21 Can’t Miss Travel Marketing Insights: The Top Posts of 2016 (So Far)

Want to drive more direct bookings to your hotel? Click here to learn more

Well, Big Thinkers, we’ve made it halfway through the year. And, as we like to do around here, it’s time to round-up everything that you and your fellow readers here at Thinks have read and responded to all year long. As with yesterday’s countdown of e-commerce and digital strategy posts, I’ve broken the list into two sets. The first featuring our regular Travel Tuesday posts, and the second recapping the best of our ongoing Hospitality Marketing Link Digest series. And now, without further ado, I give you these 21 can’t miss travel marketing insights: the top posts of 2016 (so far). Enjoy:

21 Can’t Miss Travel Marketing Insights: The Top Posts of 2016 (So Far)

1. The biggest post of the year so far, by a wide margin, looked at the current distribution landscape and found that, when it comes to “OTA’s vs. Chain Brands: Expedia Comes Out Swinging.” You’re definitely gonna want to read this one.
2. Another huge post from the first half of the year (though, technically it was published late last year), asked “Is Social a Waste of Time for Hotel Marketers?” The answer is a clear “no,” but be sure to read the whole thing to find out why.

Digest

3. You want insights and information? You want to know what’s going on in the world of hospitality digital marketing? You want to fill your rooms and grow your revenues? Then these “8 Outstanding Lessons from the 2016 HSMAI Digital Marketing Strategy Conference” are just what you’re looking for.
4. I’d mentioned yesterday how important the role content plays has become over the last year. Well, that’s equally true for hospitality marketers too. In fact, as this post highlights, “For Travel Marketers, Content is Still King.”
5. Following up on the concept of content marketing’s importance, your fellow Big Thinkers really enjoyed this post that explored “Content Marketing For Hotels: 2016’s Must-Watch Trend” in detail. Check it out to see why for yourself.
6. Man, Expedia has been making some headlines in the distribution space this year — and not for good reasons. A post from just a couple months back calls “Expedia’s Accelerator Program ‘A Wolf in Wolf’s Clothing.'” Sad, but true.
7. Another hugely popular post broke down the “Four Key Elements of Modern Hospitality Marketing” for you to apply as soon as you’re ready.
8. One of those four key elements gets a spotlight of its own in this post that explained “Why Hotel Marketing Depends on Personalization.”
9. Several presentations I’ve given over the past few months made your list of top posts, including this one that explored “2016’s Key Hospitality Marketing Trends.” You won’t want to miss that one.
10. Some of our monthly “best of Thinks Travel Tuesday” posts were really popular among your fellow readers, including this set of “7 Sensational Marketing and Distribution Insights: the Top Posts of February” and these “8 Top-Notch Travel Marketing Posts from the Past Month: The Top Travel Marketing Posts of January (Plus December’s Too).” Definitely worth a look.
11. We’re starting to see any number of new entrants into the travel space create both opportunities and threats to hospitality marketers. This next post provided deeper insights into the trends when it explored “How Google, Uber, and Foursquare Plan to Revolutionize Travel.”
12. While this collection of “16 Key Insights: The Top Travel Marketing Posts of 2015” captured the top posts from last year, many of its lessons apply just as well right now and is definitely worth another look.
13. We’ll round-out this section of our look back at these 21 can’t miss travel marketing insights: the top posts of 2016 (so far) with another presentation, this one providing insights into “Using Data to Put Personalization to Work for Your Property.”

But don’t worry. We’re not done yet…

21 Can’t Miss Travel Marketing Insights: The Top Posts of 2016 (So Far)

As mentioned above, I’ve gone ahead an broken out our ongoing Hospitality Marketing Link Digest series posts separately, but highlighted the relevant topics in each of their titles for you. You can review the ones most appropriate to your needs, or when you get a moment, check out the entire set. Enjoy:

14. 5 Fantastic Insights Into 2016 Travel Marketing Trends
15. 8 Excellent E-Commerce Insights to Round out the Year
16. 5 Fantastic Posts Featuring Top Travel Marketing Trends
17. 7 Sensational Social Hospitality Marketing Insights
18. 6 Important Hotel Marketing Posts from the Past Week
19. 5 Insightful Travel Marketing Messages
20. 7 Spectacular Hotel Marketing Posts This Week
21. 6 Spectacular Resources for Hotel Marketers from the Past Week

If you’re looking for even more travel marketing goodness, you might also want to take a moment to review the slides from my recent seminar, “Digital Marketing Directions 2016: The 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 hotel, including:

• Is Social a Waste of Time for Hotel Marketers?
• 5 Fantastic Insights Into 2016 Travel Marketing Trends: Hospitality Marketing Link Digest
• 6 Key Hotel E-commerce Tips: A Cheat Sheet to Drive Direct Business
• 5 Hospitality Marketing Trends You’ll Want to Keep in Mind: Hospitality Marketing Link Digest
• Expedia’s Accelerator Program: A Wolf in Wolf’s Clothing
• For Travel Marketers, Content is Still King
• Trends in Hospitality Digital Marketing for 2016
• 8 Great Posts About 2016’s Top Trends: Hospitality Marketing Link Digest
• 5 Key Facts About Mobile, Millennials, and Hotel Marketing
• How Safe Are Independent Hotels from Airbnb?