10 marketing and sales tips in the time of Coronavirus

The hospitality industry is one of the industries which, for obvious reasons, may be most affected by the effects of the coronavirus spread. What should you focus on and what needs to be observed to keep the situation under control and make the right decisions? Receive valuable tips from our marketing and revenue management experts who have been providing hoteliers with advice and practical help for years.

IMPORTANT

We posted this entry on March 5th. Read our new blog entry from March 16, which we will keep constantly updated.

Since the situation is very dynamic, there is no guarantee that the following tips will work. These are only hints to consider and tips that you can try. We are aware of the fact that each hotel has different characteristics and is currently facing different challenges.

The corona virus is currently number one topic

Many industries are impacted by the growing number of COVID-19 cases. One of them is the tourism industry, including the hotel industry. Discussions and question marks continue to appear in forums and groups for hoteliers.

Our aim is to secure the hotelier's revenues and to make their daily work easier. In the current situation, it is very difficult to predict how the coronavirus situation will affect the state of the industry.

In order to meet current demands, we have prepared the following ​​marketing and revenue management tips that will be helpful in uncertain moments of business development.

Do you have further questions? Contact us anytime and benefit from our expert's knowledge.

Marketing

Marika Kachelska, Team Leader E-Marketing

"Which indicators are currently worth monitoring?

1. The number of page visits and time spent on the website - do you notice a big or sudden difference from previous statistics?
2. Rapid changes to the website's traffic sources, e.g. whether paid campaigns or organic searches are noticeably decreasing. Make sure that the changing traffic on the website is not related to pausing your advertising budget.
3. Website visitors by country - can you see a big differences in cancellations from a certain country or countries that have led so far?
4. Usage of the reservation system - are fewer users calculating the price of a stay than before?

It is difficult to predict how users will actually behave. We do not recommend sudden and impulsive marketing activities.

Firstly, it is worth analyzing the data. Any decision regarding a change in the advertising strategy (e.g. market orientation) or the budget should be supported by visible premises in the analysis. "

Revenue Management

Joanna Kulesza, Team Leader Customer Success:

"It is definitely worth keeping your finger on the pulse. The situation in the tourism industry is now changing very dynamically. Be prepared. I encourage you to put together a team that monitors the situation and is able to cope with any crisis. "

What exactly can be done?

1. Set up a flexible cancellation policy: by when and under what conditions can you completely cancel a stay? Think about whether guests can pursue their stay at a different time - specify this exactly and suggest vouchers that can be used at a different, specified time.
2. Adjust stay restrictions to the changing market situation.
3. Analyze your cancellation reports carefully and monitor which from which segment and how far in advance the cancellations are being received.
4. Invite local guests to your SPA and restaurant and create special offers for them.
5. Use videos and social media posts to show that the hotel has control over the situation and guests can relax.
6. Monitor the airport situation and recommendations of the World Trade Organization. ”