10 reasons your hotel should invest in PPC advertising

Feb 13, 09 | 1:58 am

By Josiah Mackenzie

1. You can start small

It's possible to start a campaign with just $50 - though raising this will accelerate testing and help you get a better feel of the market. You don't need to invest huge amounts of money up front.

2. Success is instantly measurable

Within 48 hours of campaign launch, you should be able to determine if the campaign is a success. Either it works or it doesn't. Conversion tracking is easy, so you can see exactly how much you pay for each new booking. This rapid feedback is not possible in many other types of media.

3. Ad delivery is very targeted

Search engines provide a wide variety of distribution options for your ads, so you can appear to your target markets. Depending on the tactics you use, you can show ads for relevant keywords, on selected websites, or to a group with similar demographics.

4. You reach people actively searching for what you offer

By showing your ads to people as they search the web, you reach them at the decision making stage of the buying cycle. This dramatically improves the quality of the impressions - reaching people when they are most likely to be influenced.

5. Message testing is easy

Using split testing, you can perform accurate market tests to see which headlines and ad copy pulls the best. After just a few days, you can take this knowledge, and apply it to other promotional material. If you are planning to advertise in other types of media, it's more cost effective to do your testing in PPC.

6. Instant changes are possible

Is something not working? Want to change the direction of your ad copy? This can be done with a couple clicks, and your campaign is instantly updated. There is no need to wait until the next issue or ad cycle.

7. International advertising is simplified

With a globalized world, your potential guests could be coming from 10,000 miles away. PPC makes it easier to reach people searching for hotels in your area.

8. Banding exposure is free

Even when people aren't clicking on your ads, you still get brand exposure. And unlike traditional ad campaigns, these impressions don't cost you a thing.

9. You only pay for results

By definition, you're only paying for actual website visitors. But when you begin using conversion tracking, you can make sure your ad spend is actually tied to new guest reservations. This eliminates all the risk you face when considering other types of media.

10. High ROI is typical

The combination of all the reasons above usually results in highly profitable pay per click campaigns for hoteliers.

If you're still wondering whether to try PPC marketing, I encourage you to give it a try. There's not much you can lose.


About the Article

This article was written by Josiah Mackenzie, Director of Client Services at Gradigio. To download a free flowchart for pay per click marketing, visit their PPC management services page.

For the latest promotional tips for the hospitality industry, visit Josiah's ideas blog: Hotel Marketing Strategies