In the hospitality industry, as in any business, advertising (or online advertising), especially Google Advertising (Google Ads) and Social Advertising (Social Ads), is crucial to increasing visibility, attracting new customers and retaining existing ones.
The concept is simple: Google, Facebook and Instagram have billions of customers online every day and every hour, including those who might be interested in your Hotel or Restaurant. A small fraction of them can be reached organically thanks to the posts you can make on Facebook, Instagram and Google.
99% of potential customers can be reached through paid online advertising campaigns, which can put your Hotel or Restaurant in front of everyone at the moment when a manifest or latent intention is triggered.
Google Ads and Meta Ads (which includes Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) are powerful advertising platforms that can help hoteliers and restaurateurs to achieve specific marketing goals.
In this article, we will explore five different angles on the importance of advertising on Google and Meta and how to make the most of them in the hospitality industry.
The abbreviation ads obviously stands for advertising, i.e. advertising on Google and Meta.
In this article
- Maximize online visibility
- Invest in Digital Advertising
- Targeting and personalization
- Measuring success
- Winning strategies for hotels and restaurants
- Conclusion
Maximize online visibility
Online visibility is the key to attracting customers in the hospitality industry. Google Ads and Social Ads (or Meta Ads) offer several options to increase the online presence of your Hotel or Restaurant.
In practice this means reaching potential customers interested in your offer with an “ad” aligned with their search intentions.
In your opinion, is it easier to promote a 5-star hotel in Rome among foreign travelers who already have the intention of coming to the ‘eternal city’ and belong to a high-spending target group or to anyone who decides to take a trip?
With Google Ads, you can create targeted ads that appear in Google search results when users are looking for specific keywords related to your business.
Social Ads (or Meta Ads), on the other hand, allows you to show ads on Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp, reaching a large audience of active users.
To maximize visibility, it is important to take advantage of both platforms. Google Ads is ideal for reaching users “ready to book” searching for Hotels or Restaurants in your area now (Aware demand), while Meta ads allows you to reach a wider audience and create a social media presence (Latent demand).
Furthermore, by using both platforms, you can increase your brand awareness and improve your ranking in online searches.
Invest in Digital Advertising
Digital advertising on Google and Meta is a crucial investment for the success of hotels and restaurants. These platforms offer a high return on investment (ROI) due to their ability to reach a large audience and provide detailed data on the performance of advertising campaigns.
Investing in Google Ads and Meta Ads increases brand awareness, improves online search rankings and increases bookings and sales. In addition, the data collected by the platforms allows campaigns to be continually optimized to maximize the Return on Investment (ROI).
Another benefit of investing in these platforms is the ability to use their advanced features, such as remarketing, to reach users who have already shown interest in your hotel or restaurant and encourage them to return.
Targeting and personalization
Targeting is a key feature of advertising on Google and Meta. Both platforms offer advanced tools to reach the right audience based on demographics, interests, behavior and geographic location.
The goal is performance: the more bookings you get from advertising, the more you invest in it.
For example, it is possible to create Google ads to target users searching for ‘Hotels in Rome’ or ‘Restaurants in Milan’.
Meta, on the other hand, can show ads to users interested in travel, gastronomy or local events.
Ad customization is another key aspect. Creating tailored messages for specific audiences can greatly increase the effectiveness of ad campaigns.
For example, you can create specific ads for couples looking for a romantic getaway, families looking for a relaxing holiday or business travelers looking for comfortable accommodation.
By using targeting and customization, you can ensure that your ads reach the people most interested in your services and that your messages are relevant to them.
Measuring success
Monitoring and analyzing the performance of advertising campaigns on Google Ads and Social Ads is crucial for maximizing ROI. Both platforms offer detailed analysis tools that allow you to assess ad effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
Some key indicators to monitor include the number of clicks, impressions, cost per click (CPC), conversion and cost per acquisition (CPA).
By analyzing this data, changes can be made to campaigns to optimize performance, such as adjusting bids, changing keywords or improving ad quality.
In addition, it is important to monitor metrics specific to the hospitality industry, such as booking rate, average cost value of a meal or room, and time spent on the website. These metrics will help you understand the impact of your advertising campaigns on bookings and sales, and identify areas for improvement.
Winning strategies for hotels and restaurants
It is important to combine Google Ads and Social Ads in an integrated strategy to get the most out of your advertising investment.
Use Google Ads to reach users who are actively searching for Hotels and Restaurants (Aware Demand) and Meta Ads (Latent Demand) to build brand awareness and engage your audience through social media.
Integrate your advertising campaigns with other digital marketing activities such as online review management, email marketing and quality content creation on your website or blog, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and local SEO, and social media management.
This integrated approach allows you to create a consistent online presence and enhance your Hotel or Restaurant’s reputation.
You can also use the remarketing features of both platforms to reach users who have already shown interest in your Hotel or Restaurant and encourage them to return. Remarketing allows you to show personalized ads to people who have visited your website or interacted with your brand in the past, increasing the likelihood that they will make a reservation or purchase.
Work with a Digital Dream Team of marketing experts who understand the specifics of the hospitality industry and can help you create and manage effective Google Ads and Meta Ads campaigns.
These professionals can help you select the most appropriate keywords, create eye-catching ads and define the targeting and personalisation strategies that best suit your needs.
Conclusion
Advertising on Google Ads and Meta Ads is a key element of success in the hospitality industry. By harnessing the potential of both platforms and integrating them into a comprehensive digital marketing strategy, you can increase visibility, attract new customers and retain existing ones.
Continually monitor and optimize your campaigns to maximize the Return on Investment (ROI) and ensure that your advertising investment contributes to the long-term success of your Hotel or Restaurant.
Remember that the key to success in digital marketing is the ability to continually adapt and improve your strategies based on data and industry trends.
Invest time and resources in learning best practices for Google Ads and Meta Ads, and work with industry experts to ensure that your advertising campaigns always meet your customers’ expectations and are in line with your business growth goals.
Article written by Giancarlo De Leonardo, former restaurateur and hotelier and founder of carocollega.com
