Google has seen very strong profits for their mobile advertising in Q4 2016. While mobile ads are currently much less costly than desktop ads, this maybe set to change. To get the full story, check it out below. In other Google news this week, tablet is now biddable on Google Hotel Ads! This is important because it allows you to bid less on tablet than you might want to on mobile or desktop, depending on how strong those devices are for your hotel.
We’ve also dug up two quick guides this week: one to help you respond to negative, public reviews online in a way that’s helpful to your brand. The second guide will help your hotel’s personality shine through strong visuals in 2017.
Finally, Skift has released an in-depth article on artifical intelligence in travel. Pick your favorite from below, and get started!
Tablet is now biddable on Google Hotel Ads
As of today, advertisers can adjust bids on tablets in Google’s Hotel Ads. This represents an extremely exciting opportunity for advertisers to correct the price that they are paying for tablet traffic. Review your tablet traffic, consider what you should be spending, and start optimizing!
Google’s Mobile Search Revenue Grows, Suggests Higher Mobile Ad Rates Ahead
Google parent Alphabet saw its advertising revenue surge thanks to mobile search, YouTube and its programmatic ad business, it said Thursday during its fourth quarter earnings call.
The company saw overall revenue of $26.1 billion for the quarter ending Dec. 31, up 22% from the same time last year.
Mobile ads currently cost significantly less than desktop ads, but the strength of mobile ad sales for Google might signal an increase in prices there for marketers in the year ahead.
Best Practices for Responding to Negative Reviews
Social media gives voice to all types of people and hotels are particularly vulnerable. Whether it’s a mistreated guest, a former employee or an anonymous troll, a hostile person can broadcast negative content to large volumes of people with just a few clicks.
If your monitoring tools pick up a negative review or other content, you’ll want to take action to limit any damage it may cause to your hotel’s reputation. Whether or not you are able to contact the reviewer directly, posting a response shows readers that you regret the situation and have made efforts to resolve it.
The following guidelines to responding apply to a variety of types of negative reviews and social media comments:
Artificial Intelligence in Travel Is Finally Becoming a Reality
There are few things buzzier in travel right now than the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and human-machine interfaces. Except, in some ways it’s not new. Google search culls millions of options every second of every day for people seeking a good hotel or meal. That’s possible due to AI, or machine-learning, where Google can not only crunch data at the speed of light, but also “learn” how to deliver more nuanced results.
Captivate your Guests and Get More Direct Bookings in 2017
Time to adjust a few things in your hotel marketing to stand out in 2017!
Want to attract new business and get more direct bookings? Make sure the online presentation of your hotel supports this goal.
Take for example, your website. Does it truly communicate the essence of your hotel brand?
