Weekly Roundup: Travel, Tech and Social Media
Happy Friday! Did you miss your travel and hospitality news this week? No need to worry! We've put together our weekly roundup to bring you the latest in the industry. I hope you find it interesting.
Have a great weekend and don't forget to check back next week for more great picks!
Airbnb, the online room sharing service that connects travelers looking for authentic experiences with hosts offering unique accommodations around the world, is viewed by some as a big threat to the hotel industry. With Expedia's recent acquisition of HomeAway, is Airbnb finally getting some competition?
Consumers Know Exactly How They Want to Be Marketed to
Contrary to popular belief, consumers don't actually hate advertising. In fact, a study conducted by MarketingSherpa shows that only 8% of respondents said they wouldn't want to receive marketing, and more than one third said they preferred to receive emails from brands on their smartphones. Want to find out more? Check out their infographic!
6 Top Digital Marketing Trends Impacting Your Property In 2016
The year isn't over yet, but 6 top trends have clearly emerged to impact your hotel in 2016! Let's see where these trends are going.
How to Get Guests to Find, Book, and Trust Your Hotel? New TrustYou Website Holds the Answers
Travel reviews—and the way they are monitored, measured, and presented—have changed. With the launch of a new website, TrustYou tells the story of the modern travel review and the ways in which reviews can be leveraged to increase presence (Find), increase direct reservations (Book), and grow traveler confidence (Trust).
Are Millennials Getting Your Messages?
Millennials have been described by Vice Media CEO Shane Smith as having “the most sophisticated bullshit detectors in history.’ It’s no secret that marketers are worried these young adults are not receptive to their messages. At eMarketer Attention! 2015, Buzz Marketing Group CEO Tina Wells led a panel on how to deal with the issue, and a few themes emerged.
B&B HOTELS TrustYou Stars Case Study
Millions of travelers use Google every day to search for travel deals, vacation packages or getaway ideas. Google also shows reviews alongside the search results, which give users immediate feedback from other travelers to help them make their booking decisions. The new product TrustYou Stars offers hotels the possibility to enhance their content on Google. B&B HOTELS started using TrustYou Stars in order to gain more Google reviews and enhance the number of reviews about their hotels. They could already observe first great results.
Independent Hotels: Can They Loosen the OTA Grip?
OTA's grip on independent hotel bookings is 16% stronger in European makets than in the US! Compare the stats in this Phocuswright article!
Three Travel Brands Innovating in Crowdsourced Marketing
Crowdsourcing has proven to be one of the most disruptive business models of the modern age. In travel, the most notable examples are TripAdvisor and Airbnb, whose business models are built on user-generated resources. Here are three travel brands in the UK that master at crowdsourced marketing.
A Glimpse at what Facebook Messenger and M Might Do for Travel
Most people associate M with a Bond character but that might change when Facebook unleashes its own M. Taking advantage of all mobile has to offer, the social network wants to enable users to ask anything in terms of information as well as use it for services such as restaurant bookings and the possibilities are many.
