The Top 14 Hotel Marketing Posts of 2014 (Travel Tuesday)

Welcome, Big Thinkers, to a whole New Year! To get you ready for the best possible 2015, let’s take a quick moment to review the top 14 hotel marketing posts of 2014, as chosen by Thinks readers just like you.

The big themes, by far, revolved around third-party intermediaries/OTA’s and the fast rise of mobile in the travel booking experience. But there’s plenty of detail within those. So, without any further ado, enjoy the top hotel marketing posts of 2014:

1. Leading off was this post that explains “What Expedia’s Leaders Can Teach You About Digital Strategy.” Excellent insights from a a great group of industry leaders.
2. Next, we’ve got this exploration of how “Marriott Partners with Booking.com. Should You?”
3. Continuing the trend of examining third-party distribution partners is this post that asks “What in the World are Priceline and TripAdvisor Up To?” Well worth the read.
4. I don’t know about you, but I’m sensing a theme here. The #4 post on this list asks “What Are Google’s Plans for Hotel Distribution?” I’m planning to update this one within the next few weeks, so stay tuned for more on this topic.
5. Even more hotel distribution goodness in this next post, which uncovers “The Big Myth About Hotel Metasearch.” You might also enjoy this post that asks “Search? Metasearch? What’s the Difference?”. Spoiler alert for the pair of posts: Hotel metasearch is not the “white knight,” riding in to save you from “evil” third-parties. But read the whole post to find out why.
6. Shifting to the ways in which your guests and travelers are changing their behavior, don’t miss “Holy Crap! Mobile’s Even Bigger Than You Thought.” And be aware that those numbers are only going to grow in 2015.
7. Your fellow Big Thinkers paid lots of attention to this look at “How Intermediaries Drive Up Your Costs: 5 Ways to Protect Yourself.” You probably should too.
8. The 8th most popular post last year detailed “6 Key Secrets Every Hotel Marketer Should Know.” Good stuff.
9. Going way back to January of last year, we find these “4 Lessons You Need to Know from Google’s Affluent Traveler Report.” Recent research suggests that these lessons will continue to hold true this year, so check them out when you get a chance.
10. Still more mobile madness, this time featuring a round-up of “5 Mind-Blowing Stats About Mobile’s Growth You Must Know.”
11. Make sure you don’t miss these “10 Essential Lessons Learned From HSMAI’s Digital Marketing Strategy Conference.” If I do say, it’s a fantastic round-up of an even better event.
12. Many of your fellow readers really liked this demonstration of “Why Attribution Modeling Matters in 2015.” Well worth the read.
13. You all liked this glimpse into mobile’s role in the hotel sales and marketing that explains “Mobile Marketing Matters for Hotels in 2015.”
14. Finally, many hotels worry about the outsized role intermediaries play in their distribution and channel strategy. If you’re one of them, you’ll really appreciate “A Fair and Balanced Look at Balancing Direct and OTA Business.” Good stuff.

If you’re 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 slides and video from my recent webinar, “Digital Marketing Directions 2015: Three Key Trends Driving Your Hotel Marketing Next Year”:

Finally, don’t miss 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