Capturing and keeping consumers’ attention is no easy feat, especially with all the information they’re bombarded with daily. It’s crucial to remain visible by maintaining a consistent and on-going digital presence throughout the year. Building a well-thought marketing calendar will ensure you have several solid ideas rather than throwing something together at the last minute or posting just for the sake of it. In doing so, you’re sure to raise brand awareness and ultimately increase conversions.
Planning Your Marketing Calendar
Staying engaged with guests and at the forefront of their minds is critical. Start by figuring out what level of engagement you can commit to and then map out your calendar from there. Generally speaking, aim for 1-2 social media posts per week and 1 blog article per month. These features are an opportunity for you to share details about your property and engage with potential guests, so ensure they are both thoughtful and informative. Paid media campaigns (paid search, display, and paid social) don’t need to be updated as frequently, especially for properties with smaller budgets. We aren’t advocating for a “set it and forget it” strategy; your ads should certainly be monitored and adjusted as needed each week but in terms of themes and target audience, your creative and overall message for paid media should be updated every six months to a year. Minor changes that call out seasonal promotions are useful for paid search and social media; these changes can be made monthly or quarterly. Email campaigns should be sent infrequently to avoid being marked as spam or immediately deleted.
Here are some general guidelines for scheduling your marketing calendar:
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Monthly blog articles on various topics (for content ideas, check out our article on inbound marketing tactics)
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Weekly social media posts
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Annual or bi-annual paid media strategy updates
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Monthly email marketing campaigns
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Periodic Image and content updates on your website to keep things fresh
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Plan for the “off-season” - sprinkle in a few campaigns to engage customers and encourage them to book during your slow-season
When it comes to content, ideally you should have an integrated marketing message across all digital channels to include emails/newsletters, social media, blog posts, ads, and website copy/images. This consistent voice will spark brand recognition with potential guests and result in increased bookings. Your marketing calendar should include ideas that cover a variety of topics and appeal to multiple audiences. The key is providing content that is fresh, relevant, and engaging. Another source of inspiration can come from your competitors or similar properties outside your local area; what are they posting that gets high engagement? Perhaps their examples will spark an idea for your own posts.
Here are a few categories to get you started:
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Image/content updates for the changing seasons
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Holiday travel
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Annual events in the local area
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Wedding season
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Special offers for holidays, niche groups, etc.
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Seasonal travel
Generating new content can seem time-consuming and tedious but if planned well in advance, you will eliminate the stress of putting something together last minute. If you are unable to dedicate the time necessary to post as frequently as mentioned above (either due to lack of time or resources), find a schedule that works for you. Building a marketing calendar will also ensure you are putting out content that is both thoughtful and helpful for potential guests. Through consistent and intentional posting, you will improve your brand awareness, generate traffic to your website, and increase conversions. For more ideas on building a marketing calendar and growing your online presence, contact Vizergy Digital Marketing.
