A Powerful & Customizable Hotel Marketing Strategy (FREE)

A comprehensive hotel marketing strategy, covering the entire sales funnel and all digital marketing channels. Designed to you get more traffic and customers for your hotel business.
Prepared by: Eduardo Yi
Created on: March 5, 2025
Your Strategy
Primary Item (H2)
Primary Item (H2)

The Sales Funnel

The sales funnel is a visual way to understand the journey your customers take, from first discovering your business to eventually making a purchase. Imagine it like a funnel shape: at the top, many people might learn about your business, but fewer move down to become actual buyers.

Optimizing your entire sales funnel, you're able to increase the number of people who move smoothly from interested browsers to loyal, paying customers.

It helps ensure every part of your business—from your website to your follow-up emails—is designed to guide people toward buying. The clearer this pathway, the easier it is to boost your sales and grow your business.

The marketing plan below includes dozens of marketing ideas and tactics to optimize your entire sales funnel.

Your Target Personas

A target persona is a fictional representation of your ideal customer, created by researching and understanding the behaviors, needs, and preferences of people most likely to buy your products or services.

Think of it as drawing a detailed portrait of your best customer, including details like their age, interests, job, daily habits, and the challenges they face.

By visualizing this customer, you're better able to understand what motivates them, how to communicate effectively, and how to reach them through your marketing efforts.

Rather than trying to appeal to everyone—which can lead to wasted resources and ineffective marketing—you can specifically tailor your messages to resonate deeply with the people most likely to become loyal customers.
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Your Target Persona #1: Wanderlust Wendy
Age: 32 | Education: Bachelor's in Marketing | Occupation: Digital Marketing Specialist at a tech startup
"I often struggle to find accommodations that break away from the typical cookie-cutter hotels. I want something special, but I worry I'll end up at a place that's just not what I expected."
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Visible Goals
These are the goals your target persona would tell you about.
Find a unique hotel for my next vacation
Book a stay that offers local experiences
Get the best deal on a themed room
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True Goals
These are the real things they want to achieve.
"I want to feel excited about my vacation plans"
"I need to recharge and escape from my daily routine"
"I hope to create unforgettable memories with friends"
🙅‍♂️
Purchasing Objections
These are your target persona's doubts about your product.
"I'm concerned that the themed rooms might not be as comfortable as I need"
"I don’t want to spend too much money on a hotel"
"What if the location is not safe or convenient for exploring?"
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Answer to Objections
These are your product's answers to your target persona's doubts.
Our themed rooms offer luxury amenities designed for comfort to ensure a delightful stay
We provide seasonal discounts and package deals so you can enjoy a unique experience without overspending
Our hotel is situated in a vibrant urban area known for its safety and convenience, making it easy to explore
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Transformation
In your target persona's own words, here's how your product has improved their life.
"After staying at this boutique hotel, I felt completely refreshed and inspired. I returned home with amazing stories to tell my friends, thanks to the personalized service and local experiences. My vacation finally felt like an adventure, not just a getaway."
How to use this information: You should think about your target persona every time you're working on any marketing campaign. Your landing pages, blog posts, social posts, ads, videos, email copy, new products, should all be targeted at your target persona.
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Your Target Persona #2: Romantic Rachael
Age: 28 | Education: Master's in Hospitality Management | Occupation: Wedding Planner at a boutique agency
"I feel overwhelmed trying to find the perfect hotel that meets both of our expectations for a romantic escape. I fear that I'll miss out on key amenities or beautiful settings that make a getaway special."
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Visible Goals
These are the goals your target persona would tell you about.
Plan a memorable romantic getaway for my partner and me
Enjoy a luxurious stay that includes fine dining
Experience local attractions and culture together
👀
True Goals
These are the real things they want to achieve.
"I want to strengthen my relationship through shared experiences"
"I need a break from work to relax and reconnect"
"I hope to surprise my partner with something special"
🙅‍♂️
Purchasing Objections
These are your target persona's doubts about your product.
"What if the experience doesn’t live up to the marketing hype?"
"I'm not sure if the hotel is worth the price"
"I need to know if there are romantic packages available"
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Answer to Objections
These are your product's answers to your target persona's doubts.
We have plenty of reviews and testimonials from couples who had amazing stays, so you can feel confident in your choice
With our luxury amenities and personalized service, you'll see that your investment will create lasting memories
We offer special romantic packages that include fine dining, spa services, and exclusive experiences tailored to couples
✨
Transformation
In your target persona's own words, here's how your product has improved their life.
"Staying at this hotel for our romantic getaway transformed our relationship. The thoughtful touches and beautiful ambiance made us feel cherished. We returned more connected than ever, having experienced romance in a way we had never imagined."
How to use this information: You should think about your target persona every time you're working on any marketing campaign. Your landing pages, blog posts, social posts, ads, videos, email copy, new products, should all be targeted at your target persona.

Top of the Funnel

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Your Goal at the Top of the Funnel: Awareness
At this stage of the funnel, your marketing persona isn't aware of your product and isn't even necessarily looking for a product. They just know they have a problem. Your objective at the top of the funnel is for them to be aware of your business by providing value (without trying to get them to buy right away.)
New visitors to hotel website
Total views on Instagram posts
Engagement rate on blog content
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Content Marketing
Content marketing is all about creating the assets you'll promote and optimize on through the different marketing channels (SEO, social media, email marketing, and ads.) At the top of the funnel, you're creating your mass-market content, aimed to attract as many people as possible.
Content ideas:
Blog post: 'Top 10 Unique Themed Hotels to Experience This Year'
Video: 'A Day in the Life at Our Boutique Hotel: Local Experiences Await'
Infographic: 'The Benefits of Choosing a Boutique Hotel Over Chain Hotels'
Social media campaign: 'Share Your Dream Getaway and Tag Us!'
Podcast episode: 'Travel Tips for Crafting Unforgettable Vacations'
Webinar: 'How to Find the Ideal Hotel That Suits Your Style and Budget'
What to measure:
Page views on blog posts
Social media shares
Video view counts
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SEO
With SEO, you can get your content to rank on the top of search engines for the keywords that your marketing persona is typing into Google. At the top of the funnel, the keywords you'll target will likely have a higher search volume and will be harder to rank for.
Keyword ideas:
unique boutique hotel experiences
themed hotels for vacation
best unique hotels for travelers
local experiences at boutique hotels
benefits of boutique hotels vs chain hotels
luxury amenities in boutique hotels
how to choose a hotel for your getaway
popular vacation destinations for young professionals
personalized service at hotels
affordable themed accommodations
What to measure:
Organic traffic to hotel website
Keyword rankings for targeted phrases
Traffic sources from search engines
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Paid Advertising
When it comes to ads, targeting is probably the most important predictor of a winning campaign (closely followed by ad creatives.) At the top of the funnel, you'll be looking for brand new audiences who have never heard about your company — these are called "Prospecting" campaigns.
Target audience ideas:
[Prospecting] Facebook/Meta Ads: Target users aged 25-35 interested in travel and lifestyle blogs
[Prospecting] Google Ads: Keywords related to 'unique hotel stays' for search ads
[Retargeting] Facebook/Meta Ads: Visitors who viewed our boutique hotel section but didn't book
[Prospecting] YouTube Ads: Young adults watching travel vlogs or hotel reviews
[Prospecting] Google Display Ads: Users researching travel deals or vacation planning
What to measure:
CPC (Cost Per Click)
CTR (Click-Through Rate)
Impressions
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Social Media
The hardest part about doing social media as a brand/business, is that you should look to not behave like just another business on social media. Your social media content should be native to each channel in tone, format, and style. Because of its mass usage, social media is perfect for top of the funnel content.
Social media campaign ideas:
Instagram Stories showcasing unique room features and guest experiences
Facebook Live Q&A session about boutique travel and hotel offerings
Photo contest for best travel memories, with winners featured on the hotel page
Pinned Twitter thread discussing tips for finding ideal accommodations
LinkedIn post series highlighting the hotel's sustainable practices and community involvement
What to measure:
Engagement rate (likes, comments, shares)
Follower growth on social media platforms
Reach of organic posts
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Marketing Experiments
For whatever campaign you launch, there will always be room for improvement. It's a good idea to pick a few experiments ideas and launch split tests designed to improve your most important metrics.
Experiment ideas:
A/B test landing pages with different visuals of themed rooms to see which converts better
Run an experiment comparing the effectiveness of various headline options for blog posts
Test different call-to-action buttons on the website homepage to improve visitor engagement
Experiment with the layout of content on the hotel services page to drive bookings
Conduct a survey among website visitors to identify what content on the site needs improvement
What to measure:
Conversion rate from landing pages
Bounce rate on experimental pages
User session duration on site

Middle of the Funnel

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Your Goal at the Middle of the Funnel: Consideration
At this stage of the funnel, your marketing persona is aware of your product but isn't ready to purchase. They are still doing research and comparing your solution against competitors. This is the time to build trust by giving them more information and provide answers to questions they might have. Your main objective at the middle of the funnel is to turn a stranger into a lead.
Return visitors to hotel website
New leads from inquiries
Engagement rate on educational content
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Content Marketing
The content you'll create for the middle of the funnel is typically called a "lead magnet." This is usually a free (or very cheap) piece of content that you'll offer to your marketing persona in exchange for their contact information (e.g. email address or phone number.)
Content ideas:
Webinar: 'How to Plan an Unforgettable Vacation: Choosing the Right Hotel and Activities'
Blog post: '5 Local Experiences You Can't Miss When Visiting Our City'
Video series: 'Guest Testimonials - What Makes Our Hotel Special'
Interactive quiz: 'Discover Your Ideal Themed Room Based on Your Personality'
Email newsletter featuring curated local activity guides and hotel offers
Social media campaign showcasing behind-the-scenes of our hotel preparations for guests
What to measure:
Webinar registration rate
Blog post average time spent
Engagement metrics (comments, shares) on social media
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SEO
At the middle of the funnel, your marketing persona is likely specifically searching for information about the solutions to their problem (without looking into any specific product, yet.) These keywords are considered to have "higher intent" (aka, more valuable) than the ones at the top of the funnel, but they will have smaller search volumes.
Keyword ideas:
local experiences in [city]
best themed hotels for vacation planning
how to choose unique hotel accommodations
guest reviews for boutique hotels
family-friendly attractions near hotels
romantic getaways in [city]
hotel services and amenities comparison
affordable romantic retreats
enhancing your hotel experience
tips for choosing budget-friendly boutique hotels
What to measure:
Organic leads generated through SEO
Pageviews for blog posts targeting local experiences
Keyword rankings for middle-of-funnel queries
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Paid Advertising
At the middle of the funnel, your paid advertising campaigns will zoom into people who are already aware of your brand somehow, but haven't yet become leads. "Remarketing" campaigns are great for this (although, you might also sometimes experiment with prospecting campaigns that try to convert strangers to leads right away.)
Target audience ideas:
[Remarketing] Facebook/Meta Ads: Visitors who viewed room details but didn’t book
[Prospecting] Google Ads: Keywords related to planning unique vacations and local experiences
[Prospecting] YouTube Ads: Users who watched travel tips and hotel vlogs
[Retargeting] Google Display Ads: Visitors who engaged with the hotel’s multimedia content
[Remarketing] Instagram Ads: Followers who have engaged with hotel posts about promotions and experiences
What to measure:
Cost per lead (CPL)
Engagement rate on ad content
Click-through rate (CTR) for remarketing ads
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Social Media
The social media campaigns at this stage of the funnel are designed to get your marketing persona off of the social media channel and into your own platform (e.g. your website), where you can actually capture their contact information.
Social media campaign ideas:
Instagram Stories featuring polls on preferred room themes or local activities
Facebook discussion group focused on travel tips and local recommendations
Live Q&A on Instagram or Facebook discussing customer experiences and hotel services
Use user-generated content highlighting memorable stays at the hotel
Regularly scheduled posts showcasing local attractions tied to special offers
What to measure:
New followers gained through engagement activities
Social shares on organic posts
Clicks to the hotel website from social channels
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Email Marketing
Email marketing is an often overlooked channel that's critical for the middle of the funnel. Email is a very effective way to reach your marketing persona directly. The most common mistake businesses make is underutilizing email in their marketing (you should think beyond just email newsletters.)
Email marketing campaign ideas:
Follow-up email sequence after webinar with additional resources and special offers
Monthly newsletter featuring upcoming events in the area and hotel packages
Exclusive offer emails highlighting seasonal deals tied to local experiences
Personalized email invitations for local experience tours during guest stays
Guest feedback email encouraging reviews with incentives for future bookings
What to measure:
Open rate for follow-up emails
Click-through rate on email offers
Conversion rate from newsletter sign-ups
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Marketing Experiments
For this stage of the funnel, your experiments will be designed to maximize the number of leads you get from your campaigns.
Experiment ideas:
A/B test webinar landing page designs to increase registrations
Experiment with email subject lines to improve open rates
Run split tests for different content formats in newsletters
Test variations of call-to-action buttons on service-specific landing pages
Conduct heatmap analysis on popular content areas to enhance user flow
What to measure:
Conversion rates from landing pages tested
Email click-through rates for subject lines experimented
Engagement metrics from A/B tested emails

Bottom of the Funnel

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Your Goal at the Bottom of the Funnel: Purchase
At the bottom of the funnel, your marketing persona already knows your product and is ready to make a purchase decision. They already have all the information they need. Your objective at this stage is to address purchasing objections and convince them to take that last step and become a paying customer.
Conversion rate of leads to customers
Average order value (AOV)
Customer acquisition cost (CAC)
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Content Marketing
The content you'll create for the bottom of the funnel is purposely design to get your marketing persona to purchase. You don't have to be afraid to be sales-y or about talking about your product directly.
Content ideas:
Blog post: 'What to Expect from Your Stay: A Deep Dive into Our Themed Rooms and Amenities'
Video: 'Tour Our Boutique Hotel: Inside the Most Popular Rooms and What Guests Are Saying'
Client testimonial series featuring couples who experienced romantic getaways
FAQ guide addressing common concerns about themed rooms, pricing, and location safety
Email campaign highlighting exclusive packages for romantic getaways with limited-time offers
Comparison infographic showcasing our luxury amenities versus standard hotel offerings
What to measure:
Click-through rate (CTR) on CTAs in blog posts
Engagement metrics on video testimonials
Download rates for FAQ guides
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SEO
At the bottom of the funnel, your marketing persona will be searching Google for information about your product (for example: reviews, pricing, features, etc), which is why you'll be optimizing for a lot of "branded" searches — these are searches that include your brand/product name.
Keyword ideas:
themed hotel deals in [city]
romantic hotel stays with local experiences
best boutique hotels for special occasions
hotel customer reviews and ratings
luxury amenities at boutique hotels
affordable romantic getaway packages
how to book boutique hotels safely
unique vacation rentals in urban settings
top-rated amenities for relaxing stays
stress-free booking for themed accommodations
What to measure:
Conversion rate from SEO traffic
Number of bookings originating from organic searches
Keyword rankings for bottom-of-funnel terms
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Paid Advertising
At this stage of the funnel, you'll be running conversion campaigns to get purchases. These will be your highest revenue campaigns, where you will be keeping a close eye on your return on ad spend (ROAS.)
Target audience ideas:
[Retargeting] Google Ads: Users who clicked through to the booking page but didn't complete a reservation
[Remarketing] Facebook/Meta Ads: Visitors who engaged with testimonials or FAQ content but did not book
[Prospecting] Instagram Ads: Target users looking for unique travel experiences within the last 30 days
[Retargeting] YouTube Ads: People who watched videos related to local attractions or hotel amenities
[Prospecting] Google Display Ads: Users looking for boutique hotels within a specific geographic area
What to measure:
Cost per acquired customer (CAC)
Return on ad spend (ROAS)
Conversion rate from ad clicks to bookings
🚀 Help me execute this paid ads strategy
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Social Media
The bottom of the funnel campaigns will usually only make up a small minority of your social media content.
Social media campaign ideas:
Instagram takeover by a satisfied guest sharing their stay experience
Facebook posts featuring behind-the-scenes content and testimonials from guests
Twitter chat focusing on addressing audience questions about hotel features and experiences
Highlight user-generated content from previous guests showcasing their unique stays
Create a hashtag campaign for guests to share their themed room experiences
What to measure:
Engagement rate on testimonial posts
Shares of user-generated content
Increase in booking inquiries from social channels
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Email Marketing
Email is perfectly tailored to run bottom of the funnel campaigns. After you've provided value to customers via your other email campaigns, you can run sales and promotional campaigns to get conversions.
Email marketing campaign ideas:
Last-minute booking reminder email offering exclusive discounts for upcoming weekends
Package promotion email targeting leads who engaged with romantic getaway content
Confirmation emails that include personalized suggestions for local activities based on guest interests
Follow-up email after booking offering additional upsell options like spa services or dining experiences
Surveys sent to recent guests asking for feedback and encouraging them to share their experience online
What to measure:
Open rate of promotional emails
Click-through rate for booking buttons in follow-up emails
Conversion rate from follow-up inquiries to completed bookings
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Marketing Experiments
Your bottom-of-the-funnel experiments will have the objective of maximizing your profits. That could be by getting more first-time customers or increasing the amount of money you get from each customer on their first purchase.
Experiment ideas:
A/B test promotional email subject lines to maximize open rates
Experiment with CTA placement on the booking page to drive conversions
Run split tests on different formats of testimonials (video vs. text) to see which converts better
Test variations of urgency in promotional emails to boost immediate bookings
Utilize heatmaps on the booking page to identify and optimize user flow
What to measure:
Improvement in conversion rates after implementing changes
Click-through rates on experimental email campaigns
User engagement metrics on booking page A/B tests

Retention

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Your Goal at the Retention Stage: Increase Lifetime Value
In the retention stage, your marketing persona is already a customer of your product. Your objective is to increase the value you can extract from them directly by generating repeat purchases, upsells, or reducing churn; or indirectly by improving brand image or promoting referrals.
Customer lifetime value (CLV)
Repeat booking rate
Customer satisfaction score (CSAT)
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Content Marketing
The objective of the content you'll create at the retention stage is to keep your existing customers happy by providing ongoing value (even after purchasing.)
Content ideas:
Monthly performance report detailing guest testimonials and experiences during their stay
Blog post: 'How to Make the Most of Your Stay: Local Tips and Hidden Gems'
Video series: 'Behind-the-Scenes at Our Hotel: Meet the Team Making Your Experience Special'
Interactive social media campaign: 'Share Your Favorite Memory from Your Stay and Win a Free Night!'
Email recap of exclusive offers for returning guests featuring loyalty rewards and packages
Seasonal guide showcasing updates on room themes, local events, and new amenities
What to measure:
Engagement rate on performance reports
Page views on retention-focused blog posts
Social interactions on user-generated content campaigns
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SEO
At the bottom of the funnel, you'll want to make sure your marketing persona can find all the information she needs to get the most of your product (e.g. knowledge base articles), or to solve any problems that may arise (e.g. support/contact page.)
Keyword ideas:
hotel loyalty programs
guest experience reviews at boutique hotels
local activities after checking in
how to enhance your hotel stay
tips for returning guests
signs of a great boutique hotel
year-round boutique hotel deals
experiential stays at boutique hotels
what to expect during second visits to hotels
how to maximize hotel loyalty rewards
What to measure:
Improvement in organic traffic for loyalty-related content
Keyword rankings for retention-focused search terms
User engagement on result pages related to past customers' experiences
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Paid Advertising
At this stage of the funnel, you might choose to be run campaigns promoting of new features, upgrades, or promotions.
Target audience ideas:
[Retargeting] Facebook/Meta Ads: Customers who have booked but have not returned in the last 6 months
[Prospecting] Google Ads: Keywords related to boutique hotel loyalty offers and membership programs
[Remarketing] Instagram Ads: Target visitors who shared posts about their experience at the hotel
[Retargeting] YouTube Ads: Users who watched videos about vacation planning who stayed with us previously
[Prospecting] Google Display Ads: Users looking for weekend getaways or repeat stay offers
What to measure:
Cost per retained customer
Engagement rate on retargeting ads
Click-through rate (CTR) on loyalty promotion ads
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Social Media
Retention campaigns on social media revolve around building a sense of community with your existing customers. You'll do a lot of monitoring of brand mentions on social media.
Social media campaign ideas:
Create a dedicated highlight on Instagram showcasing testimonials from repeat guests
Facebook group for returning customers to share experiences and receive exclusive offers
User-generated content campaign encouraging guests to tag the hotel and share what they loved about their stay
Regular polls on social media asking past guests what new features or experiences they want to see next
What to measure:
Engagement rate on loyalty-focused posts
Growth of followers in community groups
Mentions or tags by returning customers
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Email Marketing
Retention email campaigns will be a mix of educational emails (onboarding, activation, etc), transactional emails (reports, receipts, reminders, etc), and promotional emails (upgrades, upsells, etc.)
Email marketing campaign ideas:
Personalized thank you email after stay, inviting guests to leave reviews and offering special discounts for future bookings
Loyalty program announcement email with exclusive member-only benefits and packages
Survey email asking for feedback on their recent experience with incentives for sharing their thoughts
Seasonal promotional email highlighting limited-time offers for returning guests
Email invitations to exclusive events or culinary experiences tailored to past guests
What to measure:
Open rate for loyalty program emails
Response rate for feedback surveys
Click-through rate for promotional offers targeting previous guests
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Marketing Experiments
Your retention experiments will have the objective of maximizing lifetime value of existing customers.
Experiment ideas:
A/B test different loyalty program bonus structures to see which drives more repeat bookings
Run split tests on follow-up email timing to determine optimal engagement
Experiment with varied subject lines for newsletters targeting previous guests to boost open rates
Utilize exit-intent pop-ups offering discounts on future stays to capture potential lost customers
Conduct usability testing on the booking page to simplify the repeat booking process for returning customers
What to measure:
Increase in repeat booking conversion rates
Open and click-through rates on tested emails
User satisfaction ratings from post-stay surveys

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