“Nothing happens until somebody sells something.”  This old chestnut has been with us for decades. Nobody knows who said it first or in what context, but the point is clear. If you’re in business, then everyone’s job in some way supports a cascading series of events that begin with a sale. If you’ve watched Glengarry Glen Ross or sold anything, be it cups of lemonade or a seven-night luxury vacation, then you already know the sales process. It still takes a lot of no’s to get to a single yes. Fortunately, there are simple and cost-effective ways to segment your audience and target those most likely to buy, making the scattershot approach a thing of the past. Even so, it still helps to understand the process by which someone who’s never heard of you becomes a customer. The various models for this are called the sales funnel. What, exactly, is the sales funnel? So glad you asked. The sales funnel is a model of how people move from not knowing about a product or service to buying it. In other words, it’s a psychological journey. The better we understand that journey, the better our chances of influencing it, or moving people down the funnel toward a purchase. The sales funnel concept was pioneered by E. St. Elmo Lewis, one of the fathers of modern advertising, way back in 1898. To his way of thinking, the sales process looked like this: This now-famous concept is called the AIDA model, and it has informed every sales model that followed. Some funnel models have as many as seven steps, but we’re not going to worry about those right now. Attention is the widest and is called the top of the funnel, sometimes abbreviated by marketing nerds as TOF. This is the “Hey, look at me!” phase of the process where you try and squeeze your message in between the millions of others. Before you drive a prospect to your website, they first need to know that you are you, and that you have a website. That’s hard.  Examples of TOF activities are anything considered lead-generating such as OTA listings, advertising, PPC, and content that asks for nothing in return such as blogs or social media posts. Interest is called mid funnel, or the “You have my attention” stage. Whatever magic trick you pulled off to get them here has worked, and some tiny sliver of the attention you earned (or more likely, bought at considerable expense) is now focused on you. They’ve followed your link or completed your form and got on with their life. Examples of mid-funnel activities are your website, brochures, email inquiries, and phone calls. Desire is where the lower funnel begins. You’ve proven you know them well enough to understand their needs and wants, and the thought occurs to them for the very first time that they want your thing, so to speak. Now they’re willing to invest some actual time. Expressions of desire (in the business sense) include adding a trip to a cart or wish list, signing up for a discount, interacting with a sales agent, or chats. Action is where this has all been headed. It’s the business end, if you will, of the funnel. They found out about you, learned about you, want what you have to offer, and the price is right so they purchase or book. Does the AIDA model apply to hospitality? At its most basic, the AIDA model describes how a pool of potential customers become actual customers. So yes, it still applies. But in our business, the distance between funnel stages may be short or nonexistent. Booking travel might only come after extensive research (high consideration) or on the spur of the moment (low consideration). And, as we mentioned, digital marketing makes it possible to go straight to your best prospects, potentially circumventing part of the process. In hospitality, a more useful way to think of the funnel is from the bottom up. Where does a booking (action) come from? What convinced them to book (desire)? How did they come to consider you specifically (interest)? And finally, how did they find you (attention)? So even if the sales funnel doesn’t always apply, it’s still useful in understanding how a guest gets from not knowing you exist to booking with you. Audit your funnel Before you look at your sales and marketing spend through the lens of the funnel, you need to take a good, hard look at what you currently have in place. Attention The attention phase has become much, much easier for hospitality than it used to be. OTAs have deep pockets, and their ability to reach a global travel audience is what you pay a commission for. You have more access to more potential guests now than ever before. That said, there is some due diligence. Look at your listings and your channel distribution. Are you putting your best foot forward? Have professionals proofread your listing descriptions and taken your property photos? If you’re trying to drive more direct traffic, attention is considerably harder and more expensive to earn. Outside the OTAs, how would a potential guest ever know you exist? Direct business offers a higher margin and merchant-of-record benefits, but you’ll need to decide how much the cost of driving that traffic (traditional ads, PPC, SEO research, etc.) eats into it. As our VP of sales likes to say, the juice may not be worth the squeeze. Interest Whatever expectations you establish in the attention phase, you must pay them off here. Your primary asset at this stage is your website, and it has to be rock solid. If you’re lucky enough to get people there, it has to be fast, secure, appealing, work well on mobile, communicate your brand, and booking must be dead simple. If any of these things are dicey, then you will have spent a lot of time and money driving traffic that will bounce out if they don’t find what they […]

In Track, a reservation and a folio are two sides of the same coin. The reservation specifies their rate for each night plus all fees, while the folio represents what they actually pay and what you count as revenue. In many cases, folios are processed automatically. But let’s say something changes during the stay or that the property changes hands. You can now add a folio exception, which is just a little checkbox that will prevent the folio from being processed automatically with the rest. At the end of the month, you can then review folios marked for exception and deal with them separately. Track has tripled its investment in software development so our team can be more responsive to feature requests from our customers. If there’s a feature you’d like to see added or modified, let us know at the Track Ideas page.

An email list that you own and control is one of your most valuable marketing assets. But chances are, you have one master list and send your regularly scheduled or promo emails to everyone at the same time. That’s not inherently bad, but if you’re not segmenting, you’re not using one of the most powerful tools in a marketer’s arsenal. Segmenting is exactly what it sounds like: Chunking out your list based on certain criteria. Check out Neil Patel’s excellent list of 10 such criteria to see what we mean. Just at a glance, you can see how some of these segmenting strategies can be of use. Segmenting your list makes it a) easier to tailor particular messages to your audience, and b) makes it easier for those audiences to see the messages’ relevance to them.  More relevance means better engagement and email performance. It’s that simple. But that only covers the why. The how is much less involved than you might think. Basically, any data point that you can correlate with an email address in your list can be used to segment, either automatically or with a bit of manual input. Campaign Monitor has a terrific guide on why and how that goes into more detail on this. Guest data you already collect can be used to group guests into traits they share. For example, if a property was extensively remodeled, you identify guests who stayed there on more than one occasion and send them photos of the renovations. Or, if you’re in Florida and there’s a cold snap in New England, you could segment by location and reach out to past guests in that region, perhaps with a discount offer. Look through a typical guest record and think about how that information could be used in a highly targeted (and therefore highly relevant) campaign.  To do this, just filter by your desired criteria in Track to create your segment list. If your email platform isn’t integrated with your PMS or CRM, you’ll have to export the matching records and upload them into your email platform as a new segment. In either case, the software should match, de-dupe, or add as necessary based on your subscriber database, then you can get to designing. (NOTE: Make sure you send your targeted email ONLY to that segment and not your whole subscriber list.) If you can only segment one way, especially if you’re new to the practice, do it based on engagement. Any email marketing platform will have this ability. For example, if you want to extend a special offer or survey invitation only to people on your list who open your emails at least half the time, you can do that and have a “superfans” segment. If they used to open them but haven’t in a long time, you can filter them into a “lapsed” segment.  There are more sophisticated means of segmentation, but you get the gist. In the process, you might spot hundreds or even thousands of recipients who never open your emails. Target them in a re-engagement campaign or purge them and potentially drop down to a cheaper subscription tier. Bottom line: If you’re not segmenting, you’re choosing a scattershot approach to a laser. And to paraphrase Austin Powers, who doesn’t want to use the friggin’ laser?

There are many reasons to block dates for a property, such as for maintenance or if owners are using it for a stretch. For record-keeping purposes, the reason for the block is sometimes important, such as when you drop your rate for a couple days on either side of the block, or between blocks. But what if the actual block dates or reasons change? Before, you’d either have to change the dates retroactively or delete the block. In either case, the reason would have to be noted manually. Let’s say you blocked out two weeks because the property was getting a new roof. The project was completed in 10 days but the next booking wasn’t for another four days, so you lowered your rate by 40% and booked three nights. At the end of the year, you notice your ADR for the month is lower than usual, but you can’t sleuth out the reason because neither the block nor the reason were stored. We have now added archival capabilities to blocks so it’s easier to explain fluctuations in occupancy, revenue, etc. after the fact. You can easily go back in the rental history to find blocks and reasons, making discrepancies easier to spot and explain. Our crackerjack Track team is always listening to customers and making improvements that save time and hassle. If there’s a feature you’d like to see added or modified, let us know at the Track Ideas page.

Remarketing, sometimes called retargeting, is one of the cheapest paths to a conversion you can possibly employ. Put simply, it is a way to use lead data to create touchpoints that improve the chances of a booking. We are all besieged by marketing messages, and most get lost in the noise. But quite a few businesses, especially in hospitality, don’t send enough messages to improve their chances. It’s like the difference between buying one raffle ticket or five. If you’re not remarketing, you’re missing out on a proven method to drive more conversions. Here are three no-brainer remarketing tactics you can automate right now. Cart abandonment If you shop regularly online, you’re already familiar with cart abandonment  Remarketing is a powerful tool, but it can be tricky to do it right. The Atlas Digital Marketing Services team can show you all the actionable data you already have and how to get more, then use that data to drive more bookings than ever!remarketing. You put an item in your cart, forget about it or intend to come back later, and after a few days, you get an email reminding you to complete your purchase, maybe even sweetening the pot with an offer of free shipping or a small coupon code. The same tactic may be possible with your booking engine, but only if you capture the guest’s email. This is why setting up an account is nearly always the first step in a checkout process, whether you’re talking retail or hospitality. You don’t have to go that far, but try to capture that email as early as possible in the booking process. Cart abandonment is high in the travel industry. With OTAs, it’s as high as 89% (!). That’s because most guests will want to see the final tally, inclusive of taxes and fees, before they book. But as long as you capture that email, you can reach out to guests a day or two later with a gentle nudge to complete their booking or some other enticement. Past, or lapsed guests This tactic overlaps with regular drip campaigns, which target stages in the booking journey and are time- or trigger-based. Time-based automations such as a booking anniversary, for example, are a form of remarketing. If business is slow, reaching out in targeted ways to past guests who haven’t interacted with you recently helps remind them you exist and can call attention to changes that may have occurred since their last stay. For example, the renovation of a pool or a new direct flight added to your area. The more time that has elapsed since their stay, the more risks you can (and should) take with the messaging, subject lines in particular, e.g., “Was it something we said?” Google Ad and Meta Search Remarketing Remarketing is deeply integrated into the Google Ad framework. Since Google tags can track clicks through to conversions, you can use that data to deliver different ads to guests as they move through the decision-making process. In this case, Google is handling the automation. This type of remarketing delivers highly targeted remarketing ads to potential or past guests based on how they interact with your PPC campaigns and your website. You can even use the specifics of those interactions to group, or segment those visitors into lists or use customer data you already have to reach them across other Google products (if they have Google accounts). Meta search remarketing is similar to Google Ads, but collects the data from meta searches or aggregators such as Trivago or Kayak.

Property managers and hoteliers alike strive to achieve that homey, mi-casa-es-su-casa feeling that nurtures your relationship with guests and keeps them coming back. But how can the warm and welcoming atmosphere you work to create during the stay follow them out the door? When it comes to digital marketing, there’s no better (or cost-effective) way to build loyalty and trust in your hospitality brand than through “drip” campaigns. What’s a drip campaign? A drip campaign is an intentional, thoughtful series of emails that roll out over a period of time. They can be time- or trigger-based, but usually they’re a combination of the two. In a sense, time-based emails are also trigger-based, as the “trigger” is the detection of a particular date and time or an interval between dates, e.g. one week prior to arrival or three days after check-out. Time-based emails are informed by the guest journey. They can be released in advance of a stay and afterward on intervals that make sense for the guest while not being annoying or obtrusive.  For our purposes, we’ll define “trigger-based” as being triggered by a guest action. Virtually any digital interaction with your brand can trigger one or more automated actions, such as opening an email, checking in via an app, or posting a review. If you don’t have smooth integrations, you can still do this with third-party tools — more on that below. Drip campaigns are a time-tested way to create TOMA, or top-of-mind awareness, and of course, loyalty. More importantly, they make the guest feel seen and appreciated. Combined with personalized messaging, a well-executed drip campaign can do a lot of heavy lifting. Time-based emails The aim of time-based emails is to anticipate what a guest is thinking or wondering about, when they’re thinking about it, and to deliver that information in a way that feels almost prescient. This comes from a deep understanding of the guest journey in general, and your guests’ journey in particular. Pre- and immediately post-arrival What is on a guest’s mind between the time they book and the time they arrive? What are they worried about? Thinking through these questions helps structure the flow of your time-based emails. Here are just a few questions a good campaign can help answer or clarify: Is my reservation 100% confirmed? What is there to do in the area? Are there good restaurants nearby? Is there any kind of shuttle service? What were those amenities again? Don’t assume the guest will remember this information from your listing or website. Often at booking, they just want to know they’ll have a place to crash and will work out the details later. A pre-arrival drip campaign can save them the trouble. 1–2 weeks out At this point, the trip is probably in the deep background of the guest’s mind. They’re still dealing with life and anticipating the upcoming journey (but not necessarily looking forward to it, which we’ll cover in a moment). This is a great time to remind them of the concrete details of their trip and high-level considerations such as: Confirmed booking dates Check in/check out times Upcoming events Road closures, construction, etc. Anticipation of their visit 2–3 days out This is a good time to provide information that will enrich their visit, such as: Nearby restaurants and attractions Parking information (be very specific) Check-in information (times, procedure, late departure, etc.) Relevant amenities related to arrival (e.g. bell service, concierge, valet) Suggested routes, road closure updates As before, keep it short and practical. The important thing is to know what’s on their mind as they prepare to leave and address some typical concerns right then. Post-departure This is really where the nurturing happens. So much modern life is transactional in nature, but hospitality shouldn’t feel like that. Well-timed messages of appreciation and hospitality are a no-brainer way to surprise and delight your guests. If you’re a Track customer, you also have the ability to send a quick thank-you text message shortly after check-out, possibly with a link to a short survey, e.g. “Did you enjoy your stay? yes/no.” The following day Consider an email the day after check-out once the guest has had time to travel and decompress. Thank them once again for their business, express a sincere hope that they enjoyed their stay, and invite them to complete a survey or otherwise provide feedback directly to you. We generally don’t recommend asking for a third-party review in the same email because two calls to action in one email dilutes the conversion rate. 2–3 days after check-out This is where you should ask for a rating or review using the platform of your choice. Often, this will be the platform they used to book, but the OTAs will usually send their own drip emails asking for the same thing. That’s why we recommend pointing them to a platform like TripAdvisor or Google.  The Atlas team can help you understand which review sites drive the most business so you can encourage more reviews there. TOMA emails TOMA emails remind guests that you exist and that you’re thinking of them. For example, if you happen to collect their date of birth, you can send a Happy Birthday email automatically, perhaps with an enticement as a gift, e.g. 10% off or a special package. Another great trigger is a stay anniversary. For example, if the guest was there in early July last year and you tend to fill up by May, consider sending an email in mid April encouraging them to book soon, perhaps even tied to the availability of the room type or property they booked last time. Trigger-based emails These are emails triggered by a specific guest action. For example, OTAs automatically send confirmation emails to go out the moment the guest books. The more integrations your PMS offers, the easier it is to set up these triggers. Some of the most useful triggers are check-in and check-out actions, especially where a mobile phone is involved. For example, […]

Company: Xplorie Name: Matthew Loney Position: President & CEO

Let’s start your Tuesday out right and talk travel insurance. As you know, insurance coverage is pinned to reservation value. Currently, when the rate changes after the opt-out window, the amount billed by the insurance vendor doesn’t change accordingly. So, if you had $50K of coverage attached to a reservation and the value changed (e.g. reduced rate) after opt-out, it would adjust in Track but not on the vendor side, resulting in a billing discrepancy that you had to manually account for. We’ve now added the option to increase, but never decrease coverage after the opt-out window closes so it can only work in your favor. This should help preserve margin while saving time and hassle on the accounting side. We’re always making Track better. If there’s a feature you’d like to see added or changed, visit our Track Ideas page. We might already be working on it!

Vacation rentals have climbed the charts recently with OTAs, in many cases being listed side by side with hotels. If you’re in VR, this is a sea change. The pandemic was good for VR in many ways, largely because of their relative isolation and environmental controls.  Even so, there are many travelers whose default setting is hotel. Much of that is brand-driven, whether through loyalty programs or the colossal marketing budgets of flag hotels. You can’t beat them at that game, but there are still ways to help convince and convert hotel stalwarts. 1. Don’t appear small We are drawn to big brands for many reasons. They’re everywhere, they’re usually consistent, and they spend a lot to earn our trust and loyalty. But digital marketing has leveled the playing field. Being small doesn’t require appearing small, and it’s never been easier to do. Take a close look at your branding. Does your logo appear small time or big time? Do you use your colors and typefaces consistently across all your media and channels? Ask a few acquaintances to check out your website and judge the scale of your operation based on what they see. The tighter your branding, the more trust you’ll inspire. 2. Make booking dead simple In general, hotels make it easy to book through their website, often with a “choose your dates” header right at the top of the home page. Ensure your call to action (CTA) is prominently displayed and that the actual booking page is clean and professional. In general, the distance between your potential guest and “Book Now” should be as short as possible. 3. Communicate well and often Big hotels are awesome at communication, but you can be, too. Clunky email designs, spelling or grammatical errors, and generic messaging can make the difference between an ordinary stay and a memorable, impressive experience. Also, err on the side of overcommunication. The 1.2 million-plus automations available in Track offer a set-it-and-forget-it way to ensure relevant and personalized touchpoints all along the guest journey. Nurturing campaigns after the stay help build loyalty and comfort in advance of the future stay you hope they make. Savvy digital marketing and a modern, flexible PMS make it possible for any size VR operation to look big but deliver the warm, personalized guest experience that sets VR apart from hotels. If you’re ready to convince and convert more hotel guests than ever, visit tnsinc.com. We’ll help you play with the big boys.

Track offers dozens of reporting options for PMS, Accounting, Call Center, Housekeeping, and much more. In a future Track Tip Tuesday, we hope to cover some of the most commonly used reports, but today, we wanted to let you know about a new one that may get your back office very excited. Okay, here goes: Track reporting now includes a custom balance sheet. Now your accounting staff can generate balance sheets on demand for internal or external reporting. The balance sheet is as old as assets and liabilities, and certain stakeholders will appreciate having that information presented in such a time-honored format. To borrow a phrase from Dave Matthews, Track’s got more reporting than a beach got sand. Whether you want the fifty-thousand foot view or a long walk through the weeds, we’ve got you covered.