Now is the ideal moment to dive in and conduct some proactive market research. These are a few low-cost methods for identifying and defining the target market for your hotel.

1. Do a customer survey

You can obtain information directly from the source with the aid of surveys. Surveys are a simple approach to obtain customer feedback and provide insight into the minds of present visitors. Having this data will assist you in identifying the kind of guests that your hotel currently hosts. Once you have it, you can simply ask them to find out what drew them to your company in the first place.

You can incorporate an automated guest survey into your check-out process, which can be distributed via email, SMS, or voice. things important to keep things brief and sweet. Any inquiry longer than five is superfluous and likely to be overlooked.

Typical questions in target market surveys are:

• How did you find out about us?
• The thing you enjoyed the most about your visit?
• What factor most convinced you to make a reservation with us?
• Would you tell a friend about our hotel?
• What brought you here for the last time?

Along with a set of multiple-choice responses and a separate area with opportunity for comments, these and additional thought-provoking questions ought to be included. Maintain a record of this information and utilize it to refine the target market or markets that are specific to your hotel.

2. Permit users to register as profiles

For good reason, this is one of the most tried-and-true marketing ploys out there. An inventive and useful method for figuring out who is most likely to stay at your hotel is to make a fictitious profile of that person. Additionally, it provides a visual that sales and marketing can use to better understand who to target with their efforts.

3. Assume the perspective of your audience and describe the person in question, including their hobbies, characteristics, and anything else you think is important.

When we discussed traveler type a little while ago, we touched on this. However, knowing the demographics of your target market goes beyond simply enumerating occupations and interests. It involves going above and beyond and into the minds of the guests you would most like to have stay at your hotel.

Let’s take an example where your hotel is relatively small and situated in a well-traveled area with plenty of year-round lodging options for visitors. You now have a few options if you’ve determined that typical families with just one or two young children comprise your target market.

To start, what unique features would you incorporate into your hotel to make it the top option for newlyweds? Many potential customers who meet these demographics may be won over by amenities like quiet, discreet breast-feeding stations in the foyer.

The idea is to use demographics to anticipate every demand of your guests, not merely to define them.

4. Check out reviews on the internet

Reviews on the internet are not all made equal. However, it doesn’t mean your Yelp or TripAdvisor ratings can’t still reveal a few undiscovered gems. It’s common for visitors to go into detail about their expectations, the reasons behind their trip, and the things they enjoyed best about your hotel. You just need to put in the time to search for it; it’s all there.

To better understand what your guests need and want, add these specifics to your notes and return often to look for new evaluations.

5. Use Google Analytics to learn more about the demographics of website visitors.

Google Analytics provides amazing information and is completely free to use. This tool can provide you with information about who visits your website, where they are located, what they click on, how long they spend on each page, and other details.

This has a great deal of helpful information. You’ll have a better understanding of who is visiting your website and whether or not they are part of your ideal target market after you get the hang of analyzing the data and statistics.

6. Take note of your customer interactions using sales and CRM software.

Once more, data is your friend when it comes to identifying your hotel’s target market. And no one understands the past of your hotel better than excellent CRM and sales software.

Reputable applications provide simple-to-use methods for gathering and evaluating sales data. After that, the data is transformed into visually customized reports. Thus, a sales and CRM software will not only give you visibility into each stage of your sales pipeline but will also help you develop a better understanding of who your target market is. What a win-win situation!

7. Look for viewpoints expressed on social media

Similar to online reviews, social media aids in the collection of information about target markets. Individuals adore using Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to express their ideas. Additionally, every website has unique resources, opportunities for candid comments, and insights. Look for gold in your social media accounts’ market research, then apply what you’ve learned to improve the attraction of your material to your target audience.

Main conclusions: Focused marketing to guests

Finding your most profitable prospects ultimately comes down to having the appropriate information and using it intelligently. The following points should be considered while you identify your hotel’s specific target market:

Precision is strength. The more you understand about your visitors, the more equipped you will be to meet their demands and draw in similar customers in the future.

All you require is already within your reach. It’s possible to gain a deeper understanding of your target audience with the aid of everyday technologies.

Establishing your hotel’s target markets facilitates sales and marketing. Give up aimless wide marketing and start paying close attention to the intended audience for each piece of content. With this approach, you’ll get better outcomes more quickly.

Ensure that you have access to all the necessary data, regardless of how you define your target market. Better still, the more specific. You truly can’t go wrong if you have the correct information!