Although reopening maybe a moving target for your hotel depending on your location, you want to start planning your strategy sooner than later. Social media use has increased during this pandemic including Facebook with an increase of 77 million active daily users. People use social media to avoid isolation, they search destinations to dream and be inspired. They look toward their trusted brands to be honest and share information. This is your opportunity to adopt to new markets and new behaviors and invest and keep guests engaged. Follow these 10 steps as you determine your relaunch.
1. Initiate your plan 1-2 months pre-opening. Look at travel demand and establish KPI’s. Be nimble and able to adopt and change within hours.
2. Create content that is empathetic, sensitive and appropriate to your brand.
3. Review and refine your strategy as new information is available about stay-at-home orders.
4. Establish “paid” budget and use key messaging to increase awareness of your opening date
5. Open your doors: support with on property photos of key staff highlighting new procedures for health and safety protocol, food and beverage offerings and future opportunities. It’s important to stay connected with your existing customer base.
6. Analyze performance: Does it meet your key benchmarks? If not review content, be educational vs promotional. Use architectural photography, don’t show group gatherings.
7. Start thinking about conversion. Create new booking strategies. Highlight key verbiage in ads and social posts like “flexible cancellations”
8. Reach out to local CVB and tourism offices and cross promote the destination and your property.
9. Identify community #hash tags and share content and thank locals for their support
10. Be honest and transparent about your hotel offerings and amenities.
Relationships will last, and hoteliers must do everything they can to keep our guests and visitors trusting. For more strategies and services for the reopening process visit nightingalehospitality.com
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