Marketing your hospitality business effectively is more critical than ever before.
Largely down to the cost-of-living crisis and Covid losses, closures in the hospitality industry rose by 60% over the past year alone. And with rail strikes threatening business during the festive period, finding new customers is becoming increasingly important.
While some venues might still rely on word-of-mouth promotion, allocating a sizeable budget towards your marketing strategy is an investment. We’ve shared our top tips for marketing a hospitality venue in our handy guide below.
Understanding industry marketing tactics
The first step towards memorable marketing is being able to stand out. You’ll need to keep a close eye on the techniques and campaigns used by your competitors, especially if you’re appealing to a large customer base in a busy location.
Digital marketing is paramount, but it’s most effective when combined with traditional techniques too. Some of the most useful tactics to incorporate include:
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Video content
Always try to share wisely on social media. Using popular apps is ineffective if you don’t know about the latest trends, so make sure to keep up to speed.
Social media users (and algorithms) now prioritise short video content. So, whether you choose to post via Reels or TikTok, try to think of ideas for your business to create engaging content. If you’ve got a new dessert launching, why not post an appetising video of it?
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Printed marketing
Try not to neglect traditional methods. If you deliver physical flyers and leaflets to independent businesses in your community, you’ll be able to spread the word.
Building an awareness of your brand is crucial, especially in the hospitality industry. You could use physical leaflets to share your latest menu updates or any other exciting news with your customer base.
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Customer comfort
Hospitality is all about customer comfort. Try to think about how you could reflect this in your branding and in the physical environment you offer.
Consider your interior design. Does your lighting look outdated or cluttered? Perhaps the dining area could benefit from new chairs and tables, or maybe you should separate floor space into distinct zones – remember, small changes make a big difference.
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SEO
Never underestimate the power of an effective SEO strategy for your company.
The most innovative SEO strategies enable your brand to adopt a position of authority within its area of expertise. If you work with an agency to achieve this, you could build a website that answers the questions your prospective customers will be asking.
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Mobile optimisation
Lastly, most of your potential customers will be browsing with their mobile phones, not from a laptop or desktop computer.
You should try to make sure that your website is effectively optimised for mobile visitors. Why not incorporate a smart booking form to allow customers to book conveniently via mobile browser?
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As we head towards 2023, businesses in each industry will need to ramp up their marketing strategies in order to compete. Don’t forget to take some time to relax after your hard work too!
