12 Irresistible Benefits of Email Marketing for Hotels

by Josiah Mackenzie on August 27, 2009

“E-mail has the highest ROI of marketing vehicles, producing $57 for every dollar spent.” – OgliveyOne Worlwide, Jeanniey Mullen

Email marketing is a very efficient tool for many hotels, and it’s important we don’t lose sight of this. My recent case study of how a hotel used email marketing was one of the most popular posts here this month, so I know many of you want information on this topic.

Here are some of the most compelling benefits email marketing can provide your hotel:

1. Email is cost-efficient and fast

2. Email is an effective branding tool for creating top-of-mind awareness

3. Email builds loyal relationships with existing guests through personalized communications

4. Email can assist in providing superior guest service

5. Email is a powerful direct-response vehicle

6. Email provides the ability to send highly targeted offers to very specific audiences

7. Email drives action and profits

8. Email can function as an automated sales force

9. Email encourages direct bookings

10. Email makes tracking metrics easy

11. Email makes testing different messages simple

12. Email encourages guest feedback

I’m working on a few detailed comprehensive posts on email marketing for the weeks ahead. I plan to mix some best practices with case studies of hotels that have used email marketing successfully.

What has been your experience with email marketing?

What’s your #1 question about using email to reach your guests?

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Article by Josiah Mackenzie // August 27, 2009 Josiah spends pretty much all day, every day looking for ways you can use new media and the social web to improve your business. To bring him on your team, you should look at our Insider's Circle program here.

Comments

Sylvie Laitre // September 5, 2009 @ 9:33 pm Reply

Hi Josiah,

While I agree that email marketing does have clearly defined benefits, I’m concerned about actually getting that email opened and read by our clients. We send our emails through a third-party company (that makes it look like we’re sending the email of course) but I am not at all satisfied with the number of clients that are actually opening the email. When I wrote them to inquire about this, I was told two things:

1. That the number shown for received emails doesn’t necessarily reflect the actual emails that make it to the users inbox. It means the server received it and that’s it.
2. That a 25% ‘open’ rate was quite good but I disagree with that. My email list is strictly people I have done business with and therefore I think it should be much higher.

I’m wondering what is considered a successful open/click through rate for marketing emails and if there are ways to increase ‘inbox reaching’ success?

Thanks