4 Ways to Maximize the Agency – Hotel Relationship

Strong partnerships between hotels and agencies are crucial for achieving mutual, sustained success. Effective collaboration ensures that both parties can leverage their strengths, streamline communication, and tailor strategies to meet specific needs, ultimately enhancing overall performance and guest satisfaction. Here are several strategies to help evolve partnerships between hotels and agencies for mutual, sustained success: 

 1. Streamlining Communication: 

• Clarity and Consistency: Establish clear communication from the start, including support hours, coverage details, and preferred communication methods. 

• Consolidation: Reduce complexity by consolidating agencies, ensuring fewer points of contact. 

 2. Customization of Offerings: 

• Market Understanding: Agencies should have a deep understanding of the hotel’s market, including local events and market drivers. 

• Holistic Approach: Marketing strategies should be authentic and reflect the hotel’s unique identity and location. 

• Flexibility: Agencies need to adapt their services to the specific needs and phases of the hotel, such as openings or rebranding efforts. 

 3. Metrics for Success: 

• Beyond ROAS: Focus on metrics like brand performance, social media growth, engagement, and impressions. 

• Market Insights: Use market data to guide marketing goals and strategies. 

• Owner Education: Educate hotel owners on the roles of different marketing channels and their impact on the sales funnel. 

 4. Support Needs: 

• Strategic Partnership: Agencies should act as strategic partners, not just order takers, providing proactive advice and feedback. 

• Information Sharing: Hotels need to provide agencies with timely and comprehensive information to enable effective marketing efforts. 

Questions for Your Team 

1. What are the key opportunities for hotels and agencies to streamline communication and ensure that everyone is on the same page?  
2. How can agencies better customize their offerings to fit the unique challenges of individual hotels? What are the best ways for hotels to clearly articulate their needs to get the most out of these partnerships? 
3. What metrics should hotels and agencies focus on to measure success and keep everyone accountable? 
4. If you are a hotel, how can agencies better support your needs at the hotel level? If you are an agency, how can hotels better support your needs at the vendor level?

Madison Allen, Senior Digital Marketing Manager, Cogwheel Marketing, HSMAI Rising Marketing Leader Council  Connect with Madison on LinkedIn.

This article originally appeared on HSMAI.