10 Digital Skills Every Marketing Team in Hospitality Must Have in 2023 & Beyond

In today’s ultra-competitive hospitality industry, businesses must have the right digital marketing skills to stay competitive. With the rapid changes in digital technologies, it has become much more important for businesses in the hospitality industry to be agile and future-focused in their approach to marketing strategy. As digital marketing trends evolve, companies must arm their marketing teams with the right digital skills to remain competitive in the future years.

To succeed in this fast-changing environment, marketing teams must have digital skills that can help them reach and engage their target audiences, optimize their online presence, and generate more bookings and revenue.

Here’s a look at ten of the essential digital skills that every hospitality marketing team must have in 2023:

1. Content marketing

Content marketing is creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and engaging content for a specific audience. Content marketing helps marketers build trust, authority, and customer loyalty. It also helps them generate awareness, educate prospects, nurture leads, and drive conversions. Marketing teams in hospitality need to have a clear content strategy that aligns with their business goals and customer needs.

Content should be timely, relevant, informative, and actionable to reach and convert customers effectively. Companies must create content that informs and resonates with their target audience and analyze the performance to track results. Content marketing can include blog posts, eBooks, infographics, website copy, whitepapers, videos, and webinars.

Content marketing is crucial for hospitality marketing teams because it can help them with the following:

• Build trust and credibility with their potential and existing customers
• Showcase their unique value proposition and brand personality
• Educate their audience about their products and services
• Increase their organic traffic and SEO ranking
• Generate more leads and conversions
• Nurture their customer relationships and loyalty

To master content marketing, hospitality marketing teams need to have the following skills:

• Content strategy: the ability to plan, create, and manage content that aligns with the business goals and the customer journey
• Content creation: the ability to produce high-quality, engaging, and relevant content that resonates with the target audience
• Content distribution: the ability to choose the right channels and platforms to distribute content and reach the desired audience
• Content analysis: the ability to measure and evaluate the performance and impact of content using various metrics and tools

2. Social Media Marketing

Social media is one of hospitality businesses’ most important and influential digital channels. It allows them to showcase their brand personality, communicate with customers, generate feedback, build loyalty, and drive traffic to their website or booking platform. Social media marketers must know how to create engaging and relevant content, use hashtags, keywords, and tags, respond to comments and reviews, monitor trends and analytics, and collaborate with influencers and partners.

Companies should research their target market to determine the best social channels to reach them.

They should create an effective social media strategy incorporating content, visuals, and high-level engagement strategies. Furthermore, companies should use analytics and insights to track the performance of their social campaigns as well as measure ROI.

Marketing teams in hospitality need to deeply understand the different social media platforms and their features, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, etc.

They also need the skills to create and manage effective social media campaigns that align with their objectives and target audiences.

Social media marketing uses social media platforms and websites to promote a product or service. Social media marketing can help hospitality marketing teams:

• increase their brand awareness and visibility
• Connect and interact with their audience on a personal level
• Showcase their customer reviews and testimonials
• Generate more referrals and word-of-mouth
• Drive more traffic to their website and landing pages
• Boost their conversions and sales

To master social media marketing, hospitality marketing teams need to have the following skills:

• Social media strategy: the ability to define clear goals, objectives, and tactics for social media marketing
• Social media management: the ability to create, schedule, publish, monitor, and moderate social media content across different platforms
• Social media engagement: the ability to respond to comments, questions, feedback, complaints, and mentions on social media in a timely and professional manner
• Social media advertising: the ability to create, run, and optimize paid social media campaigns using various formats and targeting options
• Social media analytics: the ability to track and analyze the performance and results of social media activities using various metrics and tools

3. Email Marketing and Automation

Email marketing is the act of sending a commercial message, typically to a group of people, using email.

Email marketing and automation use email as a communication and marketing channel to deliver personalized and relevant messages to potential and existing customers. Email marketing and automation help marketers build relationships, increase loyalty, and boost conversions.

Email marketing can help hospitality marketing teams:

• Communicate with their audience in a personalized and direct way
• Deliver relevant offers and promotions to their subscribers
• Increase their customer retention and loyalty
• Encourage repeat bookings and referrals
• Generate more revenue from upselling and cross-selling

To master email marketing, hospitality marketing teams need to have the following skills:

• Email strategy: the ability to define clear goals, objectives, and tactics for email marketing
• Email design: the ability to create attractive, responsive, and user-friendly email templates that match the brand identity
• Email copywriting: the ability to write compelling, concise, and persuasive email copy that motivates the recipients to take action
• Email segmentation: the ability to divide the email list into smaller groups based on various criteria such as demographics, behavior, preferences, etc.
• Email personalization: the ability to tailor the email content and delivery to each individual recipient based on their profile and interests
• Email automation: the ability to set up automated email campaigns that are triggered by specific events or actions such as welcome emails, confirmation emails

Marketers should be able to craft effective email campaigns that target the right message to the right audience at the right time. Additionally, automation tools such as MailChimp, Constant Contact, HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, etc., can help marketers build customer databases, personalize messages, and schedule campaigns for targeted outreach.

4. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic from search engines. SEO is essential for driving traffic, leads, and conversions from search engines like Google and Bing.

Companies must understand the latest SEO trends to optimize their content for ranking on search engine results pages. Marketers should also learn how to use keyword research and optimization tactics such as optimizing meta tags, optimizing site structures, and creating backlinks to improve search rankings. Additionally, new search engine algorithms, such as Google Panda, should be kept in mind in order to avoid penalties and maintain search rankings.

SEO can help hospitality marketing teams:

• Increase their online visibility and authority
• Attract more relevant and qualified visitors to their website
• Improve their user experience and satisfaction
• Enhance their conversion rate optimization (CRO)
• Reduce their cost per acquisition (CPA)

To master SEO, hospitality marketing teams need to have the following skills:

• SEO strategy: the ability to conduct keyword research, competitor analysis, and site audit to identify and prioritize SEO opportunities and challenges
• SEO implementation: the ability to apply on-page, off-page, and technical SEO best practices to optimize the website for search engines and users
• SEO content: the ability to create and optimize SEO-friendly content that matches the search intent and expectations of the target audience
• SEO tools: the ability to use various SEO tools and software to perform SEO tasks, monitor SEO performance, and identify SEO issues and solutions

Marketing teams in hospitality need to have a solid grasp of SEO fundamentals, such as keyword research, on-page optimization, off-page optimization, technical SEO, and local SEO.

5. Web Design and Development

Web design and development is creating, maintaining, and improving a website’s appearance, functionality, and performance.

Web design and development can help hospitality marketing teams:

• Create a professional and appealing online image for their brand
• Provide a smooth and intuitive navigation and user interface for their website visitors
• Showcase their products and services in an attractive and engaging way
• Incorporate various features and functionalities that enhance their website usability and value proposition
• Ensure their website compatibility and accessibility across different devices, browsers, and platforms

To master web design and development, hospitality marketing teams need to have the following skills:

• Web design: the ability to use various web design principles, elements, and tools to create a visually appealing and user-friendly website layout and design
• Web development: the ability to use various web development languages, frameworks, and tools to create a functional and responsive website that meets the business requirements and user needs
• Web testing: the ability to test and debug the website for any errors, bugs, or issues that may affect its performance or user experience
• Web maintenance: the ability to update, backup, secure, and optimize the website on a regular basis to ensure its reliability and efficiency

6. Data analytics

Data is the fuel of digital marketing. It helps marketers understand their customers, competitors, and market trends. Data analysis and insights enable marketers to make informed decisions, optimize campaigns, and measure results. Marketing teams in hospitality need to master various tools and techniques for collecting, processing, visualizing, and interpreting data. They also need to develop a data-driven mindset and culture within their organizations.

Statistically analyzed data can provide critical information to improve and enhance marketing strategies, such as interpreting customer shopping behaviors or analyzing ROI on a particular marketing tactic.

Data analytics can help hospitality marketing teams:

• Understand their market trends, customer behavior, preferences, and feedback
• Measure their marketing performance, results, and return on investment (ROI)
• Identify their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT)
• Test their hypotheses, assumptions, and strategies
• Optimize their marketing campaigns, processes, and outcomes

To master data analytics, hospitality marketing teams need to have the following skills:

• Data collection: the ability to use various data sources, methods, and tools to collect accurate and relevant data for analysis
• Data processing: the ability to use various data formats, standards, and tools to clean, organize, transform, and store data for analysis
• Data analysis: the ability to use various data techniques, methods, and tools to analyze data using descriptive, inferential, and predictive statistics
• Data interpretation: the ability to use various data visualization, reporting, and storytelling techniques and tools to communicate data insights in a clear, concise, and actionable way

Furthermore, data analysis can help hospitality companies better understand their target market, develop pricing strategies, and gain an advantage. With the ever-expanding use of mobile devices, solutions such as Google Analytics and other marketing automation platforms can capture data that can be analyzed for greater insights.

7. Digital Marketing Strategy

Digital marketing strategy defines, plans, executes, and evaluates digital marketing activities supporting business goals and objectives.

Digital marketing strategy can help hospitality marketing teams:

• Align their digital marketing efforts with their business vision, mission, and values
• Identify their target market segments, customer personas, and value propositions
• Choose the most suitable digital marketing channels, platforms, and tactics for their audience and objectives
• Allocate their digital marketing budget, resources, and time effectively and efficiently
• Monitor their digital marketing progress, performance, and impact

To master digital marketing strategy, hospitality marketing teams need to have the following skills:

• Digital marketing research: the ability to conduct market research, customer research, and competitor research using various online sources, methods, and tools
• Digital marketing planning: the ability to create a comprehensive digital marketing plan that outlines the goals, objectives, strategies, tactics, metrics, and timelines for each digital marketing activity
• Digital marketing execution: the ability to implement the digital marketing plan using various digital marketing tools, software, and platforms
• Digital marketing evaluation: the ability to evaluate the digital marketing plan using various digital marketing metrics, tools, and methods

8. Paid Media/Advertising

Paid media or advertising uses paid channels and methods to promote a brand or a product to a specific audience. Paid media or advertising helps marketers increase exposure, generate leads, and drive sales.

Companies should research the best methods of reaching their target customers, such as display, search, or social media ads. Companies should also evaluate metrics such as click-through rate and cost-per-click to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns. Additionally, companies should create compelling messages to capture customer attention.

Marketing teams in hospitality need to have a comprehensive knowledge of the various paid media or advertising options available, such as Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, LinkedIn Ads, YouTube Ads, etc. They also need the skills to plan, execute, and optimize paid media or advertising campaigns that deliver high return on investment (ROI).

9. Multimedia Creation and Management

Multimedia creation and management is the process of producing and managing various types of multimedia content for digital marketing purposes. Multimedia content includes images, videos, audio, animations, graphics, etc. Multimedia creation and management help marketers enhance content quality, attract attention, and increase engagement.

In hospitality, Marketing teams need the creativity and technical skills to create and edit multimedia content using various tools and software, such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audacity, etc. They also need the skills to manage and organize multimedia content using various platforms and systems, such as WordPress, YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud, etc.

Multimedia can help marketers uniquely engage customers and illustrate complex ideas and concepts. Companies should have the skills to create multimedia content and track user engagement and performance in campaigns. Furthermore, it is essential to learn how to use public relations software such as Gorkana or Cision to optimize multimedia content and reach their target audience.

10. Mobile Marketing

Mobile marketing reaches and engages customers on their mobile devices through various channels and methods. Mobile marketing helps marketers leverage the ubiquity and intimacy of mobile devices to deliver timely and relevant messages to customers.

Customers increasingly use mobile phones to access information, make purchases, communicate, and interact with brands. Companies should be able to optimize their websites, create mobile-friendly ads and understand mobile analytics to reach customers on any device effectively. Additionally, marketers should understand best practices for mobile campaigns, such as understanding user behaviors, incorporating local search, leveraging customer data, and conveying customer-centric messages.

Marketing teams in hospitality need to have a holistic view of mobile marketing and its opportunities and challenges. They also need the skills to implement mobile marketing strategies and tactics that suit their business goals and customer preferences.

Some examples of mobile marketing channels and methods are mobile responsive websites, mobile apps, mobile search, mobile social media, mobile messaging, mobile video, mobile advertising, etc.

Conclusion

The hospitality industry is facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities in the digital era. By mastering these skills or hiring experts who have them, hospitality businesses can leverage the potential of digital marketing to grow their brand awareness, revenue, and customer loyalty in the dynamic competitive industry. These skills are essential not only for the current market conditions but also for the future trends and challenges the industry will face.