Social media is a multi-faceted and sometimes confusing marketing channel, especially when it comes to how it can be applied to hotels. In this article, I'll cover the history of social media, how it's evolved, how fits into the world of hospitality and the best things hoteliers can do to take advantage. READ MORE

We are living in a world of exponential data growth. Recent research from IBM claims that 90% of all data created since the dawn of humanity have been created in the past few years. Think about that for a minute… In the digital space, the volume and speed of data generation is so great it has created a multitude of challenges for businesses around the globe. How can your marketing efforts keep up? READ MORE

Is your property ranking okay, but not tops, for critical hotel search keywords? Learn how to optimize hotel search keywords to boost your visibility, traffic and bookings. Is your property ranking in key search results just below the positions you really need to be in? Are you in position five for that key search term your prospective guests use often? If so, you know you're missing more than half the revenues you could be earning from that search phrase. But how do you identify which search phrase to pursue, and how to do you get it to rank two to three positions higher? READ MORE

They're as ubiquitous as Boomers, and they're on the road. The Millennial cohort, now as large a segment of the U.S. population as the Baby Boom, is the fastest-growing travel segment, according to American Express Business Insights, and Millennials will soon comprise the majority of travelers worldwide. While Millennials are like everyone else in a lot of ways, there are some strong differences in their affinities and desires that make it imperative that hoteliers change their ways. Understanding how to please this group of more than 1.7 billion members is critical to the hospitality industry. READ MORE

What is the most important question hoteliers should be asking themselves as they weigh how to differentiate in a sea of sameness? Most would think it's about customer satisfaction. Many would drill down into issues related to their NPS (net promoter score). But new research from CEB has shown that the key question to ask is: How effortless is it to do business with your hotel? The predictive power of customer effort has proven to be strong. CEB found that of the customers who reported low effort, 94% expressed an intention to repurchase, and 88% said they would increase their spending. Only 1% said they would speak negatively about the company. Conversely, 81% of the customers who had a hard time solving their problems reported an intention to spread negative word of mouth. Today, effortless trumps “wow.” READ MORE