“Online Marketing is critical for any business,” says Executive Vice President of Carlson

Digital Marketing is the moment of truth. Hoteliers are continuously utilizing social media channels to build brand awareness and to tap potential markets. Travel and Tour World had a

conversation with Nancy Jones, Executive Vice President of Carlson Group of hotels. We asked her the importance of online marketing and campaigns. Here’s what she had to say. Excerpts:

“Online marketing is critical for any business because that’s where customers are today. Online marketing generates brand awareness and traffic to sites through an ever-changing multitude of devices (PCs, mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, etc) and through a multitude of channels such as web, social media, instant messaging and email. In the case of hotels, the primary objective is to generate bookings through direct channels, including a hotel’s WebExtra site, which is truly their online “lobby.”

The most effective online marketing initiatives are those that keep a site’s content current, fresh and relevant for visitors. Updating site content with local information, photos, and offers helps sites rank higher in search engines and increases traffic.

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group invests in a significant amount of online marketing on behalf of our hotels, so hotels don’t have to manage all of these initiatives individually. For example:

•             Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group purchases and maintains more than 100,000 branded and non-branded keywords

•             Hotels have the opportunity to supplement these initiatives with customized campaigns.

•             Carlson manages all hotel business listings in sites like Google+ Local

•             In 2014, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group will also manage business listings for all brands and all hotels on Trip Advisor

•             Additionally, Carlson uses Click to Call functionality in mobile advertising, driving same day bookings for the best available rates. And re-targeting capabilities for customers who shop but don’t complete a booking drive potential guests back to hotel and brand websites.

Monitoring and responding to online reviews is also extremely important and is an effective method of “marketing” any product. Social reviews impact a significant percentage of online purchase decisions and offer companies the opportunity to “sell” themselves while talking directly to customers and potential customers.

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is introducing Social Ratings and Reviews on hotel and brand websites in 2014. Through a partnership with TripAdvisor, guests will have the ability to view other travelers’ comments and ratings about a specific property, and a hotel’s response to these reviews will be available as well. This increased level of user-generated content will help drive further traffic and revenue to hotel websites while also promoting trust and transparency with our guests.”

To read the full interview check out the March issue of Travel And Tour World.