6 Terrific Travel Marketing Trends You’ll Want to Review This Week

The world tour continues, Big Thinkers, as I find myself in sunny Cancun, Mexico this week. I’m lucky to be staying at a beautiful resort with gorgeous views of the ocean (well, technically, the Caribbean Sea). So I hope you won’t mind if I skip the setup and just get you right to the link goodness you’re looking forward to. With that in mind, here are 6 terrific travel marketing trends you’ll want to review this week. Enjoy:

1. TripAdvisor released key insights from its “Using Guest Reviews to Pave the Path to Greater Engagement” report. Given that managing your ratings and reviews represents the single most effective way to improve your brand’s digital marketing, you’ll definitely want to check it out.
2. Screen Pilot says, as OTAs rise, Google & Amazon wait their turn. They’re right. But Google & Amazon won’t wait long. You can check out my thoughts on Google’s distribution plans here and here, as well as what’s up with Amazon’s travel offering here.
3. Hotel Marketing notes that Marriott rolls out Alipay to welcome Chinese travelers. One of the many reasons why mobile payments will rule in the longer-term is that conversion rates rise as payment options increase. Every. Single. Time. Marriott has just opened its doors to a whole host of Chinese guests — and they should expect those travelers to open their wallets in return. Very smart.
4. Skift rounds up the week in digital travel marketing with a look at Facebook Booking, ad blocking and more. Definitely worth the read.
5. Ryan Solutions asks “which hotel type is growing fastest/slowest on Facebook?” Very interesting information.
6. And, finally, Mobile Commerce Daily explains why Airbnb did not just duplicate its iPhone app for Apple Watch. Cool stuff.

If you’re interested in more insights and information about travel marketing and distribution, be sure to check out these “6 Super Hotel Distribution Strategy Posts,” these “5 Amazing Mobile Hotel Marketing Stories,” a great set of “8 Exceptional Hospitality Marketing Posts from the Past Week: Hospitality Marketing Link Digest,” a terrific round-up of “7 Remarkable Posts about Mobile Marketing in Travel” and these “7 Brilliant Insights into Mobile Travel E-commerce” from our hospitality marketing link digests (part of the ongoing E-commerce Link Digest series).

And if you’re looking to learn even more about how changing guest behavior shapes hospitality marketing, e-commerce, and distribution, be sure an register to receive a special report I’ve produced in conjunction with hotel marketing firm Vizergy, “Digital Hotel Marketing in a Multiscreen World.” While it’s targeted specifically at hotel and resort marketers, the lessons apply to just about any business. You can get your free copy of the report here.

You might also want to take a moment to review the slides from my recent webinar, “Digital Marketing Directions 2015: Three Key Trends Driving Your Hotel Marketing Next Year” here:

Finally, you will definitely want to check out some of our past coverage of the mobile, local, social web and how to make it work for your business, including:

• 10 Key Posts about Millennials and Mobile: E-commerce Link Digest
• The Secrets Behind “It’s All E-commerce” for 2014
• Should Marketers Really Trust Google in 2014?
• The Zen of Digital Marketing Strategy
• 7 Steps to E-Commerce Heaven
• Today and Tomorrow: Mobile and The Changing Customer Journey
• Mobile Makes E-commerce Even More “Frictionless”
• Your 2014 Internet Marketing New Year’s Resolutions – Thinks Out Loud Episode 56