PR in the hospitality industry is often dismissed as an expense that does not really need the investment. Brands are often more eager to place their investment in printed advertisements and traditional marketing strategies.
But in this digital age, the communications and media industry has increased in complexity and diversity and as a result, has complicated and altered the marketing and promotional techniques required to thrive in the hospitality industry.
Gone are the days when venues could sweep a poor episode of service under the carpet and keep it on the down low. Now, with the rise of social media and the visibility of brands across social platforms and digital media, hospitality venues are faced with the threat of every customer becoming a keyboard warrior and tainting the image of their brand by posting online.
It is now more than ever, critical to have a Public Relations team to monitor, respond and react to mentions of your brand anywhere in the digital landscape.
It is this unique service provided by a PR team that enables a brand within hospitality to maintain one’s image and reputation as well as implement a strategy to sway customers and other brands to understand, support and visit you.
In other words, PR makes you look good. And looking good in the hospitality industry is critical to attracting new customers, beating competitors, and nurturing consumer relationships.
So let’s break it down to the top 5 advantages of implementing successful PR in the hospitality industry:
1. Increase in brand visibility
In today’s COVID climate, it is rare for customers to waltz down the street and simply walk into a restaurant for a meal. People have to plan, and this planning is driven by scouring the web for reviews, promotions and enticing restaurant aesthetics. PR ensures that your brand is visible in the digital landscape and therefore likely to attract bookings. And, PR teams have clever tricks up their sleeves to target customers without them even knowing they are about to become one. Techniques such as newsjacking and multi-media campaign strategies, can enable a brand to become visible across platforms simultaneously, and attract bookings from spontaneous consumerism.
2. Building and cementing relationships
The hospitality industry is all about building good relationships, and good relationships can’t be built without good PR. I mean, it’s literally in the name. A PR team can use publications to engage and attract customers. However, with the channels provided by social media, they can also create solid and personalised relationships with customers; responding to enquiries, bookings and offering personalised service.
3. Crisis Management
If the past 18 months have taught us anything, it’s that a crisis can strike at any moment. PR teams are ready to act fast whenever a crisis hits. Whether that’s dealing with bad press, having to announce negative company news or guidance through a global pandemic, a PR team will be there to help.
We understand the media and we understand the people reading it, allow us to strategically manage the situation.
4. Innovation & Reactivity
Employing PR within the hospitality industry does not only equip you with the capacity to respond to crises. It also enables your brand to be responsive to trending topics by connecting your venue to the cultural moment through clever campaigns. Ever wonder why so many brands create content and campaigns connected to Love Island phrases and trends? By inserting your brand into a trending topic, you are getting your brand name involved in the conversation and constantly increasing the visibility of it in the media.
5. Improve your SEO
Ever wondered how to get to the first page of Google? Whilst there are many tactics to assist in this, one way to boost your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is by earning strong backlinks.
A PR team will create campaigns that will land your business links in respected online publications and websites. Not only will this drive traffic to your site through people clicking on the link, it will also allow Google’s bots to find your website.
The more relevant links from high DA websites, the higher Google feels your page deserves to be ranked.
The hospitality industry is dependent on building good relationships. Having a PR team on hand is a fantastic way to understand who your customers are, reach them, and maintain that relationship.
Want to know more about how Posh Cockney can help your business through PR? Find out more here!
