Six Reasons Why Hotels Should be Blogging

The hotel industry is thriving. According to Expedia, the lodging market represented $20.7 billion in the second quarter of 2024, an increase of 8% compared to 2023. The real news, however, was that hotel bookings were up 11% compared to 2023—talk about recovery!

Hotels are still competitive choices, even as short-term rentals grow in popularity. The challenge for hotels, however, is to stand out from the crowd to attract guests and woo them back time and again.

With social media never standing still, it’s time to revisit a tried and true marketing tactic—publishing a blog—to anchor your efforts with an accessible and affordable strategy. These five reasons spell out the benefits of maintaining a blog with content about your hotel and its offerings.

1. Enhanced Online Search Presence

Blogging contributes to a hotel’s online visibility, helping that all important search engine optimization—or SEO. Regularly publishing high-quality, relevant content helps improve search engine rankings, making it easier for potential guests to discover the hotel when searching online. Algorithms reward lively, dynamic content, and blogs are a surefire way to deliver it.

By incorporating relevant keywords, meta tags, and providing valuable content through out, hotel blogs can improve their website’s search engine rankings, driving organic traffic. It’s the living, breathing part of a website that attracts all the right kinds of attention from the big tech companies that travelers use to plan their escapes.

2. Storytelling and Branding

Blogging also provides an opportunity for hotels to engage in storytelling on their own terms. Hotels can share stories about their history, values, community involvement and guest experiences. The property calls all the shots. It’s a powerful way to provide branded content that diverges from the user-generated content on review sites that can often do more harm than good.

Effective storytelling contributes to brand building and helps create an emotional connection with potential guests. Moreover, hotels can use their blog to promote special offers, packages and deals. This can encourage direct bookings and create a sense of urgency among potential guests

3. Hotel Blog Engagement and Interaction

Creating connections with travelers is important for hotels to attract and maintain loyal visitors. A blog creates an accessible platform for interaction with guests. Visitors can leave comments, ask questions, and share their thoughts without having to be part of any specific social network.

Engaging with the audience helps build a sense of community and fosters a positive online reputation that sometimes gets lost on other social media platforms.

4. Amplify Social Media Presence

While blogs are their own form of social media, they also provide content to share across other social networks, extending the reach and amplifying a hotel’s message. Social media integration helps in building a cohesive online presence.

Having a hotel blog ensures you can connect with those who are not connected to social networks but also provides another touchpoint to connect with those who are connected. It gives you content that can travel far and wide thanks to the sharing that is inherent on social networks.

5. Improve Email Marketing Content

Newsletters are all the rage. Sending newsletters and marketing emails is more effective with lively content—and a blog provides it. Hotel blog posts can be repurposed for email marketing campaigns, providing valuable content for subscribers, driving them to your website where you can continue to connect with them. 

This helps maintain a relationship with past guests and encourages repeat business with your hotel brand. It also means your investment in your hotel’s blog can keep paying off long after the initial date of publication!

Looking to enhance your marketing with a blog about your hotel? DCI knows where to start—and how to create successful strategies. Get in touch with kayla.leska@aboutdci.com to learn more about leveling up your hotel marketing tactics.