Direct Mail Marketing for Travel & Hospitality: 6 Tips

In 2023, Americans made 98.5 million trips abroad — inching ever closer to pre-pandemic levels of 99.7 million departures.

That’s a tremendous opportunity in direct mail marketing for travel and hospitality brands to boost hotel bookings, promote destinations and drive website traffic to cater to the wave of travelers and vacationers.

If what immediately comes to mind is a robust digital campaign, you’re like the cruise traveler sprinting down the dock as the ship pulls out of port. You’re missing the boat by not including a direct mail component in your marketing strategy.

Pushing the envelope: 6 tips to make an impact

Thanks to its tangibility, direct mail pieces are held, saved, pinned on the fridge and referred to again and again, forming a lasting impression and physical connection with recipients.

Direct mail also has the ability to be targeted and personalized, creating a more on-point and engaging experience for the audience — especially when paired with digital channels. To ensure your efforts pay off, today’s travel and hospitality marketers should consider these six effective direct mail strategies:

#1 Get personal.

One of the key advantages of data-driven direct mail is its ability to deliver highly personalized and targeted messages to your audience. By sending personalized postcards, brochures or catalogs to prospects, businesses can capture their attention and drive them to take action — whether it’s booking a room, signing up for a loyalty program or leaving a positive review on a website.

Keep in mind the demographics of your target audience. Are they primarily business travelers who book during the week? Families looking for weekend trips during school breaks? Couples searching island beaches for a destination wedding?

Leverage data analytics to segment your audience based on past behaviors, demographics, travel preferences and more. Build your data segments and determine who needs what, when, why, where and how. Show each segment that you understand their travel needs, wants and preferences, and they’ll be more likely to respond to your campaign.

For example, consider creating separate mailings for families looking for kid-friendly resorts, couples seeking high-end experiences or adventure enthusiasts interested in snorkeling trips and rock-climbing excursions.

By personalizing your messaging and offers to each segment, you’re more likely to get the results you’re looking for.

#2 Create high-impact designs.

When creating direct mail pieces for the hospitality and travel industry, it’s crucial to capture the attention of your audience and pique their curiosity from the moment they see your mailer.

Make every inch count. By showing off your destinations or services in their best light, you can create a sense of desire and urgency that motivates recipients to book with your brand. And with thoughtful design, your direct mailer can become a powerhouse conversion tool when you keep these design elements in mind:

Use captivating images, bold colors and creative layouts to showcase your hotel property or excursions.
Invest in professional photography that showcases the allure of your locations and amenities.
Don’t ignore the power of print quality as your paper treatment impacts a buyer’s perception of your brand’s quality and reliability.
Be consistent with your brand aesthetic across all elements of the design, including your logo, colors, messaging and brand voice.

#3 Include clear calls to action.

Make it easy for recipients to book your tour company or learn more about staying at your hotel. Use clear, compelling calls to action (CTA) to encourage them to take the next step. But instead of just telling them to visit your website, try these tactics to seamlessly blend your direct mail efforts with digital marketing:

Incorporate a Quick Response (QR) codes so interested prospects can continue their engagement online, giving them easy access to more information or an opportunity to respond to an offer.
Include a personalized URL (PURL) to lead them to an exclusive landing page. A boutique hotel, for example, might include a unique code for recipients to use when booking, providing a limited-time discount.

#4 Get your timing right.

Looking to increase your holiday bookings? Trying to fill a room block for the end of a shoulder season? Timing is everything when it comes to direct mail. Getting your message in front of potential guests at the right time can mean the difference between a booked room and an empty one.

Seasonality plays a significant role in the hospitality industry, with peak booking periods varying depending on the time of year.

For example, summer months may see an influx of tourists looking for beach vacations, while winter months are popular for skiing getaways. Take the time to analyze data from past campaigns, customer feedback and industry trends to identify patterns in when your target audience is most likely to respond to your offer.

Are there certain times of the year when bookings tend to spike? Do guests typically reserve last-minute or well in advance? By gaining insights into your audience’s behavior, you can further tailor your direct mail campaigns to align with their booking habits.

On the other hand, don’t overlook the power of off-peak promotions. By targeting guests during slower periods, such as weekdays or stormy seasons, you can fill empty rooms and generate revenue during times when business might be slower and less profitable.

#5 Track engagement.

One of the advantages of direct mail is the ability to track engagement and measure the success of your campaigns. By incorporating QR codes or PURLs, you can track how recipients engage with both mail and online content, monitor how recipients interact with your mailers and measure the success of your campaigns.

For example, a tour company can send direct mail with a unique QR code that leads to a video showcasing tour highlights, allowing them to measure the level of engagement and interest. So if a potential guest receives a beautifully designed postcard in the mail, you can track their engagement to gain valuable insights into their preferences and behavior.

QR codes and PURLs can also be used to analyze key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates and conversion rates to help optimize future campaigns.

Plus, tracking engagement allows you to attribute bookings and revenue directly to your direct mail campaigns. By integrating tracking mechanisms with your CRM system or booking platform, you can see exactly how many bookings were generated as a result of your mailers. This not only helps you measure the ROI of your direct mail campaigns but also provides valuable insights for future planning.

And be sure to continuously refine your direct mail efforts to ensure maximum effectiveness and ROAS (return on advertising spend). By staying innovative and adapting to changing consumer preferences, you can stay ahead of the competition and be ready for whatever comes next.

#6 Retarget interested site visitors.

Direct mail retargeting allows you to send direct mail to those who are highly likely to convert. With retargeted direct mail, a mail piece can be sent fast — within 12-24 hours of a digital interaction.

By leveraging customer data and insights, a resort, for example, can send a postcard to a buyer who recently visited but didn’t book, offering a special discount or promotion to entice them to return. Or a hotel can send a welcome package to new customers, including a personalized letter, brochure and exclusive offer for their next stay. By nurturing buyers throughout their journey — from awareness to booking to post-stay feedback — you can build lasting relationships and drive repeat business.

Businesses can leverage direct mail to retarget buyers who have shown interest but haven’t taken action. Whether it’s highlighting the benefits of a particular destination, showcasing customer testimonials or offering a limited-time promotion, direct mail can capture shoppers’ attention and drive them to finally book that vacation.

Signed, sealed, delivering results

There’s nothing like the promise of wanderlust, adventure or relaxation away from the monotony of home. The tactile experience of holding a postcard of a much-anticipated getaway or flipping through a brochure of luxurious images creates a sense of excitement that a digital ad simply cannot replicate.

With direct mail as part of a cohesive marketing strategy, travel and hospitality marketers can effectively engage their audiences, inspire travel, drive bookings and leave a lasting impression that lingers in the minds of recipients long after the mail is received. This emotional connection strengthens brand loyalty and increases the likelihood of conversion when buyers are ready to book with your brand.

At LS Direct, we offer direct mail marketing solutions for travel and hospitality brands. Download our eBook, How Direct Mail Bridges Online and Offline Marketing, for best practices on how to incorporate direct mail into your toolkit.

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Written by Jen Senwoo. Posted in .