From Planning to Execution: Design a Marketing plan that reinforces your Direct Channel

The last quarter of the year is a key month in the hotel sector. It is when many hotel chains and independent hotels dedicate themselves to defining the annual sales objectives for all their channels and to outlining their online marketing plan. A good marketing plan is not only the foundation on which all acquisition actions are based, but it is also the pillar to ensure efficiency in distribution and maximization of revenue and profitability.  
Next, we will explore the keys to building a marketing plan that supports the acquisition strategy for the direct channel and guarantees success throughout the year.

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The Marketing Plan as a strategic pillar

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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 objectives, segment audiences, and select the appropriate channels to reach ideal customers. Proper planning helps to anticipate demand peaks and optimizes occupancy throughout the year.

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Campaign Calendar

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One of the main challenges in campaign planning is balancing the offer to avoid massive cancellations. For example, hotels that launch attractive offers during Black Friday or Early Bird promotions run the risk that reservations made during these campaigns will be canceled 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 generating an incentive for customers to cancel.

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

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Inventory Management

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

· Block quotas for the direct channel: especially on high demand dates.

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

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Marketing Channels and the Sales Funnel

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

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

· Consideration: channels such as SEM, SEO, and Metasearch Engines are essential to attract customers who are already actively searching for options.

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

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Competition Analysis

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

· Adjust prices and promotions based on competitor campaigns.

· Offer packages or added values that differentiate your offer.

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Audience Segmentation

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

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

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

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Measurement and continuous adjustments

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

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

· ROAS (Return on Advertising Spend): to ensure that campaigns are profitable.

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Marketing Automation

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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.

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Loyalty and Retention

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“Loyalty starts when the customer arrives at the hotel.” Finally, a good marketing plan should not only focus on acquisition but also on retention. Customers who return to your hotel have enormous value, and strategies such as loyalty programs, upselling, or cross-selling can improve long-term profitability. It is time to get the most out of all that database that you have been collecting during the season and ensure that all those satisfied customers visit you again.  

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Conclusion

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A well-crafted marketing plan is fundamental to the acquisition strategy in the direct channel of hotels and should contemplate all the necessary fronts. From the correct planning of the campaign calendar, the choice of the most appropriate marketing channels, to the segmentation of audiences and the automation of marketing, each step is key to guaranteeing the success and profitability of the operations. By integrating these strategies, hotels like yours not only optimize their direct channel but also build stronger and more lasting relationships with their customers.  

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

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