Unless you’re a roadside stop relying on weary drivers looking for a break from the highway, your guests are probably booking their stays well in advance. To reach them, you need a hotel digital marketing strategy that connects early in their planning process and leads them to your booking channels when it’s time to make a decision.
When it comes to the hospitality industry, there are four core pillars of hotel digital marketing and five supporting ones. The core pillars are the strategies you should absolutely be using to attract relevant travellers and hold their attention through to conversion. The supporting pillars are what help you stand out from the competition and stay top of mind.
In this guide, we’ll explore each of the nine pillars and offer practical advice on how to start implementing them into your hotel’s marketing strategy today.
Understanding Hotel Digital Marketing
Hotel digital marketing is all about using the internet to get in front of potential guests and guide them toward booking a stay with you. It covers everything from your website and social media to your email list, OTA listings, and the content you create. If someone finds your hotel online, your digital marketing has something to do with it.
Having a strong online presence is non-negotiable these days. It’s how travellers discover your property, check out what makes it unique, and decide whether to book, often weeks or months before they arrive. That means your strategy needs to show up early in their planning process and stay with them right through to the booking stage.
That starts with knowing who you’re trying to reach. Defining your ideal guest and building out guest personas helps you figure out what channels to focus on and what kind of messaging will actually land. When you know who you’re talking to, your hotel digital marketing gets sharper and more effective.
Once you’ve nailed down your audience, your content and visuals do the heavy lifting. Great photos, short videos, and well-written descriptions give people a feel for the experience you offer. It’s not just about showcasing the room or listing amenities. It’s about creating something that builds trust, sparks interest, and makes someone want to picture themselves there.
Most importantly, every part of your strategy should be working toward a clear goal. Whether it’s driving more direct bookings, increasing your email list, or just improving visibility on search engines, your hotel digital marketing needs to be intentional, not just a bunch of disconnected posts and pages.
4 Core Pillars of Hotel Digital Marketing
These are the foundational strategies every hotel should have in place. They’re what help you get discovered, build trust with potential guests, and ultimately drive more hotel bookings.
1. Website (Your Digital Booking Hub)
Your hotel website is the single most important part of your digital presence. It’s where people go to learn more, compare options, and make a booking — or not. If your site doesn’t load quickly, isn’t mobile-friendly, or makes it hard to check availability, there’s a good chance you’re losing guests to competitors or OTAs.
At a minimum, your site should be responsive across all devices, fast to load, and easy to navigate. It should also make your booking engine front and centre, with clear calls to action and no unnecessary friction.
Direct bookings are often the most profitable because there’s no commission to pay, and you have more control over the guest experience from start to finish. That means your site should be doing everything it can to pull bookings away from OTAs, whether that’s through exclusive perks, better pricing, or clear value adds like flexible check-in or late checkout.
Beyond that, your site should reflect your brand. Great visuals, helpful content, and a layout that highlights your best features all work together to make the guest feel confident in choosing you. Think of your website not just as a brochure but as your best-performing sales rep — one that’s working for you 24/7.
2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
It’s one thing to have a well-designed website. It’s another to actually get the right people to find it. If your hotel isn’t showing up in search results, you’re essentially handing bookings over to your competitors. SEO helps you get in front of travellers who are already searching for places to stay in your area — often with clear intent and a short window between discovery and booking.
Start with keyword research. You want to understand what your potential guests are actually typing into Google, whether it’s “lakefront hotel in Kelowna” or “pet-friendly Vancouver hotel with parking.” Once you have those terms, you can work them into your website copy, blog posts, and headings in a way that feels natural but still gets noticed by search engines.
Local SEO is especially important for hotels. Most travel-related searches have local intent, which means showing up in Google Maps and the local listings block can directly lead to bookings. Make sure your Google Business Profile is filled out completely, with accurate contact details, categories, high-quality images, and recent reviews.
On-page SEO matters, too. Your site should be fast, mobile-friendly, and easy to navigate. And the content needs to be clear, useful, and tailored to the kinds of questions your guests are likely to ask before they book.
Good SEO isn’t just about ranking higher. It’s about showing up in the right places at the right time and giving searchers a reason to click through and stay.
3. Content Marketing
Content is what ties the rest of your hotel online marketing strategy together. It gives people a reason to find you, follow you, and eventually book with you. Without it, your SEO, email, and social strategies end up feeling flat because there’s nothing meaningful driving them forward.
Great content does a few things at once. It helps your site rank in search engines, gives potential guests a better sense of what to expect, and builds trust in your brand before they ever step foot on your property. That might mean a blog post on things to do nearby, a destination guide, or a short video tour of your rooms and amenities.
Video content, in particular, is a powerful way to showcase your hotel. A quick walkthrough, a look at the pool, or even a highlight of your breakfast spread can go a long way in helping someone picture themselves booking with you.
The more engaging and helpful your content is, the more likely people are to stick around, interact with your brand, and eventually convert. That could be through a direct booking or by following you on social media and returning when they’re ready.
Unlike one-off ads, good content marketing continues working long after it’s published. It fuels your SEO, fills your social media calendar, and builds relationships with guests before and after their stay.
4. OTA (Online Travel Agency) Optimization
The goal is to drive bookings through a direct channel. Namely, your website. But online travel agencies can’t be ignored, and optimizing your OTA listings is a key part of any hotel digital marketing strategy.
For many travellers, OTAs are the first place they look when comparing options, especially if they’ve never heard of your hotel before. Your profile might be the first impression they get, so you want it to stand out and give people a reason to click through.
Start by picking OTA partners that make sense for your property. Not every platform is the right fit. A boutique hotel might do better on something like Airbnb, while a larger resort might get more traction on Expedia or Hotels.com. Take a look at where similar properties are listed and focus your efforts there.
Once you’ve chosen your platforms, make sure your listing is working for you. That means:
- Filling in all the details — everything from room types and amenities to policies and contact info
- Highlighting what makes your stay unique — location, perks, or anything that helps you stand out
- Writing a description that sells the experience — not just a list of features, but something that speaks to the type of guest you want to attract
- Adding high-quality photos — lead with a strong image and include updated shots of your rooms, lobby, and amenities
Once it’s live, don’t forget about it. Check in regularly to update your offers, refresh photos, and keep seasonal promos front and centre so your listing stays relevant.
And always respond to your reviews. Whether the feedback is good or bad, showing that you’re engaged builds trust with travellers who are still deciding where to stay.
Supporting Marketing Channels for the Hotel Industry
While these aren’t the first hotel digital marketing pillars you need to focus on, there are a few additional media channels that can still help generate bookings. These supporting strategies are useful for keeping your hotel at the top of your mind and staying connected with guests before and after their stay, which helps encourage repeat visits.
Social Media Marketing
Social media gives you an easy way to stay in touch with past guests and get in front of new ones. It’s where people go to share their travel plans, get ideas for their next trip, and follow places they’d like to stay. It’s also a great way to build familiarity and grow long-term brand loyalty.
But just as you have to carefully select your OTA, you also need to choose the right social media platforms. While Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok are fantastic for crafting inviting experiences for leisure travellers, LinkedIn is better suited for promoting a business accommodation.
Whichever platform you focus on, the key is to use it intentionally. You don’t need to post every day, but you should be consistent. Regular updates help keep your profile active and your property at the forefront of your mind.
Here are a few simple ways to make the most of it:
- Share casual photos or short videos of your property, amenities, and local area
- Post updates about seasonal offers, events, or anything new happening at your hotel
- Respond to comments and messages so guests feel heard and welcomed
- Ask or encourage guests to tag your hotel when they share photos from their stay
People trust what other travellers post more than they trust ads. When someone shares their stay and tags your hotel, it adds a layer of credibility that no promotional campaign can replicate. And the more you engage, the more of that organic reach you’re likely to get.
Paid Advertising
Paid advertising can be a core pillar of digital marketing. But when it comes to the hotel industry, organic conversions are often more effective and more rewarding. Still, paid ads have their advantages, most notably their quick turnaround and ability to drive immediate bookings.
Because of that, paid advertising works best as support for your SEO and content efforts. Organic channels can take several months — sometimes longer — to gain traction, so paid ads are a good way to keep bookings coming in while you wait for those long-term results.
They’re also useful for promoting special offers, local events, or last-minute availability. When used strategically, this channel is ideal for quick wins while your organic strategy builds momentum in the background. The trick is to make sure your ad campaigns lead directly to a fast, conversion-optimized booking page so you can actually see a return.
Email Marketing
Email is still one of the most reliable ways to stay connected with existing customers. It’s direct, low-cost, and easy to personalize, which makes it a great tool for encouraging repeat visits and sharing timely offers.
It also happens to be one of the highest-performing hotel digital marketing channels when it comes to ROI. Some reports show it brings in around $38 for every dollar spent, and many marketers still consider it their biggest revenue driver.
To get the most out of it, start building your list during the booking process. A simple opt-in at checkout is all you need. From there, segment your audience so you can send more relevant emails — like updates, offers, or check-in info that actually applies to them.
A few things that help:
- Automate your emails so they go out at the right times (pre-arrival, post-stay, etc.)
- Personalize your messaging whenever you can
- Keep an eye on open rates and click-throughs to see what’s landing and what’s not
Done right, email helps you stay top of mind without being pushy — and brings guests back without needing to rely on OTAs.
Reputation & Review Management
Your online reputation can make or break a booking. Most travellers read reviews before making a decision, and if they don’t like what they see — or don’t see any at all — they’ll move on to the next option.
Good reviews build trust and drive bookings. A higher rating can be the deciding factor for someone comparing similar stays. On the flip side, one bad review with a word like dirty in it can scare off future guests. And more than half of travellers say they wouldn’t book a hotel that has no reviews at all.
That’s why review management should be a regular part of your hotel digital marketing. At a minimum, you should:
- Respond to reviews — especially the bad ones — to show you’re paying attention
- Ask guests for feedback after their stay (a quick form or follow-up email works)
- Use what guests are saying to improve your service and catch small issues early
Word of mouth still matters, but now it plays out publicly. How you handle your online reviews doesn’t just influence the guest who left it — it sends a message to every future traveller checking you out online.
Influencer & Guest-Generated Marketing
Some of the most convincing marketing doesn’t come from your hotel at all. It comes from the people who stay with you. Whether it’s a travel blogger sharing their trip or a guest posting a quick story and tagging your hotel, that kind of content goes a long way.
Influencer marketing can be a great way to get your hotel in front of the right audience — especially if you’re looking to boost visibility fast. A single post from the right person can position your property as a must-visit destination and drive real interest.
Travel influencers often have highly engaged followers who trust their recommendations, so a well-timed collaboration can go a long way. Whether it’s a reel showing off your rooftop patio or a blog post about their weekend stay, this kind of content tends to feel more authentic than traditional ads.
The key is choosing influencers who actually align with your brand. A luxury resort, for example, shouldn’t be partnering with budget travel accounts, and vice versa. When there’s a genuine fit, the content resonates better — and it reaches the audience you’re trying to attract.
Don’t overlook your own guests, either. Encouraging people to share their stay and tag your hotel gives you organic exposure and a steady stream of content you can reshare. That kind of real feedback helps build trust, especially with travellers who rely on social proof before booking.
Building a Hotel Digital Marketing Strategy
All of these channels — from your website and SEO to email and social — work best when they’re part of a bigger plan. A hotel digital marketing strategy pulls them together and gives you a clear idea of what to do and when.
Step-by-Step Planning
You don’t need to do everything at once. A good strategy starts with the basics and builds from there. Here’s a simple way to break it down:
- Build your hotel’s website with direct bookings in mind. Make sure it’s mobile-friendly, fast, and easy to use.
- Work on your SEO. Use clear, keyword-rich content to help guests find you through search.
- Show up on social. Share updates, respond to comments, and post photos that highlight what makes your hotel unique.
- Use email to stay in touch. Reach out with useful info, offers, and reminders that bring people back.
- Manage your reviews. Ask for feedback and respond to it — both the good and the bad.
- Use guest content. Encourage people to tag your hotel or share their stay, and reshare when they do.
- Run paid ads when it makes sense. They’re helpful for last-minute promos or filling gaps in your calendar.
- Track your results. Look at what’s working and what’s not, and adjust as you go.
No two hotels are the same, but following these steps gives you a good foundation from which to start.
Work with a Hotel Digital Marketing Specialist
If you want help pulling your strategy together, it’s best to work with a hotel digital marketing specialist.
At Kurt’sCopy, we help hotels build digital marketing strategies that actually drive bookings. We’ll work with you to figure out what’s working, what needs to change, and how to get more guests booking direct.
Get in touch to talk about what’s next for your hotel’s digital marketing — and how we can help you get there.
Kurt Norris is the founder of Kurt’sCopy, where he helps B2B, e-commerce, SaaS, and local businesses craft compelling content and SEO strategies that deliver measurable results. With over six years of experience, Kurt specializes in creating data-driven campaigns that drive traffic, increase conversions, and establish brand authority.
