Top ways to appeal to Buzzseekers to drive incremental revenue
During the pandemic, it’s no secret that we’ve missed sharing special moments together. Now travel has opened up and demand is high, hoteliers should focus on exciting experiences that can be explored in their hotel (and the local area) to drive bookings and incremental revenue.
Hoteliers need to inspire potential guests - and extend their reach to new travellers that might not have considered their destination - with exciting and dynamic experiences, all of which can be booked and paid for on in advance or during their stay on their hotel app.
Who are buzzseekers?
Buzzseekers are adventurous, outgoing travellers who seek out novel, exciting and luxury experiences - they are the ideal type of guest to target to drive incremental revenue. But how can we tempt them to visit your hotel through the offer of diverse and dynamic experiences, and how can you satisfy consumer expectations of convenience?
A return to experiences - here’s some ideas to whet your appetite:
Foodies – eating in bars and restaurants was limited during the pandemic, so organise and highlight any culinary experiences you have in your hotel or the local area. Perhaps you have a gin tasting evening on, or a Champagne Afternoon Tea with a twist, a cocktail making session or a Supper Club offering up local delicacies? And there may be a local supplier that you could team up with to offer something unique from your area that guests could savour.
City slickers – highlight local tours and sights that guests could visit, where they can engage with and be inspired by local icons and historic places of interest that are unique to your area. Perhaps there’s a bike tour or a food/drink trail that might encourage them to get out and about in a novel way. Again, see if you can partner with local attractions to offer your guests a special discount or added value.
Wellness retreats - with an increased focus on well-being, holiday makers are keen to enjoy some relaxation and rejuvenation during their travels. Even buzzseekers need a break from time to time! Perhaps offer soothing massages, gentle baths and special beauty treatments to help them relax and recharge for their next adventure.
Outdoor adventurers – lots of guests are keen to make the most of the outdoors so feed their curiosity with outdoors experiences either within your hotel grounds or in the local area. Perhaps there’s a countryside ramble and picnic you could organise, a boat trip, an open-air cinema experience or an outdoor activity like dining under the stars?
What are their key aspirations and priorities?
YouGov recently polled 13,375 consumers in eight key markets across the world on what they are looking for in their next vacation. One of the top travel motivators is 'Adventure’ : 50% of all global consumers are seeking adventure on their next trip. Wellness is also a strong motivator among travellers, as is the desire to chase dream destinations.
There are several other factors to motivating people to travel, including the need to just get away from home, as well as the desire to broaden their horizons (23%).
Reviewing and promoting what your offer is and targeting specific audiences, can help you shape your message and inspire the people that are looking for a specific type of experience.
How can you promote to buzzseekers?
Pre-stay – showcase the depth of what you’ve got to offer on your website and across your social channels to tempt bookers and drive conversions. If they can add any of the experiences at the time of booking, even better!
Promote the range of experiences in pre-stay emails to your guests – go for the second wallet and tempt them to book some add-ons to make their stay even more special.
During their stay – promote and highlight all the experiences on your hotel app or digital ordering platform and tempt your guests to try something different. Even if it’s just an upsell to a Champagne breakfast in bed or the Chef's special, it’ll make for a more memorable stay. Make the booking straight forward and simple…and easy to pay for!
Post-stay – Encourage them to leave positive reviews and post photos of their experience on their social channels (maybe put up a ‘selfie’ backdrop at your hotel and promote your @ handle so they tag you in their posts) - word of mouth marketing is priceless!
Stay in touch with your guests. Do tempt them to re-book with added value experiences – you know what they like now so continue to inspire and personalise any future stays with relevant experiences and even offer a discount or an extra to drive loyalty.
Partner up - contact local tourist and culinary attractions and regional places of interest to see if they want to partner with you and create a new experience (and importantly, pool your marketing resources to promote to more people).
Also contact your local and national tourist boards to see what they’re already offering in the local area. Again, jump on board and use their ideas and means to promote local sights and tours to your guests.
Ramp up ancillary revenue
“The hotel website and hotel app should act as a springboard to create hype and buzz and offer a variety of experiences to inspire guests, drive bookings and boost revenue for the hotels.
As well as boosting bookings and driving incremental revenue, guests may even extend their stay if they think there’s lots to do and experience at the hotel/resort and the local area. Demonstrate the diverse nature of your activities and positively encourage your guests to try something new and escape the every day!’
Couple this with a convenient means of booking and paying for their extras and then you have a winning combination that will drive revenue and inspire loyalty” added Kate Fuller, Senior Marketing Manager at IRIS.
Learn more about IRIS's digital F&B ordering and guest experience platform.
