Try a fresh digital approach: a little pre-planning and marketing best practices go a long way to compete in the clutter of the year’s biggest online sale day.
Start Early
You want to get your promotion in as many roundups as possible, so start planning (and preparing appealing hi-res images) as close to the beginning of November as you can. Especially with deals that can work in a general-interest publication (for example, luxury hotels), letting your public relations team know your game plan as early as possible gives everyone time to pitch a wider range of outlets, including longer-lead publications.
Keep It Simple
While other companies’ seemingly endless little extras might seem like a great deal, consumers are most enticed when a promotion is a straight discount. Makes sense: if you’re offering 20 percent off rates for any travel between December first and the end of February, that’s a decisive savings for a potential guest.
Or Get Really Creative
Want to combine a PR win with your Cyber Monday marketing strategy? Think about a crazy offer that ties in with something special about your business—say, a $25 room rate to commemorate your 25th year in business—but offer it only to the first 10 people to book. Adding that sort of attention-getting offer to another, more realistic deal (like a percentage off regular rates), can add a fun element of luck to booking.
Get Ready for Numbers
A great offer that’s compelling tons of customers to seamlessly pre-book? Hello, parade of earnings. An equally great offer that leads to perpetually busy phone lines or a crashing web site? That’s management heartburn. To avoid frustrating potential clients, be prepared for a major influx of business on Cyber Monday. Consider having extra reservation staff available, creating a dedicated landing page with the special offer, or an online booking code so that you can ensure fast, successful bookings as well as keep track of your promotion’s success.
Consider a Premium for Booking Direct
When you offer a discount by booking direct, it gives you a way to capture clients’ information for all-important future marketing efforts.
Meet “Giving Tuesday”
While most people have heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this is the emerging social media campaign that kicks off the holiday charitable giving season. It’s a grassroots movement that can be a way for your business to give back to your local community or aligned cause. And Giving Tuesday is super-relevant this year, with so many hard-hit communities in the global travel industry. Consider how a portion of proceeds sold might be donated, and enthuse your customer and staff in being a part of it.