Facebook page is the place to enter contests and giveaways (and they give away big!) and to learn about new properties and other promotions. They even have a large following on LinkedIn, where they focus on careers with the company and the benefits of working in the hospitality industry.

Over on TikTok, RIU takes advantage of the channel’s penchant for trends, including a towel-folding challenge and user-generated content that’s updated each month. One of our favorite videos is a happy, sentimental end-of-year post thanking travelers for venturing out again in 2022.

Kayus Busteni Boutique Hotel

What: A small, niche hotel in Romania with a serious sense of humor
Website: https://kayus.ro
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KayusBusteni
Insta/TikTok: @kayusbusteni

Why We Love It:

The Kayus Busteni is a small, exclusive boutique hotel in Busteni, Romania, that understands the power of using social media to let its personality shine through. While their website is refined, modern in design, and focused on a luxury dining and lodging experience, their TikTok page is humorous, trendy, and has garnered millions of likes per video.

The hotel’s social campaigns are fronted by a handsome, fun-loving spokesman whom you’ll find doing everything from throwing around giant stacks of cash to dancing with a giant teddy bear while a guest musician plays the saxophone.

This might sound random, but taken as a whole the posts are engaging and intriguing. We can’t wait to see what he gets up to next.

The same host serves as the face of the hotel over on Instagram too; however, the images and videos there tend to feature more behind-the-scenes footage, like the (heart-stopping) views from inside the hotel’s rooms to what goes on in the kitchen while the chefs prepare world-class cuisine.

Marriott Bonvoy

What: The world-famous loyalty program for Marriott Hotels
Website: http://www.marriott.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marriottbonvoy
Insta/TikTok: @marriottbonvoy

Why We Love It:

Marriott Bonvoy has perfected the art of crafting an irresistible loyalty program. All across its social channels, as well as its website, you’ll find the perks that come with being a Bonvoy member.

On TikTok, Bonvoy is leading the way with influencer programs. The company has hired three famous TikTok creators to travel all over the world and document their experiences as part of Marriott and the Bonvoy program (how do we get that gig?). The influencers share content like traditional property walk-throughs, travel how-tos, and local adventures, but they also take time out to engage with the fun trends and challenges that make the app so popular.

Bonvoy’s Facebook account employs more traditional social media marketing, including ad-based posts with CTAs, destination features, and some seasonal information sprinkled in.

But the real gem of this campaign is its Instagram channel, which features a wealth of content that covers everything you could possibly want to know about the program. Its feed and reels offer a look behind the scenes of what it’s like to be a member and highlights perks like meeting celebrities, scoring concert tickets, and being invited to exclusive parties.

They also use creative storytelling to tout other, more practical perks like excellent customer service, and increase user engagement with timely quizzes like “What’s your travel love language?” with property recommendations based on your answers.

We’ll be honest – we’re sold. Sign us up, Bonvoy.

8 Ways to Make Your Event Venue Stand Out

in Event Venues by Hawthorn Editorial

s in-person gatherings come roaring back, the competition can feel overwhelming when it comes to venue options – especially when it seems like every time you open social media you get a new sponsored ad for an event space. If you’ve ever found yourself thinking What do they got that I ain’t got? here are some ways to help your venue stand out from the crowd and entice customers to say yes.

1. Develop a smart marketing strategy.

One of the hottest trends for 2023 is authenticity in marketing, which basically means that if you want to find success with customers, you should lean in to who you are. Whether your venue is nightclub luxe or backwoods rustic, it’s essential to understand who your target market is, what they want, and then show it off to them in full-color, Insta-worthy photos and videos that make them say, “Yes! This is the place!”

An example we love: When you view the website for Twenty Mile House, there’s no doubt that they offer a rustic-yet-chic location for the outdoor wedding of your dreams.

2. Offer a virtual tour.

We’ve gotten used to doing a lot of things from the comfort of our couches over the past few years. Why not add a virtual tour of your venue that allows potential customers to look around your property and see everything you have to offer before they head out for an in-person tour? This is a great way to attract out-of-state customers, who may be planning a destination wedding, while making their initial research easier.

An example we love: The way Grand Lodge of Maryland combines high-quality photographs with 3D, interactive tours of their space makes you feel like you’re actually there.

3. Have the high-tech hookup.

While many people are returning to IRL travel, there will always be some guests who can’t make an event, whether it’s due to illness, cost, or other factors. Having a stress-free and reliable way for guests to dial in remotely could offer potential customers tremendous peace of mind. Be sure your tech is best in class for on-site guests as well, including fast Wi-Fi for live streaming. (Don’t forget to ask for your hashtag to be included!)

An example we love: Simple VR’s virtual-reality experience allows event guests to interact with one another in a lifelike, immersive environment.

4. Invest in customer service.

From the very first contact to the final farewell, roll out the red carpet for your customers. Making people feel like royalty is a great way to earn their loyalty, and ideas include free valet parking for the hosts, a comfy meeting room stocked with drinks and snacks, an attentive ear to listen to all of their requests, and succinct and timely follow-up that answers all of their questions and never leaves them hanging. It’s ironic that planning fun events can cause so much stress for the organizers, so a little extra can go a long way.

An example we love: The reviews for Winters Barns, a winner of the Guides for Brides 2022 Customer Service Awards, say it all.

5. Show off your amenities.

Some of the most sought-after amenities party hosts are looking for in 2023 include a variety of room size options, well-appointed restrooms, experienced staff, and signage capabilities. If you’re a wedding venue, be sure that you have ample comfortable space for the wedding party to get ready. If your venue is within city limits, consider offering free parking to event guests.

An example we love: A series of video walkthroughs produced by The Matara Centre, a stunning wedding venue located in the English countryside, give couples an intimate look at their spaces for ceremonies, receptions, and everything in between.

6. Be flexible.

Yes, things are starting to get back to normal. But COVID is still around. The reliability of airline travel has been questionable lately, and we all know that sometimes life just happens. Offering a flexible contract that includes provisions for COVID-19 shows potential customers that you care, and that you’re not going to leave them to their own devices if the unforeseen happens.

An example we love: This two-part breakdown of the ins and outs of a wedding venue contract from The Venue Academy’s Lindsay Lucas.

7. Host an open house

What better way to show off your digs then to invite the public in for a look-see? Promote the event on social media, offer incentives (free drinks and food, giveaways, or free tours, for example) and swing open the doors for an evening of fun and get-to-know-you. As an added bonus, you could speak with previous clients to see if they’d be willing to be on-hand to share their stories and reviews.

An example we love: The Sixpence, an upscale event space in Indianapolis, Indiana, offers open houses throughout the year, as well as special events to bring in potential customers.

8. Use real-life examples as often as possible.

This follows on the previous idea of having actual customers share their testimonials. Whether you’re putting together a marketing strategy, brand video, or updating your Google page, highlight the stories of real-life people who’ve used your venue in the past – and have become raving fans. Endorsements from actual happy customers are worth their weight in gold, and are taken far more seriously.

An example we love: The Flora website includes a gallery dedicated to “love stories,” real weddings that have graced the venue in the past. A perfect way for potential customers to picture themselves there is to see others who made it happen.

Ways to Help Your Venue Attract (and Convert) Gen Z

in Event Venues, Photography & Video, Websites by Hawthorn Editorial

It may feel like Gen Z is still in diapers, but time flies and here’s the reality: the oldest members of this generation are turning 26 this year. They make up the much-coveted consumer demographic of 18-to-26-year-olds, and any business that doesn’t pay attention to their spending and purchasing habits is doing themselves a big disservice. (Well, that may not be entirely true; AARP, we’ll let you off the hook on this one).

Not only are they well into the age for renting venues for events and weddings, but Gen Z accounts for a quarter of the United States population. If they aren’t yet on your radar, you’re way behind the curve.

Here’s the first thing you need to know to attract Gen Z customers – they’re addicted to social media. (That’s not us being old fuddy-duddies, either. More than 60% openly admit to this being true.) If you want to find them, you have to be on social channels. They aren’t reading magazines or even clicking digital ads – they’re scrolling TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram.

This may be a huge mindset shift for venue owners, who’ve been told for ages that millennials are the only age group that matters. Don’t get us wrong – they still represent a huge chunk of the wedding pie – but Gen Z is coming, they know what they want, and it’s not what you’re used to. If you want them to become the future of your venue, it’s time to expand your marketing repertoire.

Here’s a look at some of the ways you can get Gen Z to say yes to your venue.

A Good Website Is No Longer Enough

According to a recent study, 61% of Gen Zers said they would pay more for better quality, 56% for a better experience, and 50% for convenience. They’re setting a high bar, and it’s up to you as an event venue operator to meet or exceed it.

Let’s apply those ideas to your website. For millennials, your website is everything. They’re all about stunning photography, a well-designed website, and authenticity in marketing. For Gen Z, however, it’s more like a nice-to-have. While 64% told Hootsuite that they would look up a website before visiting in person, a whopping 97% said social media is their top option for searching for options. Gen Z is completely at home with the idea of social commerce, or buying completely within their chosen social platform, and they trust the algorithms to bring them relevant suggestions. (This is why #tiktokmademebuyit is a very real thing.)

To attract Gen Z to your venue, it’s essential to get comfortable with social tech. Learn ways to set up social commerce, and be sure that every CTA on your website is also available on your Instagram account.

A TikTok account we love: The Barn 1906

This whimsical, chic wedding venue in Ontario, Canada, understands TikTok. They’re leading the way with audio CTAs like “Come and get married with us!” and trending sounds that entice viewers to take the next step. (Their Instagram account is on the money, too.)

Use Your Influence(rs)

Gen Z loves a good influencer. And by influencers, we don’t mean movie stars. The celebrities of the future are social media personalities: people who are TikTok famous, or popular YouTubers. Because there are so many niche creators out there, they can be a little difficult to track down. But once you find them, they can be extremely valuable in helping you promote your brand. This works because Gen Z wants to align with influencers that mimic their values – if that influencer supports an organization, those values are in parallel by extension.

An influencer campaign we love: The Bouqs co

In an effort to promote their wedding and retail services, this online flower delivery business hired a team of influencers who had recently gotten engaged to use their services and promote them along their journey. The influencers engaged with Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and blogs, producing 50 pieces of content that were then amplified with paid social campaigns.

Share Your Values

In poll after poll, Gen Z has made it clear: They want to do business with companies that share their values, like sustainability, organic food and drinks, and social-justice causes that align with their own beliefs. What does your business stand for? Let them know! Show them that you don’t just offer them the perfect gathering space, but that your overall vision is one of making the world a better place.

One word of caution, however: Your efforts need to be sincere. Gen Z can spot virtue-signaling from a mile away, and they aren’t interested. They want real, authentic communication that doesn’t try to create a world that only exists in a marketing plan. (If you, as a venue, do some discovery and realize that you don’t have any of the values that would attract a Gen Z customer, maybe it’s time to rethink your game.)

Setting the example: Ashford Acres Inn

This charming, historic inn, located near Lexington, Kentucky, was built in 1858 and today serves as a picturesque venue for weddings and other special events. As a member of the Inclusive Kentucky Weddings initiative, the inn’s owner says, “Ashford Acres Inn was built as a wedding present in 1858 and has hosted numerous weddings on-site through the century-and-a-half of its existence. We have continued that tradition on our property since opening in 2016 and have welcomed all couples who wish to exchange vows, as we believe love is always to be equally celebrated among all who are lucky enough to have found it.”

Make Sure Your Venue is Camera-Ready and Content-Worthy

Even when they’re offline, it’s possible to engage your Gen Z audience digitally. Create a space that looks beautiful not only IRL but in photographs as well. Be sure that you offer reliable, high-speed Wi-Fi for live streaming and plenty of photo opps – a red carpet with a step-and-repeat, a fun photo booth, or unique beverage displays are all Insta-worthy.

At the end of the day, Gen Z is looking for an experience, not just an event. They want to be able to connect with the things and people around them, whether that’s through an app or face-to-face. This isn’t to say that your venue needs to give off party, night-club luxe vibes (unless that’s your vibe!) – it just means that you’ll find success by leaning into who you are, owning it, and sharing it with the world on social media.

If you still aren’t convinced: #genzwedding

To see Gen Z in action when it comes to their thoughts on weddings, just take a browse through this hashtag on TikTok. For venue owners who have been catering to older couples for a while, it will likely be an eye-opening scroll. From the up-and-coming trends in bridal fashion to the way Gen Z approaches the most traditional aspects of a wedding (like seeing each other before the ceremony or kissing in front of the crowd), everything about the way we think we know weddings is changing.

Does all this sound great, but you’re not sure how to put it into action?

Our team of designers, writers, and strategists are at your digital disposal. Just drop us a line any time.

Medical Aesthetic Suppliers: Here’s What B2B Buyers Are Looking for in 2023

in Content Marketing, Medical Aesthetic Spas, Practices & Suppliers by Hawthorn Editorial

There’s a widely held belief that B2B buyers are less likely to engage digitally in their research process than the average B2C buyer, but new research says otherwise. According to DemandGen’s 2022 Content Preferences Survey, the pandemic changed everything for B2B buyers. Just like everyone who had to get creative to keep business moving over the past several years, they’ve come to rely heavily on online content to stay connected and research potential purchases.

Here’s what else the research report uncovered about B2B buyers:

55% of buyers said they now rely more on content to research and make purchasing decisions than they did a year ago.
A growing majority of B2B buyers (62%) said they engage with three to seven pieces of content before connecting with a salesperson.
Just over two-thirds of the buyers polled (67%) said they had engaged with webinars over the past 12 months – a significant increase from last year’s 57%.
Research/survey reports also ranked high at 55%, compared to 52% in 2021.

What this means for you is that B2B buyers aren’t separating the way they buy as a buyer vs. a consumer. What is different, however, is the type of content they’re valuing to inform their decision-making process. So, as a medical aesthetic supplier, is the type of content you’re cranking out (or hopefully cranking out) actually synced with the latest research and buying patterns of the practices you’re targeting? Below we outline a few of the latest findings regarding this pattern – with the stats to back them up – and how you can lean into it within your business’s own content strategy.

Do Your Homework

This is not new advice in the B2C world, but, according to that DemandGen study, it’s a big one right now with B2B buyers. In fact, the report showed that what triggers a sales call from buyers is content that’s well researched. More than half (51%) said they were looking for content that uses data and research to support its claims, while 41% said they sought research-based content.

One stat that did surprise us this year was that almost half of those surveyed (49%) said that good information wasn’t enough for just them – they wanted content that tells a strong story for the entire buying committee, including 41% who said the content should be packed with shareable stats and quick-hitting insights.

How Medical Aesthetic Suppliers Can Put into Practice

You should take the time to understand your B2B audience as well as your B2C customers and provide them with information that’s relevant, timely, and linked to a sale. Find expert sources you trust and dig into the details – don’t rely on a quick Google search to put together content. Your prospective clients will appreciate your attention to detail, use of first-party sources, and research that’s up to date.

SOLUTION

Take Your Content Strategy into the Stratosphere

Content marketing is the engine powering all of your digital channels – without it, you’re going nowhere

Create Content That Compels Action

Present Content in Other Formats (Beyond the Blog Post)

Yes, you should be posting on your blog regularly, especially as your various blog posts are the main point of entry through search engines after your homepage. The DemandGen report revealed that B2B buyers have a variety of consumption habits, but research/survey reports topped the list at 43%, followed by case studies and webinars (both at 40%), B2B news/media publications (37%), and white papers and e-books tied at 34% each.

How Medical Aesthetic Suppliers Can Put into Practice

Simply put, you’ll stand out from the crowd if you’re able to give the people what they want. If the idea of creating this kind of content is daunting, there are marketing firms, like Hawthorn Creative, here to assist you. Not to mention, once this content is created, we can help broaden the reach of it, not just on your website but with online ads, email marketing, and social media.

Go Mobile

B2B buyers were clear: nearly 1 in 8, or 40%, said they prefer to read content that’s easy to read on a phone or tablet. A trend toward on-the-go is also showing up in expectations for the type of mobile content – 39% said they want shorter-form content, and 41% said the content should focus on quick-hit stats and shareable insights.

How Medical Aesthetic Suppliers Can Put into Practice

Whenever you’re designing a website, landing page, or uploading new content, think mobile first. Work with a web developer who understands responsive design and do a lot of testing on various devices to make sure that what you’re posting works on desktops, phones and tablets. If this feels daunting to you, Hawthorn Creative is home to a team of design experts who can help you make mobile content a no-brainer.

Understand B2B Pain Points

This is something we all crave – information that’s easily available, answers our questions, and eases our concerns. When B2B buyers were asked how they would like to see information organized on vendor websites, over half said by issue/pain point (52%) or topic (51%). The other answers that rounded out the list included by industry or vertical (46%), and by business role (42%). Conversely, organizing by size of organization (26%), buyer stage (20%), location, and content format (both 18%) were at the bottom of the list.

How Medical Aesthetic Suppliers Can Put into Practice

From our experience working with a variety of medical aesthetic practices and medspas, we know the two biggest challenges they – your prospective clients – face are: 1) fierce competition (there are dozens of like companies all around them), and 2) having to stay on top of evolving industry trends and new technologies. With that information in hand, you can craft your research content plan around how to battle these challenges. They’ll begin to see you not just as a brand that’s trying to sell them more of your product, but as a partner they can trust to help them rise above the competition.

CASE STUDY

AW Plastic Surgery

Translating this practice’s five-star, in-person care experience into their digital presence.

See the Journey

Make Trustworthiness a Top Priority

There’s a common thread that runs through all of these statistics and insights – trust. B2B buyers want their potential medspa partners to be well researched, experts in their fields, on top of the latest trends, and trustworthy. According to survey results, buyers are placing a higher emphasis on the source’s trustworthiness (41%) and seeking content from industry influencers (39%). In addition, you can increase your credibility by curbing sales messages (39%), using more data and research in your content (36%), making content easier to access (31%), and adding more insights from industry analysts and thought leaders (30%).

How Medical Aesthetic Suppliers Can Put into Practice

One of the easiest ways to create trust is to tie an expert to the content that’s being created. For example, in the blog content we produce for AW Plastic Surgery, we always – always – interview the appropriate staff members on the topic, then quote them throughout the piece (see examples How to Make Sure You Never Look “Done” After an Elective Cosmetic Procedure, 8 Ways to Protect, Maintain & Boost Your Collagen Levels, How to Get Rid of Jowls: 4 Treatments for 4 Stages of Sagging). Yes, these are B2C examples, but the philosophy is the same: Are there folks within your company – perhaps a scientist or even the founder – you can attribute your various content topics to? Or someone to serve as a thought leader?

Does all the above sound great, but you’re not sure how to put it into action (nor have the time)?

Our team of designers, writers, and strategists are at your digital disposal. Just drop us a line any time.

6 Ways to Generate Qualified Leads for Your MedSpa

in General Marketing Insights, Marketing Topics by Hawthorn Editorial

esthetics services are showing up on a lot more wish lists these days. More and more people are looking for ways to enhance their appearance, fight the signs of aging, improve their wellness, and feel better overall. The industry is highly competitive, however, and bringing qualified leads through your doors (vs. the medspa down the street) can feel like an insurmountable challenge.

At the same time, though, not all medspas offer the same services or focus on the same outcomes. Some cater to in-office procedures, others focus on weight loss, while still others want to give customers a relaxing aesthetic experience. Here are some ways to find the perfect customers for your medspa, get them through the door, and turn them into loyal customers.

1. Understand who your ideal customer is.

If your medspa is hyper-focused on one wellness area, or geared toward the luxury market, the first step in attracting qualified leads is to find out who they are and where they hang out (both online and offline). If your research shows that they’re huge Instagram users, be sure to post lots of before and after pictures on that platform. If it’s a younger crowd who will react to trends on TikTok, get your aestheticians and doctors to participate in challenges.

The key is to relate to them in ways they understand, in the places they already are. This doesn’t happen without careful consideration and some serious homework, but without access to fancy data analytics, one way to get started is simply to ask. Create a short survey for your current and repeat clients and ask them questions about their demographics, social media preferences, offline reading sources, and community interests. You may see patterns start to emerge quickly.

2. Offer a referral program.

Word of mouth is a tremendous endorsement. If you have a client who loves your medspa so much that they tell their friends and family to visit, it’s worth a solid reward. Incentives can include free treatments, gift shop specials, or discounts on more expensive services. The key here is to be generous – a referral doesn’t just bring in a new customer, it brings back a loyal one.

In fact, recent studies have shown that referred customers are more loyal and more valuable, which means that the money you spend on a referral program is quickly recouped (and then some) by the influx of new customers. To get started with a referral program, begin with the clients you know best: your current, repeat customers. Asking them to help spread the word in return for a reward will show them that you appreciate their loyalty.

3. Design a website that’s beautiful and informational.

A smart website design does two things: It gives potential customers a realistic idea of what they can expect when they first visit, and it answers many of the questions they may have. This includes the basics, like hours, service offerings, and staff bios, and some additional information you may not have previously considered.

A big one is pricing. The “contact us for pricing” days are rapidly coming to an end, with industries across the board opting instead to be transparent up front. While it may seem that this eliminates customers you’d be able to hook once they’re in the office, consumers are saying otherwise. In fact, it’s more likely to nudge them into seeking more information from you.

Another way to add value to your website is through video. Show procedure demonstrations, ask customers to give video reviews, offer a walk-through of your spa space – anything you can do to help a potential customer feel more at ease. If you offer a number of in-office procedures, you may even want to include a “what to expect” FAQ that includes (honest!) information, like how long it takes, what it will feel like, and recovery time.

4. Give free consultations.

We understand that consultations take time, and time is still money. However, we also know of potential customers who were very interested in a procedure – until they realized they would have to pay hundreds of dollars just to find out if it was right for them. While the medspa offered to apply the consultation fee toward the cost of the service, that wouldn’t matter if they decided the procedure wasn’t the right fit for them.

5. Perfect your outbound marketing.

Sometimes it’s amazing to think that despite all the changes the marketing world has seen over the past several decades, email remains a constant. The revenue from email marketing is expected to reach $11 billion worldwide this year, which means it’s worthy of a spot at the top of your tactical list.

Email is a great way to move customers through the purchase funnel, starting with a welcome sequence that introduces them to your spa, perhaps offers a discount for first-time visitors, and encourages them to come in. Following that, you can use email to highlight specials, promote open houses, and answer questions about your spa and the services you offer.

For top-of-funnel awareness, social media channels can be extremely valuable. For example, Dr. John Wilson of AW Plastic Surgery uses Instagram to highlight before-and-after photos, offer procedure information, and give kudos to the practice’s staff. Once followers are interested, the AW website (managed by Hawthorn Creative) offers further information and opportunities to book consultations.

6. Form local partnerships.

While digital marketing is a great way to reach qualified leads, we also understand that people don’t travel great distances to visit spas – they choose among the options close to them. Advertising in local women’s magazines or chamber of commerce publications, for example, or even partnering with similar local businesses can be mutually beneficial. A nail salon, for example, might be willing to display your brochures if you display theirs.

Networking can also be a good way to find qualified leads, even if it’s indirect. If you meet a local hairdresser whose clientele list looks similar to yours, an endorsement from them can send business your way. The key is to always return the favor and make sure that you share their business as well.

Resort Marketing Videos That Spark Wanderlust and Drive Action (2023 Edition)

in Hotels & Resorts, Photography & Video by Hawthorn Editorial

We’ve all seen hotel and resort videos like this: they start with sweeping drone footage of the property and then move into some empty rooms and interiors. They might include shots of property features like the pool or spa. If you’re lucky, you might see a few people at the bar or eating dinner, but the primary focus isn’t on the guest experience, it’s on the amenities. No matter how expensive the shoot, no matter how beautiful the scenery, these videos all have one thing in common – they don’t inspire action. If your destination marketing video isn’t telling a story and sharing the experience of staying at your property, then it was a waste of money. Because, when it comes down to it, travelers aren’t buying a stay at your hotel – they’re buying an experience in your destination. Your video content needs to sell that experience.

Here are a few examples that set the bar, including one we created for Wentworth by the Sea.

SOLUTIONS

Eye-Catching Visuals is a Marketing Must

With photography and videography that captures your unique brand experience.

Elevate Your Imagery

When we set out to create a video for the stunning Wentworth by the Sea, an Opal Collection property in New Castle, New Hampshire, we knew we wanted to break the mold. We were determined to challenge the status quo and create a resort marketing video that not only highlighted this elegant New England resort and spa, but also showcased the experience guests could expect from their stay. Most marketing videos in the hospitality industry focus on what they want travelers to see or know about their property. Instead, we always ask ourselves and our clients: What do we want our prospective guests to feel? From there, we can tell the kind of story that will evoke those emotions and resonate deeply with our client’s target audience.

Buaha, a Banyan Tree Escape
Bali, Indonesia

Apart from a few glimpses of the property, this stunning video from Banyan Tree Group is all about the serenity you’ll experience here, from a yoga hammock on an open-air patio to a pool with a view that will take your breath away. Yes, there are images of this spectacular resort and some of its amenities throughout the video, but they’re integrated with images of the local culture, including landscapes, people, and opportunities. The resort-focused scenes are also presented against a backdrop of spa-inspired music and slow camera movements that bring you into the moment and answer not just the what but the why.

The Cosmopolitan Resort and Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada

This tantalizing marketing video from The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas never shows the resort, or one room, or one amenity. But it leaves no doubt about what it’s like to stay there. Aptly titled “Behind Closed Doors,” the scenes are alluring, a little bit naughty, and perfectly aligned with the resort’s brand, voice, and tone. We love this video because of its expert use of music, effects, editing, and imagery to convey emotion and experience, without ever speaking a word. (If you’d like to see a straightforward property video, they make plenty of those too. But this is the one that screams “Come out to Vegas, and let’s play!”).

Four Seasons Resorts
Worldwide

This video, which promotes the Four Seasons brand across all its properties, uses voiceover to create a rich experience that invites viewers to slow down and enjoy some time away from the rat race. It begins with images that speak to being busy and inundated with communication, then switches to iconic images like horses galloping through a field and kids on a beach to tell the story of disconnecting, along with phrases like “We are for people who crave more,” “We believe in enriching human stories,” and “We believe that the best journeys are not planned, but discovered.” The types of imagery shown – mostly luxury adventures, including an African safari – speak directly to the Four Seasons’s target audience as well.

Timberline Lodge
Mount Hood, Oregon

We do a lot of work with ski resorts, and one thing that’s always important to us is to capture the guest experience not just during ski season, but during the summer months too. This video, produced by Timberline Lodge (you may recognize it as the exterior of the Overlook Hotel from The Shining), does a brilliant job capturing life at the resort not only mountainside, but poolside as well. There’s an extra layer of nostalgia in this video – as one of the nation’s oldest resorts and a National Historic Landmark, the Timberline offers guests a chance to travel back in time and become part of history. Their philosophy, “a firm respect for its tradition yet a forward-leaning sense of innovation,” is perfectly conveyed through vintage photographs and videos combined with modern-day imagery and amenities.

5 New Year’s Resolutions for Marketing Wedding Venues in 2023

in Event Venues, General Marketing Insights, Social Media Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

According to The Knot, 2.6 million couples tied the knot last year. As we move into 2023, the numbers are predicted to remain the same, and the hot trends are all pointing to either all natural or all-out luxe. This means that couples are looking for either outdoor settings with gorgeous views, or a luxe vibe worthy of a Bit City club scene.

How can your venue be at the top of the list for couples who are planning nuptials this year? Here are six New Year’s resolutions that will help you take full advantage of engagement season.

1. Show Off Your Strengths Through 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. 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.”

3. 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 doing your research to find out where your audience is online and meet 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.”

4. 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.”

5. 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.”

Hawthorn Creative’s Digital Marketing Trend Predictions for 2023

in General Marketing Insights, Social Media Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

As a marketing agency specializing in content marketing, brand strategy, website design, digital marketing, and more, we saw some pretty significant changes in 2022. As the pandemic waned, we found ourselves not quite getting back to normal, but instead trying to figure out what “normal” looks like now.

Being able to innovate and pivot at a moment’s notice is one of our superpowers, because we all know that even a good marketing plan is subject to change. (If we’re truly in touch with consumer behaviors and the latest trends, that change should be minimal)

With this in mind, we’ve put together our thoughts on what 2023 is likely to bring for the marketing world – which trends are new, which we’ll bid farewell to, and which ones are sticking around for a bit.

1. Virtual events work, but they need to be enticing.

Virtual events are still popular, but because they have growing competition from in-person events, they need to step up the way they entice participants. One trend that’s growing in the virtual arena is the pre-conference event, which serves as a way to hype what’s on tap – especially if there’s big news.

Another must for virtual events is to make sure you have the latest and greatest tech at your disposal for your speakers. For example, AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) are eventually going to become event program staples. In fact, one full-service production company, Simple Multimedia (they’ve worked with global brands like Google, Nat Geo, Nike, and more), creates VR Lounge Experiences and VR Interactive Booths for their clients, where they can virtually interact with others. They also produce AR content that digitally brings once-dull meeting packets or instructional documents to life through the lens of your phone.

2. Authenticity must be…authentic.

More and more brands are turning to influencers to help spread the word about their products, and the brands that are leading the way in this space are partnering with people who are both 100% relatable to the target audience and truly authentic in the way they interact with the products. TikTok influencers have perfected this to a level where it sometimes takes a minute before you realize you’re watching a sponsored post – it’s even inspired its own genre of content called “TikTok made me buy it.”

One recent example that has enthralled us is the Perbelle Cosmetics social campaign. Mostly on Facebook and TikTok, Perbelle is using real women of all ages to promote their product in one of the most authentic ways we’ve ever seen. The concept is simple – they have women sit fresh-faced in front of a camera, talk about their skin issues, then apply their CC Cream in real time. Their reactions to the cream and how it changes their skin is irresistible.

3. TikTok is a place to reach more than just Gen Z.

Older audiences are doing what they do best – flocking to a social media channel that was once reserved for the teen set. According to Hootsuite, TikTok has now surpassed Instagram in popularity among the Gen Z crowd. For wedding venues and medspas, this means that a much wider segment of your target audience is going to TikTok first for content and inspiration.

As for the best way to use the platform, there are a number of ways to crack the algorithm, including a strong hashtag strategy, creating shareable content, and – probably most important right now – hopping in on trends that mesh with your brand. (Did you have someone in a bridal gown doing the Wednesday dance?)

4. Social justice, diversity and inclusion matter.

Over the last few years, we’ve seen social justice efforts evolve from an effort to a movement. And since 82% of customers prefer to interact with companies whose values align with theirs, putting social justice higher on your list of importance is no longer optional. It all started during the pandemic, when brands that were silent or tone-deaf during life-altering, world-changing events were naturally judged by their audiences. They lost customers, investors, and revenue as a result.

To succeed in this space, it’s important for companies to bake more of these values into their overall brand presence, social media marketing messaging, and influencer marketing campaigns. The key, however, will be how they do so, so that it is viewed as genuine and not as “woke-washing.” It’s a delicate tightrope that brands will have to walk and one that will require thoughtful strategy and implementation.

5. Not all channels are created equal (and not all of them are right for your brand).

We’ve been talking about personalization for a long time, but it remains a big question: How do you personalize when you have a massive audience? One way is to treat every marketing channel like its own unique property, and don’t replicate exact content. Instead, understand what your audience has come to expect from each platform, and engage them in a way that’s familiar.

Here’s an example: A wedding venue could use Facebook to promote the business, announce giveaways, and share real wedding stories; Instagram to showcase the beauty of the location through eye-popping photography; email to build relationships with potential customers; and TikTok to hop on the latest trends. (A caveat: Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. While it may be tempting to jump on the latest viral dances, it must align with your brand and your audience, or it could have a negative effect.)

2023: Travelers Are Looking for Bigger, Better, and More

in Event Venues, Hotels & Resorts by Hawthorn Editorial

If you own a hotel, resort, or destination, there’s little doubt that travelers have gotten back out there. At the end of 2022, AAA said that around 112.7 million people traveled at least 50 miles from home. Those numbers are close to pre-pandemic levels. But while people are back out on the road, the ways they travel have evolved from a few years ago.

For one, the time we all spent in lockdown has made us appreciate the finer things more than ever. According to Booking.com, almost half of survey respondents said that they would likely spend more money on their next trip to make up for lost time. In addition, 43% said they were willing to go “all out” when it comes to spending – especially younger travelers.

As for how they spend that money, many of those travelers reported wanting to spend their 2023 vacations “off the grid,” or at least feeling that way. They’re also looking to get out of their comfort zones a little bit.

So whether you’re a DMO or a hotel in a small town, a tucked-away remote destination, an island, or a large city, this is the part of the report you should really be tuning into. Because if you’re not responding to these traveler priorities and preferences, you’re missing out on potential visits to your destination and bookings. Here are some ideas for giving travelers what they want in 2023.

Give Travelers a Feeling of Natural Beauty

Even if you’re in the middle of a bustling city, it’s possible to give your guests a “back to nature” experience. Try filling your inside spaces with outdoor items like plants and hammock chairs, updating your “Do Not Disturb” door hangers with messages like “No service please, we’re getting away from it all today,” or adding electric candles to the rooms for some added ambience.

If your location is already known for its out-of-the-way location, let the world know through smart social media promotion that invites visitors to turn off the world for a few days. And regardless of location or size, promoting your sustainability efforts creates a link to all things natural, unfiltered, and uncomplicated. A 2022 Virtuoso survey found that 74% of travelers were willing to spend more for sustainable travel if they knew how the money was being used for green initiatives.

Own What Makes You Unique

Travelers want to experience something entirely new, and that’s where you come in. It’s time to go big on the things that make you different from everyone else.

If your property is located near a number of adventurous activities, consider putting together sample itineraries for your guests – especially if they’re filled with fun, unique adventures that travelers may not have experienced before.

You can send itineraries via email, promote them on your social channels, integrate them into your website (Barnsley Resort in Adairsville, Georgia, does a great job of this), or build dedicated destination pages that are rife with insights about the status of local events, restaurants, tour operators, and hidden gems (take a look at what we did for the New Hampshire Lakes Region Tourism Association’s Trip Inspiration section as an example).

If you’re known for your cuisine, add some adventurous dishes to the menu that push flavor boundaries. If your decor is unlike any other, turn your Instagram and Pinterest pages into an eye-popping palette of colorful inspiration. If you have special programs for pets or families, let travelers who are bringing their kids (or their fur kids) know that they’ve found their perfect location.

Regardless of your product differentiators, however, a great way to make your property stand out is by being authentic in the way you communicate, from your first top-of-the-funnel contact to the way you bid farewell to your guests as they leave. A lot of properties may say they have excellent customer service and a five-star guest experience, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they deliver. Invest in creating a unique journey from start to finish, because the impression they have of a property when they head home is worth its weight in gold.

Highlight Your Alternative Accommodations

For the past few years, retreats like castles, ranches, cabins, chalets, and cottages have seen big growth when it comes to the types of accommodations travelers are searching for most, and it’s a trend that is expected to continue in 2023. Whether you’re a small hotel or B&B that can be booked in its entirety or a resort property that offers stand-alone lodging, the name of the game is, again, tailoring your hotel marketing strategy and messaging to establish yourself as a dream “off the beaten path” property.

For example, that might mean revisiting your website landing page to show splashy images or video that largely focuses on your collection of stand-alone accommodations, whether cabins, cottages, bungalows, villas, or casitas – much like how Sorrel River Ranch in Moab, Utah, and Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort in Solvang, California, do. Or, if you keep a blog, create posts showing why you’re the perfect place to unplug and promote them via your various email campaigns, social channels, and even your website. We especially like Garden of the Gods Resort & Club’s description as “the ultimate escape where recreation and relaxation reign supreme – and where the distractions of the outside world disappear, bringing the things that matter most clearly into focus.”

Be Ready to Plan Ahead

Over the past few years, an uncertain world has left travelers hesitant to book vacations very far in advance. In 2020, in fact, average bookings were below the 30-day mark. This shift to the spontaneous required hotels and DMOs to sync their marketing materials to reflect near-term events and deals, though trends show that planning is getting back to pre-pandemic cycles.

That same Virtuoso survey found that travel planning is back to an average of 58 days in advance for domestic travel, and 80 days for international travel. For marketers, this means a promotion cycle about two to three months in advance. However, that doesn’t mean some travelers aren’t still hesitant to plan in advance. Be prepared and be flexible for last-minute guests too.

Continue to Promote Health and Safety

As we enter 2023, the world is at various stages of leaving the pandemic behind. It’s important during this time of transition to continue to show concern, but safety measures are now seen as more of an option than a mandate. Advanced cleaning should still be a priority, and consider having a stash of masks on hand for guests who may want them.

It’s also a great time to continue to explore the world of touchless technology. There are technologies available now that allow lobby doors to slide open by holding a phone to a scanner, contactless check-in via a facial recognition software, keyless entry that requires just a press of a button on your phone, elevator sensor panels that know when a finger hovers over a button (without passengers having to actually touch it), and contactless concierges that provide digital travel information (no more paper brochures or maps at the front desk).

As an added bonus, minimal interactions with other humans can also help your travelers feel like they’re all alone, even if they’re in the middle of a big city.

The Dos and Don’ts of Marketing Your Aesthetics Practice

in General Marketing Insights, Medical Aesthetic Spas, Practices & Suppliers, Social Media Marketing by Hawthorn Editorial

If you’re marketing your medspa or aesthetics clinic, you’re working day in and day out with clientele who want to feel beautiful – whatever their definition of that is. They’re seeking a place of respite that’s within their budget and meets their needs, but for first-time customers in particular, researching an aesthetics practice can feel overwhelming. With the right marketing, however, you can tell your story to the right customers at the right time to bring them through the door.

We put together a list of ways to effectively market your medspa, along with a little advice on what not to do as you’re building your strategy.

Do understand your audience. The more you know who you’re speaking to – and who is seeking what you have to offer – the better you can hone your message and zero in on your promotional channels. One great way to get a clear picture of your ideal customer is to take a step back and get a clear picture of your business.

What story do you want to tell? What type of clientele are you trying to attract? A medspa that touts affordable treatments will have a very different story from one that caters to the rich and famous. One that’s focused on anti-aging will have a different story from one focused on weight loss. You can pay for specific sponsored campaigns on social or digital media that can target a niche audience

Don’t guess at who your audience might be. There are so many data analytics programs available that you’re sure to find one that works for you. If you just spend money on a sponsored ad campaign without doing your research, you may not see a strong return on your investment.

This advice applies to your post-campaign analytics, too – especially if you’ve invested in a platform. Keep a regular eye on your campaigns, and here’s the secret to success: Do more of what’s working, and less of what isn’t. If you’ve noticed that LinkedIn posts on Fridays don’t go anywhere, try posting on a different day. Everything is fluid in marketing, and it’s imperative to go with the flow as you see what’s working and what isn’t.

Do be active on social media. A combination of paid and organic posts is one of the best ways to reach your audience, and the variety of platforms means you can make slight adjustments to your brand voice to make the most of each one. Want to show amazing interior shots of your procedure suites? Instagram is the place. Facebook is perfect for before-and-after shots and promoting upcoming events. And if you want to show off a little personality, TikTok is your channel.

Don’t forget who you are. Social media engagement happens when you find your audience and speak to them in the style of each platform. If your brand personality fits perfectly with a TikTok challenge, then go ahead and jump on the trend. But don’t do it just for the sake of doing it. Ask yourself, Is this a good fit for my brand personality?

Do invest in your website. Create a destination for customers that provides not only information, but also a source of trustworthy expertise. It can be scary for first-time customers to come to a medspa – especially if they’re having a procedure – so the more reassurance your website can give them to show that they’re in good hands, the better.

One way to do that is to make everything easily available online. Pricing, booking, customer service, a patient portal, even online check-in – anything that can make the process easier for both you and your customers. Here are some ways to find the perfect web design agency for your needs.

Don’t forget about the aesthetic inside your business. The tone, voice, look, and feel that you establish for your brand should flow seamlessly between online and offline worlds, so that no matter where customers first heard about you, they know when they arrive that they’re in the right place.

Do be a good steward of your online reviews. Around 69% of patients report that they won’t consider a healthcare provider that has less than a four-star rating, which means your Google My Business profile is more important than ever. Maintaining your online reputation means regularly monitoring and responding to your reviews – the good ones with a thank-you and, even more importantly, the not-so-good ones with a reassurance that their comments have been heard.

Don’t ignore negative comments or be snippy in responses, even if a complaint wasn’t warranted. In the same vein, don’t ignore what your customers are saying. Reading your online reviews is a great way to take the pulse of your current customer base, and if you see something that’s repeated several times, look at it as a great way to not only fix an issue, but then let your customers know about it on social media. When it comes to creating loyal customers, “we hear you” goes a long way.

Do stay on top of the latest marketing trends. They are ever changing, and even a best-in-class marketing plan should never look exactly the same at the final report as it did when it launched. One of the best ways to stay on top of the industry is to find a few sources you trust and keep up with them regularly. LinkedIn is a great source of content by marketers for other marketers.

Don’t forget about the traditional offline tactics, like direct mailers and open houses. They still work! They can even be used in combination, such as promoting an open house through social media. Another tried-and-true tactic that still plays well is a loyalty program, with perks for repeat and new customers alike.

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How Do I Get Started?

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1. Create a map of local points of interest

2. Develop various guest profiles

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6. Ask your guests for feedback

7. Treat your employees to some fun team-building

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1. Develop a smart marketing strategy.