Why Word Of Mouth Is Still Important For Hotels
‘Word of mouth is the finest marketing for hotels’
Word of mouth is the most effective form of advertising in the hotel sector. Word-of-mouth marketing (WOMM, WOM marketing) varies from traditional Hotel Marketing in that it is deliberately affected or supported by companies, such as seeding a message in a network, rewarding frequent customers for engaging in WOM, and hiring WOM ambassadors. Positive word of mouth is real and a reputable source for listeners.
Customers find it difficult to believe what is said online in this digital age; suggestions from friends or family are more trusted and listened to. They are other alternatives include a marketing effort, email marketing, social media marketing, and magazine advertising. However, because this represents the company’s point of view, customers perceive it as less credible.
e.g., Sometimes when you’re browsing for hotels on the internet pictures might look extremely different from reality. Customers’ expectations for when they come are formed by the images of a hotel room. Guests anticipate having the same room as featured in the photographs for which they reserved the accommodation. Customers may be dissatisfied if the accommodation does not meet these expectations. Customers who are dissatisfied with your hotel may spread negative word of mouth and refuse to return. However, if the room is as nice as it appears in the images, you will have met their expectations.
Meeting clients’ expectations does not imply that they are pleased with the hotel; it is just what they anticipated and paid for. People that are ecstatic by the extras they encounter will tell their friends and family about it.
As the phrase goes, word of mouth occurs only when people are physically together. However, because of the society we live in today, we can claim that word of mouth is no longer limited to actual life. Most booking services allow you to post a comment regarding your stay. These reviews can be ranked or rated, and you can narrate your tale or upload images from your visit.
These feedbacks are like word of mouth, it can be positive or negative. Guests usually prefer to talk about pleasant experiences more than negative ones in real life; however, conversing online allows people to express negative experiences more quickly.
How Much Does WOM Affect Hotels?
Obtaining crucial data from WOM is one of the most difficult tasks for hotel marketers and managers.
Today, we have several technologies that can assist us in identifying enhanced metrics from WOM. And we can observe this in connection with successful WOM-stimulating incentives.
Data demonstrates that WOM referrals have a significant influence on new client acquisition when achieved through smart marketing.
- WOM has been demonstrated to increase marketing effectiveness by 54%.
- 84% of customers said they always or sometimes act on personal recommendations. In terms of customer sentiment, 70% claimed they did the same.
- WOM has a 50% influence on buying decisions.
- In specific consumer categories, the average cost of a Facebook fan is $174.
- People seeking guidance, information, or assistance account for 77% of brand discussions on social media. The brand received 18% positive feedback.