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How Hoteliers Can Leverage New Pinterest Features to Enhance Their Online Marketing Strategy

Tuesday, April 30th, 2013

By Victoria Hsia

Since its launch in early 2010, Pinterest has experienced tremendous growth. Now with over 30 million unique monthly visitors, the internet’s virtual pin board has become the third largest social networking site behind Facebook and Twitter. Given its high traffic volume and creative potential, many travel and hospitality brands have made the foray into making Pinterest a part of their online marketing strategies. With the launch of new features and tools such as business accounts, Pinterest Web Analytics, and a site redesign, Pinterest has also evolved to become a more efficient and effective marketing tool for hoteliers. (more…)

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Posted in HeBS Articles & Publications, Social Media & Web 2.0, Website Analytics | No Comments »

The Birth of the Community Manager: the New Social Media Profession in Hospitality

Friday, September 28th, 2012

Interview with Max Starkov, President & CEO of HeBS Digital, on the hot topic of the emerging role of the community manager in hospitality.

Masha Polshinskaya, Senior Project Manager – Hospitality Worldwide, Cleverdis: There has been much discussion about the need for social media to be managed at the property level by a new breed of employee focused solely on social media. How would you define the role of such a “community manager” at the hotel?

Max Starkov: Social media is a customer engagement channel and a customer-service channel, and not a distribution channel. The role of the social media marketer is already evolving to better reflect the hard-learned realization of the role social media should play in travel and hospitality. The “owner” of the hotel social media profiles—the one who manages and is responsible of posting, monitoring and reacting to customer comments—is also evolving and is being transitioned from outside social media agencies and PR agencies to property-based social marketing coordinators and community managers.

(more…)

Posted in HeBS Articles & Publications, HeBS Digital, Social Media & Web 2.0 | No Comments »

The Smart Hotelier’s Guide to 2013 Digital Marketing Budget Planning

Tuesday, July 31st, 2012

By Max Starkov & Mariana Mechoso Safer

Having just passed the mid-year mark, now is a good time to reflect on how events in 2012 have made a significant impact on hoteliers and how they should plan their digital marketing budgets for next year. The emergence of SoLoMo (the convergence of social, local and mobile); tablets as a distinct marketing and distribution category; new social media platforms such as Google+ and Pinterest; and ongoing Google algorithm updates that have made many hotel websites obsolete are just some of the topics that have made headlines so far this year.

This is also the perfect time to review your business goals and objectives. What did you achieve in 2012 that you would like to continue and even improve upon next year? What business goals did you not achieve? Were you often distracted by the ‘next big thing’ and, as a result, did you lose sight of hotel digital marketing fundamentals such as keeping your property’s SEO strategy up to date?

This article provides guidance on how to structure your budget in 2013. Next year’s digital marketing budget should focus on driving direct online bookings and achieving serious ROIs via structuring your initiatives in three main categories: “Core” Digital Marketing Initiatives; “Business-Need” Digital Marketing Initiatives; and Capital Investments, Strategy and Operations, including website re-designs and enhancements, day-to-day website operations, campaign management and professional development.

(more…)

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Posted in Best Practices, Direct Online Channel, HeBS Articles & Publications, HeBS Digital, Mobile Marketing, Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media & Web 2.0, The HeBS Perspective, Website Design | No Comments »

HeBS Digital Announces the Launch of the JW Marriott Indianapolis Indy Dream Getaway Sweepstakes

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

HeBS Digital is proud to announce the successful launch of the JW Marriott Indianapolis Indy Dream Getaway Sweepstakes: www.jwindysweeps.com.

 

JW Marriott Indy Sweepstakes

JW Marriott Indianapolis Sweepstakes

The sweepstakes, which was designed, marketed and written by HeBS Digital, gives participants 45 chances to win a $50 American Express Gift Card and one Grand Prize: a two-night getaway to Indianapolis, including tickets to concerts, sporting events, museums or other attractions and an array of onsite perks at the JW Marriott, Downtown Indy’s premier hotel. The sweepstakes is perfect for anyone looking for an Indy escape – whether that entails sports, live music, family attractions or just relaxation at the JW Indy.

Participants can enter the Indy Dream Getaway Sweepstakes once each day through February 22 to have a chance at the Daily Prizes and Grand Prize. The contest also includes forward-to-a-friend functionality, which awards a $250 American Express Gift Card to the participant who sends the contest link to the most valid email addresses via the official sweepstakes website. The Indy Dream Getaway Sweepstakes gives participants multiple ways to win!

The sweepstakes will boost daily visits to the hotel website while growing the property’s opt-in email list and expanding its presence on Facebook and Twitter. The sweepstakes will be marketed through email marketing, social media, online newswires, the forward-to-a-friend functionality and more.

The JW Marriott Indianapolis is Downtown Indy’s newest landmark, boasting 1,005 elegantly appointed guest rooms and more than 100,000 square feet of event and meeting space in the middle of the city. The largest JW Marriott in the world and the tallest hotel in Indiana, the JW Marriott Indianapolis attracts distinguished guests and serves as the perfect destination for a dream vacation to Indy.

Enter the Indy Dream Getaway Sweepstakes at the JW Marriott Indianapolis!

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