In May 2024, our travel marketing agency embarked on a transformative journey with Mount Athos Resort, a prestigious 5-star hotel located on the third “sleeve” of the Halkidiki Peninsula in Greece, near the historic Christian monastic community of Mount Athos. Known for its serene surroundings and luxurious accommodations, Mount Athos Resort faced several digital marketing challenges that needed immediate attention to enhance its online presence and boost direct bookings. This case study outlines the hurdles we encountered, the strategies we implemented, and the remarkable outcomes achieved.
Key Challenges
- Inadequate Data Tracking
The resort’s website lacked proper data tracking mechanisms, hindering the accurate measurement of visitor behavior and booking events. This deficiency made it difficult to analyze customer journeys and optimize the website for conversions.
Of course that made all of the advertising efforts very ineffective and expensive.
- Influencer Marketing Needs
To leverage social proof and expand the resort’s reach, a focused influencer marketing campaign was essential. We aimed to target five key markets for the hotel.
- Inefficient Google Ads Strategy
The existing Google Ads strategy was misaligned, resulting in wasted ad spend on low-quality leads. The ad model and targeting parameters were ineffective, attracting traffic that was unlikely to convert into bookings.
- Limited Budget
Since the hotel is relatively small we needed to shrink into a relatively small budget that needed to be optimized and prioritized the best way.
Our Approach
1. Enhancing Data Tracking
Our first step was to research and analyze the website’s data tracking system. Than we created custom key events using Google tag manager and GA4.
- GA4 adjustments: Configured GA4 to track critical events such as page views, forms initiation and submission, phone calls, and of course – the booking journey related events.
- Enhanced Booking racking: Since the hotel is using Webhotelier booking system we start tracking the different booking steps allowing us to know the user behavior and success.
- Data-Driven Decisions: Used the data collected to inform our optimization strategies.
2. Strategic Influencer Marketing
To tap into the potential of influencer marketing, we devised a campaign targeting influencers from our five key markets. We carefully selected influencers whose audience demographics matched our target customer profile.
- Influencer Selection: Collaborated with influencers known for their luxury travel content.
- Engaging Content: Created engaging content showcasing the resort’s unique offerings, such as wellness retreats, gourmet dining, and proximity to Mount Athos.
- Cross-Platform Campaigns: Leveraged platforms like Instagram and Facebook
3. Revamping Google Ads Strategy
We completely redesigned the Google Ads strategy to ensure efficient use of the advertising budget and to attract high-quality leads.
- Keyword Optimization: Conducted thorough keyword research to target high-intent search terms.
- Ad Copy Improvement: Crafted compelling ad copy that highlighted the resort’s unique selling points.
- Geo-Targeting: Implemented precise geo-targeting to focus on potential customers in our key markets.
- Conversion Tracking: Set up robust conversion tracking to measure the effectiveness of our ads and adjust the strategy accordingly.
- New Account Infrastructure: We developed the account infrastructure via multiple campaigns and ad groups in order to have full visibility of every type of user searches and also to have the ability to emphasize on the campaigns with the best return-on-investment.
- Budget Distribution Optimization: The optimized conversion tracking gives us the opportunity to distribute the budget every week based on data as well as the current situation of the search market for optimal efficiency of every euro spent.
Results Achieved
1. Improved Website Performance
With enhanced data tracking, we gained valuable insights into user behavior, leading to significant website optimizations. This resulted in:
- Increase in Booking Conversions: Optimized user experience led to a notable rise in direct bookings.
- Reduction in Bounce Rate: Improved site navigation and content relevance kept visitors engaged longer.
2. Successful Influencer Campaigns
Our influencer marketing efforts paid off handsomely:
- 25% Growth in Social Media Followers in the first 3 months: The resort’s social media presence grew, attracting a more engaged audience.
- 40% Increase in Website Traffic from Target Markets: Influencer content drove targeted traffic to the website, enhancing brand visibility.
- Direct bookings with discount codes used from our SecretStars
3. Efficient Google Ads Performance
The revamped Google Ads strategy yielded impressive results:
- 50% Reduction in Cost Per Conversion: More effective targeting and ad copy improved ROI.
- 70% Increase in Qualified Leads: Attracted higher-quality traffic, resulting in more potential bookings.
Let’s wrap it up!
Through strategic interventions and focused marketing efforts, our agency transformed Mount Athos Resort’s digital presence. By addressing data tracking issues, leveraging influencer marketing, and optimizing the Google Ads strategy, we significantly enhanced the resort’s online performance. This case study exemplifies our commitment to driving measurable results and our expertise in revitalizing digital marketing for luxury hospitality clients.
Contact Us
Interested in transforming your hotel’s digital marketing strategy? Contact us today to discover how we can help you achieve your goals.