Email Marketing Automations That Will Delight Your Guests

Whenever you can get the help of automation, you should at least give it a try. The things that marketers are tasked to do at work is only growing. I am sure that the same can be said for a hotel general manager position. GM’s have to do more with less. Revenue management, operations, and marketing are just a few of the routine tasks.

Why does this matter?

Well, I am a big fan of email marketing; there is no secret about that. The thing is that unless you automate much of it, the time required to do it effectively can add up quickly. It is for this reason that I will share with you a few of my favorite email marketing automations. These should be simple enough to put in place.

Getting People Started

One of the first places that I like to start with email automation is the moment that the customer joins the list. Sending a thank-you welcome series could go a long way for you. It allows you to show the customer the layout of the newsletter. It also lets them know where to find something if the need arises.

One of the first things that people want to start with is a coupon. Should you do this? Well, the answer is that it depends. If you promised them something, it should be in the email. It should also be the first thing that they see. It would be best if you made things as simple as possible.

If they are starting, then you should allow them to get familiar with the brand before pushing the sale.

Follow Up Series

The customer came to your website, and they ended up booking a room with you. Your job is done. Wrong. If you have high hopes for your hotel, then your job is just getting started! This is one place where you can gain some valuable insights.

Have you ever wondered what people think after they stay at your hotel? What did they like? Did they have any issues? This is a perfect time to send a follow-up email series that reinforces your brand.‍

Depending on the tone of the email, you can invite people to leave a review on TripAdvisor, or Yelp. If you are providing customers with remarkable experiences, then this is an excellent way for you to get more reviews for your hotel.

You can also use these emails to fix an internal problem. You can use this time to send out a short survey so that you have the actionable data to fix the problem yourself. Whatever way you look at it, your hotel can only move forward with this automation series.

High-Value or Best Customers

This is Marketing 101. If you have historical data in your CRM on your customers and you can tie it to their email, then you should set these up ASAP. They can get you a quick infusion of sales. If you are starting, then you need to wait sometime until you have enough data. Once you have these, you’ll want to start getting these automation campaigns optimized.

There are a few things that you can do here to tailor the messages to these customers. One thing that works well is sending out specific offers to people who reach a certain average order value (AOV).‍

If you are looking for a different strategy, you can start a referral program. Your best customers are more likely to say good things about your brand. They could do much of the marketing for you through word of mouth.

I would suggest that you start with these. Once you have gotten the hang of these automations, you can venture out into some of the tougher ones there are to master. Ensure that you are not getting on your subscriber’s nerves and that you are giving them what they signed up for. The last thing that you can do is anger people that have willingly permitted you to market to them.