Saturday, December 25, 2010

Internet Marketing for Boutique Hotel

Boutique hotel internet marketing has dramatically changed this past few years. Never has there been a better time to get a tremendous amount of exposure, website traffic, leads, and new customers from the worldwide web, though. The opportunity to be the number one establishment in your local area is there for the taking. Here are some things to do immediately when it comes to marketing your hotel or resort online.
Use Social Networking
Facebook and Twitter come to mind as the major social networking front-runners. Facebook itself boast over 600 million users at present. Talk about a massive lead generation powerhouse! You can meet targeted people locally or related to a specific industry on social networking websites, building trust and credibility fast.
Facebook, and most other networks, now have an ads section similar to Google AdWords where you can get mass exposure in no time at all. Knowing how to harness this medium can give your hotel / resort all the growth you want.
Get Online Reviews
Google Places, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and CitySearch are a few places you can start. Hold contests and incentives for your current and past customers to get them to provide feedback. People trust other people's reviews so you can use this to your advantage when it comes to hotel internet marketing.
Amazon.com is prime example. Most often when you go there, you read the reviews before ever purchasing a book. Why? Reason being, you want to get unbiased user feedback to make an educated decision.
Create and Distribute Videos
Video is a very powerful medium to connect with any brand and get a sense of the establishment before ever being there. Customers want to see the place live before ever setting foot in your resort or boutique hotel.
If you have knowledge of search engine optimization and internet marketing, you'll be able to rank the videos on the first page of Google for high-traffic search terms, too. Then, you can sit-back as they work for you 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
Start a Blog
A blog is your home-base online and can be a good place to bring the traffic to from your other lead generation campaigns. WordPress is the best platform to use and make sure the blog gets installed directly on your website. Never use a sub-domain.
It's important to post regularly on the blog and know how to optimize each post for Google and other search engines. This can be a great traffic generator once your blog establishes a bit of authority. This boutique hotel marketing strategy is like a snowball that can turn into an avalanche eventually.
Aggressive boutique hotel internet marketing is necessary for those companies wanting to grow quickly in today's time. It's the easiest and most effective way to stand out from all of the other chain and corporate hotels. Having a seasoned hotel marketing consultant by your side to implement these campaigns can fast-track your growth, too.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Explore Hanover and Bremen

Explore Hanover, Germany
If you're thinking about a vacation in Germany, a trip to Hanover may be just what you're looking for! Located in north central Germany, Hanover is home to all kinds of interesting attractions. Although much of the city was destroyed in WWII, most of it has been rebuilt. Today visitors flock to places like the Royal Gardens, the State Opera House, and the large Market Church, located in the Old Town. The Hanover Zoo is one of the best in all of Europe, and is a must visit if you're spending any time in the city.
Once you've seen enough of Hanover, it's easy to take a venture out into the surrounding area! It's centralized location makes it a great place if you're looking to visit any of the nearby cities, like Wunstorf, and the relaxing Steinhuder Meer National Park. Maybe you will want to head over to Braunschweig and check out one of Germany's most interesting buildings, the creative expressionist Rizzi-Haus. No matter where you're headed, you are sure to discover that Hanover is truly one of Germany's most underrated cities.
Take a Look at Bremen, Germany
Bremen is another fantastic less-traveled German city. It's no surprise that travelers from all over the world flock to Bremen year round for various activities, festivals and events. One must visit location is the Old Town portion of the city. The Market Square is filled with all kinds of old gothic buildings. There you will find a statue of the cities protector, "Roland" that is over 600 years old. Wine enthusiasts will want to check out the Ratskeller, which is home to the twelve oldest wines in the world, stored in their original barrels, from 1653. One fun idea after a few glasses is to stroll over to the Rhododendron-Park Bremen, which is home to beautiful gardens, streams, and lawns.
From Bremen, you have easy access to many of Germany's coastal cities. Places like Wangerland, offer ocean side views, access to delicious local seafood, and ferry ports to the scenic islands off the northern coast, like Spiekeroog. Of course you could also head south, and visit Hanover, for some world class theater. Wherever you're going, Bremen is a great location to make your home base during your next vacation in Germany.