Getting Started with Email Marketing

by Lilian Padiachy

Email marketing is a cost-effective and highly targeted form of permission-based direct marketing. When executed well, email marketing can maximise the retention of existing guests and communicate the value of what your establishment has to offer to potential guests. Additionally, you can use email marketing to drive traffic to your website, and increase direct conversion; depending on your strategy (promotional emails or newsletters).

Build an Email List

Earlier we mentioned that email marketing is permission-based; which means existing or potential guest must opt-in or give you their permission before you include them in any email marketing strategy you have lined up, getting permission ensures that you are not in violation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Keeping an organised list of subscribers can also help you send targeted messages, to the right person at the right time, for more impact.

There are a variety email marketing tools and applications available that can take care of this for you. In Springnest, you will find a dedicated widget already integrated with Mailchimp.

Springnest makes adding a Mailchimp sign-up form to your Springnest website much easier. You'll need to sign in to your Mailchimp account as part of this process, to familiarise yourself with Mailchimp click here. Once you’ve completed adding the Widget to your website, the sign-up form appears horizontally in your footer area.

Three other ways to grow your organic email list:

  • Offer an electronic sign-up form during the check-in process.
  • Ask guests's permission during check-out, and add them to your mailing list using the details you have captured in your booking engine or PMS.
  • Invite guests to participate in a post-stay survey.

Planning and setting email marketing goals

Setting goals for your email marketing strategy is key. We mentioned earlier that email marketing can help with driving traffic to your website, and increasing direct conversion.

You can create different campaign across the life cycle of a guest’s journey with you, for example:

  • Birthdays - Send out a monthly birthday email offering a small value ad or monetary discount.
    Benefit: increase direct conversion
  • Win back clients who book via OTAs - Notice that specific clients only book via OTAs? Reach out and offer a direct booking discount or value ad.
    Benefit: increase direct conversion
  • Guest Reviews - Send an email to guests post-stay and invite them to leave a review or complete a short survey of their stay.
    Benefit: regularly updated content is viewed as one of the best indicators of a site’s relevancy.
  • Blog article content - Send out a campaign that includes blog content on your website.
    Benefit: Drive traffic to website

In Summary

This cost-effective method of permission-based direct marketing can yield high results when campaigns are executed well with focus and a bit of creativity (remember other brands are also fighting for your guest's attention).

  • Use a professional email marketing tool.
  • Play by the rules, only send emails to people who have opted in to receive them, and make it easy for people to unsubscribe.
  • Plan ahead. Your email marketing to offer an incentive to book, or to bring subscribers back to your website or blog content.