Marketing Your Hotel to Millennials: Latest Trends and Best Practices

Intro

If you're a hotel owner or manager looking to attract more business, then you've got to set your sights on the largest living generation - millennials.

These guys are spending more and more on travel each year, with 26% spending more in 2018 than the previous year. Plus, 32% of them are planning multi-generation trips, which means there's plenty of opportunity to market your hotel to this group. (Source)

But here's the thing - millennials aren't easily swayed by traditional marketing tactics. They're tech-savvy, and they want experiences over material possessions. They crave personalized engagement with brands and have a heart for authenticity. That's why more than 70% of them follow travel brands on social media and 97% post about their travels on social media. (Source)

If you want to win over millennials, then you need to speak to their love of adventure and showcase your hotel as the hub of their travel experience. After all, 86% of millennials don't want to miss out on life experiences, so give them something unforgettable that they'll remember for years to come. (Source)

To do this, it's important to understand millennials' unique needs and desires. That way, you can create a targeted marketing strategy that speaks directly to them.

So let's dive in and explore the latest trends and best practices for marketing to millennials!

Latest Trends And Best Practices For Marketing To Millennials

1. Improve Your Hotel’s Online Reputation

In today's digital age, having a strong online reputation is crucial for every business including hotels, especially when it comes to attracting Millennials. This highly educated and well-traveled generation is more likely to share their experiences on social media and review sites, which can either positively or negatively impact your hotel's image.

According to Expedia, Millennials are also more cautious when booking hotels, reaching out to an average of 3.7 sources for travel inspiration. If they come across your hotel's low review rate or negative online reviews during their research, they are likely to avoid booking it.

To target Millennials effectively, hotels can focus on improving their online reputation. One way to do this is by responding to negative reviews promptly and encouraging guests to share their experiences and photos across all platforms, including social media, TripAdvisor, Agoda, and other online hotel booking platforms.

Several ORM (Online Reputation Management) software options are available to help hotels monitor and improve their online reputation. These include ReviewPro, TrustYou, and Revinate, which offer features such as review monitoring, sentiment analysis, and reputation reporting.

By taking steps to improve your hotel's online reputation and utilizing ORM software, you can enhance your brand's image, attract more guests, and generate positive word-of-mouth advertising.

2. Set the Competitive Room Pricing

It's no secret that millennials love to explore new destinations, but they're not willing to break the bank on hotel room rates. With easy access to hotel price comparison sites, this savvy generation is quick to spot a good deal and won't hesitate to book the best accommodation at the best price. After all, why pay more when you can get the same amenities and facilities at a cheaper rate?

As the largest customer segment in the hospitality industry, it's crucial to keep millennials in mind when setting room prices. One effective strategy is to keep your prices competitive with other hotels in the area.

But how do you stay on top of constantly changing rates and trends in the market?

Fret not!

MakCorps Hotel Price API is here to help you out. With access to data from over 200 OTAs (Online Travel Agencies), this powerful tool allows you to easily track and compare hotel room rates in real time. And that's not all - you can also access historical hotel price data dating back to 2010 to gain a deeper understanding of pricing trends and create effective forecasting strategies to stay ahead of your competitors.

Here is the image of hotel comparison data retrieved using Makcorps API:

3. Get Them Engaged Through Social Media Platforms

Let's face it, social media has become a crucial marketing tool for hotels - especially when it comes to attracting millennials. This tech-savvy generation is highly active on social media and actively seeks out influencers' opinions and actually gets influenced before making travel decisions.

In fact, according to Expedia, media consumption among millennials is higher than any other group, even though nearly 90% of Gen Z get inspiration from their trip plan from Facebook and other social networks. So, if you want to engage with this influential segment of travelers, it's important to have a strong presence on social media platforms for the sake of your business growth.

To start, you'll want to focus your efforts on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube - these platforms have proven to be particularly effective in reaching millennials. By regularly posting high-quality images and videos of your hotel, along with engaging captions and hashtags, you can capture the attention of potential guests and inspire them to book a stay with you.

But simply having a social media presence isn't enough - it's important to actively engage with your followers as well. Responding to comments, asking for feedback, and running social media contests are just a few ways to keep your audience engaged and excited about your hotel.

And if you're looking for more in-depth social media marketing strategies, head over to the blog and set your hotel business up for growth.

4. Target Them Through Personalized Email

Personalized email marketing is a powerful tool that can help you do just that. When it comes to marketing to Millennials, a one-size-fits-all approach won't cut it. They want personalized communication that speaks directly to their unique needs and preferences.

That's where personalized emails come in. Unlike generic emails, personalized emails can be tailored to the specific needs and preferences of your audience. This makes them much more effective in generating bookings.

To create targeted emails, you'll need email marketing software that can segment your guests' data into different groups. These email marketing automation tools can get integrated with your CRM system to help our clients create distinctive segments based on multiple filtering criteria.

For example, when it comes to creating an email campaign for Millennials, it's typically sufficient to create a segmentation based on their age group. This allows you to craft messaging and offers that are more relevant and appealing to this audience.

But sending personalized emails is not enough. You also need to make sure that your emails are engaging and visually appealing. Millennials are used to seeing high-quality content on social media and other platforms, so your emails need to measure up. If you don’t know how and where to start for getting maximum ROI through your email campaigns, check out these best email marketing practices which also play a vital role in digital marketing companies.

5. Aline with Social Causes or a Mission

In today's socially conscious world, millennials are not only looking for a comfortable place to stay when they travel, but they also want to support brands that align with their values.

As a result, brands in hospitality and other industries are under increasing pressure to make a positive societal impact and attach their name to a just cause.

One such initiative that hospitality brands can undertake is aline with a social cause.

For example, hosting a gift drive at one of your popular hotels can help raise awareness and funds for a local charity. Encouraging customers to donate small gifts throughout the day will not only create a positive impact on the community but also show your brand's commitment to social responsibility.

Alternatively, making eco-friendly changes throughout your entire hotel chain, such as offering eco-friendly towels and sheets and banning plastic food containers and straws, can significantly reduce your carbon footprint and position your brand as a leader in sustainability.

Studies show that millennials are willing to pay a premium for socially responsible brands, and they are more likely to support businesses that actively work towards making the world a better place. By embracing a social cause, hospitality brands can create a deeper connection with their customers and increase their bottom line simultaneously.

6. Lure Them With Smart Technology

As millennials have grown up with a different set of values than their predecessors, one effective way to attract millennials is to leverage smart technology to create an efficient and personalized experience.

For instance, hotels can implement smartphone-based features such as hotefy which provides room service orders, and smartphone-unlocking doors

By doing so, they position themselves close to positive social media comments and other word-of-mouth benefits.

Moreover, hotels can invest in software products such as an app that discounts sending international SMS messages or a communications API provider to reduce the number of costly hops that cut into revenue.

To win over millennial hotel guests, hotels can highlight wellness and healthy living, social responsibility, community experiences, convenience and technology, personalized service, and food and beverage.

In doing so, hotels can increase their chances of attracting millennial guests and retaining their loyalty, ultimately driving positive reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations.

7. Make Use of User-Generated Content

User-generated content refers to content that customers create and share online.

This content can be found in many forums such as reviews, videos, photos, and more. The beauty of user-generated content lies in the fact that it comes directly from customers which helps build trust and create an authentic image for your hotel.

If you are unsure, how can you encourage your guests to create user-generated content for you?

Set up digital photo booths at your hotel that let them click photos for free. Yes! Digital photo booths are a great way to encourage guests to create user-generated content. By providing a fun and engaging way for them to capture their experience and share it on social media, you can generate buzz and provide potential customers with genuine visuals of your hotel.

Another way is, engaging with customers on social media and encouraging them to share their experiences using relevant hashtags is another effective way to gather user-generated content. This can help create a community of loyal followers who will spread the word about your hotel.

In addition to social media, featuring user-generated content on your website and sharing it with potential customers through email can be an excellent way to entice them to book a stay at your hotel. Seeing real customers having a great time at your hotel will help build trust and credibility with your audience, making them more likely to choose your hotel over the competition.

Conclusion:

Alright, let's wrap this up!

The millennials are officially the largest living generation and they love traveling.

So if you're running a hotel, it's crucial to adapt your marketing game plan to their unique wants and needs.

They're tech-savvy, love to connect with brands on a personal level, and they're all about experiences rather than just stuff.

So, if you're looking to win them over, focus on building up your online rep, offer sweet deals, engage with them on social media, and hit them with personalized email campaigns.

By following these best practices, you'll not only boost your online visibility but also attract more customers, generate some solid word-of-mouth buzz, and stay one step ahead of your competitors.