email marketing to previous guests

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ianh100
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email marketing to previous guests

Post by ianh100 »

Hi All, Was not sure where to put this.

We are just entering our 4th year so now have a reasonable list of previous guests, we have a few regulars but would like to encourage more.

We have kept the email address for previous guests and are wondering if we should send a short email thanking them for their previous stay and encouraging them to stay again. We would obviously include the option to be taken off our mailing list.

Do any of you do this? Does it work? Do you offer any incentive? (I am considering just recommending they book via our web site as we offer better prices that route).

Thanks in advance
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edinburgh
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Post by edinburgh »

Can't help with what to include, but when you do it, consider using Mailchimp, so you can monitor which emails are actually being read. You can also segment lists to give different offers (for example, you might have guests that love a bargain, and those who don't care what they're paying for premium seasons)
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teapot
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Post by teapot »

I sent Christmas cards with a snowy picture of the cottage for a few years as Christmas is prime booking time. It didn't really make much difference to us, those that return, return and have been several years with us the others might remember us one day but the fresh bookings still came through.
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teba18
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Post by teba18 »

We don't keep guest details and don't contact previous guests once their booking is over, security deposit refunded and we've exchanged a couple of final e-mails where I usually offer a discount (unless we wouldn't really want them back!) if they re-book - and we have quite a few who've become regulars. My rationale is, if they want to rebook at some stage, they will (we've had people come back after a couple of years - even longer) and if they don't want to, they don't want to get a mailing from me either.
But I'm sure it's fine to contact people if you want to - and it might generate e few bookings - although I might be a bit careful about using the word 'mailing list'. I've no idea, but wonder if there might be something in the data protection minefield about adding people's details to a 'list' without their consent. And as we all know, you only need one! ......
amandajane
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Post by amandajane »

A couple of years ago I did a winter "special" for previous guests.

I assured them that I wasn't going to bombard them with emails but offered them short breaks at very, very reasonable prices.
My reasoning was that for me it kept the cottage lived in and warm, and if they had been before they knew where they were going and therefore what to expect. They could arrive late on a Friday evening if they wished and wouldn't be stumbling about in the dark wondering where they had landed, or knocking on next door!

My hope was that it would make them feel like "regulars" but whilst we did get a couple of uptakes, I don't think it made a great deal of difference long term.

I think I agree with those who say that if they're going to return they will. No harm in trying though.
GillianF
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Post by GillianF »

Looking at it from the other end: if I were a previous guest I think I would be a bit miffed to have you contacting me.

If I wanted to re-visit I'd remember you and if I didn't I wouldn't want you contacting me.

In my view there are enough unsolicited calls, e-mails, miscellaneous publicity and 'junk' through the letter box etc. as it is .....................
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

I used to send a couple of emails are year. It sometimes prompted regulars to book their preferred week, but I rarely obtained anything else.
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French Cricket
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Post by French Cricket »

I think remaining in touch with previous guests in some way is A Good Thing.

I think 'selling' to them or directly encouraging them to come again is A Bad Thing.

I send out a couple of Mailchimp newsletters every year to our past guests - they're gossipy, with our own news and news of the house, plus a few photos from the last six months; I tell people about anything new we're planning but that's as far as it goes in terms of encouragement to return - I specifically never mention the possibility.

What I'm aiming to do is create loyalty and community, and it seems to work. If there's a by-product of bookings or referrals (which there is, always), then that's a bonus. The only problem is that every time I send out a newsletter, I have to set aside time to reply to all the long emails I get in return from many of the readers, telling me all their news!

The next one will go out in September, a couple of weeks before I open 2016 bookings to past guests and their friends (which is 3 or 4 weeks ahead of when I'll take bookings from brand new guests). I can pretty much guarantee that within those 3 or 4 weeks, I'll be 30-40% full for next year. What's not to like?
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CarolineH
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Post by CarolineH »

I'm there with FC - I like to keep in touch with some of the lovely people that have visited here and I do it just once a year at Christmas with a mailchimp newsletter (I like this because it gives them the very obvious option to unsubscribe).

I think it depends who you are and what you are offering. The people who come here interact with me and other guests, also my animals - we get to know each other very well during the course of their holiday. My newsletter details changes and developments that are going on here (5 cottages and 4 acres of land, there is always something changing).

I try to send it the day before or on Christmas eve - it makes a huge difference when it lands in their inboxes - if they are busy, it gets forgotten about very quickly - if they can read it at home, it helps because then they can show the kids pictures of the animals etc. This year I received 5 bookings during the week following the mailout, they may have booked anyway, but they may not, who knows! Also keeping contact with guests means that they may come back after 3/4/5 years, it just reminds them about their previous holiday here.
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Nemo
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Post by Nemo »

I have sent an occasional newsletter to past guests via mailchimp which generated some bookings. However as they hadn't willingly joined the list, I did get unsubscribes which does count against you as far as mailchimp is concerned. It also does not comply with their terms.

I have now started a new opt in mailing list; everyone who's on there wants to be there and I do get new subscribers adding themselves. It's slow but I'm much happier knowing it's all above board as far as mailchimp is concerned.

It certainly is a useful tool but to be used with care and to maximum effect hopefully! I'm still experimenting.
ianh100
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Post by ianh100 »

Hi Caroline,

Thanks for the feedback, we manage our property remotely so have met very few of our guests. We talk to some on the phone or have conversations by email but that's it.

We are getting a number of repeat bookings but most of our bookings are quite late, this time last year we had almost no bookings, this year we have 28 (was twice that until we got a cancelation). We did pretty well last year, it would just be nice if some of them booked a bit earlier in the year.

I do agree with earlier comments about too much email. We have made a number of significant improvements so we may just send out a message with some interesting updates.

Thanks all
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Post by Joanna »

We're thinking about doing more with our previous guest list. They tick a box on the booking form to opt out of future mailings so I would only contact ones who didn't opt out and use something like mail chimp to make unsubscribing easy.

I've often been contacted by previous guests who want to book again, but they've left it too late to get the dates they want. We're both disappointed because we'd rather have guests that we know.

So I'm wondering about sending something to alert people to dates that are still available in case they're thinking about re-booking. Maybe targeting people who came at that time of year last time, if it's not too complicated to do that. The idea is to present it as a service to our favourite guests so they don't miss out, rather than as an attempt to sell to them.
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Mouse
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Post by Mouse »

Yes previous guests leaving it too late has often been a problem for us too as we tend to book most weeks up earlier than our competitors.
I'm not sure how we can get around that. We do put a note on our advert that we book up early but I don't think prevous guests actually look at the advert again.

It's frustrating to lose potential bookings from previous guest but I don't know how it can be solved. I send xmas cards out via email and only send things via mailchimp if I have a good deal to advertise so I don't inundate people.
I feel an xmas card is a nice reminder that we exist for people before they start to organise holidays but we still get late enquiries from people who then miss out.

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French Cricket
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Post by French Cricket »

Joanna wrote: I've often been contacted by previous guests who want to book again, but they've left it too late to get the dates they want. We're both disappointed because we'd rather have guests that we know.
That's exactly why we have a window of 3 or 4 weeks every year when bookings for the following year are only open to previous guests. We open bookings for them in September, just after they get our autumn newsletter, and to the 'grand public' in October.
calliganc
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Post by calliganc »

I also send a newsletter out 2 or 3 times a year using mailchimp, which gives the option to unsubscribe so they don't receive future newsletters.

I let them know about any improvements we have made to the property plus give them info on events taking place in the local area in the upcoming few months.
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