Let’s start with less specific hotel stuff…. more about social media and the general landscape of modernmarketing:

This is the most important thing you have read this year:

How Network Science can speed up your success by 10 to 20 times

***READ IT – IT’S VITAL*** (If you don’t go past this line here, read the above link. It’s of massive importance.vi)

This Rand Fishkin interview is a few years old, but still relevant and a REALLY great read (especially for new to the arena old school marketers) – social media marketing & viral marketing

Also… let’s delve into some of the more modern dilemmas in regards to these rapidly growing technologies and methods of communication.  Namely… data, and privacy.  It seems that Google and Facebook are beleagured by issues about how they protect users private data, and how they handle it. This is of significant importance… because if these major players don’t figure this out, it will end up driving people away from commerce – and potential business.  If people react against how their data is used and shared, it will limit the effectiveness of businesses performing well online.

But Google does have some plans….

WOW – QR codes and photo shoots? “What Google Places can do for your hotel“.  Google is really amazing.  If you don’t think so.. get with it.  If you are still not sure about Google places, and their other tools… it might be important to pay attention to some of the trends…. like this one: mobile searches are up 3000% in 3 years – I guess mobile hotel searches are becoming even more relevant, huh?  If you aren’t able to track this… you should be using analytics to find out more.  If that is a scary proposition… go here: Google Analytics made easy.

(And more from the same “what can places do your you” blog about the future of twitter and your new “business center”).

More hotel related stuff….

They cost a couple bucks, but well worth the read:  Rosewood chats about branding driving revenue for lifetime of guest & Looking at Four Seasons love hate relationship with tech.

This is reall important… keep your hotel relevant, meaningful to the community, and engaging for your guests… “local content providing meaningful differentiation between competition”.

This brouhaha in regards to “marketing gimmicks” and travel agents and consumers getting tired of manipulative and dishonest tricks…  You might not want to spend too much time there, because the basic upshot is basically about one thing – the future is transparency. Period.  It will be harder to raise Revpar, sure, but it will be a hell of a lot easier too.  Eventually an algorithm will set the selling rate, and you can kick your rev manager out.  No no no.. I kid.  We love those guys.  I am just saying…. there is going to be a lot less manipulation in the future… it won’t be a normal practice, and people won’t stand for it.

I usually don’t have the patience for their videos, but VMF Leonardo talks about behavioural targeting, and the more intimate marketing experience based off user preference.

Morgans Hotel goes local, goes prop level for social media.  This is the future guys, pay attention

4 Inbound Marketing ideas for your hotel… I only include this because they talk about some of the stuff I am doing and too lazy to write about

Youtube links and tricks – how to create a awesome branded channel, and how to use it for small business.  I recently posted a pic that evaluates the social media landscape (which you can find here), and one should not only take notice of how important Youtube can be for a brand or business, but you might want to consider that it is rapidly becoming even more important.  Other services like VIPE understand this quite well.  It captures the attention of prospective consumers incredibly well, in a branded way that doesn’t present non relevant “shrapnel” that can happen like inappopriate videos ending up associated with your content.  It’s simple, cheap, and kind of a big deal (after jump is simply an “Anchorman” clip.. for fun).

A lot of people got Tripadvisor business listings.  Why didn’t you?

Also… hotels are starting to understand the nature of reviews, and how to leverage both good and bad.  For example, hotels connect the dots with online reviews. Great article about Tripadvisor and anonymity.

More about real hotel operations, to boot!

Discounting did little to help in downturn, says Cornell.  Guess what else…. the climb back up is depressing. Don’t do it!  Any extra $$ is traded to labor and inventory.  It isn’t worth it!

Neil salerno’s “Hotel packaging is a lost art“.

Don’t let Social Media take advantage of, and work against, your and your restaurant.

Customer loyalty and social networking, a good read….

Finally….

This is a big deal as well… Android surpasses Iphone in web traffic in US.  What’s more, the sheer weight of the steely eyed battle of Droid vs. Iphone…..’s marketing departments seems to be producing quite the rivalry.  Droid sales surpassed Iphone in the first overall 74 days of sales…. which can be a specious and iffy statistic in that the market was primed, and people were ready to dump treos and blackberrys for a non apple phone.  I am not sure many hold outs where anti-apple, but I am sure there is a market that is anti- paying way too much for a glowing apple logo.  I sure am.

Mobile apps will obviously become more important… and you can be assured you will see more of Runtriz’s Hotel Evolution app.  Check it out if you haven’t… it’s amazing.

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