Build your hotel brand in 3 steps
Don’t you love when you have a conversation that lasted for hours that you can’t wait to write about?
Well, this is the case of last week when I was having a coffee with a hotel owner about building a brand for his new hotel.
Easy, right? not as easy as you think. So many ideas that it was difficult to put them together. So to make it simple we did a little exercise that I want to share with you because is powerful when you are trying to put together the story for your hotel.
So, no matter you are an existing hotel owner or starting a new hotel, inn, or b&b. This post will change the way your guests connect with your brand.
This exercise is simple but it will give you a great start so here we go with the 3 steps to build the story of your hotel
Step 1: IS NOT ABOUT YOUR HOTEL STORY
Yes… Is not your hotel story that you are trying to create but your guest story. You are just a small piece of that story.
Start by listing your guest desires as basic at it can be. Try to answer this question
What do they really desire? ex: status, connect with culture, connect with people, no frustration trip.
Step 2: WHAT ARE THEY PROBLEMS
Once you have the list of desires now create a list of the problems dividing them into three categories.
- External (Physical): Those problems that are like stones on the way to have a better life. For example, let’s say you want are planning a trip to a specific destination. Just think about all the frustrations to plan a big trip. An external problem could be to choose which OTA to use to find. This is not directly related to the initial desire(feeling).
- Internal(Feeling): An internal problem could be that you don’t want to feel lost in the city or that you don’t want to feel someone talks to you with irrespect.
- Philosophical(What’s wrong): Your guests want to be part of a bigger story for example: saving the world, helping the local communities.
Understanding what are the external, internal, and philosophical problems of your target market is essential to build a story that connects with them and you can use to build a successful Hotel Brand.
Step 3: YOU ARE JUST THE GUIDE
Think that your hotel is the guide that comes into their story with an effective plan to solve their deepest problems. That’s where your hotel exists.
Is their STORY
You need to be the guide that comes with Empathy and Authority. Empathy because you care about their problems and Authority because you have a plan that is already proven to work (Reviews, testimonials).
After this process you need to choose one story that you want to use that uses you USP(Unique Selling Points).
Now try to make that story in one sentence. Tell in one sentence what is the story that you are the perfect guide.
For example
Travel with peace of mind
Marriott
This example tells the story of a guest that is frustrated of planning a big trip. Maybe other country. So many uncertentiteis(Language, culture, location, transportation,…). And then Marriott comes to the picture to guide them in the process to pick what brand of hotel fits better.
See. The power of a brand that connects with people stories.
TIPS
- STICK TO ONLY ONE STORY: Having multiple stories about your brand will make noise and won’t be remembered as strongly as if you have one clear story.
- BE CONSISTENT: Use this story in all your channels (Website, social media, etc.)
Conclusion
This is a simple and powerful strategy you can use to create your hotel story and will be the building block of all your marketing strategies.
This is POWERFULL.
Now that you are the Stan Lee of your Hotel Story
Remember
A great power comes with a great responsibility.
Have a happy day,
