Leveraging Technology to Foster Guest Loyalty in Hospitality
The hotel industry prides itself on personal connections. Human interaction is valued above all else given the nature of the business: providing people with a place to rest their heads away from home. But we know well that technology can serve as an important support system for brands to drive business and loyalty. Human connection should remain at the center of any brand’s work, but technology can be a huge help to supplement what we humans do without losing personal touch.
The Power of Proactivity
Historically, the hospitality industry has relied heavily on inbound bookings, awaiting guests to initiate contact through a website or third-party marketplace. This passive approach has sufficed for some time. Further, most brands already use robust Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms to record guest contact information and track their preferences to continuously enhance the experience with each stay. But this is only possible once a guest has booked a stay.
Today, hotel brands are embracing increasingly advanced capabilities, beyond generative AI such as ChatGPT, to more proactively and effectively identify, reach, and engage potential guests. New data platforms use AI to collect and compile information from numerous publicly available sources -- a conglomeration of all major social media platforms and then some. These databases house information that can serve a hotel's marketing, advertising, and guest engagement departments in significant ways. By having access to potential guest information, hotel operators can now take a more proactive approach to finding and engaging guests.
The Power of Tailored Targeting
For many years now, marketers and advertisers have relied on internet cookies to power better, more targeted, and more timely social media ads. An individual seeking information about Las Vegas hotels will inevitably be served flashy Instagram posts for a multitude of world-renowned casinos, all-you-can-eat buffets and luxury accommodations.
AI database platforms take this type of targeted marketing to the next level. They provide a discovery mechanism for untapped potential guests that transforms outreach efforts from reactive "best guesses," often based on shaky data, to proactive identification and targeting of truly qualified prospects, based on numerous identifying factors, such as age, hobbies, interests, household income and job title.
Using Technology to Make Human Connections
Once a hotel brand has identified potential guests, next they need to develop and execute meaningful, targeted and memorable outreach. This is the part of marketing – regardless of industry – where the focus on human-to-human interaction takes precedence.
Establishing a personal connection is key to helping a brand stand out among consumers' choices, and nurturing guest loyalty is paramount for sustained success. This starts with how guests discover a brand or property and subsequent engagement. Today’s technology eliminates the impersonal marketing and advertising approach of "throwing spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks." Instead, it enables brands to identify an individual's specific interests and tailor marketing communications accordingly, allowing for more impactful outreach.
For example, if an individual has indicated on his social media profiles that he has a love of snorkeling, brand marketers at a Hawaii resort can send a personalized standalone email to that individual (and peers of similar interests) promoting VIP snorkeling tours. Or perhaps a couple is approaching a milestone anniversary. Being able to identify such information, a hotel marketer can reach out with a special spa package promotion to celebrate the occasion.
This kind of access to information powers consumer outreach at the right time with the right message. By sending tailored messages to potential guests, akin to a trusted recommendation from friends or family, operators can foster a sense of exclusivity and familiarity, laying the foundation for lasting relationships.
Embracing Technology to Power More Personal Connection
Proactive outreach to potential guests, enhanced and enabled by technology, gives hotels a competitive edge in a saturated market. It enables targeted marketing of special experiences tailored to individual preferences, driving incremental revenue and fostering brand loyalty.
Moreover, in an era inundated with impersonal, widely cast marketing campaigns, customized outreach resonates profoundly with consumers. By leveraging technology to identify and engage with potential guests and prioritizing personalization, hoteliers can cut through the clutter and forge genuine connections with their audience that resonate long after checkout.
About the Author
Stephen Marshall, CFA is Chief Product Officer at Aidentified, an AI-powered relationship-based prospecting platform and 1st party data enrichment service. Aidentified combines professional and household data to offer brands a truly 360º view of clients and prospects, along with the warmest path for engagement.