Christine Malfair's Linkedin Analytics

What marketing activity should I be working on for my hotel, Christine? Hotel marketers are overwhelmed. Not just occasionally—most of the time. There’s pressure to be everywhere. Doing all the things. Social media, Partnerships Metasearch Email Ads PR The biggest revenue driver, the hotel website, often gets the least attention. Check out the video. The data is clear. Your hotel website is your most effective booking channel. Yet, many hotels spend an outsized time on social media and other platforms while their website remains outdated, slow, or difficult to navigate. If your website isn’t optimized for user experience and conversions, you’re leaving money on the table. The data in the video shows a Prioritization Framework from NP Digital. Prioritize where your time and marketing dollars go. What should you be working on? Your website. 😊Improve the user experience - enhanced visuals (video and photos evoking emotion) - streamline the site's navigation - fast to load (see yesterday's post and a shocking stat) - give them what they want with great content 📈Optimize for conversions - well thought out CTAs - prioritize above the fold - reduce # of clicks to get to core content - eliminate booking engine friction Invest and improve your website. Turn it into a conversion machine. Watch every other marketing effort become more effective. Reduce your OTA payouts. Pat yourself on the back. What will you do with your time today? Helping Hoteliers get the most out of their budget and their time is my jam. DM me. Let's talk.

Hoteliers, are you playing short-term hotel marketing whack-a-mole? We're all short on time. That's when it's most tempting to focus only on quick wins. I get it. Hitting this quarter’s numbers is critical. But if your strategy is patching revenue gaps month to month, you’re stuck in survival mode. You're head-down in short-term mode working on things like: Whack-a-mole marketing ✔️ Flash sales & limited-time discounts ✔️ Last-minute OTA promotions (sigh) ✔️ Email blasts with heavy discounting ✔️ PPC ads targeting immediate bookings These can work, but they don’t build momentum. You’re constantly resetting to zero. Remember the definition of insanity? Real growth (and sanity) happens when you lift your head. When you look further out at your horizon line, and focus on things like: Smart Marketing Plays ✅ Strengthening direct booking channels (website, email, loyalty programs) ✅ SEO & content marketing that draws consistent, high-value, and high-intent traffic. ✅ Building your retention plan through relationships with past guests for repeat stays & referrals. ✅ Taking the time to create the "Story that Sells" to stand out from the competition (tomorrow's post drops insights on how) Short-term wins keep the lights on (for now). Long-term wins keep you from chasing the next desperate revenue fix. Let's give the whack-a-mole hammer a rest. Play the smart marketing game. Follow Christine for more tips on #hotelmarketing #hotelrevenue #hotelgrowth

Most hotels are working hard on just one way to grow revenue. They're focused on acquiring new guests. But there are three ways to grow your revenue. I call it the "AIM" framework. A - Acquire new guests I - Increase current guest spend per visit M - Multiply past guest bookings The first is the most expensive. The other two ways? Often ignored. Before you launch your next promo, Instead of asking, "How do I get more bookings?" Ask, "Who am I trying to get to book?" New? Current? Past? What if hotels stopped chasing so much and started inviting?

This! Can I get an amen?

Cheers to all women every where today and those who support them. That is all. ❤️

Let's play a game - 2 Truths and a Lie: Hotelier Edition – OTA Style Let’s test your OTA awareness. Which of these do you think is the lie? 1️⃣ OTA commissions eat up 15–30% of your revenue per booking. 2️⃣ Only 20% of OTA guests ever return to book direct. 3️⃣ Relying on OTAs is a sustainable long-term strategy. Did you identify the lie? Got your answer? Here’s the reveal: ✅ #1 is true. That 20% commission payout of $140 for a 2 night stay at $350 ADR adds up fast! ✅ #2 is TRUE. 80% of OTA guests never come back to you - they go back to book with the OTA. ❌ #3 is the LIE. Relying on OTAs might feel safe today, but it’s a fast track to shrinking margins, lost guest loyalty, and limited growth. You’re not just outsourcing bookings. It's costing you more than commissions - way more! Find out how much more. Tuesday, April 1st 8:00am PST / 11:00 am EST Join Cory Falter and me for this live conversation. https://lnkd.in/d3fnRaS7

“As long as we’re getting bookings, it doesn’t matter where they come from.” 😟 Too many Hoteliers think this. It's time we talk about it. Statements like this, and many others like them, have sparked Cory Falter and me, Christine Malfair, to host The Revenue Reframe. 📅 Tomorrow at 8 AM PST - 11 AM EST 📌 Block your calendar now - your EBITDA and reputation will thank you.

Hoteliers aren’t lazy. They’re trying harder for half the results. You’ve got a decent budget. You’re active in social media. You’re running campaigns here there and everywhere. But your cost per booking keeps climbing. And the return? Meh. In 14 years of digital marketing exclusively for hotels, I've seen this play out over and over. Many hotels are pouring money into costly strategies to boost revenue. They often ignore the more profitable ones. And honestly? 🙅‍♀️ It’s not your fault. 🧠 It’s how the industry trains us to think. We’re constantly bombarded with shiny new tools, tech, and trends. Webinars, tech stacks, industry news - all make us feel like we’re falling behind. It's easy to think we need to chase the next big thing. It's a chase that leads to higher costs, lower margins, and marketing that feels like a grind. If you want to break the cycle and finally improve your ROI without burning out your team or your budget… You’ll need a different approach. 💡 I break this down in this week’s issue of the Bookings Boost. - Why most hotels are playing the wrong game. - 3 ways to increase hotel revenue (and which one’s draining your budget). - The small shift that can change your entire ROI trajectory. Let's stop the complex and expensive hotel marketing, OK? Subscribe here to get it in your inbox tomorrow. https://lnkd.in/gJadKZRV

Am I looking at a Richter scale? Nope. That's a hotel's demand season. 🤞 Fingers crossed, they've optimized for it. This is a screenshot of website traffic from mid-March to mid-May. ​ Those peaks are guests looking to book their summer vacation. ​ But unfortunately, many marketers and hoteliers miss this. ​ Instead of capitalizing on the demand season, they make the same mistakes year after year: ⛔ Leaving OTA inventory wide open —paying high commissions when direct bookings were possible.  ⛔Failing to adjust rates early —missing ADR growth opportunities.  ⛔ Letting competitors swoop in and take market share.  ⛔Overlooking repeat guests who already love your property.  ⛔Struggling harder in the off-season because the demand season wasn’t maximized.  ⛔Relying on discounting year-round to fill rooms. ​ Missed Opportunities = Stress When demand season isn’t optimized, the consequences hit hard. Competitors win. Revenue growth stalls. The team scrambles for last-minute fixes. Peak season ends with the sucky feeling of missed opportunities. It’s frustrating. It’s unnecessary. And I'm here to say it’s fixable. ​ I did a brain dump of my ideas and actions with my hotel clients. Hoteliers, DM me "PEAK" and I will send it to you. Make the most of your peak season. I help Hoteliers build a marketing machine to increase revenue and decrease costs. Follow for #hotelmarketing, #hotelrevenue, #hotelgrowth tips.

Most hotels don’t struggle because they aren’t “marketing enough.” They struggle because of this #1 reason. I see it all the time. Hoteliers are running ads, overhauling their website, posting on social media, hiring SEO agencies and sending emails… but performance is poor. Low engagement. Poor conversion rates. Not enough direct bookings. Too many OTA commissions. Here's what I see happening when we start working together. They've got a lot of great ideas, systems, and marketing activities on the go. They are missing a key element that makes it all work. Their message sounds like everyone else’s. No amount of marketing will make a broken message work. 👉 “Great location” – So does everyone else. 👉 “Friendly service” – That’s expected, not a differentiator. 👉 “Best rates available” – Competing on price is a losing game. The hotels that win are the ones; - who communicate their unique value clearly - who make the guests feel the difference before they book. - who speak directly to how they help the guest live a better life. Before you go spending more on marketing, ask: Would guests still recognize my brand if I took my name off my website? Could my competitor's logo and name be swapped out in my marketing? Last week, at the Tourism Industry Association of BC, I shared: How to Stand Out, Stay Ahead & Succeed in a Noisy Market. As a follow-up, I am hosting a live session for those who want to dial their message in. When your message is clear, your marketing is easier, your team understands the goal. 🚀Join us on Tuesday, March 11th, at 11 AM PST. https://lnkd.in/dhgpQ7AY

Hospitality people are awesome! Thank you to Tourism Industry Association of BC (TIABC) for hosting and inviting me to speak at your annual conference. I will share my blueprint for standing out, staying ahead, and succeeding in a noisy market in a few posts over the coming weeks. If you weren't in the room, follow me here on LinkedIn for those tips. If you were in the room, you not only would know how to stand out, but you would also know.... What time is a cruise ship's midnight buffet? (inside joke) 😆 Safe travels to all as you return home. Best wishes for a fantastic year ahead. Follow for more hotel marketing tips or subscribe to my newsletter! https://lnkd.in/gJadKZRV

Hoteliers, your revenue pie looks impressive. But, are the OTAs eating your profits? Rooms are filled.  Guests are booking.  The numbers seem good. But take a closer look. A huge slice of that pie isn’t yours. Your hotel’s revenue should be yours to enjoy. But if 40% or more of your bookings come from OTAs, a massive slice is being taken before you see it. And what hurts are the long-term costs that go beyond commissions. 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 Money that could fuel your business is diverted elsewhere. 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 No opportunity to upsell before arrival or enhance their experience. 𝗘𝗿𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 Rising costs with shrinking margins. 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗼 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 No way to remarket, build loyalty, or drive repeat stays. 𝗡𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Your team is left in the dark, making service more difficult. 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 When guests do leave feedback, it’s on the OTA’s platform, not yours. While your hotel works hard to deliver an exceptional experience, OTAs sit back and take their slice - again and again. It's time to reclaim your revenue. If you've got a plan - great. If you're looking for a free way to get started,  this is it 👉https://lnkd.in/gBCtyRPC (yes, this post was inspired by 03.14 Pi Day)

Excited to be en route to Vancouver! Will you be at the Tourism Industry Association of BC Conference? Starting the day early with a 5:30 am trip to Calgary before catching a flight to Vancouver. Armed with a double shot latte, I look forward to: - Reconnecting with familiar faces, - Making new hospitality acquaintances, - Sharing insights and tales at my workshop. Drop a comment if you'll be joining.🙂 Alternatively, tell me something you know about Vancouver. 👇 #BCTourismConference

Hoteliers, are you picking the low-hanging fruit or are your revenue opportunities rotting? Here's 4 sweet & juicy tips 👇 I see too many hoteliers chase the next big marketing trend or shiny object while the easiest, most impactful wins wait for action. Your low-hanging fruit doesn’t take months to implement. They don’t need a huge budget. They just need some attention. Here are four sweet and juicy low-hanging fruit tips - still ignored by many hotels. 👉 Google Business Profile When was the last time you checked yours? Google has new updates for 2025 - Whatsapp connection - Reviews presented in story format we see on TikTok and IG - Emoji reactions for reviews - Create QR codes for GBP reviews This is a non-negotiable for hotels. Here's how to optimize it in 15 minutes - http://bit.ly/4iFU237 👉 Bing Business Profile – Yes, Bing. I know, I know—it’s easy to overlook, but a surprising number of travelers still use it, and its info powers ChatGPT (hello!). If it isn’t claimed and optimized, you miss out on the benefits of this free listing. Pro tip: You can import your Google Business Profile into Bing for fast implementation. 👉 Your Website’s Homepage (Above the Fold) The first thing people see should sell the experience, not just show a building or a bed. - A stunning, emotional photo that makes guests think, I want to be there. - A clear, compelling message. - A CTA button that stands out and invites them to start planning. 👉 Your Booking Engine Have you looked at your booking engine lately? If your booking process feels clunky, guests will bail. I know booking engines have limitations. But you can: - update with high-quality photos - change up your text - add enhancements and upsells for guest experience and ancillary revenue. In yesterday's post, I talked about the quick-win-whack-a-mole vs a longer-term strategy. These 4 tips check the boxes for both short and long-term wins. Plus, they are: - quick to implement - have low to no cost - significantly valuable over time It's time to go pick some sweet, low-hanging fruit. DM me if you need help.

Ever feel like you’re doing everything right, yet bookings just aren’t where they should be? You update your website. You tweak your ads. You list every feature your hotel offers. Yet guests still bounce. Woah....stop there. That last point - listing features is part of the problem. Hotels love to list features: ✔️ Free WiFi ✔️ Stunning views ✔️ Pool and hot tub ✔️ 42-inch flat-screen TV But here’s the catch: Guests have to figure out whether those features actually matter to them. This creates friction. Friction kills conversions. Anything that makes booking feel like work pushes guests toward a competitor or an OTA, where the choice feels easier. The fix? Ditch the feature list. Create a story message that sells. Want to know how? I am currently looking to partner with growth-minded hotels that want expert hotel marketing guidance without hiring full-time. We can partner for 3-6 month engagements to help your team make smart moves, save time and money, and confidently grow bookings.   DM me, let's talk.

Humour belongs in hospitality. A smile, a clever sign, a witty response to a review. These small moments can turn a stay into a memory. Guests aren’t just booking beds. They’re booking experiences. The best hotel amenity is often a good laugh. I work from home. It's me and my houseplants knocking out hotel marketing. I find humour in client calls, with my team member Keara Moore, and in posts from LinkedIn friends like Cory Falter and Don Barnett. Thanks guys! Who makes you smile or LOL?

Hoteliers, this may be quietly killing your direct bookings. And it's not the OTAs. Did you know that Amazon loses up to $1.6B in sales from a 1-second delay in load time? Say what!!! What does that mean for your hotel? A slow website isn’t just frustrating. It’s costing you direct bookings. Yet, when I conduct my 360 digital deep dive assessment, I consistently find hotels with significant website speed issues - mostly on mobile. Slow load times are hurting your revenue: Impatient guests leave. Google ranks you lower. Mobile users suffer most. It calls your experience into question and damages trust. Two things that you can do today. 1. Run a speed test Google’s PageSpeed Insights is free. Add the extension from the Chrome store and test it today. or 2. Ask your website developer about your speed performance. You're aiming for a load time of 3 seconds or less. If your site isn’t fast, you’re losing bookings. Want to know where your hotel can improve its digital performance? Get a Revenue Roadmap for easy-to-understand analysis and recommendations that produce immediate results. ____________________________________ Helping Hoteliers and marketing teams increase revenue (without the OTAs) and improve marketing performance - at a fraction of your marketing agency costs. | Former GM | 26 years in hotels.

This is spring break with no palm trees, sandy beaches or Mai tais. I didn't need a boarding pass for this break - although I do love a beach vacation. This break is about: - a change of scenery - local micro experiences - a break from the regular pace - a time out from the to do list This kind of break isn't a complete detachment. I'm still popping into email here and there. It's just enough permission to pause a few things. Cheers. 📍Just relaxing by Okanagan Lake in Summerland, BC Canada. Being a tourist in my own province.