95% of texts are read within the first three minutes, higher than any other medium including social media and email. This emphasizes the importance of SMS and how it should be incorporated into digital marketing strategies. In this post, we’ll look at six innovative ways hotels can use SMS marketing.
From reservations and promotions to room service, SMS for hotels can help you take your marketing and operations to the next level.
SMS as a marketing tool has several benefits:
- It’s a direct and instant channel for reaching potential and existing customers.
- It can help improve business by tracking customer responses.
- It can help effectively brand your hotel.
- It helps increase traveler engagement.
- It can help increase the accuracy of your customer database.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits.
1. Offers and Discounts
Your hotel customer database can be used to enhance sales. For example, if you have a discounted holiday season offer, you can send SMS messages to your current or new customers to spread the word.
Attract new customers or first-time visitors with exclusive discount codes and special offers. This can help drive bookings.
2. Boost Repeat Sales With Loyalty Programs
Offer loyal clients exclusive discounts and rewards via SMS to show your appreciation.
3. Rebook Canceled Visits
Don’t let a canceled reservation cost you revenue. Send a text to your returning customers, offering them a discount on their next visit.
4. Promote In-House Services Using SMS
Once a traveler has booked a stay at your establishment, there are multiple ways hoteliers can engage with their clientele with the smart use of SMS.
SMS can be used to sell and up-sell other tertiary products and services like:
- Room upgrades
- Room service
- Laundry and ironing services
- Taxi and travel services
5. Use Text Messages To Keep Hotel Customers Happy
Better engagement and customer service help to make your guests happy. Using SMS for guest communication is a direct and unintrusive way to stay in touch. This can positively improve your guest’s experience.
It is important to keep consumers engaged during their stay at your establishment by presenting them with useful information and promotions.
Hotels can use the following SMS strategies to enhance guest experience during their stay.
- Send a welcome message to guests and inform them about hotel services and amenities.
- Send guests text promotions with exclusive deals during their stay.
- Send guests reminders for event reservations.
- Request guest feedback, by conducting short and useful SMS polls and surveys.
Your guests will appreciate your personalized text messages, whether you want to urge them to participate in an activity you’re organizing or you have local deals on offer at nearby locations or events.
6. Reach Guests Conveniently On The Go and Share Information Faster
Almost everyone has a mobile phone, especially when traveling. To effectively share information, reach out to guests wherever they are.
Text messages are the quickest and most efficient way to notify guests of an emergency and request assistance.
7. Sending Reminders and Confirmations
Text messaging can be used by hotels to send regular reminders and booking confirmations to their guests. This helps guests stay informed.
This has a good effect on future direct hotel bookings in general.
When hotels use text messages to promote themselves, they see a rise in sales and brand awareness.
8. Get Customer Feedback Via SMS With a Satisfaction Survey
SMS is a great way to get guest feedback and overall improve your hotel brand. This is one of the best use cases of SMS in hotel marketing.
Ensure your customers are satisfied with your service by listening to their feedback and build loyalty.
Because you only have 160 characters to engage customers, it is critical to convey your message clearly. Abbreviations, complex terms, jargon, all caps, and emojis should all be avoided. A call to action is crucial. Using calls to actions like Book Now, Know more, etc, make your text messages actionable.
SMS is a powerful tool to include in your hotel marketing strategy. Visit Egosms Today to get started.