Marketing Strategies and Services

This information is provided in a variety ways:

• Advantage Plan email alerts
• Advantage Plan blog posts
• Advantage Plan webinars
• Advantage Plan survey with step-by-step instructions to stay current
• Advantage Plan special offers, such as annual Tripadvisor Business Listing reviews

You will also have access to our Acorn Client Dashboard, which includes:

• Calendar with past and present Advantage Plan emails, blog posts, and webinars
• Profile of your property so we can communicate relevant issues as they arise
• Private access to Advantage Plan information and tutorials for topics innkeepers need to address
• Dynamic action item tracking
• Basic Performance Console (Levels 1 & 2)
• Custom Performance Console with expanded Revenue Tracking Report (Levels 3, 4 & 5)

In order to succeed in today’s marketplace, you MUST establish an ongoing strategy to maintain and grow your business. Property owners typically cannot create such a plan without expert guidance. Hit and miss mistakes are costly. With our Advantage Plan program, you will learn what you need to do and how to do it.

Acorn Marketing is committed to educating our customer base. We realize smaller properties have smaller marketing budgets, which means a DIY approach is required. That’s why we have offered Acorn University since 2009. With access to up-to-date and accurate information regarding marketing services, even rookies will be able to grasp basic concepts, like:

• The difference between organic/local and pay-per-click placement.
• Why a website tracker is so important to your business.
• What meta tags are.
• And much more.

This basic yet affordable knowledge gives you the power to make the right decisions for your business and, in time, see your business thrive on the Internet superhighway.

Advantage Plan Level 2 includes all services from Advantage Plan Level 1, PLUS:

Acorn University Education

• Printable annual Posting Planner to keep you on top of your ongoing marketing.
• Email invitations to monthly Acorn University and Club 60 live webinars.
• Email invitations to our SEO Update webinar.
• Access to video library of all past classes in Acorn University curriculum and Club 60.
• Email invitations to monthly Q&A webinars for live help and support.
• Access to the Acorn U/Club 60 Q&A Forum/Chat Room.
• Included in a group of exclusive innkeepers and property owners who work together to support each other and share their knowledge.
• Assistance selling your inn, including a free listing on our exclusive Inns for Sale page.

Here at Acorn Marketing, there is no such thing as a dumb question. We will work with you until you are able to grasp each important concept and use that knowledge to make the marketing decisions that will best benefit your business.

What’s the bottom line? The educated DIY innkeeper is equipped with the skills to INCREASE their REVENUE for less cost than the innkeeper who is unaware of the basic Internet marketing environment. Put our training program to work for you.

As a busy innkeeper, do you have time to:

• Review and interpret all of your data on a monthly basis?
• Formulate a marketing plan?
• Keep all this information organized from one month to the next?

If you are having trouble answering “yes” to any of these questions, then our Advantage Plan Level 3 is for you.

We offer a unique, hands-on approach to help property owners monitor their ROAS (Return on Ad Spend), revenue, online presence and placement, and much more. We’re not talking about a simple auto-generated report. Anyone can set up Google Analytics to email you a monthly report. This service is a comprehensive statistical and search engine placement reporting program. You will work with a dedicated project manager who reviews, produces, and transmits electronically a customized report, including comprehensive recommendations and marketing trends. Your project manager will also meet with you on a monthly basis, providing and monitoring the most critical action items for your business.

You already know how dynamic online marketing can be; the rules change frequently. However, by tracking your stats and organic placement each month, we can watch for shifts in how search engines view your website, and ensure that your site’s visibility, traffic, and revenue remain strong.

Advantage Plan Level 3 includes all services from Advantage Plan Levels 1 & 2, PLUS:

Monthly Digital Report

This report will give you an overview of the health of your website and online presence, and total revenue earned during the previous month. A monthly report consists of a Custom Performance Console and additional Revenue Tracker. (The Revenue Tracker is filled out monthly with the last-click and assisted conversions entered. Once the expenses for web presence are included and monthly OTA bookings are added, the Revenue Tracker provides an excellent depiction of bookings and revenue from your website.)

The Custom Performance Console includes:

• Executive Summary
  This is where you will find your Market Watch details consolidated “at-a-glance.”
• Revenue Reporting
  See how each of your referral sources are performing on a monthly and year-over-year basis.
• Campaign Reporting
  Evaluate the effectiveness of your various campaigns, from paid ads to newsletters.
• Website Reporting
  Understand how you are being found online, which pages of your website are making the biggest impact, and how far your blog posts are reaching.
• Google Organic vs. Google My Business (GMB) Breakdown
  See the split between your Google Organic and GMB traffic and revenue.
• Reviews, Social Media, Blog, & Newsletter Monitoring
  We help you keep track of the consistency of your reviews, posts, and other marketing efforts.
• Online Health
  This section is designed to make sure innkeepers have completed the “one-time” tasks required to maintain placement in today’s online world.

Monthly Strategy Call

The monthly strategy call with your project manager is where you will be given tools and actionable items to increase your revenue. This is a personalized call designed to develop a strategy for your business. Typically, during the strategy call, your project manager will briefly go over the current month’s Digital Report and make you aware of any open action items that need to be addressed. The bulk of the call will be spent talking about the current marketing efforts you are employing, and checking the effectiveness of those tactics by reviewing data in Google Analytics to see how much revenue has been generated and how many sessions have come to your website as a result of these efforts. These statistics can help us determine how well each marketing effort is working, and allow us to make suggestions for any adjustments that might help to increase their effectiveness. During this call, your project manager will also talk with you about areas for future growth. These might include: OTA strategy, yield management, targeted newsletters, specials and packages, pay-per-click campaigns, and much more. This call will also allow time for your questions. When you schedule the meeting, you can let your project manager know which topics you will want to address, what help you might need, and any questions you may have. This call is where information moves from numbers and data to actionable items that can impact your business.

We are very different when it comes to our client’s marketing. Other companies may create a checklist of fixed marketing items that they box together for you to purchase. We do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. We work with each client to determine which marketing options are the right fit for their property and budget. Below is a proposed bundle that can be adjusted to fit your needs. If you are not sure where to begin, we can help.

Click here to learn more about our Basic Marketing Options.

Advantage Plan Level 4 includes all services from Advantage Plan Levels 1, 2 & 3, PLUS:

Suggested Monthly Marketing Basic Bundle
(Can be customized to fit your needs)

• 1 Simplified Content Email
• 2 Blog Posts
• 4 Social Media Posts
• 2 Pinterest Sessions

Advantage Plan Level 5 has been designed for our clients who wish to be hands-off regarding the basic and advanced marketing tasks that must be completed on a monthly basis. Your dedicated project manager will be completing agreed-upon tasks from the list below that the DIY innkeeper would typically be doing themselves.

This level is committed to utilizing more advanced products and techniques as supported by 3rd party companies that we have vetted, and thus are able to provide at lower pricing for our clients.

Click here to learn more about our Advanced Marketing Options.

Advantage Plan Level 5 includes all services from Advantage Plan Levels 1, 2, 3 & 4, PLUS:

Monthly Marketing Advanced Proposed Bundle

• Brand Marketing & Prospecting
• Guest Retention on Website Maintenance
• Revenue Management Consulting
• Texting Product and Services Integration
• PPC (Google and Bing) Monthly Review & Adjustments
• Review Management Tools
• Tripadvisor Monthly Adjustments

Simplified Email

The simplified email contains less content than our enhanced email with a focus on appealing graphics and links to your website and blog. This is a great monthly option.

Enhanced Email

The enhanced email contains more content than our simplified email with a focus on communicating enticing and relevant information to your list of subscribers. This is a popular quarterly and monthly option.

Developing a Comprehensive Marketing Message

Let an Acorn Marketing specialist help you put together a comprehensive marketing message. Whether it is a special promotion, package, event, or something else entirely, we can help you take advantage of all your marketing platforms to publish a consistent message in a way that uses each platform to its fullest.

Effective Email Marketing Campaigns (Simplified, Enhanced & Targeted Emails)

Email marketing campaigns can be an effective way to drive additional revenue, but they come in all different shapes and sizes. Let us help you determine which kind of email campaign will help you accomplish your goals, and the most effective strategies to increase engagement and revenue.

Developing a Marketing Calendar

Plan your work and work your plan! Don’t let daily, weekly, and monthly marketing tasks get pushed to the back burner. Let us help you develop a marketing calendar to keep track of the different tasks that you want to complete, planning out both the timing and topics.

Developing a Comprehensive Business Plan

Whether you are starting out as a new property owner or have been managing a property for a decade, refreshing your strategy, establishing goals, and developing a plan to move forward is always important. Spend a half-day with an Acorn expert to sharpen your mission, look at new opportunities, review effectiveness of releasing rooms, and create strategies to implement programs. After the meeting, your consultant will develop a comprehensive report that is custom-designed for your property to help you move forward. A one-hour review and follow-up meeting is included.

Website Guest Retention

Learn how our preferred guest retention partner’s software works – how to set up nudges, price check, full screen, crisis management, and email capture, as well as reviewing insights and understanding how to interpret the information they provide.

• Chatbot – Learn how our preferred chatbot partner’s software works, how to set it up, and the best way to use this tool as part of the website guest retention product.

Texting Products and Services for Lodging Property Owners

An Acorn team member will work with you to customize our preferred texting partner’s software to best fit your property’s needs. We will review surveys, pre-arrival, how it’s going, and departure text options, as well as how to set up exemptions to text for repeat guests, and so much more.

Online Forms

Learn how to set up online request forms for multiple uses like: online check-ins, weddings and elopements, breakfast, and many more ways to use forms to grow your business.

Packages, Specials and Add-Ons

The best way to increase revenue beyond additional room sales is to create packages for guests staying at your inn. Travelers increasingly want “experiences” while enjoying their getaway, so this is a great way to lure guests to stay and play at your property. Our experts will help you craft specials and packages that utilize unique area attractions, seasonal specials, and quality features offered by your inn.

WooCommerce Gift Shop

Add revenue by selling products via your Acorn Marketing website. We’ll installand configure Woocommerce plugins and connect to Paypal, add up to 15 product images and descriptions (you’ll be able to add more at your convenience), style your gift shop pages to match your website’s theme, and make sure it all meets ADA and responsive guidelines.

SEPPIR (Search Engine Placement Problem Identification Report) Task Completion

This consulting option is for the property owner or manager who has already had their SEPPIR completed and has attended the review meeting, but realizes they need assistance completing all the work the SEPPIR identified.

Blog Content Organization

We will identify any issues with your current blog setup or category and tags structure. We will work with you on how to correctly publish a blog post after it is written, identify categories and tags, complete the SEO description, choose an effective SEO title for Google search, and more.

Blog Health Evaluation

We offer this evaluation to innkeepers and property owners who have paid another company to write prolific numbers of blogs, or have been blogging for a vast number of years. An in-depth analysis of your property’s blog page visitor traffic and revenue will be documented via Google Analytics e-commerce tracking. This evaluation will include: highest performing posts; recommendations for which posts should be kept or updated and republished; a list of posts to be deleted and re-directed. After we have completed and reviewed the analysis with you, we will do the necessary work to delete and re-direct under-performing posts.

The Social Media Analysis includes a snapshot of your social media performance data for the last year, an in-depth comparison with several competitors, and a review meeting to discuss detailed findings and recommendations.

Brand Marketing and Prospecting

Our preferred Brand Marketing and Prospecting partner offers a great opportunity to put your message in front of travelers at just the right time. Their connection to many different data points throughout the travel industry gives them incredible insight into traveler intent. This is a great option for someone who wants to get their brand out in front of people who are looking at traveling to your area. We can get you connected with our preferred partner and help you analyze their tool’s performance to make sure you are getting a good return on your investment.

Revenue Management / OTA Room Releasing for Maximum Profit

How does your property compare to your competitor set given the current market conditions? Are your prices too low, too high, or just right? Revenue management tools can help answer these questions, and we can help you develop a plan that will take this information and turn it into a strategy that ensures you are priced right. Combining this with an intentional strategy for releasing your rooms to OTAs will put you in a position to increase revenue by working smarter, not harder.

OTA (Online Travel Agency) Strategies

Do you know how to set up your OTAs with rooms and prices so guests choose your website over the OTA’s, producing more direct bookings and revenue? We will work with you to understand how to have your OTA data feeds best support you throughout the year.

New Tripadvisor Product Setup

An expert Acorn Tripadvisor team member will work with you to develop and implement the right strategy within Tripadvisor’s offerings. These options may range from a variety of business plans, TripConnect Pay-Per-Click, and Sponsored Ad programs. We will also review any new available options Tripadvisor may be offering.

Note: We do not recommend having any company who is profiting from your Ad Spend to be the one to set up or monitor your Ad Spend programs.

Update to Existing Tripadvisor & Related Products

Do you know which Tripadvisor programs are best to use with TripConnect and Sponsored Ads to grow your business at a better rate than your OTAs? An Acorn team member expert will work with you to develop and implement the right strategy within Tripadvisor’s offerings. These options may range from a variety of business plans, TripConnect Pay-Per-Click, and Sponsored Ads programs. We will also look at any new  options Tripadvisor may be offering. We will then check your Google Analytics on your website and booking engine to make sure it is tracking correctly.

Note: We do not recommend having any company who is profiting from your Ad Spend to be the one to set up or monitor your Ad Spend programs.

Business Listing Yearly Review

Two to four weeks before your annual renewal date, you will want to contact Brandi Neely to schedule your annual Tripadvisor ROI review with Lisa Kolb. You will receive a link to a form to submit information that we’ll use to prepare the report. Once we have that information, we will schedule a one-hour meeting to review the contents of your report. It is very important that you remember to schedule this meeting on a yearly basis because Tripadvisor will not provide data further back than 12 months. We snapshot this data for your review, therefore you can have multiple years of data to look back on when it comes time to negotiate the cost of your Business Advantage listing.

Google Ads ROAS and Budget Analysis

Haven’t been monitoring your PPC ad spend? Do you know what kind of return you are getting on your Google Ads? Does it change throughout the year? Are there some months that perform better than others? Find the answers to these questions, and how to maximize your Google Ads ROAS.

Google Hotel Ad Campaigns

Google Hotel Ads (the little green bed) is a “Google partner required” program that allows you to advertise in Google’s metasearch local, maps, travel, and knowledge panel. We can work with you to choose the best option for using this metasearch program, and how to track it properly for an acceptable ROAS (Return on Ad Spend).

Understanding ThinkReservations Reports

Learn how to effectively use your reports and set up different aspects of ThinkReservations to track attributes and marketplace items. In addition, learn how to use reports for Front Desk, Housekeeping, and more.

ThinkReservations Yield Management Set Up

Learn how to set up yield management to maximize your revenue by increasing prices as rooms book up, and to discount rooms at the last minute for additional bookings.

The Market Rate Analysis includes an introductory call with the client, in-depth rate analysis of three competitors, and a follow-up meeting to review findings, recommendations on rates, room releases and, if desired, yield management recommendations.

At this time, we only offer Market Rate Analysis to our current Acorn clients.

Buying Your Property

We provide consulting, training, and mentorship for new and aspiring innkeepers. We offer an in-depth “Web Presence Analysis & Marketing Study” for any potential property you are considering purchasing. This information will provide all you need to know about the seller’s marketing plan, whether you’ve just purchased the property, or you are still contemplating the purchase. Click below to see how Acorn can help you when purchasing a new property!