If hospitality marketers have learnt anything during the pandemic, it’s that email is still one of the most effective marketing tools available. While social media, chatbots and SMS play an essential role, email remains the most reliable form of communication.

However, with the upcoming changes to email privacy, delivering your email to its intended recipient is no longer an easy task. Automated spam filters, either at the ISP or desktop level, rate your email against a set of criteria and can prevent it from reaching their inbox.

Moreover, your recipient may feel the message is not relevant to them, unsubscribe and block future communications. Or worse, they might report your business to their ISP as spammers – and this is something businesses can ill afford to happen.

Indeed, Forrester Research found that 57 per cent of email users have filters built into the web-based email and 55 per cent into the ISP or workplace application. That’s a considerable amount of clients trying to avoid your message.

Spam is no longer viewed as “I didn’t give permission”. Today, it includes “It doesn’t interest me” or “I don’t know who it is from”. And consumers know the difference between spam and opt-in email.

So how can resorts maximise email and communicate relevant news, offers and information with their owners, members and clients? Here are some top tips.

It’s all about the content

The days of blasting emails to anybody and everybody on your list have gone. Today, marketers need to consider every aspect of their email to make it stands out from all the others. If not, resorts could drive potential guests away and create a negative experience for their owners.

While there is no guarantee that your recipients will open your email, you must at least give them a reason to do so. This can be achieved by offering value in all your communications. 

For example, the promise of a discount or a special offer will encourage them to click through to find out – and keep subscribed to your list.

Other ways to include value in your email could also include:

• Updates about your resort and how you are spending their maintenance fees;
• News about upcoming events both at your resort and the local area; and
• Information about your COVID response so they know you are looking out for them.

Remember to prioritise quality over quantity. For example, your email list might want to know that you have upgraded the reception area. But might not like to learn about more mundane maintenance. This type of content might encourage them to unsubscribe.

Think about the words and the design

Now that you have valuable content to email to your list, you must consider how your email reads and how it looks to entice them to open it. Remember, an effective email must have a clear goal: to make users click the link at the bottom.

• Grab their attention with a strong subject line – if that doesn’t catch their eye, your email won’t be opened however good your content or offer;
• Use inspiring language to inform, excite and encourage conversions – add some urgency to the offer too;
• Reinforce your resort’s branding with the same tone of voice, look and feel they expect when interacting with you – and when they first subscribed;
• Use design to visually grab attention and encourage the recipient to read the email once they have opened it. But keep it clean and easy to navigate;
• Add one photo to the top along with your logo to help clients recognise who is sending the email. However, multiple images and excessive design can distract readers. Instead, place the Call to Action button in a prominent position (and make it easy for those reading on mobile phones to click on);
• Make sure your email is responsive, so it displays correctly on every device, every element is visible, and the links work; and
• Make sure you always use the same name in from name, from address and subject line and use language to avoid spam-catching phrases or special characters. Avoid using words like free, you win, time-limited, guaranteed.

Personalise when possible

Personalisation is one of the most potent ways a resort can get subscribers to open their emails. If an owner or guest can see that you care about who they are, where they are located, and their interests, they will believe the content is relevant to them. And they are more likely to open and read it.

As a vacation ownership resort, you should have a wealth of data about who your guests are, what they own and what they do when they visit. Leverage this data to create personalised messages and offers for them.

Merlin’s Marketing Module can help with this as it has access to all your client’s ownership, accounting and usage data. So, for example, if you know they use your restaurant during their stay or book treatments at your spa, you can send an email that acknowledges this and encourages them to book again.

Getting your timing right

When you distribute your email can have an impact on whether it is opened or not. Getting the timing right with the right message can increase your open rate and conversions. 

If a client has just booked a rental with you, sending out an email promoting a new offer immediately afterwards will not perform well. However, sending them an email with events in the local area, confirmation of your amenities and the services you offer will be far better received. 

And stay away from message overkill with hard-sell messages – do your clients need to hear from you so often? Would they prefer a weekly email over daily communication?

Finally, don’t send emails late at night. This is when spammers regularly mass blast.

Outsource your email

Using the services of an Email Service Provider (ESP) such as Campaign Monitor or MailChimp can help your email reach its intended recipient.

ESPs are whitelisted, have positive relationships with ISPs and ensure best practice is followed. In addition, they provide easy access to email solutions that improve your ability to send emails recipients want to receive and open.

Safelisting

The average person receives 42 unwanted emails a day, so safelisting is an excellent way to avoid client filters and ensure delivery.

Safelisting is simply encouraging recipients to add your resort to their address book or safe sender list. It can be the difference between successful email campaigns and failure.

In your next email campaign, ask recipients to add your business to their safelist – or make it easier and include a link to instructions on how to do it. This will fast track future emails to their inbox and not junk folder – at no cost to you.

Email marketing is a powerful tool, but only if your emails are being opened. Resorts need to think through what value they can offer through email and then give the copy, design, personalisation, and automation the attention they deserve. 

Source: https://insights.ehotelier.com