Top 10 Travel Marketing Tips of 2013 (Travel Tuesday)

Few topics were as popular this past year here on Tim Peter Thinks than the recurring “Travel Tuesday” series. The series, originally part of my TravelStuff blog, addresses issues important to travel marketers, especially around the areas of digital marketing, distribution, and driving yield for hotels and resorts. You all really seem to like it, having made it the most popular series on the site and slotting several posts among the most popular overall this past year. Want to see what was most popular? Here you go?

1. Not only was my look at “4 Reasons Why Google Metasearch in Maps Matters” the most popular Travel Tuesday post this year, it was the most popular post on the blog this year. If you examine Google’s recent moves with Maps, and consider how important that product is to Google overall, it’s clear to understand why. Expect lots of activity in the area of Maps and metasearch, from Google and others, all through 2014.
2. While Google’s making data tougher to come by on a detailed level, they’re still happy to share in the aggregate. My look at Google’s 2012 Traveler “Road to Decision” Presentation looks at key trends Big G uncovered and how you can apply them to your business. I also looked at Google’s 2013 Traveler research in last week’s Travel Tuesday post, so you should check that out too.
3. The single biggest topic of the year for most travel marketers has been the rapid growth of mobile. And we’re only just beginning to see the effects of that shift. One big trend worth watching is what mobile will do to your website’s conversion rate, which is the point of this post: Kiss Your Current Conversion Rate Goodbye.
4. Of course, knowing that mobile will cause your conversion rate to fall is one thing. What you can do about it is even better. This post, Warning: Mobile Drives Booking Costs Up and 4 Ways to Prevent It, explores your options in detail.
5. Another mobile-focused post you really took to was this look at The Future of Travel Search and Mobile.
6. Travel marketers continually look for ways to improve yield. I was invited to write an HSMAI white paper that uncovered a variety of techniques and tactics to increase revenue from your existing guests, which this post, When More is More: Upselling as a Sales & Marketing Tactic, outlines in detail.
7. Mobile’s great, but only if your guests use it to find you. Here’s a view on how to just that: How to Get in Your Customers’ Pants… Pocket
8. I mentioned a moment ago how metasearch and new distribution channels will continue to grow in 2014. This post, Where Google, Facebook, and Expedia Want to Take Your Guests, highlights trends among traditional, and not-so-traditional, travel distribution players.
9. Want to know The Single Most Effective Way to Improve Your Brand’s Digital Marketing? Then check out the post. ;)
10. Finally, this look at 3 Reasons Mobile Travel is on the Rise explains both the why’s and the “what you do’s” about the growth of mobile for travel marketers.

Interested in a little more? OK. Check out these 3 posts you might have missed, too:

1. Just a few weeks ago, I looked at what the rise of Airbnb and similar sharing startups means for hotels and resorts in this post, How Safe Is Your Hotel from Airbnb? Hint: Not Very.
2. While mobile’s pretty well covered in the list above, I got lots of feedback and interest from those who read Why Mobile Matters for Travel Marketers. Check it out and see why.
3. And the same goes for this post, How Big Will Mobile Be?

Finally, I gave the following presentation last week, which highlights a number of trends you’ll want to watch in 2014:

If you’re interested in learning even more about the future of 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.” 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 enjoy some of our past coverage of the social, local, mobile web and what it means for your business, including:

• The Zen of Digital Marketing Strategy
• 7 Steps to E-Commerce Heaven
• Want More Web Business Now That It’s All E-commerce? 6 Questions You Must Get Right.
• Today and Tomorrow: Mobile and The Changing Customer Journey
• Mobile Makes E-commerce Even More “Frictionless”
• Mind Your P’s and Q’s—Getting the Most Out of Consumer Reviews
• 3 Key Trends for 2013