Consistency and organization are vital for effective content creation. Creating a content schedule for your hotel will ensure both. Content marketing is a long-term process. Even if you start off strong with an abundance of ideas, it can become easy for the creation process to run dry. That’s why it’s important to plan out photography, blog and social media content well in-advance. These five tips will help you stay on top of your hotel’s content creation framework for the long-term.
Hire a creative team
Getting the help of a professional team will enhance your process of content creation. A creative agency can take care of your photography, hotel’s blog posts, social media presence, and any other content related work.
Finding a group of professionals who you can work effectively with will elevate your content marketing. When choosing a team to hire, consider their past experience, case studies, and style of work. Choose a team with experience in the hotel industry. An agency with a proven track record of creating quality hospitality content will be the most beneficial.
Also ensure the agency you hire has a clear understanding of your content marketing goals. Consistent communications and check-ins are key in this regard–make sure you’re both looking to take your efforts in the same direction.
Brainstorm blog topics regularly
Blog ideas may come easily at first, but eventually you’ll need a consistent process of brainstorming to keep up your consistency. Keep your guests in mind when making blog topics. Consider what your hotel guests would want to know most about your location and provide the answers for them. Current events in your town/city, restaurant recommendations, and seasonal advice are all places to start. Tools such as BuzzSumo can be used to find which blog topics are trending. Enter important keywords and see which posts you can create surrounding them.
As you brainstorm, keep a spreadsheet/document to archive your blog topic ideas. With enough ideas generated, your blog schedule can be determined months in advance. Keep the season and events in your location in mind: timing can be crucial for the right blog topic. For example, a guide to Mardi Gras put out by a New Orleans hotel in early February could draw traffic from people planning their trip up a few weeks in advance.
Lastly, keep in mind that brainstorming ideas doesn’t just need to come from your content team. Getting ideas from employees outside of your marketing team can provide a valuable perspective on a topic your hotel could cover.
Determine posting frequency
When establishing a content schedule, you must determine your hotel’s posting frequency across your blog, newsletter, and social media channels. There’s not one formula that works for all when it comes to how much content to post. Consistency is most important: guests should not visit your Facebook page and find no posts in the last year. Time and resources will determine how frequently you’re able to post.
Emphasize quality over quantity with your content. No matter how often you post, your content will only be useful if it is valuable to your target audience.
Create a review and revision process
It’s important to have predetermined steps a piece of content will go through before being published. Creating a spreadsheet or calendar with deadlines and marking it with who’s responsible is a good practice for establishing a strong revision process. Social media posts and blogs should be reviewed by more than one person and ensure they match your hotel’s tone.
Consider creating a style guide for your hotel’s branding. Establish guidelines for consistency across the visual and written elements of your content, whether it’s fonts, colors, and overall tone. Your typography should and color palette should fit in seamlessly with your logo and website. All content should then be reviewed and fit along with your style guide to create content that reflects your brand in every aspect.
Personify your hotel by telling its story
Content doesn’t just need to come from the agency you hire or your marketing team. Get others involved in the process. Whether it’s a new employee or a guest coming back for their third stay, capture real moments within your hotel and share these perspectives.
Interviews with your manager, “day in the life” videos, or video footage capturing your hotel’s experience are all ways you can take your content beyond the marketing team and encapsulate your entire hotel.
Authenticity will make you stand out when telling your hotel’s story. Bring up the real aspects of your hotel that differentiate you from the competition, whether it’s a great event you’ve hosted in the past, the origin/founding of the hotel, or a story from a long-time employee. Weaving the real aspects of your experience with a substantial amount of visual elements will effectively personify your hotel and show future guests exactly what you’re about.
Interested in learning about more ways to boost your hotel's marketing campaigns? Read more at the 97 Switch Guide to Hotel Marketing.
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