Effective Email Marketing - Book Rooms and Build Relationships

Email marketing is one of the most effective communication and promotion vehicles in the internet marketplace. 90% of internet users and 56% of Americans use email on a regular basis (source: e-marketeer Aug. 2006). Hotels benefit from email marketing because it's fast, direct, cost-effective, and builds loyal relationships. It is one of the lowest cost channels available to the lodging industry to book rooms and build customer relationships. High quality email campaigns can deliver effective messaging that drives action and manages customer relationships.

For email campaigns to be truly effective, they have to be managed properly and conducted in a professional manner. This article provides hoteliers with some practical tips for conducting effective email marketing campaigns that maximize their return on investment.

Building Reputation & Credibility

Your email marketing practices establish your hotel's image and reputation in the minds of people of who receive your campaigns. By following simple guidelines, you can run more effective email campaigns and ultimately enhance your reputation.

1. Permission Email Vs. Spamming

Permission Email operates on the premise that the recipient of your message has in some way established a relationship with you by indicating an interest in your product or offer. Spamming is sending unsolicited commercial email using broadcast methods to multiple recipients without first establishing a relationship with them and without regard to their interest.

2. Sender Email Address

Make sure that the sender email address is a genuine email address and the recipients of the email can see the address and respond to the email by hitting reply on their email applications.

3. Unsubscribe

Make sure that all emails you send out have a clear "Unsubscribe" link where the visitors can click and choose not to get future mailings from you. While it may seem counter-intuitive, using this technique ensures that people do not regard your campaigns as spam.

4 Steps for Conducting Effective Email Marketing

1. Permission-based Email Database 2. Email Marketing Plan 3. Send Email Campaigns 4. Track and Monitor Results

1. Permission Based Email Database

For effective email marketing, it's important for a hotel to develop a targeted, permission-based database. Email addresses can be collected on the hotel website or at the front desk when the hotel guest checks in or out.

Create an opt-in form on your website so visitors to your site can sign up for specials and promotional offers. You may want to offer an additional incentive to sign up, such as an entry into a raffle drawing for a gift basket or a percentage off their room rate. It's good to ask the visitor to specify their area of interest, such as weddings, group meetings, skiing, or wine-tasting so that you can segment your email database by interest. This is especially useful in sending out targeted campaigns that meet the interests of your guests. Once a guest hits "Send" on the opt-in form, they receive an email confirmation stating that they have been added to your mailing list. If they are not interested in getting email specials, they can simply "unsubscribe." Guests who do not unsubscribe become part of your powerful marketing tool - the opt-in email list.