Attracting Group business can be as simple as making yourself a source of trust for event planners, and content marketing is a great way to achieve this. A content marketing strategy can:
- Increase brand awareness
- Increase authority on a particular topic
- Develop trust with prospects and customers
- Boost website traffic and leads
Over the past few years, content marketing has become an integral part of an effective marketing strategy and the group business industry is no different. When done right, it can turn your hotel website into a hub of invaluable guidance and information for event planners.
Most audiences crave helpful, non-salesy content on a wide array of subjects. By delivering that content, teams can build solid relationships resulting in not only sales but ongoing, positive word-of-mouth. This, in turn, increases the likelihood of increasing group business.
What is content marketing, and why do I need it?
“Whether by storytelling, through a blog post, an infographic or a white paper – the key is to offer added value. Good content marketing awakens positive associations with one’s brand and increases its awareness in the long run.”– Textbroker
Content marketing isn’t just about posting the occasional blog, hoping that it gains some traction. It consists of multiple formats, strategies, research into audience search intent and an engaging style of writing, to name a few.
Great content should help event planners demonstrate that you not only know your stuff but also care about their pain points. People can smell a sales pitch from a mile away, so steer clear of self-promotion and jargon.
Why is this important to your business?
According to Textbroker, content marketing can generate 3x more leads than traditional marketing. It increases brand recognition across platforms such as Facebook and Google, which in turn drives traffic to your website. The better your content is, the better it will fare organically and socially and often, they work together.
The Content Marketing Institute (CMI), also reported that 87% of UK marketers use content marketing, but while this is true, few have a solid strategy around content creation or dissemination.
Content creation (higher quality, more efficient) and strategy (development or adjustment) are the most effective factors contributing to success.
Building a content strategy to generate Group business
Every organisation’s strategy is different. As a Group hotel, you need to position your property as a go-to destination that will delight planners, meeting attendees, and remove barriers to streamline the event planning process. The components of that strategy, though, will generally be the same, and developing them will entail:
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Setting specific goals and objectives:
Increasing Group business and event planners’ interest is your core goal, but you need to think about how you will achieve this. Goals may include increasing webpage traffic and marketing qualified leads, which will lead to more Group business.
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Identifying the target audience; in this case, event planners!
You need to understand the audience whom you are trying to reach. What are their pain points? How do they conduct business? Once you have a good idea of who your audience is, you will have a better chance of choosing the right communication channels, messaging and types of content. Your main goal here should be to provide value, so ensure you always strive to help. When audiences are different, consider using separate channels to be the most effective. You want your messages to resonate.
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Identifying what’s relevant to the target audience:
Don’t make assumptions here. Do whatever research is necessary to help you better understand those you are trying to reach and influence. We can give you a head start here. Resources such as the 2023 Cvent Planner Sourcing Report offers a high starting point for learning what matters most to event planners and where their pain points are.
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Identifying and analysing competitors:
Your competitors represent any available alternatives to what you have to offer your audience. Once identified, you need to think about how you will position yourself in different — and better — ways.
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Determining how you will measure results:
Initially, you may want to focus on process measures (such as the number of new followers); ultimately, though, real results matter most. How are you using content marketing to engage with meeting planners and establish your venue as a go-to place for world-class events?
Having a strategy, following and updating it when necessary, can help you maximise your time and boost results.
Take the time to think about and document your content strategy. You’ll build relationships and generate more Group business sooner than you think.
