Think back, what’s your earliest memory of having a story read to you? For as long as humans have existed on this Earth, storytelling has existed. It isn’t difficult to discern why humans love stories – emotion. Listening to, or a reading a story offers an opportunity to connect with people, places, and events emotionally. People love stories, because stories are an opportunity to feel something. Hotel’s should use stories as an opportunity to significantly increase revenue, through emotionally connecting with guests.
Depending on the target market, your hotel should tell a different version of its story. For instance, your hotel may attract and host large groups for business, weddings, reunions and more. Additionally, your hotel likely hosts large numbers of individual travelers, families, and smaller groups. Though the essence of your overall hotel story should be the same for all of those groups, you can pick out specific aspects of your story that will effectively speak to one of your niche groups, and then develop a story for them specifically. Sell your story to your target market = increases revenue from that market.
How to Increase Hotel Revenue with Storytelling
Niche Group: Leisure/Transient Market
To Woo Your Guests, Discover Their Passions
What does your target market love, enjoy, or cherish? Combine the most riveting parts of your hotel’s story. For the leisure or transient market, consider which aspects of your hotel story will be most appealing to them. These are people that are interested in the experience your hotel offers. These individuals are here to explore, work, be tourists, and relax at your hotel.
Consider which onsite amenities appeal to this group. Perhaps there’s a special romantic dinner package, or an outdoor adventure family package. Maybe your restaurant hosts a game night for kids, or a movie on the grass outside. Those are all experiences that will draw this target market to you. Then, figure out specifically, which nearby points of interest and restaurants are most appealing to this group. Is there an incredible street market that happens every Sunday? Do you have insight on the beach with the plushest sand nearby? Which restaurant has the best ceviche on the West Coast and is within walking distance? Once you’ve determined the bait this target market requires, piece it together to create a cohesive story.
Deliver Their Passions With Flair
Now, you must deploy your story. How are you going to ensure your storytelling reaches the ears of those interested? Content marketing. Does your hotel have a blog? Yes? Good. No? Get one. Write your story in installments, write about the history of the area, write about family fun, just keep writing consistently to keep drawing in revenue. Don’t have time to get creative? Hire someone else to tell your story for you.
Then, utilize a full content marketing strategy to promote your blogs, and drive traffic to your vanity site. Vanity site = revenue, it’s that simple.
Was Your Gift Opened, Enjoyed, or Ignored?
Step three, gather feedback about your storytelling. Did you capture the attention of the target group? Or is it being told to an empty room? You must gather as much information regarding the success or failure or your story as possible, so you can edit it. Look at reviews, gather feedback. Use analytics to determine how popular your story was and if it helped capture your target market. Use as many tools as possible to gather feedback, and use it to constantly re-edit.
Remember this – tell your story, or it will be told for you. You want control over your storytelling, but if you aren’t doing the telling, someone else might, and you may not like how they tell it. Be proactive, and construct the conversation of your hotel in the manner you want it.
Guests who stay at your hotel and have an emotional connection with the experience will not only likely return, but they’ll talk, write, and boast about it, which means even more revenue for you.
Need a bit of assistance to write your story and tell it? You need a skilled hotel management company. HMG Hospitality has the knowledge, experience, and tools to aid your hotel. Contact us today.
Subscribe to our mailing list below and receive our latest news and insights.