From Planning to Execution: Design a Marketing Plan that strengthens your Direct Channel

The last quarter of the year is a key month in the hotel industry. This is when many hotel chains and independent hotels are busy defining annual sales targets for all their channels and outlining their online marketing plan. A good marketing plan is not only the foundation on which all acquisition actions are built, but it is also the pillar for ensuring distribution efficiency and maximizing revenue and profitability.
Below, we will explore the keys to building a marketing plan that supports the acquisition strategy for the direct channel and ensures year-round success.

‍

‍

The Marketing Plan as a strategic pillar

‍

The online marketing plan is the roadmap that guides customer acquisition and retention actions. For independent hotels and chains, this plan is essential to define sales targets, segment audiences and select the right channels to reach ideal customers. Proper planning helps anticipate peaks in demand and optimizes occupancy throughout the year.

‍

‍

Campaign Calendar

‍

One of the main challenges in campaign planning is balancing the offer to avoid mass cancellations. For example, hotels that launch attractive offers during Black Friday or Early Bird promotions run the risk that bookings made during these campaigns will be cancelled if better discounts appear later in the calendar. To avoid this, it is important:

- Stagger discounts: plan offers from highest to lowest throughout the travel window, avoiding creating an incentive for customers to cancel.

- Value-added campaigns: instead of just offering a higher discount, additional benefits can be included, such as room upgrades, dinners or exclusive experiences.

‍

‍

Inventory Management

‍

Efficient inventory management is key to maximizing the direct channel. Many hotels often book quotas for online agencies or third parties, but it is essential that the direct channel is prioritized. Some strategies include:

- Blocking quotas for the direct channel: especially on dates of high demand.

- Dynamic inventory adjustment: release more rooms in the direct channel as campaigns progress and demand peaks approach.

‍

‍

Marketing Channels and the Sales Funnel

‍

To build an effective acquisition strategy, it is crucial to understand which marketing channels should be activated at each stage of the sales funnel:

- Awareness: this includes channels such as display advertising, branding campaigns in Social Ads and videos, which help to generate visibility.

- Consideration: channels such as SEM, SEO and meta search engines are essential to attract customers who are already actively looking for options.

- Decision: remarketing campaigns, email marketing and personalized offers can be decisive in converting visitors into bookings.

‍

‍

Competitive Analysis

‍

Keeping an eye on the competition is essential to adjust marketing strategies and ensure that your offerings are competitive. A regular analysis can help you:

- Adjust prices and promotions according to competitors' campaigns.

- Offer packages or added values that differentiate your offer.

‍

‍

Audience Segmentation

‍

A successful marketing plan also depends on the right audience segmentation. Travelers are not all the same, and personalizing campaigns significantly increases effectiveness. Some techniques include:

- Use CRM data to identify behavioral patterns and segment by traveler type.

- Create customized campaigns for each segment: families, business travelers, couples, etc. all those segments that your hotel works with.  

‍

‍

Continuous measurement and adjustment

‍

Defining clear KPIs from the beginning will allow you to measure the success of your campaigns and make day-to-day adjustments to optimize your Digital Marketing channel with real-time Web Analytics and Reporting reports. Some key indicators are:

- CPA (Cost per Acquisition): to measure how much it costs you to acquire each customer in each channel.

- ROAS (Return on Advertising Investment): to ensure that campaigns are profitable.

‍

‍

Marketing Automation

‍

Automation can greatly simplify the execution of your marketing plan. Tools such as automated email marketing or dynamic remarketing allow you to follow users with personalized messages, optimizing both conversion and customer experience.

‍

‍

Loyalty and Retention

‍

" Loyalty begins when the customer arrives at the hotel". Finally, a good marketing plan should not only focus on acquisition, but also on retention. Returning customers have an enormous value, and strategies such as loyalty programs, upselling or cross-selling can improve profitability in the long term. It's time to make the most of all that database you've been collecting during the season and ensure that all those satisfied customers come back to visit you again.  

‍

‍

Conclusion

‍

A well-thought-out marketing plan is critical to a hotel's direct channel acquisition strategy and must address all necessary fronts. From properly planning the campaign calendar, to choosing the most appropriate marketing channels, to audience segmentation and marketing automation, each step is key to ensuring successful and profitable operations. By integrating these strategies, hotels like yours not only optimize their direct channel, but also build stronger, longer-lasting relationships with their customers.  

If you need help in planning your Digital Marketing Plan do not hesitate to contact us and our Digital Marketing team, formed by more than 40 people, will be happy to help you with a customized plan. Contact us!

‍