Integrated Content Marketing Campaign
In a year of shutdowns and wary travelers, Alden Suites, an independent property located on St. Pete Beach, and the Sunshine Gals knew they needed a different approach. They doubled down on sharing the dream of reopening and once reopened, focusing on guests needs to assure them their dreams would be safe ones. Winning guest loyalty and trust over promotions before and during Covid had proven to be a better way to engage their followers.
Like other independent hotels, Alden Suite, once reopened, would need to increase market share in many of the same crowded channels as its peers, and with a limited budget.
The Sunshine Gals did this by employing an integrated content marketing strategy focused on increasing guest loyalty via social channels and targeted emails that would:
- Reach and inspire an audience of dreamers who are the perfect demographic
- Spark new conversations with planners in more authentic ways
- Win over new and repeat guests, inspiring them to return again and again
The approach was successful, but Alden and The Sunshine Gals found the need to quickly grow their list in order to meet their goal of increasing bookings by an additional 10% in 2020, leading them to data mine through partnerships while increasing budget share for lead generation ads. These efforts would grow the audience faster, and build traveler relationships across the traveler journey, tackling their goals.
Growth at every part of the traveler journey
Winning over planners and bookers
After 2020, Alden’s focus was to rebound more quickly and profitably by continuing to grow their direct channels. The Sunshine Gals were excited to train staff at the front desk and work with operations to gather and put additional guests’ data touch points to work.
They also continued to employ FaceBook lead generation ads and partners like Flip.to to unveil warm prospects.
Switching on these data mining tools resulted in a leap in conversion, and an 18% increase in direct bookings, a significant increase in direct revenue for Alden.
Letting won-over guests inspire a new audience of dreamers
After guests stayed, Alden turns their guests into storytellers, letting them share their experiences via social media engagement and photo contests, with the winners highlighted in emails.
By reaching a highly-targeted, like-minded demographic who are dreaming about travel, before competitors have the chance, the Sunshine Gals and Alden Suites were able to increase bookings in a year of uncertainty and exceed year over year goals.
Sunshine Woodyard, founder of Sunshine Gals shares, “We tell authentic guest stories throughout the traveler’s journey. People can see themselves at the property, living the vacation dream.”
YoY Growth With Navis
34K
Click Throughs
17%
Open Rate
In 2020, This Results In
$1,343,780 in direct revenue
and 18% growth in gross revenue YoY, thanks to NAVIS