As a hotel owner, you're always looking for new ways to promote your business and reach more potential guests. With so many options out there, it can be tough to know where to start. You may have heard that Facebook Ads are an effective way to reach new customers, but you're not sure if they're right for your business. Let's take a closer look at how Facebook Ads work and whether or not they could be a good fit for your hotel.
Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms with over 2 billion active users. And while most people use Facebook to connect with friends and family, it's also an incredibly powerful tool that hospitality businesses can use to reach their target market. Facebook Ads allow you to specifically target people based on their location, demographics, and interests.
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How Facebook Ads Work
Facebook Ads are a form of online advertising that allows businesses to target specific audiences with their ads. You can create an ad that appears in the newsfeeds of Facebook users who meet the criteria that you specify. For example, you can target people who live in a certain city, who have visited your website in the past, or who have shown an interest in similar products or services.
Facebook Ads are cost effective
Facebook Ads are an incredibly cost-effective way to reach your target market. You can set a daily budget as low as £1, and the average cost-per-click is only £0.30p. That means for every £1 you spend on your ad campaign, you're being shown in 30,000 Facebook feeds, and can earn a little over 3 clicks on your website every day. You can always dial up your budget when you need a boost and dial it back when your pipeline of bookings is looking good.
Creating Effective Facebook Ads
When creating a Facebook Ad, you'll need to choose an image or video, write some text, and include a call-to-action (CTA).
The Quality of the Visuals
When choosing an image or video for your Facebook ad, it's important to make sure the visuals are high quality. This means that the resolution is good and there are no pixelated areas. The colours should be vibrant and eye-catching, but not overly filtered. And finally, any text overlays should be legible and easy to read.
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The Emotion It Evokes
The key to success in hotel advertising is to create visuals that speak to your audience on an emotional level and make them want to book a stay at your property.
Use images that tell a story
When choosing what images to use in your hotel's advertising, be sure to select ones that tell a story and evoke emotion. For example, if you're targeting families, you might want to use images that show happy children playing in the pool or exploring the grounds. Alternatively, if you're trying to appeal to couples, you might want to use romantic images of a couple enjoying a sunset dinner on the patio or strolling hand-in-hand through the gardens.
Use video footage that sells the experience
Video is an incredibly powerful tool for evoking emotion and selling the experience of staying at your hotel. Be sure to include footage of people enjoying themselves at your property—whether they're taking a dip in the pool, getting pampered in the spa, or exploring the local area. And don't forget to add in some on-screen text or narration so viewers can understand what they're seeing and why it matters.
Use music that sets the mood
The right piece of music can make all the difference when it comes to evoking emotion in your hotel's advertising. If you're going for a feeling of luxury and relaxation, you'll want to choose something slower and more mellow. If you're trying to appeal to adrenaline junkies, on the other hand, you might want something with a faster tempo and an energetic feel. No matter what mood you're trying to set, be sure to choose music that fits well with the visuals and overall tone of your ad.
Facebook Ads that are relevant to your target audience
One of the most important things you can do is to make sure that your target audience is seeing your ads. But to make sure that your target audience is seeing your ads, you need to make sure that your ads are relevant to them. Here's how you can do that.
Do Your Research
The first step to making sure that your hotel's Facebook ad campaign is relevant to your target audience is to do your research. You need to know who your target audience is, what they're interested in, and what kind of language they use. Once you have a good understanding of your target audience, you'll be able to create content that resonates with them.
Select the Right Visuals
Of course, you also need to make sure that your image or video is relevant to your target audience. Relevance is key when selecting visuals for your hotel's Facebook ad campaign. Make sure that the imagery you use speaks to your target audience and tells them something about your hotel that they didn't already know.
Use Language That They'll Understand
In addition to using relevant visuals, you also need to use language that your target audience will understand. Avoid industry jargon and insider terms that only those in the hospitality industry would know. Instead, use language that anyone can understand. This will ensure that your ad campaign is relevant to a wider range of people.
Keep It Simple
Finally, keep in mind that people are put off by complex messages. If you want your ad campaign to be relevant to your target audience, then you need to keep it simple. Stick to one message and make sure that it's something that anyone can understand quickly and easily.
Create captivating captions and headlines
Both the copy and visuals that you use in your ad will play a big role in determining its success. When it comes to the caption text, make sure that it is clear, concise, and benefits-focused. The headline should grab attention and the body copy should explain what makes your hotel the perfect choice for travellers.
Use strong verbs that evoke emotion
When writing your caption, use strong, active verbs that will make people feel something. It’s the emotions that your hotel evokes that will ultimately persuade people to book a stay. Some examples of strong verbs that you can use include experience, relax, escape, indulge, explore.
Use creative metaphors or similes
Metaphors and similes are a great way to add personality to your caption and make it more memorable. For example, you could say "Our suites are so spacious, you'll feel like you're living in a penthouse" or " Our pool is so tranquil, you'll feel like you're in paradise."
Use power words
Power words are vocabulary that packs a punch and gets people's attention. Some examples of power words include luxury, elegance, premium, intimate, first-class. These words help give your hotel an air of sophistication and exclusivity - two things that potential guests look for in a hotel.
Be clear about what guests will get when they stay at your hotel
Your caption should be clear about what guests can expect when they stay at your hotel. Vagueness will only confuse potential guests and dissuade them from booking a stay.
First, you want to make sure that your caption accurately reflects the atmosphere of your hotel. Are you a luxury hotel? A family-friendly hotel? A budget-friendly hotel?
Your caption should make it clear what type of experience guests can expect to have when they stay at your property.
Second, you want to be clear about the amenities and services your hotel offers. Do you have a pool? A gym? A restaurant? Free breakfast? Wi-Fi? Guests will want to know what amenities are available to them during their stay, so be sure to list them out in your caption.
Finally, you'll want to include any special deals or promotions in your caption. If you're running a special offer on rooms, or if there's a package deal that includes meals or activities, mention it in your caption so that guests are aware of it.
We work with a partnership of videographers, web developers and graphic designers at Torbay Hospitality. Treat is your one-stop shop for marketing in Torbay and gives you priority access to top talent in Torquay, Torbay and Devon.
Use keywords wisely
Just like with any other form of writing, it's important to use keywords wisely in your headlines and captions. But beware—stuffing your headlines or captions full of keywords will not only turn off potential customers but could also result in your ad being flagged as spam by Facebook. Instead, focus on using keywords thoughtfully and creatively so that they complement (rather than dominate) your headline or caption.
Call-to-action
Your CTA (call-to-action) is an important part of your advertising because it can be the difference between someone taking action and someone simply scrolling past your ad. For your advertising to be effective, it needs to have a strong CTA.
What is a CTA?
The CTA tells the person viewing your ad what you want them to do next. To increase your hotel bookings, always choose the call-to-action "Book Now” and link the button to your website. You want people to feel like they need to book a room at your hotel as soon as they see your ad.
Your CTA should be clear, concise, and actionable. It should be Something that someone can do immediately after seeing your ad. A good CTA will make people want to act now rather than later.
How to Write a Good CTA
1. Keep it simple: A good CTA is short and to the point. It should be no more than a few words long.
2. Make it clear: A good CTA tells people exactly what you want them to do. There should be no confusion about what action you want people to take.
3.Make it actionable: A good CTA tells people that they can take the desired action right now. It should make people feel like they need to book a room at your hotel right now.
4. Use strong verbs: A good CTA uses strong verbs that convey a sense of urgency. Words like "book," "reserve," and "secure" are good examples of strong verbs that convey a sense of urgency.
5. Be specific: A good CTA is specific about what you're offering and what you want people to do next. For example, if you're promoting a new hotel opening, your CTA might be something like "Book Now." You want people to know that you're offering rooms for sale, and you want them to act quickly by booking one before they're all gone."
Targeting is essential
The most important step in creating effective Facebook Ads is to identify your target market. Who are the people that are most likely to book a room at your hotel? Once you've identified your target market, you need to create an Ad that speaks directly to them. What kind of holiday experience are you offering?
Once your ad is created, it will be placed in the newsfeeds of people who match the target audience that you've selected.
Use Detailed Targeting Options
When creating your ad, be sure to take advantage of Facebook's detailed targeting options. This will allow you to narrow down your audience by interests, demographics, behaviours, and more. The more specific you can be with your targeting, the better chance you have of reaching your ideal customer.
Create Lookalike Audiences
Another great way to target your ideal customer on Facebook is to create lookalike audiences. Lookalike audiences are created by taking an existing list of customers (such as an email list) and finding other Facebook users who share similar characteristics. This is a great way to reach new potential customers who are likely to be interested in your product or service.
Use Custom Audiences
Custom audiences allow you to target ads to people who have already interacted with your business in some way. For example, you can target people who have visited your website or taken a particular action on your website (such as subscribing to your newsletter). This is a great way to remarket to people who are already familiar with your brand.
Test Different Ad Types
There are a variety of different ad types available on Facebook, so it's important to test out different types to see which ones work best for your business. Some popular ad types include video ads, Carousel ads (which allow you to showcase multiple products in a single ad), immersive ads that fill the screen, and lead ads (which make it easy for people to sign up for something like an email newsletter).
Utilize A/B Testing
Finally, don't forget to utilize A/B testing when creating your ads. A/B testing simply means testing out two different versions of an ad and seeing which one performs better. This could be something as simple as testing out two different headlines or images. A/B testing is a great way to ensure that your ads are performing at their best.
Location targeting is essential
Research shows that most of the tourists to Torbay comes from the M5 corridor and population centres in the southern part of the country.
The Facebook ad targeting screen is one of the most important tools you have at your disposal when setting up your ad campaigns. It allows you to target specific audiences based on their interests, demographics, and even locations. You can even use the "drop pin" feature to target people who are near a certain location, which can be especially useful for businesses that rely on foot traffic, like hotels, attractions, and restaurants.
How to drop a pin on the Facebook Ads map
Use the "drop pin" feature on the Facebook ad targeting screen so that you can start targeting your ads more effectively.
Log into your Facebook account and go to the create campaign page
Click on the "ad set" that you need to target
Click on the "audience" section
Click on the "locations" drop-down menu and select "everyone in this location." (Make sure to erase the entire United Kingdom, which is selected by default.)
Enter city that you want to target in the text field that appears and select the geographic radius. Alternatively, (or in combination with the city search) click on the "pin" icon next to the text field and then click on the map to drop a pin at your desired location.
You can also use the "radius" tool to adjust the size of your target area. Simply click and drag the circle around your pin until it reaches your desired radius.
TIP: When selecting a city / town and using the radius tool, the smallest radius is 17km. When you use the Pin tool instead, you can reduce the radius as low as 1km for pinpoint targeting.
Once you're happy with your targeting, click "save" and then "next." Continue setting up your ad as usual and then publish it when you're ready.
Targeting ensures your advertising budget is put to best use
The Facebook ad targeting screen is a powerful tool that every business should be using to get the most out of their ad campaigns. By taking advantage of features like the "drop pin" function, you can ensure that your ads are reaching the people who are most likely to convert into bookings.
Connect your Meta Pixel to your Ad account
If you're running an ad for your hotel, it's important to measure its effectiveness so that you know whether or not it's worth your time and money. The best way to do this is by including a tracking link, or Pixel. A Pixel is a piece of code that allows you track conversions—that is, how many people take action after seeing your ad. This allows you to track how many people click on your ad and what they do after they click. You can then use this data to optimize your ad campaigns so that you're getting the most bang for your buck.
Read the step-by-step guide to adding the Meta Pixel to your Facebook advertising campaigns
Refine and adjust for the highest performing marketing budget
Tracking your ads is important because it allows you to see which ones are performing well and which ones aren't. By making sure that you're including a tracking link (Pixel) in your ads, you'll be able to get the data you need to make informed decisions about where to allocate your ad spend. This will help you get more bookings and grow your business.
Tracking with Google Analytics
There are a few different ways to track your ads. One is to use a third-party service like Google Analytics. With Google Analytics, you can create a custom URL for your ad that includes parameters for tracking. For example, let's say you want to track how many people are clicking on your ad from Facebook. You would create a URL that looks something like this:
www.YourHotelName.com/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ad1
Another way to track your ads is to use the native tools that your website platform provides.
Make changes right on the app
Finally, Facebook Ads is linked to the Ads Manager app, giving you the ability to track your results and make changes on the fly. If you see that your ad isn't performing as well as you'd like, you can make changes to improve your results. In fact, Facebook will make recommendations so you can optimise your ad and use features you might not be aware of.
Facebook Ads are important for your hospitality business
Facebook Ads is a powerful tool that every hotel owner should be using to increase bookings. By targeting a specific audience and tracking your results, you can maximize your return on investment and ensure that your hotel is always booked solid.
Interested to learn more?
Treat helps hospitality businesses right across Torbay with compelling Facebook advertising that delivers real business results. Get in touch today to talk to our Facebook advertising experts by email at hello@treattorbay.co.uk or book a chat in our diary: