LODGING LEADERS
037 | Why Digital Marketing is Key for Independent Hotels with Gaurav Varma
LODGING LEADERS
Gaurav Varma is Product Marketing Manager for Milestone Internet Marketing – a leading provider of Internet marketing solutions for the lodging industry. Milestone does it all, from Website Design to Search Engine Optimization, Pay-per-Click marketing, Social Media Optimization, Email marketing, you name it. Milestone currently works with nearly 2000 hotels and retail customers, driving over $150M in annual revenue for its clients.
In November, I attended the AAHOA Independent Hotelier Conference in Houston, and Milestone’s CEO, Anil Aggarwal, was one of the speakers. His presentation on “Why Digital Marketing is Key for Independent Hotels” was so informative, that I reached out to Anil to ask if we could use that as a guide for a podcast interview.
Anil not only agreed, he connected me with Guarav to expand on that amazing content for today’s episode.
And, as an added bonus, Milestone agreed to share their slide deck for FREE with the Lodging Leaders community. The content they provided applies to any hotel, not just independent properties, and you can use the information to improve your business without spending a dime with Milestone.
In This Episode, We Talk About:
- The 4 areas that hoteliers need to think about in terms of digital marketing, including a Website, Reviews, SEO and Pay Per Click.
- Why a hotel should invest in a Website and Marketing, and why direct website business is so important.
- The ROI for websites, and the type of returns you can expect.
- The technology behind the websites, and Gaurav explains some of the technical jargon you hear, like mobile-friendly, responsive adaptive designs, and optimization.
- Search engines, ideal search placement, and Pay Per Click advertising (PPC).
- Reviews, social media and effectively managing your online reputation.
Resources & Links
Gaurav Varma
- Email: gaurav.v[at]milestoneinternet.com
- Gaurav on LinkedIn
- Gaurav on Twitter
Milestone Internet Marketing, Inc.
- Milestone Website
- Milestone on Facebook
- Milestone on Twitter
- Milestone on Google+
- Milestone on Flickr
- Milestone on YouTube
- Milestone on LinkedIn
Milestone Internet Marketing, Inc.
3001 Oakmead Village Drive
Santa Clara, California 95051
Toll Free: 866-615-2516
Phone: 1-408-492-9055
Email: sales[at]milestoneinternet.com
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346 | Repositioning For Recovery: Hotel conversions to outpace new builds
Lodging Econometrics has tracked the hotel industry since 1998. Its global database includes new-hotel pipelines as well as renovations and brand conversions. Hotel franchisers once eager to launch new brands are focused on converting existing hotels because it’s a faster way to recover revenue lost to the COVID-19 pandemic than through new construction. In Episode 346, Lodging Leaders explores the increasing number of conversions in the U.S. hotel industry and what owners and operators need to consider before repositioning an asset.
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345 | ‘Rosy View of Future’: Hotel industry sees unleashing of pent-up investor demand
In the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., financiers anticipated a swell of distressed hotel businesses. Some raised rescue funds to respond to what they thought was a pending crisis. Though there are financial rescues taking place, the level of such activity is far below what industry advisers and fund managers expected. Commercial real estate investors positioned to act in the early days of the pandemic held off and are now just beginning to unleash their cash hoards totaling billions of dollars. Episode 345 of Lodging Leaders podcast explores the state of capital investment in the hotel industry.