Mobile Marketing – The Next Step For Hotel Marketing Strategies

Hotel marketing has branched off to adapt to the ever-changing landscape, heading over to platforms defined by the digital evolution in this information age. Suffice it to say that marketing strategies are also highly influenced by the emerging platforms and media. For hotels to foster growth and get their brand out to more people, taking advantage of new media-particularly mobile devices like cellular phones, PDAs and Wi-Fi capable devices-is an important undertaking.

So many people have become immersed in the mobile culture. The development of high-speed data transfers over 3G networks (EDGE, HSDPA, etc.) and through mobile internet has created such an on-the-go lifestyle for those who can afford it. As it turns out, these people are also perfect for the role of potential hotel guests-over a billion potential clients, to be more exact.

What is more attractive about mobile marketing is that the information is received firsthand, delivered right to the browsers or mail clients of users’ personal mobile devices. This way, mobile marketing is not merely an extension of social network marketing or internet marketing, as it transforms into an altogether-new undertaking that happens to benefit from already-established strategies.

The emergence of the mobile platform as a feasible avenue for attracting new clientele is so massive that the HSMAI Travel Internet Marketing Special Interest Group (SIG), along with the internet marketing firm TIG Global, has published a white paper that focuses on mobile marketing. In fact, many industry experts are touting mobile marketing to be a multi-billion dollar industry in 5 years’ time.

“Just as the Internet completely revolutionized the way consumers book travel, now the immense, growing reliance on mobile devices is causing a second shift in how travel is purchased,” said TIG Global Chief Executive Officer Fred Malek. ‘Today, rarely anyone leaves their home without their mobile phone, and twice as many people are using SMS globally compared to email.”

Malek added that it is “imperative for hotels to tap into this growing market,” something that his company is hoping to provide by being able “to leverage the power and revenue potential of this new distribution channel.” With that, it is clear that people are already aware of the untapped resources that mobile marketing is capable of providing.

Mobile marketing is no easy task, though. There is tons of work to be done, even outside of the marketing itself. Tons of research and studies need to be done to formulate effective strategies as well as to generate the desired results.

Hotels, of course, benefit by simply earning more revenue due to the influx of clientele. The enhanced user experience and potential for post-stay client interaction is also a definite bonus for hotel management. It is something akin to what the Internet already provides, albeit on a more personal level-with user-generated reviews and comments, along with feedback and perhaps some further bookings for the future.

Mobile marketing is, as they say, the current New Frontier for hotel marketing, as well as a host of other industries. Leisure travelers and traveling businessmen alike get the vital information that they need right at their fingertips, allowing for a more streamlined and hassle-free hotel experience.