Your hospitality business - be it a restaurant, hotel or tiny back street bar - can only survive with marketing. Sure, loads of new marketing ideas and trends appear every week. Still, sometimes, the simple stuff makes all the difference. The key is understanding the types of marketing campaigns available to you and working out which suits your needs.
So, without further ado, let’s explore our ultimate marketing strategy guide so you can better your business ASAP.
Why Try Different Types of Marketing Strategies
Let’s say your business is in a good place. You’re confident in your client base and think your current marketing materials are succeeding at bringing in prospective customers. At this point, you might not think you need to consider different types of marketing strategies.
Big mistake.
No matter what phase of growth or success your company is in, it’s always best to be proactive. You could be missing out on a swath of potential customers just because you’re not thinking outside the box. Broadening your portfolio of marketing efforts opens you up to new people and opportunities.
This doesn’t mean you have to keep plugging away at every marketing campaign until you’re exhausted. It just means you should research the options and try them out just in case you find the right fit. Let’s dive deeper into your marketing options.
Types of Marketing Campaigns: Digital Marketing
The number one way to attract customers in the modern landscape is through digital marketing. Why? Because digital marketing uses the internet, and everyone’s online. Just take a look at the statistics.
The world’s daily internet use average (whether it’s on a phone, computer, etc.) is almost 7 hours. That’s nearly a third of an entire day. A tenet of all types of marketing campaigns is exposure (you want to generate awareness about your product or service). You’ll get that with the web.
Another selling point of this type of marketing campaign is its cost-effectiveness. Even with the industry’s rising popularity, it’s still cheaper than other traditional marketing measures.
So where should you start with digital marketing tactics for a hospitality business? We recommend starting with these top 8 avenues to reach your target audience.
Email Marketing
You might not think that email tops the marketing strategy list. We all have inboxes filled with unopened messages. But when used properly, email marketing is one of the most effective growth marketing tools.
Keep your readers engaged by:
-
Personalize your emails. Don’t send the same newsletter to everyone. Segment your mailing list to get the right message to your target audience.
-
Keep it short. One of the best ways to lose your email marketing edge is with a long, rambling message. Write concise, catchy copy and use images over words.
-
Use FOMO. No one likes missing out on a killer deal or a fun event. Your emails should make readers feel they need to act fast or risk losing out. This increases the odds that they’ll not only open your message but also click through on your call to action.
Social media is one of the fastest-growing branches of online marketing. The addictive nature of social media platforms keeps users coming back for more. It’s the perfect environment for a sales funnel.
Social media marketing strategies vary depending on the social media platforms used, but there are a few main options:
1. Influencer marketing. Similar to partner marketing, this is one of the marketing types you’ll recognize the most from social media. We’ve all seen online creators with sponsored videos or posts. Businesses love this method because it gets a trusted source to vouch for your product. You reap the rewards of their audience loyalty while honing in on your target audience.
2. Social Media Posts. Your social media presence is essential to brand marketing and product marketing social media marketing. For one, you build brand awareness online by having a curated feed with a clear voice and angle. Secondly, your social media platform is where you can speak directly to existing customers. Use a post to let them know about a new product or service.
3. Paid Ads. Like traditional marketing, you can also pay for ads via social media marketing. The platform sprinkles your marketing campaign across its site for a fee. This, again, will boost brand awareness and generate new customers.
Search Engine Marketing (SEO)
Whether you’re interested in business-to-consumer or business-to-business marketing, you need to consider SEO if you’re doing it online.
SEO, aka search engine optimization or search engine marketing, focuses on getting your website at the top of Google’s results. SEO experts conduct market research, delving into what terms and phrases people are searching the most around specific topics. Then based on those findings and additional analytics, they create content.
In short: you look at what people type into search engines. You look at what both people and the algorithm like. Then you create content that mimics that. As a result, search engines (hopefully) bump your content to the top of the page.
An excellent place to use this is on your business website. Hire a search engine marketing specialist (or do some research yourself) to optimize your page to rank higher in Google.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Marketing
Have you ever seen a sponsored result at the top of your google search? That’s an example of a pay-per-click or PPC marketing strategy at work. A company pays for its content to appear on a page.
Why? Because the closer you are to the top, the more likely you’ll get clicks. This, in turn, boosts website traffic. But here’s the catch: you pay every time someone clicks on that ad.
Google Ads are a prime example of this marketing tactic, but it also happens on social media. Any time someone clicks on a story ad on Instagram or a TikTok ad, the ad buyer pays.
The advantage of this outbound marketing business model is that you just pay for what you get. The downside? If no potential customers who click on your ad buy your product or service, you still have to pay.
Content Marketing
Content marketing strategy is a broad term that overlaps with other digital marketing strategies. It refers to any type of inbound marketing that isn’t just a simple ad. It sells a product or service by telling a story or sharing social information.
A popular way of using content marketing is writing blog posts. Say you own a restaurant. Creating a food blog could be an excellent way to attract customers. You could share recipes, cooking videos and event calendars. This content markets the food you serve, your expertise and dining experience at your restaurant. But it does it in a more subtle, editorial way.
Content marketing functions as both growth marketing and acquisition marketing. (This is good news because you’ll get more bang for your buck.) Why? Let’s go back to our food blog example.
If someone already loves your restaurant, they might follow your blog. Then, when you talk about new dishes or special events, they’ll be the first to hear and make a reservation. But someone might discover your blog because they typed “how to make lasagna” into Google and saw your recipe. Just like that, you attracted new customers.
SMS Marketing
Last on our list of the types of marketing campaigns in the digital realm? SMS marketing. It functions similarly to email marketing. Both require existing or potential customers to opt into your mailing list. Both are types of outbound marketing, initiating contact with consumers to inform them about an offer or event.
However, depending on your business and audience, you may find a difference in the cost and performance of sms vs. email marketing. As with all marketing strategies, it’s best to research and pick a marketing plan that works for you.
Types of Marketing Methods: Radio Ads
For the rest of this guide on the various types of marketing campaigns, we’re focusing on traditional marketing methods. We’re talking about offline marketing. These tactics use their entire marketing funnel on channels like radio, TV, print, and live events. First up, let’s talk radio.
Some of you may be thinking, “Really? Radio? No one listens to that anymore.” Prepare for a surprise. In America, 92% of the population still listens to the radio weekly. You don’t want to miss out on 92% of the market, do you?
Here’s another advantage of radio: it’s segmented your audience for you. You can find a radio that reaches your target market based on your business.
Buying ad time on a variety station is the way to reach folks interested in a family-friendly hotel. What if you own a bar or club? Contact your local top 40 stations.
Check out the top four effective marketing strategies available via radio.
Live Reads and Endorsements
Endorsements and sponsorships don’t just exist in the influencer marketing realm. In a way, radio hosts and DJs were the original influencers. They don’t just read you the top headlines, advise callers, or introduce the next hit song.
Radio hosts also read ads live on air, aka a “live read.” Sometimes they’d read from a pre-produced script. Other times they’d talk about their experiences with the product or service.
Produced Radio Spots and Ads
Produced radio spots are radio ads. You buy a timeslot on a station and pay for the production of an ad.
If you have any doubts about this working, think of radio jingles. You might not remember the last Instagram you saw. But you probably have one earworm of a radio jingle they can’t get out of their heads years later. Talk about viral marketing.
This method works for all sorts of advertising techniques. From brand marketing to direct marketing to word-of-mouth marketing, radio’s your right-hand man.
Types of Marketing Campaigns: TV Marketing Ads
A TV marketing campaign has similar popularity as radio ads. People still watch and listen to adverts on these ‘old’ mediums. In the face of digital competition, they’re still flying high within the priorities of marketing teams (and audiences) worldwide.
To use these video marketing types effectively, you need a great story, a clear call-to-action and solid audience knowledge. For now, however, let’s look at the two most popular TV marketing methods.
Paid Ad Spots
A Paid ad spot is the most known marketing strategy out there. If you’ve ever seen a TV ad, you’ve seen a paid ad spot. Similar to how a radio advertisement works, a company or business buys ad time on a TV station.
The company picks a TV station based on its target audience. Then, they produce an ad per their marketing goals.
If they’re a new company or new to TV ads, they might focus on a campaign to generate brand awareness. Or if they’re a business with a special offer, that’ll be the focus.
We repeat: sponsorship isn’t exclusive to influencer marketing. You’ve probably seen this type of marketing campaign during special live events. Like when a big brand sponsors a major sporting event, you see and hear the “Pepsi presents the Super Bowl.” That’s a sponsorship.
Don’t worry; you don’t have to be a national company to participate in the TV sponsorship action. You can also sponsor a segment of a local news segment or public access station.
Product Placement
The last of the TV marketing strategies we’re covering is product placement. When you see a clearly distinguishable brand in a TV show or broadcast, that’s product placement. People also call this “stealth marketing” because it’s less direct than other methods.
With product placement, no one’s turning directly camera with the hard sell. Instead, it’s subtle. The hope is that TV viewers will see the item and subconsciously want to buy it.
The Advantages of Direct Mail Marketing
Like TV and radio advertising, direct mail marketing still plays a role in hospitality.
“Snail mail” isn’t as popular as it used to be. Like many types of marketing campaigns that rely on print, it costs more than digital marketing. However, if you have a clear focus, it can become your most helpful form of direct marketing. Here are a few advantages of sending out mailers and print ads to your audience.
Mail Marketing: A Targeted Approach
We’ve talked about the limitless potential of marketing. But sometimes, you need limits to hone in on your goals. With direct mail marketing, you must think critically about where you want to send your messages. What regions do you want to select? What sorts of people or businesses should you contact?
Remember: every mailer you send is another you have to buy.
The Simplicity of Direct Mail Advertising
There aren’t as many bells and whistles with direct mail than digital marketing. But that’s an advantage. It means there’s less to get your head around, thus providing more time to spend on the campaign’s content.
Market With Less Competition
Send an email marketing message, and it has thousands of competitors. Send something through the mail for a unique customer experience.
Direct Mail Marketing to Increases Brand Recognition
Direct mail is so unusual nowadays that people are more likely to remember your brand if you get it right. It’s seen as more trustworthy than email, too. Therefore it’s is likely to get a response.
It’s also essential to remember that direct mail pairs brilliantly with digital marketing and can work hand-in-hand.
Mention in your direct mail that you have online reviews to read, coupons to redeem and Twitter accounts to mention. You’ll create an ‘omnichannel’ marketing experience that’s truly powerful.
Types of Marketing Approaches: Event Marketing
You know what’s great about being a small business? You’re boots on the ground in your community. You can attend local events and fairs to market your hospitality company, thus participating in event or experiential marketing. You shake hands, offer free samples, or hand out flyers and information about your business.
If you’re interested in event marketing, get in touch with your local business association. See if they have any upcoming events like a farmer’s market or a “second Saturday” style community event.
Types of Marketing Campaigns: Customer Referrals
Ready for our favorite of all the types of marketing campaigns out there? Here’s a hint. Your best, happiest customers will recommend you without you lifting a finger.
One of the best marketing channels to look into is customer referrals and loyalty programs. It’s basically free marketing.
However, you have to build up loyalty among your customers to tempt them into being your word-of-mouth marketing vessel. It takes time, patience and focus on the experience you’re offering. But over time, customer referral marketing could be your most profitable source of new business.
Loyalty programs work because of the psychology behind them. Participants feel like they’re getting a discount or something exclusive. This motivates them to tell others about your services.
Direct Referrals
A direct referral is giving customers an offer they can redeem if they get someone else to use your business. For example, ask your clients for reviews. Let them know that you’ll give them a discount if they leave a review on Yelp or Google.
Affiliate Referrals
Similar to the mobile marketing sphere, referrals use affiliate programs as well. They’re a great way to keep your current customers happy and bring in newcomers.
All you have to do is set your existing customers up with a referral code. Let them know that when they share that code, they earn points towards a reward. In turn, the person they gave the code to gets a discount on their purchase.
Tangible Referrals
Do you know the phrase, you have to spend money to make money?
This is especially true when it comes to tangible referrals. This marketing effort involves giving your top customers a gift to share with a friend.
If you own a restaurant, send your ten most loyal customers a voucher to spend on their next four-person meal. Or if your hotel has a spa, gift your most loyal clients a free two-person spa package.
You’ll not only leave a lasting, positive impression on your existing customers. You’ll also gain their friends as clients too.
Community referrals are when you partner up with a community organization in your area that could use financial support.
Pick your favorite charity, shelter, park, etc. Then come up with a promotion that raises money for them. If you own a cafe, have a month where a dollar from every purchase goes towards your chosen organization.
Now, you’ll have people from their organization or people who admire their work spreading the good word about your business.
Before You Go
We hope you learned something from our list of the types of marketing campaigns at your disposal. If you want to increase your positive reputation and attract customers, consider adding WiFi marketing software to your repertoire.
At Beambox, we offer a unique software that gives you insights into your customer’s interests. That way, you can perfect your marketing effort. All while giving your guests free wifi. Ready to learn more? Start your Beambox free trial to start growing your business.
