Examples of how Hotels are integrating social media and mobile marketing

Technology is the cornerstone of business growth. Whether it means new tools for maximizing efficiency, new platforms for reaching out to potential customers, or new resources for building professional networks; digital innovation is a boom for businesses of all shapes and sizes. But social media and the recent proliferation of mobile devices has proven particularly beneficial for the hotel industry. Because travelers rely upon their mobile technologies and depend upon social networks to find accommodations they can trust; web savvy hotel marketers can connect with customers like never before. So whether they are well-known international chains or tiny boutique businesses, hotels throughout the world have begun harnessing the tremendous potential of mobile technology and here is how:

Hotels harnessing social media

Size Matters (Less Than Ever) Social media has leveled the playing field in the world of hotel marketing. Sites like …

How a new analytics company use Branded Swag to integrate the digital and physical marketing worlds

How big is your stockpile of branded startup T-shirts? Chances are most of them are collecting dust somewhere in the back of your closet. This is problematic for two reasons. The first is that the swag, which was meant to be a means of branding and exposure, is not doing it’s job. It’s burning a hole in the company’s pocket. The second: seemingly every startup handles production of their swag the same way; by simply giving it away, but startups are supposed to be different and disruptive by their very nature. Careless swag management is irresponsible for any company; but it’s particularly problematic for startups that often work with a very limited marketing budget. The Office’s Michael Scott, the world’s best boss, said SWAG is 'stuff we all get' and…

Mastering 'actionable data' in your organisation

'Actionable Marketing Advice' is our 'mantra' at Smart Insights, since we are passionate about helping our colleagues to develop their businesses and personal skills, to get results from integrated digital marketing.

We believe that using insight from research, analytics and transactional systems can play a big part in improving results, if  the right Systems, Processes and People are in place to  source and integrate data, understand it and apply it effectively.

This Infographic from Monetate highlights 4 key points to 'mastering actionable data', along with highlighting the obstacles which may be familiar:

1. Compile all of your stats. Perhaps 'Stat's is the wrong word, as it should be 'Insight' as we are not producing Averages or Normal Deviation charts. As the Infographic points out its collecting data available within the company and more to create a 'portrait of your customers'.2. Appoint a Data…

Ideas for using Social Media to support marketing events

Eventility have created an infographic which we thought could be useful to B2B marketers who plan events (or consumer events) now that social media is a key digital event marketing tool alongside email marketing.

The 4 key streams where social media can help event management

The infographic is built around social media can be integrated throughout the plan for the lifecycle of an event.

1.  Organising an event: collect information on RSVPs by integrating sign up with social media and enables pre and post event follow-up by email. Share and collect ideas to build up affinity throughout the planning; asking for votes of favourite speakers, ideas etc.

2. Promoting an event: provides strong presence when people are searching for the event, so listing on search engines is key as well as encouraging social media sharing.

3. Engagement during the event: Creating online buzz on the day through sharing videos, photos…

Getting your message across with a Message House

Message Houses are a simple but effective tool for helping your teams stay on message in their marketing communications across different channels. They can be applied not only for general company marketing and brand positioning, but also for other projects (such as events and conferences) and even for the messaging of an organization as a whole.

You might have seen Message Houses that look like the one in the image below: with an 'umbrella statement' inside the roof, three rooms underneath (each containing a different 'core message'), and with a first floor full of 'evidence, proof or support.'

Let's call it the 'multi-room Message House'.

The idea is to have the contents of your Message House inspire all other communications. Consultants like to tell their clients: 'Stay inside the Message House, and you'll be safe!'

At the …

5 tips showing how campaign planning prevents fires

Working in various marketing roles, I have noticed that even though we have advanced with technology to make our jobs easier, we have never been more short of time, with more jobs on our plate, and customers (internal and external) are demanding real-time updates and output work at an ever-increasing pace. When I catch up with my marketing network and ask how it’s going 'I'm fire fighting' is the common response. This article addresses the challenges of getting campaigns off the ground and gives some ideas on avoiding mistakes that I have seen in my roles and network roles over the last 9 years. We all know that integrated campaigns are the key to success, and we have all read and understood the templates that put them together. However, I found that when it was…

How agencies can provide clients with an integrated service given the increasing connection between brand, content marketing and SEO

After a couple of years of travelling and lifestyle consulting, I returned to the UK in 2012 with the goal of setting up a digital agency. I knew I wanted us to be very hands on and do transformative work with a limited number of clients I loved working with. But beyond that, I wasn’t sure what service I needed to create to do this!

Source: InterGreater

It has taken me a year to work this out. But I’m there now and I’m inspired and it’s a journey of discovery I am keen to share.

First Steps: Recognising key developments in SEO and social media

I started this journey as a big believer in SEO having driven 50%…

Ideas on integrating social media into a marketing campaign

While a campaign focused on social media can add a new dimension to a campaign, large "big bang" investments in social media within a campaign may not always be possible. But if you build in social media from the outset there will always be opportunities to integrate smaller elements of social media marketing into the framework of an existing marketing campaign that has already been approved and underway. ‘Socialising’ a marketing campaign can be an effective way of reaching new audiences and generating conversation around your brand on the back of larger-scale paid media activity.

Why use social media?

One of the first questions to ask at the outset is why social media marketing would be relevant or necessary for the campaign and how it could add value. What could social media achieve that other aspects of the campaign (advertising, PR, experiential) couldn't? Some of the…

Research on charity adoption of digital marketing to support fundraising and campaigning

We've just been alerted to this research on the Use of Digital Marketing by Charities. We thought we would share it since although not brand new we have many members who are not-for-profit organisations in the UK and worldwide who may not have seen it and can benchmark their approaches and challenges. Lasa researched over 300 charities across the UK were surveyed to find out how advanced they are with digital marketing and it's use to support fundraising and income generation, including the impact on the sector by not adopting digital channels. 55% felt digital has to be a 'core competency' for all staff but over half needed training to fully embrace it's full potential

These were two of the key findings - first, the majority see big potential improvements are possible.

   

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Making your brand promises matter

"Move from [product] differentiation to actually making a difference" Umair Haque, the director of the Havas Media Labs and Harvard Business Review blogger

Earning your way into a consumer's heart is something that we know is important. Helping consumers feel something positive is the goal, convincing someone of purchase can only be an easier win as a result, surely?

The case for this being important, I think we'd agree, has never been as strong, when so much of marketing success hinges on forming connections with consumers, earning even seconds of their valuable time.

This at a time when despite the billions of £/$'s spent on marketing, Haque's latest report states that consumers just don't care - 73% of people don't care if the brands in their life disappeared tomorrow. Ouch, and yet so obvious. If consumers are that indifferent, then we have to make them feel, we have to…