Category: Marketing

At Get Ahead, we’re full of admiration for small businesses who do their own marketing. However, we also know how easy it is to become stuck in a marketing rut. If you’re churning out the same content every week, or your page views aren’t as strong as they used to be, it’s time for a different approach to marketing.

In this blog, we catch up with marketing expert Steve who shares some his top tips for pulling yourself out of a marketing rut.

How do I know I’m stuck in a marketing rut?!

Steve: The biggest sign is that you’re doing what you always do but your figures are lower than you’d like. For example, if you create LinkedIn posts every week and your interactions are going down not up, your posts might be getting stale. Or if you used to get customers via your website but it’s all gone a bit quiet, you might have missed a new SEO trend. And if you’re just bored of all your content and you know, deep down, that it doesn’t really reflect your brand, it’s time for a change.

Fortunately, these problems are easy to solve. Here are my top ideas:

  1. Check the algorithm

Google, Meta (Facebook & Instagram), LinkedIn and other platforms are forever updating their algorithms! Just when you thought you’d found a successful formula, the platform changed the way it worked and now your customers no longer see your content.

If you can see your page views or post views going down in number, your old approach might need a refresh. Check out updates on the Search Engine Journal, or ask a SEO or social media expert to audit your digital content.

  1. Update your content

While I’m a big fan of some smart repurposing, even the best content wears out eventually. If your social media followers have seen all those life quotes, product images, blogs and infographics before, that’s probably why they’re not interacting with them anymore.

Instead, create some new content. Build on a frequently asked question or write a case study on a recent project. Alternatively, you could work with a marketing expert to generate some new ideas and turn them into shareable content.

  1. Try a new medium

Unless you’re a massive brand, it’s unlikely that you’ve got the resources to cover every sort of marketing. But that doesn’t mean you have to stick with the ones you’ve always used. For example, if you’ve never had a newsletter before, maybe it’s time to set one up. Remember, you’re not pestering people, you’re informing them! Maybe you’ve been reluctant to explore video but your customers would really benefit from seeing you demonstrate your products.

Jot down a list of all the marketing approaches you don’t currently use and choose one to explore. If the one you choose is completely new to you, don’t worry – Get Ahead’s team of experts (including me!) are all here to help you.

  1. Find the latest trend

Business owners have really busy lives and it can be hard to keep up with marketing trends in your industry. However, investing some time exploring what others in your sector are saying in the press and on social media will pay off – looking at the hashtags that popular posts are using is a great start. You might find a new trend to inspire a different marketing approach.

  1. Outsource

Bringing some new people into your marketing team can generate lot of exciting changes. Freelancers and virtual experts have worked for lots of different organisations – they’re buzzing with fresh ideas that they can’t wait to share with you.

Marketing support from Get Ahead

If you know you’re stuck in a marketing rut and it’s time for shake-up, Get Ahead can help. As well as Steve, we have a strong team of marketing experts to support you. Whether you need an hour’s tuition on uploading YouTube videos or a complete marketing team, our outsourcing model can deliver the right solution for you. And because we’re fully flexible, you can have as much or as little support as you need, all within your time and budget.

Explore our site to find out more, or follow us on social media.

If you’re planning to outsource PR to enhance your marketing, you might be wondering, “how do I gain national press coverage?” National press coverage can really increase your visibility and it’s great for brand awareness.

In this blog, we look at how to decide if national press coverage is the best PR strategy for you, how to get the press’s attention and when to send out your press release.

Is national press coverage the right strategy?

Having your products featured in Good Housekeeping or your story told in the Financial Times both feel like big wins. If you’re looking to have everyone talking about your products, services or business journey, the national press is a great way to increase awareness of your brand.

However, before you throw all your energy at getting your business in a national publication, take time to consider whether it’s the best place for your story. Remember, if your story has a niche audience, like a new product aimed at a specific industry, national publications are unlikely to take it up.

If that’s made you decide to target your PR specifically and promote yourself within your industry, read our interview with PR expert Caroline here: PR ideas for small businesses – maximise your marketing 

And if you’re confident a national campaign is right for you, read on.

How to get the attention of the national press
Understand your lead times

Different publications have different lead times. In general:

Remember to factor these timings into your PR operation.

Forward planning is essential for magazine coverage – if you want your business to feature in a Christmas edition, you need to share your story in July.

Equally important: be ready to share your breaking story. If your business is responding to an unfolding crisis and mitigating against disaster, send your press release out immediately. This should get you the coverage your business deserves.

If you’re sharing a news story, it’s generally agreed that the best times to send out a press release are Wednesday and Thursday. There’s often a big rush at the start of the week, with journalists catching up on everything that’s happened over the weekend. Friday, on the other hand, can see offices winding down. Aim for the middle of the week instead.  

Think about readership

Not all national publications are equal. Before you start reaching out to them, think about which ones your target market reads. If you don’t know, buy a copy or check the website. For example, if you’re hoping to build awareness of your product, check whether a publication promotes luxury items or budget solutions. And if there’s a political angle to your story, target the broadsheet that will consider it good news.

Build a relationship

The first time you reach out to a publication, you might not hear anything back. Don’t take it personally – instead, think about how many communications a journalist receives every day and accept that they can’t reply to them all.

It’s also important not to be discouraged. Keep going! Send out your next press release or product sample just like you’d planned – it might get picked up next time.

If you succeed and a journalist responds to you, keep a record of it. You can connect with them on LinkedIn and start to build a professional relationship or use them as your first point of contact for that publication. Don’t just advertise – network as well.

Outsource PR to Get Ahead

PR can be a highly effective way of promoting your brand. However, it’s also complicated and time consuming, especially if you’re running a business as well. If this blog has made you think about harnessing the power of PR, our PR experts would love to help. Explore our site to find out more, or contact your local regional director today.

Did you know there are lots of great PR ideas for small businesses you can try yourself? They needn’t be expensive, difficult or time consuming, but they could make a big difference to your brand’s reputation.

In this blog, we talk to PR expert Caroline who shares some of her top PR ideas for small businesses.

Why do small businesses need PR?

Caroline: For small businesses, reputation is everything. This means that it’s really important to establish your brand and tell people why it matters. PR is the best way of doing that! Yes, your website and your advertising can tell potential customers what you have to offer, but your PR will tell your story, bring your brand to life and share it with a new, wider audience.

What PR can small businesses do themselves?

Harness the power of social media

Caroline: One of the easiest approaches is social media. You can choose between affordable outsourcing or doing it yourself. And best of all, social media accounts are free.

For effective social media PR, choose the right platform for your campaign. For example, if you’re a B2B business, your first choice should always be LinkedIn. But if, say, you’re bringing a lifestyle product to a new audience, Instagram would be the best option.

Make sure your profile is strong and says exactly what you do in language your audience understands.

Look for opportunities to share your news too. If you attend an event, achieve a milestone, appear in the press or win an award, don’t waste the opportunity – shout about it on social media!

Responding to someone else’s social media posts is also important. The more support you show, the more you’re likely to receive. Communicating with others also shows you can see the bigger picture – a great position for any brand.

Share your story

Caroline: There’s always something going on in a busy business. You might be celebrating a business birthday, gaining B-Corp status, welcoming a new employee or something else. Maybe you’ve merged with another business, or you’ve broken into a totally different market.

These developments are all worth sharing. From a warm, authentic social media post to a targeted press release, there are lots of ways to tell your story and celebrate success.

I try to maximise the effectiveness of press releases by reaching out to the right publications and websites. It’s better to make the front page of an industry-specific publication than be ignored by the Financial Times!

A strong press release should always include the “who, what, where, when and why” of your story. Try and think like a journalist and make it as easy as possible for them to get the information they need. Include some quotes they can drop into their finished article, as well as contact details in case they have any questions.

Enter for awards

Caroline: There are awards for almost every industry that recognise hard work, innovation, inclusivity and more. I’d always recommend business owners enter for awards and competitions because the resulting PR is so strong. The application might cost you time and money but you should see a good return on your investment.

It’s great to be able to post on social media that you’ve entered for a prestigious award – you can ask your community to vote for you. And if you’re shortlisted or even win, you’ve got a great piece of news to shout about. Not only does it make a great social media post, but the press might be interested too. We’re really proud of how many times Get Ahead has been featured in the business press for just this kind of achievement.

Delivering PR ideas for small businesses

If reading Caroline’s expert view on PR has made you wonder if you could be doing more to increase awareness of your brand, we’d love to hear from you. Caroline and our other PR experts can help you see your business in a newsworthy way, finding the stories and turning them into positive press. Visit our PR page to find out more, or contact your local regional director here.

If you’re a start-up or a family enterprise and you’re mindful of the bottom line, it can be hard to think of giveaway ideas for small businesses. But the good news is that you don’t have break the bank, or leave yourself out of pocket when you give something away.

In this blog, we share our top five giveaway ideas for small businesses.

Why does giving matter to small businesses?

Giving is an essential part of any business’ marketing strategy. When we give things away, we reinforce our brand with our customers and clients. We interact with those people in a different way from usual, strengthening the professional relationship. This can be a very effective way of getting customers further down the sales funnel. It can also help you appeal to different markets who respond to different approaches.

Think of giving as lighting one candle off another – the second candle gains but the first candle loses nothing.

Top five giveaway ideas for small businesses:
  1. Promotional items

An on-message promotional item can be a great addition to your marketing toolkit. Trainers and coaches can give out branded pens and paper so their clients can take notes. Trades often prefer a branded fridge magnet to a business card – their customers don’t have to rummage when they need a plumber quickly! Events organisers sometimes give out branded bottle openers while travel agents give out branded luggage labels.

Get Ahead has a number of suppliers in our network of contacts – if you need a recommendation for branded items, please ask!

  • Your own products or services

Obviously, we’re not suggesting that you just give away all your hours and stock! Instead, think about how you can use a giveaway strategically. Who is likely to respond positively to a free software trial – will it make them more likely to buy a subscription at the end? Yes, they’re using your software for free for a month, but if they turn into loyal customers then the freebie was a valuable investment. Remember to research likely groups and target them strategically so you get the best outcomes from giving away your own product or service.

  • Expertise

Yes, it is possible to write a blog or a newsletter without giving away your trade secrets! Instead, give away a small amount of useful knowledge that will help your clients get more from what they already buy from you. For example, letters from your bank often feature a market or finance update. By sharing these insights, banks can help customers to make their money work harder, in turn promoting more of the bank’s products.

Think about what ideas you could share that would help you and your customers at the same time.

  • Discounts

Even if you can’t afford to give something away completely free, consider whether you can afford to offer a discount. Do your sums and work out what percentage you discount from the price of your product or service. You can also give a discount in exchange for something, like signing up to a mailing list. Discounts like this can be excellent investments: once customers or clients have joined your community, they’re more likely to buy from you again in future.

  • Referrals

This one isn’t a traditional sort of giveaway, but it makes a real difference to others, grows your network and establishes you as someone worth working with.

When you’re networking, be ready to praise others in the network whom you’ve worked with. And if there’s a request for a recommendation on LinkedIn, for example, don’t be afraid to put others forward – they’ll really appreciate it!

Marketing strategy support with Get Ahead

If you think that giveaways could play a bigger part in your marketing strategy, Get Ahead would love to help you make it happen! Explore our marketing pages to find out more, or contact your local regional director today.

 

Social media marketing is a fantastic, low-cost solution that helps you share your message with your online community. Social media is also a great place to establish yourself as a thought leader and build your reputation through your expertise.

But what makes this complicated is that some content works better on social media than others, and it’s also important to stay-on brand.

In this blog, we look at how to flex with content while also keeping up your brand consistency.

What type of content is best for social media?

All types of content are great on social media…but you might have to adapt them. For example, sharing a whole blog as the main part of your post rarely works, because people using social media are looking for quick content rather than a long read. However, sharing the subheadings from a blog, or copying and pasting the intro paragraph, can be very successful. Both work as a teaser for the blog – you can then add the link to the whole blog if anyone wants to click through.

Similarly, you can adapt the message of your latest newsletter to share on your social channels. This helps you share the quality information that’s gone out to your mailing list with your social media community too.

If you create ebooks, you can use social media to promote your latest publication without sharing the whole thing. Remember to include a link to help people buy or download the complete ebook – don’t leave them hanging!

How do I find time to adapt my content?!

It’s often a good idea to write all your content from one idea at the same time – it can be a real time saver. If you write a blog, think about which sentence would make a strong social media post while you’ve still got the Word file open. Think too about how you can make this idea into a newsletter that will appeal to your mailing list.

All of Get Ahead’s content writers offer packages, where clients can have their blog and newsletter written from the same idea, with a suitable social media version too. This can be a great value solution that gets all the content written at the same time.

How do I maintain brand consistency if I’m changing up my content?

Editing your existing content doesn’t mean you have to compromise your brand message. If you have a strong brand that’s really embedded in what you offer, it’s almost impossible to go off-piste. That’s why it’s worth investing in your brand…but that’s another blog!

Re-read the carefully selected sentence from your blog before you post it on social media. It might be strong, but does it convey enough on its own? Consider whether it could be misinterpreted without the whole blog or ebook to give it context. Don’t be afraid to tweak it again to remove any controversy or reinforce your brand message.

Pictures can be very powerful on social media. Remember to illustrate your posts with pictures from your brand palette, accompanied by wording in the right font. If you regularly share content from your website to social media (e.g. estate agents sharing the latest properties), plan how these regular posts will look to keep up your brand consistency.

Outsource social media marketing

Our experienced social media managers love helping businesses like yours get more from Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and all the other channels. To find out more, explore our site or contact your local regional director.

 

The first budget of the new Labour government has been much anticipated, and Wednesday’s announcement had everyone glued to the news. Families, workers, savers and borrowers were all wondering what the budget meant for them. And entrepreneurs and CEOs were wondering, “what does the budget mean for businesses?”

In this blog, we look at what additional payments and reductions businesses need to cover, and how Get Ahead can help. 

What does the budget mean for businesses? 

The rise in employers’ National Insurance contributions (NICs) was not unexpected, but it has still raised the costs of taking on employees. 

In addition, the increase to interest rates means that business loan repayments will increase – another cost to business owners. 

It’s easy to see that, with these cost increases, business owners will be looking to make any savings they can. 

One way that small businesses can save is by taking advantage of the increased employment allowance, whereby they don’t have to pay NI on the first £10,500. 

Another way to save is to consider outsourcing instead of employing. Whether you’re new to outsourcing or you’ve used the model for years, Get Ahead is here to help.

How Get Ahead supports businesses impacted by the 2024 budget

Get Ahead is an established outsourcing agency. We work on a regional basis: business owners approach our regional directors in search of practical, back-office support. The regional director then connects the business owner with one of our virtual experts who delivers the required work.

There are a number of reasons why our business model gives businesses better value for money than conventional employment:

No NICs, sick pay, annual leave or pension contributions

    All our virtual experts are self-employed. This means that our clients only pay for our experts’ work and don’t have any other financial responsibilities towards them. 

    Remote working

    Our virtual experts work from home, meaning you don’t have to provide office facilities or tech hardware. This could save you renting office space, freeing up more of your profits to grow your business.

    Only pay for hours worked

    When you employ someone, you continue to pay them even when they’re on a tea break, watering the plants or signing team birthday cards. But with our outsourcing model, you only pay for the work they do for your business. We are also completely flexible – there’s no need to commit to paying for the same number of hours every month. 

    Your virtual team

    Get Ahead’s virtual experts can work seamlessly with your other employees, or even form your entire team. Use outsourced work to plug skills gaps or provide support for project work. Alternatively, let us hand pick a group of people with the specific skills you need to take your business forward in a cost-effective way. 

    We believe you’ll see considerable savings when you outsource, enabling you to meet the new increased payments while still growing your business. 

    Find out more about the financial advantages of outsourcing here.

    HR outsourcing and accounts outsourcing solutions for UK businesses

    Unlike typical virtual assistant agencies, we offer a wide range of back-office services, including finance and HR outsourcing. Our finance experts can review your systems and might find other savings, like unused subscriptions and unpaid invoices. This could mean freeing up funds to cover the increased business costs, without having to let any of your current team go. 

    Our HR experts can help you stay compliant with the new rules, ensuring that you’re making the correct contributions and doing right by your employees. And if you find yourself in the unfortunate position of having to reduce the number of people you employ, our HR experts can help you manage the situation so it’s legal, fair and handled appropriately. 

    Get in touch to find out more

    If our blog has got you thinking about ways to save money after the 2024 budget, we’d love to hear from you. We offer a range of outsourced back-office support, including administration, bookkeeping, marketing, social media, finance, HR and more. Visit our service pages here, or get in touch with your local regional director for a friendly, no-obligation chat. 

    Content writing services are an important part of any marketing strategy, particularly in the internet age. Written content is essential if search engines are going to find your website or social media pages. But did you know that it’s a great way to convert customers too?

    In this blog, we talk to Charlotte, one of Get Ahead’s longest-serving copywriters, about content marketing, why it matters and how it works.

    What is content marketing?

    Charlotte: Content marketing is a way of showcasing your products and services so that potential customers can gain a deeper understanding of your offering.

    Blogging is my personal favourite – a 500-word blog is a great way to explain what you do while also sharing more detailed insights than you can on a web page or LinkedIn post. But there are loads of different types of content marketing to choose from, including video, newsletters, social media posts, ebooks, white papers and more.

    Every piece of content is an opportunity to reinforce your brand, your message and your ethos. I often think of content marketing as like having coffee with a friend. You sit down with your friend (the potential customer) and talk in a chatty, human, real-world way about what you do and why it matters. You’ll both have a laugh, maybe a cry, but most importantly, you’ll reinforce your emotional connection. This means that in future, when the potential customer needs what you offer, they’re more likely to come to you because they understand what do and feel a connection with your brand.

    Why is content marketing more effective than a hard sell?

    Charlotte: We all know that a hard sell rarely works. If you’ve ever been pressured into buying something, you probably know that it didn’t work out in the long term. Think of the car you sold on after a few months, or the subscription you’ll be cancelling at the earliest opportunity.

    Some business owners are so averse to hard selling that they end up avoiding marketing altogether. This is a mistake, because your business won’t grow unless you market it. Instead, I always encourage my clients to consider content marketing. With content marketing, you give the customer all the information they need but the decision to buy always rests with them.

    How does content marketing convert customers?

    Charlotte: Content marketing converts customers because it gives the buyer the chance to make up their own mind. Through the content you create, the buyer can build up their own view of your business, products and services. They can find the answers to their questions and decide if yours is the business they want to deal with. And if it is, they can reach out to you and become part of your community of customers or clients.

    Because the customer has arrived at this decision for themselves, they are more likely to develop a loyalty to your business. This means they’ll probably keep buying from you into the future and recommend you to the rest of their network. This is great news for your business and puts you on track to become a market leader.

    Outsourced content writing services

    If our blog has set you thinking about finding content writing services, Get Ahead can help. Charlotte and our other content experts love digging deep into clients’ businesses, finding out what makes them tick and how to communicate that in a way that resonates with the ideal customer. Check out our Resources section to see how content works in practice, or contact your local regional director for a supportive chat.

     

    Outsource graphic design, copywriting or administration to help you prepare for your next business expo!

    Business expos can be great opportunities to find new customers and build your network. But to maximise the return on your investment of time and money, it’s important to plan ahead. Getting all your materials ready well in advance, as well as keeping your business going while you’re out for a whole day, will make the expo into a calm, positive experience to really help your business grow.

    Let’s take a closer look.

    How far in advance of the expo do I need to start planning?

    Start planning for the expo about two months in advance. Of course, it’s not an exact science, and the amount of planning you need depends on how experienced you are at business expos!

    Two months before the expo

    The first steps to take are to think about your stand and what promotional materials you will use. If this is an expo where you are likely to pick up a lot of business, it’s worth investing more in sharing the right messages and developing some really memorable promotions. On the other hand, if your business is just making a token appearance or you’ve received the stand for free, you might not feel inclined to invest as much time or money.

    Once you’ve decided on your goals for the expo, it’s time to think about what you need to achieve them. For example, the trusty pop-up banner you’ve used for the last three years might need to be updated, or you might need fresh material to promote a new product or service.

    Whether you have a specific idea of what you want, or just a very broad vision, a good graphic designer will bring it to life. Planning two months ahead should give you and your graphic designer time to come up with a successful design. Remember, while the actual design might not take long, there are other factors that can delay the process. For example, the designer might have other client work, and you will need to find time to review the draft designs and give feedback. 

    One month before the expo

    Now you’ve got your designs finalised, it’s time to send them to the printer to make into banners, leaflets, posters or whatever material you’ve decided to use at the expo.

    Again, the printer can probably do the work in a lot less than a month, but it’s a good idea to have some time contingency. For example, while good printers will take work seriously and act with professionalism, problems can still arise. Slow couriers, supply chain problems, illness and emergencies can all get in the way of quick delivery of marketing collateral.

    One month before the expo is also the right time to organise personnel to cover your stand. If you have a team, decide who is going to go to the expo (choose at least two people so you can cover breaks) and make sure it’s in the diary!

    If you work alone, you might want to ask someone else from your business family to help you on your stand. If you’re already using a virtual expert from Get Ahead, they’d be happy to help! However, it’s important to fix it up in advance so they can plan their diary accordingly. 

    Expo days can be long. If you need to arrange childcare, book it now.

    Two weeks before the expo

    Decide how you’re going to get to the venue. If you can pop your banner, freebies and your packed lunch (!) in your car and park at the conference centre, all is well. But if it’s a city centre location and parking is difficult, or you have a lot to take with you and will need to hire a van, make a plan now.  

    One week before the expo

    Get ready for your day out of the office. Tie up the loose ends, or delegate them to someone who isn’t going to the expo. Get Ahead’s virtual experts are here to help if you need us!

    At home, fill up the freezer with easy, healthy meals. Expos can be very tiring – we’ve never had the energy to cook from scratch after an expo and we doubt you have either!

    The day before the expo

    Take everything you need for your stand and set it up. In our experience, it always takes longer than you think it will. Check the get-in time with the organisers and give yourself enough time to set your stand up properly – it will give you such a boost when you arrive in the morning!

    The day of the expo

    Enjoy yourself!

    Outsource graphic design, administration and general support with Get Ahead

    There are lots of ways Get Ahead can support you with your next expo. Many business owners decide to outsource graphic design, but there are lots of other solutions too. Talk to your regional director or download Getting the most from your Expo to find out more. 

     

    Business travellers are a great source of ongoing bookings for hotels and bed-and-breakfasts. In this blog, we look at how to attract business travellers and why it makes good business sense.

    Why should I try to attract business travellers to my hotel?

    Business travellers present a fantastic opportunity to hotel owners. Unlike holidaymakers, who often only stay during high season, business travellers need accommodation all year round. If you can become the accommodation of choice when a organisation’s team are working in your local area, you can achieve sustainable levels of occupancy even during low season.

    Another advantage of attracting business travellers is that managing one relationship can translate into lots of bookings. Contrast this with holiday bookings, where you have to from scratch with every guest who arrives.

    How can I attract business travellers?

    To attract business travellers to your hotel, it’s important to market your offering to them in the right way. The marketing you do to attract individuals and families on holiday will not necessarily appeal to your potential business guests. Instead, devote some of your marketing efforts to connecting with businesses.

    1. Adapt and refine your offering

    Before you can offer your hotel as the ideal accommodation for business travellers, consider whether it has what a business traveller needs. If it doesn’t, change it! For example, consider offering a streamlined check-in and check-out, so business guests don’t lose valuable time doing paperwork. Be prepared to offer an early breakfast or late dinner to fit in around unusual arrival times. Perhaps you could turn a quiet corner into a dedicated office or meeting space for your business guests. If your internet speeds are slow, invest in an upgrade so business guests can access whatever they need to work during their stay.

    • Create packages

    Creating a special package for business travellers makes it easier for procurement managers to see the value you’re offering. Choose the right price point for a room, breakfast and Wi-Fi, maybe with a transport option to connect guests to the station or airport.

    • Target businesses on social media

    Once you’re business-traveller ready, it’s time to spread the word! Share dedicated social media posts, not just offering accommodation but highlighting the reasons why your hotel is a great choice for business travellers. You might also consider posting on LinkedIn, the business-to-business social media platform, to connect with the sort of people who might be looking for accommodation for their business travellers.

    • Network

    A great way to meet other businesses face to face is to go to networking events. Networking events help you build up your business family, and meet the kind of business owners who might need what you offer.

    You could also offer your hotel as a networking venue, giving event attendees the opportunity to see what you have to offer. 

    • Advertise

    A carefully placed advert in a business publication could help you attract commercial travellers. And if any businesses have their head office or training centre near your hotel, reach out directly to let them know you’re ready to welcome their employees whenever they’re in the area!

    Outsourced support helps hotels attract business travellers

    Get Ahead has a strong team of marketing experts who would love to help you increase your occupancy all year round. If you need support with any of the suggestions we’ve made in this blog, we are here to help. We’ll use our marketing expertise to connect you with commercial travellers and gain all the benefits of repeat business.

    Explore our site or social media channels to find out more about what Get Ahead has to offer.

    Hotel digital marketing covers everything from your website to social media – any kind of marketing you do online, essentially! One of the most important areas of digital marketing for hotels and holiday rentals is review management.

    In this blog, our digital marketing expert Mel explains why reviews matter and explains ideas for getting guests to leave reviews. She’ll also share tips for how to manage reviews once you’ve received them.

    Why do hotel and holiday rental reviews matter?

     

    Mel: Arguably, reviews matter more in the hospitality industry than anywhere else. This is because people usually go on holiday to somewhere new – that’s part of what makes it a holiday! What this means is that your guests have to rely heavily on reviews to help them make the decision about whether or not to stay at your hotel.

    If the potential guest finds it’s a toss up between two hotels, they’re going to choose the one with the most positive reviews.

    Remember, every interaction is an opportunity to show your personality. Reviews will give potential guests an idea of what to expect…and so will the way you reply.

    How can I encourage guests to leave reviews?

    Mel: Ask them! Most people love to be asked – they feel great having their opinion valued. Asking also shows that you’re confident in your services – let your confidence shine out!

    A good time to ask is when guests check out. The sooner they leave the review, the more honest and specific it is likely to be. You could have a QR code on the front desk for guests scan – that way, they can leave their review while waiting for their taxi.

    How do I manage reviews of my hotel or holiday rental?

    Mel: Naturally, we all want a lovely collection of five star reviews! However, we also need to be realistic. Not all reviews are going to be positive – some might be mixed and others downright bad.

    Working in digital marketing, I’ve noticed that every single review is an opportunity to show how good you are at what you do. Even a bad review gives you the chance to reply and show how good your customer service and problem-solving skills really are.

    1. How to deal with positive reviews

    These are the easier ones to deal with! Even though they usually require less attention, it’s still a good idea to take time to reply and thank the reviewer for their praise. This shows your upbeat side, and also demonstrates that you love interacting with people – two characteristics to make a future guest feel welcome.

    • How to deal with negative reviews

    Mixed or negative reviews always take more time to deal with. Summon your inner strength and try not to take them personally. Instead, try to see them as opportunities to show how well you deal with problems.

    The most important things to do are reply politely and appropriately as soon as you can, and try and get the conversation away from the review site so you don’t end up having an awkward discussion in public. If you can, use the phone or email to discuss the problem instead. Try and remain professional and don’t get into an argument.

    If you learn anything valuable from the negative review, let the reviewer know that you appreciate their feedback and will be making changes. Take the opportunity to show the original reviewer and any future guests that you listen, you care and you solve problems effectively. You might well be able to turn a negative situation into a positive one!

    Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to have negative reviews taken down. Most review sites, including the biggest ones like Google and Facebook, will only take down a review that is unreasonable. Resist the urge to turn off the “leave a review” option if you get a bad review. Instead, continue asking people to leave reviews and let the good ones dilute the effect of a few bad ones.

    Outsource your hotel digital marketing and review management

    Another review management solution is to outsource it. Let a digital marketing expert like Mel deal with the reviews from her own home while you concentrate on delivering a fantastic experience to the guests who are with you right now.

    A huge advantage of having a remote worker manage the reviews is that they look at them as an outsider. It’s easy to take reviews personally, and fixate on one bad one even if you’ve also had twenty good ones! But a remote marketing expert can help you regain your sense of proportion, as well replying to the straightforward reviews and prompting you to address the more complex ones.

    Why not explore our social channels to find out more about what Get Ahead has to offer? And to find out more about outsourcing your hotel digital marketing, talk to your local regional director today.

    PS – we’ve put together our top resources for hotel owners in one ebook – download it here!