Guest Blog by Erica Penley-Claycomb & Chuck Coveleski
“Content is King!” We have all heard that saying and in today’s world, it is still as important, if not more important, than it ever was.
Your story is the first impression that buyers have of your property and can impact their buying decisions. It is important to paint a picture that accurately reflects your product while also describing what makes it unique. Your story consists of both words and images and directly impacts the decision-making process.
With hotels, restaurants, and venues getting more vendors and partners, that means there are more areas that must be maintained, but it starts at “home”. You need to ensure your story in your sales & marketing collateral and internal systems is accurate, so that you and your team are selling the same story. When speaking of “content”, that isn’t just the descriptive information about your room description, your meeting space or menu items, but also about the grammar and spelling and pricing. Wouldn’t you hate to be in a situation where you are selling a lunch buffet for $35 per person, but the price was originally presented to the client as $45, and your internal system wasn’t updated to the new cost? Yikes!
Content Parity:
Hotels, restaurants, and venues should place more importance on maintaining parity across all systems (internally and externally). You should understand that maintaining content parity is vital for your success in the competitive marketplace, as it helps to enhance visibility and maximize bookings, and ultimately, more revenue.
When you think about content and parity, you probably just think about what is on your website and what you have on your OTAs, but there are so many other areas you may be forgetting to keep updated. Be sure that you are looking for all areas where your product(s) are being sold and show cased, such as the local CVB, RFP tools for corporate/consortia rates, as well as lead generators for meeting sites that you may be participating with (and paying for).
3 Takeaways:
1. The adage, “a picture is worth a thousand words” is key to your story, as one single image can be more effective than mere words. You should ensure they still accurately depict your product. If they don’t, it is time for a photo shoot!
2. Something you may not know is that some RFP sites (for groups or corporate/consortia rates) could be placing you lower in the sort order if you have incomplete or inaccurate information.3. We recommend conducting content reviews at least twice a year to keep your information fresh and in line with any changes or updates. By regularly reviewing and updating your story, you can ensure that potential guests / groups receive accurate and enticing information about your product and services, leading to increased trust and bookings.About EPiC Specialists:
EPiC is a leading provider of specialized services, offering tailored solutions to hotels and vacation rentals. With a team of experts possessing deep knowledge and experience, EPiC helps clients achieve their business objectives through strategic consulting, research, auditing, and implementation support.
Erica Penley-Claycomb https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericapenley/EPiC Specialists https://www.epicspecialists.com/About Apex Sales Consultants:
Apex Sales Consultants, LLC helps the perceptive leaders in hospitality amplify their expertise so that they may make deeper connections with their guests and their staff. Apex is a dynamic sales optimization services agency that believes successfully mastering industry technology significantly enables us to enhance the guest experience. With its innovative solutions and data-driven insights, Apex helps companies streamline their sales processes and achieve sustainable revenue growth.
Chuck Coveleskihttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coveleski/Apex Sales Consultants, LLC https://www.apexsalesco.com/