The hospitality business is more competitive than ever. Having a strong online presence is not optional; it’s necessary because travelers depend on digital platforms to plan their trips. Using the right digital marketing strategies for hotels and resorts can greatly increase bookings, brand awareness, and guest loyalty, whether you own a small hotel or a high-end resort.
In this blog, we’ll talk about 10 digital marketing strategies that helps in digital marketing for hotels and resorts that they can use right away, as well as the problems that hoteliers often run into and how to fix them.
Why hotels and resorts need digital marketing
Let’s get a feel for the situation before we talk about strategies. People who travel today start their trips online by looking for places to stay, reading reviews, checking out amenities, and comparing prices. If your hotel isn’t easy to find, interesting, or well-optimized online, you’re missing out on direct bookings and relying too much on OTAs (Online Travel Agencies).
Effective digital marketing for hotels and resorts helps you:
- Get more people to book directly
- Lower the commissions for OTAs
- Get guests more involved
- Make your brand more visible
- Make long-term connections with customers
- Now let’s look at what works.
1. Make your hotel website faster, better for SEO, and easier to use
Your hotel’s website is like a digital front door. It needs to load quickly, work well on mobile devices, look great, and be optimized for search engines.
Important Steps:
- Use good pictures and videos of your property.
- Make sure it works on mobile devices and loads quickly.
- Add clear CTAs like “Book Now”
- Add schema markup to make your site easier to find in search engines.
Bonus tip: A hotel website that doesn’t let you book a room is like a restaurant that doesn’t have any tables. Add a booking engine that works well and is safe.
2. Spend money on local SEO to rule searches in your area
A lot of people who might stay at your hotel search for things like “best beach resort near me” or “romantic hotels in Goa.” That’s why local SEO is a must.
How to Succeed at Local SEO: Claim and improve your Google Business Profile
- Ask guests to write reviews
- Use keywords that are specific to your area throughout your content
- Make sure that all of your listings have the same NAP (Name, Address, Phone).
- Include events and landmarks in your area in your content.
- Being easy to find on Google Maps and in local search can lead to last-minute bookings.
3. Use social media to motivate and convert
Travel is very visual, and social media is the best way to tell stories with pictures. Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest are great platforms for getting people interested and inspired.
For hotels, post pictures of beautiful parts of the property, guest experiences, and behind-the-scenes moments.
- Use hashtags and geotags that are related to travel
- Share content and reviews made by users
- Hold contests and deals that only last for a short time.
- Use Instagram Stories and Reels to show off your property quickly.
- You can use social media to connect with potential guests in real time, not just to show off your property.
4. Start a Paid Ads Plan (Google Ads and Meta Ads)
Just having organic reach isn’t enough. Paid ads let you reach people who are traveling at every stage of their trip.
- Use PPC for: Campaigns to raise brand awareness
- Reaching out to people who visited your website but didn’t book
- Advertising seasonal sales and events
- Getting search traffic based on intent, like “book hotel in Udaipur”
- Paid ads that are well-targeted can help you rely less on OTA platforms and get more direct bookings.
5. Email Marketing: Take care of your past and future guests
Email is still one of the most profitable ways to do business online in the hospitality industry. It helps you make connections and stay on people’s minds.
Ideas for strategies:
- Send welcome emails to people who are new to your list.
- Give loyal guests special deals
- Share blog posts about travel tips or events in your area
- Send out reminders for holidays or busy times coming up.
For better engagement, divide your email list into groups based on how guests act and what they like.
6. Use content marketing to tell the story of your brand.
People don’t just book a room; they book experiences. High-quality content can help you show off those experiences and move your site up in search results.
- Ideas for content: travel guides for your destination
- Stories about your staff that you don’t see
- Advice for planning weddings and events
- Restaurant or spa highlights
- “Top 5 Things to Do Near Our Resort” blogs
Publishing useful and interesting content on a regular basis builds trust and increases organic traffic.
7. Collaborations between travel bloggers and influencers
When you work with travel bloggers and influencers, you can reach a very specific group of people.
How to Go About:
- Find niche influencers whose followers are similar to your target market.
- In exchange for content, give them a place to stay.
- Use booking links or promo codes to keep track of ROI
- Use influencer content on your own platforms again
- This is a smart way to reach people who are actively looking for travel suggestions.
8. Managing Your Online Reputation (ORM)
Reviews can make or break a reservation in the hospitality industry. ORM helps you keep track of what people are saying about you online.
ORM Best Practices:
- Answer reviews, whether they are good or bad.
- Keep an eye on TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Google, and other sites.
- Take care of complaints quickly and in a professional way.
- Ask for feedback after check-out.
- In crowded markets, a good reputation can help you stand out.
9. Using video to market a virtual guest experience
Video is a very powerful way to connect with people on an emotional level. A short video can show off the feel of your property much better than a brochure.
Videos You Need:
- Walkthroughs of properties
- What guests have to say
- Highlights of local experience
- Clips of events and celebrations
- Showcases for staff and hospitality
- Put these on your website, YouTube, social media, and ads.
10. Use tools for CRM and marketing automation
Automation helps make marketing more efficient and personal by managing so many channels and guests.
Things to think about:
- CRM systems for guest information and grouping
- Chatbots that help you book 24/7
- Automated emails after booking to follow up
- Integration of loyalty and referral programs
- When done right, automation makes things better for guests and makes things run more smoothly.Things that are hard about digital marketing for hotels
- A lot of hotels and resorts have trouble with:
- Few direct bookings: Relying too much on OTAs lowers profit margins.
- Branding that isn’t consistent: Bad visuals and messages that aren’t clear confuse people who might want to stay.
- Few marketing resources: It’s hard for small teams to keep track of more than one digital channel.
- Websites that are out of date: Websites that are slow and not mobile-friendly have high bounce rates.
- Not keeping track of data: It’s hard to tell how well a campaign is doing without analytics.
- The good news? With the right digital partner, you can solve all of these problems.
How Digmancy Can Help You Get Bigger Online
We at Digmancy focus on digital marketing for hotels and resorts that want to see real, measurable results. We do everything, from making websites that get a lot of traffic and writing SEO-rich content to running paid ads and keeping an eye on your online reputation. This way, you can focus on giving your guests an amazing experience.
Why Digmancy?
- Strategies for the hospitality industry that are specific to it
- Ad campaigns and SEO that focus on ROI
- Full-service management of content and social media
- Reporting and tracking performance based on data
- A team of travel and hotel marketing experts who work full-time
We help you get, convert, and please your ideal guests, whether you’re opening a new boutique hotel or rebranding an old resort.
Digital Marketing for Hotels and Resorts: Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What is a reasonable amount for a hotel to spend on digital marketing?
A: Hotels usually spend 4–8% of their revenue on digital marketing, but this can vary. The amount depends on things like the target market, the competition, and the goals.
Q2: Can digital marketing make you less dependent on OTAs?
A: Yes, having a strong online presence can lead to more direct bookings and less reliance on OTAs, which can save you 15–25% on commissions.
Q3: What is the best digital channel for resorts?
A: It depends on who you’re trying to reach, but SEO, Google Ads, Instagram, and email campaigns usually give resorts and hotels a good return on investment.
Q4: How long does it take for hotel SEO to work?
A: SEO efforts usually start to show results within 3 to 6 months, but long-term consistency is what keeps your site visible.
Q5: Should I hire a digital marketing agency or build my own team?
A: An agency like Digmancy has the tools and knowledge you need without the cost of hiring and training an in-house team.
Last Thoughts
In today’s world, where everything is digital, it’s not enough to just have a nice hotel; you also need to market it well. Using the right digital marketing strategies for hotels and resorts can greatly boost your bookings, visibility, and income.
But you don’t have to do it all by yourself.
Work with Digmancy, a digital marketing agency that knows the special problems and chances that come with running a hotel. Let’s make your brand more valuable and bring more guests to your doors by building a digital presence.
Are you ready to make your hotel’s online presence better?
Go to Digmancy and start your journey of growth today.
In this blog, we’ll talk about 10 digital marketing strategies that helps in digital marketing for hotels and resorts that they can use right away, as well as the problems that hoteliers often run into and how to fix them.
Why hotels and resorts need digital marketing
Let’s get a feel for the situation before we talk about strategies. People who travel today start their trips online by looking for places to stay, reading reviews, checking out amenities, and comparing prices. If your hotel isn’t easy to find, interesting, or well-optimized online, you’re missing out on direct bookings and relying too much on OTAs (Online Travel Agencies).
Effective digital marketing for hotels and resorts helps you:
- Get more people to book directly
- Lower the commissions for OTAs
- Get guests more involved
- Make your brand more visible
- Make long-term connections with customers
- Now let’s look at what works.
1. Make your hotel website faster, better for SEO, and easier to use
Your hotel’s website is like a digital front door. It needs to load quickly, work well on mobile devices, look great, and be optimized for search engines.
Important Steps:
- Use good pictures and videos of your property.
- Make sure it works on mobile devices and loads quickly.
- Add clear CTAs like “Book Now”
- Add schema markup to make your site easier to find in search engines.
Bonus tip: A hotel website that doesn’t let you book a room is like a restaurant that doesn’t have any tables. Add a booking engine that works well and is safe.
2. Spend money on local SEO to rule searches in your area
A lot of people who might stay at your hotel search for things like “best beach resort near me” or “romantic hotels in Goa.” That’s why local SEO is a must.
How to Succeed at Local SEO: Claim and improve your Google Business Profile
- Ask guests to write reviews
- Use keywords that are specific to your area throughout your content
- Make sure that all of your listings have the same NAP (Name, Address, Phone).
- Include events and landmarks in your area in your content.
- Being easy to find on Google Maps and in local search can lead to last-minute bookings.
3. Use social media to motivate and convert
Travel is very visual, and social media is the best way to tell stories with pictures. Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest are great platforms for getting people interested and inspired.
For hotels, post pictures of beautiful parts of the property, guest experiences, and behind-the-scenes moments.
- Use hashtags and geotags that are related to travel
- Share content and reviews made by users
- Hold contests and deals that only last for a short time.
- Use Instagram Stories and Reels to show off your property quickly.
- You can use social media to connect with potential guests in real time, not just to show off your property.
4. Start a Paid Ads Plan (Google Ads and Meta Ads)
Just having organic reach isn’t enough. Paid ads let you reach people who are traveling at every stage of their trip.
- Use PPC for: Campaigns to raise brand awareness
- Reaching out to people who visited your website but didn’t book
- Advertising seasonal sales and events
- Getting search traffic based on intent, like “book hotel in Udaipur”
- Paid ads that are well-targeted can help you rely less on OTA platforms and get more direct bookings.
5. Email Marketing: Take care of your past and future guests
Email is still one of the most profitable ways to do business online in the hospitality industry. It helps you make connections and stay on people’s minds.
Ideas for strategies:
- Send welcome emails to people who are new to your list.
- Give loyal guests special deals
- Share blog posts about travel tips or events in your area
- Send out reminders for holidays or busy times coming up.
For better engagement, divide your email list into groups based on how guests act and what they like.
6. Use content marketing to tell the story of your brand.
People don’t just book a room; they book experiences. High-quality content can help you show off those experiences and move your site up in search results.
- Ideas for content: travel guides for your destination
- Stories about your staff that you don’t see
- Advice for planning weddings and events
- Restaurant or spa highlights
- “Top 5 Things to Do Near Our Resort” blogs
Publishing useful and interesting content on a regular basis builds trust and increases organic traffic.
7. Collaborations between travel bloggers and influencers
When you work with travel bloggers and influencers, you can reach a very specific group of people.
How to Go About:
- Find niche influencers whose followers are similar to your target market.
- In exchange for content, give them a place to stay.
- Use booking links or promo codes to keep track of ROI
- Use influencer content on your own platforms again
- This is a smart way to reach people who are actively looking for travel suggestions.
8. Managing Your Online Reputation (ORM)
Reviews can make or break a reservation in the hospitality industry. ORM helps you keep track of what people are saying about you online.
ORM Best Practices:
- Answer reviews, whether they are good or bad.
- Keep an eye on TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Google, and other sites.
- Take care of complaints quickly and in a professional way.
- Ask for feedback after check-out.
- In crowded markets, a good reputation can help you stand out.
9. Using video to market a virtual guest experience
Video is a very powerful way to connect with people on an emotional level. A short video can show off the feel of your property much better than a brochure.
Videos You Need:
- Walkthroughs of properties
- What guests have to say
- Highlights of local experience
- Clips of events and celebrations
- Showcases for staff and hospitality
- Put these on your website, YouTube, social media, and ads.
10. Use tools for CRM and marketing automation
Automation helps make marketing more efficient and personal by managing so many channels and guests.
Things to think about:
- CRM systems for guest information and grouping
- Chatbots that help you book 24/7
- Automated emails after booking to follow up
- Integration of loyalty and referral programs
- When done right, automation makes things better for guests and makes things run more smoothly.Things that are hard about digital marketing for hotels
- A lot of hotels and resorts have trouble with:
- Few direct bookings: Relying too much on OTAs lowers profit margins.
- Branding that isn’t consistent: Bad visuals and messages that aren’t clear confuse people who might want to stay.
- Few marketing resources: It’s hard for small teams to keep track of more than one digital channel.
- Websites that are out of date: Websites that are slow and not mobile-friendly have high bounce rates.
- Not keeping track of data: It’s hard to tell how well a campaign is doing without analytics.
- The good news? With the right digital partner, you can solve all of these problems.
How Digmancy Can Help You Get Bigger Online
We at Digmancy focus on digital marketing for hotels and resorts that want to see real, measurable results. We do everything, from making websites that get a lot of traffic and writing SEO-rich content to running paid ads and keeping an eye on your online reputation. This way, you can focus on giving your guests an amazing experience.
Why Digmancy?
- Strategies for the hospitality industry that are specific to it
- Ad campaigns and SEO that focus on ROI
- Full-service management of content and social media
- Reporting and tracking performance based on data
- A team of travel and hotel marketing experts who work full-time
We help you get, convert, and please your ideal guests, whether you’re opening a new boutique hotel or rebranding an old resort.
Digital Marketing for Hotels and Resorts: Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What is a reasonable amount for a hotel to spend on digital marketing?
A: Hotels usually spend 4–8% of their revenue on digital marketing, but this can vary. The amount depends on things like the target market, the competition, and the goals.
Q2: Can digital marketing make you less dependent on OTAs?
A: Yes, having a strong online presence can lead to more direct bookings and less reliance on OTAs, which can save you 15–25% on commissions.
Q3: What is the best digital channel for resorts?
A: It depends on who you’re trying to reach, but SEO, Google Ads, Instagram, and email campaigns usually give resorts and hotels a good return on investment.
Q4: How long does it take for hotel SEO to work?
A: SEO efforts usually start to show results within 3 to 6 months, but long-term consistency is what keeps your site visible.
Q5: Should I hire a digital marketing agency or build my own team?
A: An agency like Digmancy has the tools and knowledge you need without the cost of hiring and training an in-house team.
Last Thoughts
In today’s world, where everything is digital, it’s not enough to just have a nice hotel; you also need to market it well. Using the right digital marketing strategies for hotels and resorts can greatly boost your bookings, visibility, and income.
But you don’t have to do it all by yourself.
Work with Digmancy, a digital marketing agency that knows the special problems and chances that come with running a hotel. Let’s make your brand more valuable and bring more guests to your doors by building a digital presence.
Are you ready to make your hotel’s online presence better?
Go to Digmancy and start your journey of growth today.