8 Key Posts Hotel Marketers Must Read This Week (Travel Tuesday)

I’m taking a little late-summer siesta this week, enjoying some time on a beach. So, taking a cue from my popular e-commerce link digest series, I thought I’d collect some top posts from around the web that all hotel marketers could benefit from. Without further delay, here are 8 terrific travel marketing posts for your reading pleasure. Enjoy:

1. TravelClick highlights the growth of mobile in travel and offers hotel marketers tips for improving revenues and bookings. Good stuff.
2. Tnooz outlines Google’s new hotel search test, which pushes Hotel Price Ads to the second click. Happily, they also provide some context on what it means for your business.
3. Marketing Charts reveals the top travel search categories on Google and YouTube. Spoiler alert: The data uncovers the primary reason why most destinations can benefit from increased use of video on YouTube — and why most hotels probably won’t.
4. Of course, as well as mobile and search work, they’re not without their challenges. I recently looked at how intermediaries drive up your costs and 5 ways to protect yourself. Check it out when you get a chance.
5. While we’re on the topic of intermediaries, this recent post that asked “Marriott Partners with Booking.com. Should You?” provides some perspective on when using Booking.com’s white-label offering makes sense — and when it doesn’t.
6. HotelNewsNow offers highlights from the recent STR Hotel Data Conference. Money quote: “Has the U.S. hotel industry reached its performance peak? Not quite yet…” along with data suggesting the current state of rates and occupancy. Required reading.
7. Speaking of the growth of mobile in the travel space (a topic I’ve covered a time or two myself), WYSE Travel Confederation takes an in-depth look at how mobile is beginning to define the multi-trillion dollar global travel industry. Great information, that’s well worth your time.
8. Finally, you might want to take a few minutes to review the 5 essential travel marketing posts from July. Lots of popular topics among your fellow travel marketers, and worth a look.

Interested in learning even more about the future of hospitality e-commerce and marketing via the social, local, mobile web? Register to receive a special report I’ve produced in conjunction with hotel marketing firm Vizergy, “Digital Hotel Marketing in a Multiscreen World.” Developed specifically at hotel and resort marketers, the lessons can help your business adapt to the changing guest environment. You can get your free copy of the report here.

You may also want to review the tips in my recent presentation Digital Marketing Directions: Three Trends Shaping 2014 Hospitality Internet Marketing. I’ve presented this talk to a number of hospitality and travel-related organizations and you might find it valuable for your business, too:

Finally, you might also enjoy some of our past coverage of the social, local, mobile web and what it means for your business, including:

• Holy Crap! Mobile’s Even Bigger Than You Thought
• How to Use Emotion and Storytelling in Digital Marketing
• 4 Lessons You Need to Know from Google’s Affluent Traveler Report
• What’s the State of Hotel Reputation Management?
• 10 Essential Lessons Learned From HSMAI’s Digital Marketing Strategy Conference
• What in the World are Priceline and TripAdvisor Up To?
• It’s Time You Take Mobile Seriously. Here’s Why
• What Expedia’s Leaders Can Teach You About Digital Strategy
• The 4 Rules of Social Marketing for Hotel Marketers