7 Steps to Reach Lapsed Guests With Effective Email Marketing

Ever had a guest that stayed once, seemed to have a great time but then never used your business again? Frustrating, right? This doesn't mean that they had a bad experience, or don’t want to use your service. It may just mean that your business has slipped from their mind. Well-timed email marketing to your mailing list with new content can help bring your property back to the forefront when it comes time to book a trip.

Keep it Relevant and Interesting
Don’t bombard with sales. Keep in mind that this person has not requested any information from you. Your goal should be to refresh your customers with your business. A general update to your mailing list is a good place to start. Another idea is to contact people when there is an event happening near your property. If the focus of your mail is on this event then you can include a reminder about your property towards the end. This gives your mail purpose and separates it from other generic sales clutter.

Mention any new features
A new property or just a new addition is a perfect opportunity to send out an email. Include lots of pictures to make it interesting and focus on how you have improved things. I can have a good experience with a company but will often want to try new experiences before returning. If you have a new location or exciting feature, a short and engaging email is a great way to show this off. You can offer a new experience, but with the assurance of the same quality and service they know to expect from you.

Ask for Feedback
If you are tailoring your email marketing to guests that have not booked in a long time it may be because there was something they didn't like. You can show that you value the opinions and concerns of your guests. Worst comes to worst, you may just get some feedback or ideas to improve your business.

Use Pictures and Links
If you can make your email interesting and appealing enough to click on then that is half the battle. Your goal is get customers to engage with your business again. It may be that many don’t click the email or end up booking but a good campaign will ensure that some do. Even if your email is just clicked and discarded for now it means that customers that used your business once are seeing your name again. You are back in their minds.

Include an Offer or Incentive
Having a sale on or a promotion is a perfect reason to start an email campaign. A ‘returning guest’ extra night or a 10% discount will show that you are recognizing that as a customer, they are important. You are including them in a different category to new customers, showing that their business is still important to you.

Personalize Wherever You Can
As you have the opportunity to collect information from your guests’ stays then you will be able to add individual touches to your email campaigns. For example, if you see that you have a vacancy for the same week a guest booked last year this could be a good opportunity to create a personal email.

Add a CTA or Link
As mentioned, your email should have a point to it. There needs to be a reason why you are sending it out, rather than just to garner sales. The main body should be interesting content. However, you should include a ‘Call to Action’ towards the end. This can be a link to your site, showing the new pictures you have put up, or a link to a local event.

Good email marketing can reach a lot of people that may have forgotten your business. Not only can you fill your calendars but well-tailored and personal messages will ensure that you are remembered in the future.