Personalization Starts With a Person (Travel Tuesday)

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Last week, we talked about why hotel marketing depends on personalization. That’s not changing any time soon. But it’s also worth paying attention to treating guests like human beings. And, as one industry leader noted at this year’s HSMAI Digital Marketing Strategy Conference, personalization also starts with the person, “…CRM demands a human element”.

Here’s one reason why that matters. Loyalty 360 quotes a recent Accenture study, noting,

“…according to a new Accenture study, consumers prefer dealing with human beings as opposed to digital channels. In fact, the study shows that 83% of U.S. consumers prefer dealing with human beings over digital channels to solve customer services issues.”

Sure, guests want a great self-service experience on desktop and mobile as well as a strong social presence. But they mostly want to be treated like human beings.

One other reason this matters? OTA’s kind of suck at it (though they’re trying hard to do a better job here). In the ongoing fight with OTA’s, you simply have many more opportunities to take care of your guests than the OTA’s. For one thing, they’re usually standing in your lobby, talking with your staff, when faced with a challenge during their stay. Deploying guest-focused personalization technology — and training your staff on how to use it — can only help enhance your guests’ stays, which in turn should drive greater loyalty and increased revenue from repeat stays.

So, when you get down to it, this really isn’t about technology or personalization or fancy toys. Instead, as I’ve mentioned before, “…it’s about hospitality.”

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 presentation, “Maximizing Data to Put Personalization to Work for Your Property” 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:

• “5 Key Facts About Mobile, Millennials, and Hotel Marketing”
• “How Safe Are Independent Hotels from Airbnb?”
• “The Big Myth About Digital Strategy.”
• “Digital Marketing Directions 2016: Key Trends Driving Your Hotel Marketing Next Year”
• “Huge List of Lessons Learned at HSMAI’s Digital Marketing Strategy Conference”
• “Are Hotel Brands Doomed?”
• “Trends in Hospitality Digital Marketing for 2016”

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 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?