Strike up compelling conversations with your guests across their entire guest journey. It’ll mean a richer experience for your guests, and a growing team of advocates for your hotel. Watch as your guests bring a level of authenticity that resonates, leading future travelers to experiences that convert. Best of all? There’s no heavy lifting on your part.
Sound interesting? Introduce your hotel to the world with Flip.to. Take a tour, or continue on to inspire a global audience below:
At Flip.to, we’re constantly working with people in the industry that inspire us. Here’s a special post from our own team member, originally featured on LinkedIn Pulse. Looking to collaborate? Get in touch and let’s do something amazing together.
It’s virtually impossible to read hospitality headlines nowadays without seeing at least one piece on how hotels can “take back control” from OTAs. A noble pursuit indeed but do hotels know what sort of “control” it is they’re trying to take back? I would argue the answer to that is no in most cases.
Let’s look quickly at what OTAs are designed to do and why they’re good at it. OTAs are conversion machines. They bring in massive amounts of traffic and then excel at converting that traffic into room nights, car rentals, airline tickets, etc.
They’re able to do this because they’re better at getting consumer attention than hotels are and their websites are better at selling than hotel websites are.
Expedia spent, collectively across all of its brands, nearly $3 billion on marketing in 2014. If they’re willing to put that kind of money into the marketing aethers then it’s a sure bet they’re serious about converting that traffic when it lands on their sites.
Beyond that they’ve also invested heavily in keeping those customers coming back. They’ve accomplished this through a loyalty program, long-term nurturing, and a purchasing/discovery experience that favors the user. Not one of these three things is beyond the ability of any hotel reading this.
In most cases when I read these articles about wresting control from the OTAs the focus is on share of revenue and room nights. How can hotels shift more of that into their ecosystem? The issue with this “control” narrative is that it’s focused on symptoms and not the causal factors mentioned above.
Share of attention
As a hotel, it can be overwhelming trying to compete for the fleeting attention of travelers. Never before in human history have so many sources been competing for a person’s attention. OTAs are good at this because they have scale and budget. They can be in most places the consumer cares about, but not everywhere.
For hotels this means competing in spaces where OTAs are not yet part of the equation, and via means unavailable to them. To achieve this the hotel needs to be in front of the guest before that person is even in the travel-planning mindset. It’s better to stand out early than to be part of an arbitrary sorting algorithm on a third-party website.
On top of this, social media is so underutilized by hotels it’s hard to believe it’s actually 2016. This is a low-cost platform that can drive massive value for the guest both pre- and post-stay and yet more often than not I see hotels sending people there versus collecting traffic from those sites.
Experiences designed to sell
OTAs are good at selling. They’re really, really good. That’s because they don’t really care that much about which product someone buys, just that they buy any product while they’re on their site. That’s their advantage, money notwithstanding.
Conversely, for the average independent hotel, they have a single product to offer. Sure there are different rate plans, add-ons, packages, etc. In the end though the guest can only buy that single experience. That being the case, why is it that most hotel websites feel and function like digital billboards? It’s like, “hey, you’re in my shop but here’s an ad for my shop anyway.”
Bulleted amenity lists, professional photos of rooms, and canned descriptions of the product abound. It’s incumbent upon the hotel to nurture that visitor down the path to becoming a guest. Hotels can provide insight into the experience the guest can expect unlike any OTA possibly can.
Remember, the OTA is putting piles of hotels in front of the consumer. That person is there for options.
When a potential guest lands on a hotel’s website something has already grabbed her attention and she’s interested. Give her something worth her time, not a product spec sheet.
And on the subject of time, the importance of design cannot be overstated. Imagine if, instead of feeling like work, learning about a hotel was an experience in and of itself. An experience that’s just a taste of what the guest can expect during a stay.
That’s the sort of “control” that wins the day. Winning more share of attention and designing experiences that convert will ensure more business comes direct. But it has to be earned, not taken back.
Advocacy platform leads travel tech with innovative application of artificial intelligence
Flip.to has unveiled Vision AI, the newest layer of their advocacy platform that helps hotels reach a global audience of travelers perfect for their brand.
This powerful new feature uses machine-based insights to let hotels better understand and effortlessly curate their vast, ever-growing library of guest-created content. This innovative use of artificial intelligence is the first of its kind in hotel tech. With Flip.to, hotels may now amplify their brand by delivering incredibly authentic, personal content to different segments of travelers and better convert them into future guests.
“Amazing tech lets us gather real insight on the guest stories we capture. What’s different is that for the first time, hotels can apply these insights to deliver content in a way that truly resonates with their future guests,” said Brian Kent, CEO & Co-founder at Flip.to. “Vision AI is the start of some pretty exciting new opportunities of real personalization at scale.”
Vision AI taps into machine-based learning using Microsoft® Cognitive Services. By processing visual data, Vision AI extracts rich information to return insights on content, image attributes, colors and more. Guest stories are automatically fitted with descriptions and tagged during the curation process, saving hotel marketers time and eliminating the inefficiencies of manual organization. Instead, hotels can easily search the authentic content their guests provide in seconds.
Faces AI, a component of the artificial intelligence by Flip.to, detects human faces and can identify attributes like age and gender in a guest story.
Vision AI and Faces AI make the impact of the advocacy platform for hotels even more potent. By thoughtfully applying artificial intelligence, Flip.to gives heightened context to the content and interactions of advocacy for hotel marketers worldwide.
“Flip.to is designed to capture warm leads with rich touch points across the entire guest journey. Vision AI takes that even further.” said Edward St. Onge, President at Flip.to. “It makes everything hotels are doing on our platform, as well as their others forms of marketing, even smarter and more compelling. The possibilities are limitless.”
Hoteliers worldwide use Flip.to to wield the power of a story well told and capture new guests. To begin reaching, inspiring and converting an entirely new global audience every day, take a tour or say hello.
It’s here! One of the biggest conferences of the year. We’re headed to New Orleans for the 2016 edition of HITEC. The days are full of innovation, insights, and a bit of fun. Here’s a cheat sheet of just a few of the places we’ll be. Say hello, or reach out and let’s get together.
Entrepreneur 20x
Morial Convention Center—Rivergate Room, 1–4 PM
Join our own president, Ed St.Onge, as he sits on the judges panel for the second year in a row at Entrepreneur 20x. You’ll hear pitches from innovative start-ups in hotel tech at this competition. Ed’s joining a host of hospitality veterans on the judges panel, from CIO’s and angel investors, to serial entrepreneurs and industry insiders.
HITEC Opening Reception — “A Night in ‘Nola”
Generations Hall – A Night in Nola , 6:30–9 PM
New Orleans Jazz, and classic Nola food and drinks? Say no more—we’ll be stopping by.
HITEC Exhibits, Booth #1615
Tuesday, 10 AM–4 PM / Wednesday, 10 AM–3 PM / Thursday, 10 AM–2 PM
The booth! We’ve got a ton of amazing things to share this year for Flip.to. To start, we’re unveiling our newest product update—Vision AI.
This powerful new feature uses machine-based insights to let hotels better understand and effortlessly curate their ever-growing library of guest-created content. This innovative use of artificial intelligence is the first of its kind in hotel tech. With Vision AI, hotels can now amplify their brand by delivering incredibly authentic, personal content to different segments of travelers and better convert them into future guests.
Stop by Booth #1615 to see this and other product updates, check out our brand new tour, and take a photo or two with the team. Just be sure to say hello! (We’ve even brought back the comfy couch.)
Tech Talks: Engagement Vs. Communications: What Are the Best Solutions?
Morial Convention Center, 11–11:15 AM
Industry veteran, friend-of-Flip.to, and all-around hotel tech expert Alan Young of Puzzle Partner will be sharing a bit of his knowledge in his tech talk on better hotel & guest engagement. Short but sweet, this is one you don’t want to miss.
Travel Trends that Matter with Google, GCommerce, & Flip.to
La Louisiane, 725 Iberville Street, 4–6 PM
If you registered early, you’re one of the lucky attendees! This sought-after event features insightful discussion on hospitality and travel marketing trends as told by Google, GCommerce and Flip.to. It’s not too late to join the waitlist! We’ll keep in touch if any spots open up.
Break the Ice with Flip.to, Lanyon, NAVIS and Social Tables
Bourbon Vieux, 503 Bourbon Street, 8–11 PM
Break the ice and snap a photo with a new friend while you mix & mingle with the industry’s best. Be ready to take part in our photo contest after the event—you could end with some sweet prizes. This event is by invitation—get in touch to request yours!
HSMAI’s ROC Conference
Morial Convention Center—Great Hall, 7 AM–6:30 PM
Our very own Ed St. Onge and Danielle Fierman will be onsite for the 2016 Revenue Optimization Conference. Be sure to stop by our sponsor in the Great Hall. Drop us line if you’d like to set up time to chat, or even just have coffee.
Super Session: M&A in the Hospitality Tech Sector: Who is Next? What Does it Mean?
Morial Convention Center, 9–10:30 AM
Our own Ed St.Onge takes the stage once again as part of Thursday’s Super Session: M&A in the Hospitality Tech Sector: Who is Next? What Does it Mean? Sit in as the industry’s best explore the world of Mergers & Acquisitions in hotel tech.
Ed joins a pane of other well-known names in hospitality: Larry Hall, managing director with Trillium Services Group, Alex Alt, president of Sabre Hospitality Solutions, Chris Hemmeter, managing director with Thayer Ventures, and Bob Post, CEO and president with thing5.
We’ve shown you how to reach and inspire entirely new audiences of travelers worldwide with Flip.to. Now let’s see what happens when all that goodness comes together for Crystal Lodge, Adrift Hotel, Inn on Fifth and Turtle Bay Resort.
Sound interesting? Introduce your hotel to the world with Flip.to. Take a tour, or adventure on to see the impact of advocacy for more hotels below:
At Flip.to, we’re constantly working with people in the industry that inspire us. Here’s a special post from our own team, originally featured by our partner and hospitality leader, NAVIS. Looking to collaborate? Get in touch and let’s do something amazing together.
Experiential travel has taken off. Guests are seeking travel that inspires, and are looking to buy into more than just a place to stay. For hotels, this is a good thing. NAVIS among others has shown that as the desire for the “experiential” grows, so grows the perceived economic value, revealing a big opportunity for increased revenue.
So how do hotels tap into this phenomenon? The key is in truly understanding the guest journey. The path to travel starts well before a guest is ready to book, and the inspiration and research phases are primed for influencing travel decisions.
Once you understand these key phases, you can immediately begin executing a more effective marketing strategy for your hotel. Two tools stand out as a powerful means to an end—stories and data.
Why? Numbers and data provide the unbiased and objective view of what’s going on. Stories on the other hand are real, authentic, and anecdotal experiences. As hotel marketers you have the ability to marry these two concepts for your most powerful hotel marketing yet.
The path to travel—inspiration with stories
An experience shared by a friend. An upcoming anniversary. A wow moment. These are the true triggers that spark interest in travel. From there, the search begins.
So how do you capture a potential traveler here? Inspire them from the beginning.
Not only is this possible, but it’s what future travelers expect—and are willing to pay more for. Reaching and inspiring guests at the right time is critical for hotel marketers who continue to want to generate the most revenue.
This holds even more true when you consider that research from Expedia shows users visit 38 sites before making a travel decision over the course of about 45 days before actually booking. In fact, according to Travel Weekly, travelers are spending 25% more time researching and booking hotels than flights.
This drives home the importance of getting in front of your guests in the beginning, and is the reason stories—especially those from your guests—are hugely powerful in inspiring and influencing future stays. They’re authentic and show real emotion. Stories are more compelling than any ad, both to the friends and family of your past guests and curious on-lookers to your site.
Studies have shown that stories are not only more persuasive, they’re also over 20 times more memorable than facts. The emotional component is not only compelling, but it triggers real curiosity, piquing a user’s interest to explore more.
Using data to determine context
The key for us as hotel marketers? Know what story to tell, and when. And here’s where data comes in.
Know each of your guests to personalize service, and send meaningful marketing communications that enhance the relationship over time. By capturing the right attributes and preferences, you’ll be able to deliver the best message. Choose the right channels based on your demographic, and even complement these efforts by tapping into your guests to distribute content and to introduce you to future travelers.
Let’s look at a quick example.
Google’s 2014 Road to the Traveler’s Decision reported that most families planning travel are undetermined when they begin thinking about their trip. In fact, over 50% were considering multiple destinations or were completely undecided.
What’s this mean? For one thing, family trip planners are a big opportunity for your hotel to inspire travel before the search begins. Start by using data to analyze trends in which your past and potential family travelers stay. Know what appeals to this segment for your hotel, learn preferences and behaviors, and lastly identify a group of potential leads.
Data provides context. You can easily identify and know what to share in order to have the best conversation with this demographic. Authentic stories provide the compelling content.
Together, stories and data will not only let you have the best conversation with your guests, they’ll also help you reach and convert travelers who are truly a fit for your hotel. You’ll build better brand affinity for a lifetime of stays, and will truly be connecting with your guests.
Start delivering unique, personal experiences to everyone that visits your site, no matter who they are or where they’re from. You’ll reach a global audience of travelers that are a great fit for your hotel, while converting warm leads into your future guests—each and every day.
Sound interesting? Introduce your hotel to the world with Flip.to. Take a tour, or adventure on to see the power of a story well told below:
Advocacy platform bolsters marketing and revenue, builds affinity, and inspires new guests for Pacific Northwest property
ORLANDO, FL — April 13, 2016 — Adrift Hotel and Spa, an eclectic boutique hotel in the heart of Long Beach, Washington, has tapped the Flip.to advocacy platform to attract an enormous new audience of travelers, while enhancing their brand with compelling, authentic guest stories.
Since launching February of 2014, the property has seen tremendous success, and has since reached a new audience of over 500,000. This is in addition to converting over 4,000 warm leads for the hotel to nurture down the path to becoming a future guest, leading to thousands of booked room nights for the boutique hotel.
“We’ve gained the attention of travelers worldwide,” noted Linh DePledge, Operations & Marketing Director for Adrift Hotel. “The Flip.to advocacy platform has been key in driving and converting new guests, especially in the competitive Long Beach area.”
Adrift’s success on the platform can in large part be attributed to the implementation of Photo Explorer, a digital experience built to captivate and inspire new audiences of global travelers worldwide, while letting the hotel tell a richer story full of authentic guest experiences. The platform not only drives traffic and leads, but also captures hugely captivating guest content for the hotel to infuse into their online and other marketing efforts.
“The guest stories we’ve captured using Flip.to have brought a genuine voice to our online presence, while boosting traffic from our ideal travelers,” DePledge went on to add. “Whether someone is looking for a dog-friendly property, a romantic getaway, or a place where they have the freedom to enjoy the outdoors, the Flip.to platform has unveiled some incredibly fun, personable, and even heartwarming experiences. The quality of this guest-created content is second-to-none.”
Adrift Hotel and Spa creates unique experiences that cater to the individual, giving visitors a true sense of place. The Flip.to platform uses advocacy to tap into these unique experiences, letting guests share everything from their excitement for an upcoming trip to the favorite moment of their stay with friends and family, tracking all traffic back to the hotel website. As guest networks are full of like-minded individuals often with similar tastes in travel, the platform is the perfect fit for independent and boutique properties like Adrift seeking to reach the right guest.
“Adrift Hotel have captured some of the most aesthetic and inspiring guest stories we’ve seen,” said Deborah Moses, Senior Director of Sales, Americas at Flip.to. “Most importantly, they’re real experiences from actual guests. They’re aspirational, but also attainable, which truly resonates with the audiences of future travelers they attract.”
Adrift Hotel is an eclectic, modern property with an urban-industrial vibe that borrows cues from the local peninsula landscape. The hotel offers a diverse range of packages, from clam digging, to beachside bonfires and even dog-friendly getaways. This is in addition to complimentary cruiser bikes to explore, locally sourced food and cocktails, and free live music nightly at their onsite restaurant, Pickled Fish. To reserve a stay, visit www.AdriftHotel.com, or call 800-561-2456.
This year’s NAVIS Leaders Conference (NLC) recently wrapped up and we are honored to have been invited to participate. There were about 80 different companies represented, ranging from vacation rentals to large resorts and historic properties all over North America. Also represented were many industry leading companies like GCommerce, HeBS Digital, and Miles Partnership.
What I found particularly interesting were the keynote presentations where Peter Yesawich and Larry Mogelonsky dove into the experiential economy and how hotels can and must adapt their strategies (online and offline) to remain competitive.
And the Navis partner hotels couldn’t be in better hands to deliver on those challenges. It was evident that Navis took great care to focus more on the “why it should be done this way” and less on the “how-to” aspects of their services. This is precisely what an attendee is looking for both in a partner and in how they put their travel budget to work.
Here’s a short video recapping the 3-day event from our perspective. I was only left with one question: where’s NLC 2017 going to be?
In just 56 days, Nickelodeon Suites Resort reached over 200 thousand friends and relatives through guest stories—that’s over 3,500 warm introductions for their hotel to like-minded future travelers around the world every day.
We’re thrilled to see Nick Hotel succeed in such rapid time. We recently caught up with Deanna Padilla, Marketing Manager at Nick Hotel, who said, “If you are looking to increase your social awareness and reach new audiences while building your relationship with existing fans, then Photo Advocacy is a must for your property.”
The guest stories have poured in. Here are some of the incredible moments Nick Hotel has seen since going live with Photo Explorer.
To see how Nick Hotel and other hotels are capturing their guests incredible travel stories, be sure to check out See it live: how hotels are using Photo Explorer.
