The Dubai Expat Diaries

When the going gets tough, Hotel eMarketers play harder: As the world gets harder, better, faster, stronger in many respects, so do the ripple effects of world events. The recent attacks in Mumbai are a prime example – hotels the world over are now scrambling to take a re-look at their security measures. In terms of broader trends, the worrying shifts in climate pales in comparison to the economic downturn now upon us. Experts claim that this recession is the worst since World War II. The world has always gone through natural economic cycles where every decade or more we take a step back and reevaluate just where we’ve been going wrong…but with increasing interconnectedness, reliance on virtual financial models and technology, the house of cards has become ever so precariously balanced. 

The great thing about tough times is that it separates the boys from the men! It’s a cleansing process so to speak…one that rids us of old inefficiencies and forces us to look at better, smarter ways of living and doing business. 

In terms of hotel operations, the year 2009 promises to be a challenging one. Hoteliers will have to shake off those cobwebs and put on their ‘exceptional service’ hats. Hotel Marketers and Public Relations Managers will have to take a critical look at their spending habits and find more efficient ways to generating buzz and marketing ROI. This environment is perfect for great Hotel eMarketers to shine and utilize the full potential of the Internet. From exploring new ways of creating consumer pull (compared to the older sledgehammer approach to pushing advertising) to making existing sites, campaigns and CRM more effective, the creative hotel eMarketer will have his hands full in the times to come. 

Since the hotel emarketing niche is so new, you may be wondering just what sets great eMarketers aside from the mediocre? How do you find these people, hire them and more importantly…retain them? Here are a few thoughts and personal observations…

So what are the 5 Hallmarks of a Great Hotel eMarketer?

• Great Hotel eMarketers get bored easily – More often than not, eMarketers hate repetitive work and will do anything to bring a little excitement and creativity into the mix. They require playtime to innovate and experiment…once a great idea emerges, they’re usually back to business and thinking of serious ways to structure and implement their project. The most successful eMarketers will always be those who stand out from the crowd by doing things like no one else. Boredom, then, is simply an avenue to looking beyond the ‘usual’. 
• Great Hotel eMarketers are flexible – The Internet is in a state of constant flux and trends change fast. Great online marketing professionals realize this and welcome change…even if it means abandoning groundbreaking pet projects if they just don’t make the cut for the business. 
• Great Hotel eMarketers have a hunger for learning – If anyone walks up to you today and claims they’re an ‘Internet expert’, walk away…fast! The web as we know it today has evolved just over the last 18 years, yet no other technology has impacted humanity so radically in our history. Great Hotel eMarketers are constantly learning and looking for ways to harness the power of new developments and trends. 
• Great Hotel eMarketers share a passion for technology – Technology is anything that applies human intelligence and imagination to generate processes and systems to improve the human condition. Great hotel internet marketers have an innate love for progress, problem solving and doing things better, faster, easier and differently.
• Great Hotel eMarketers are great at sharing knowledge and networking – Competitive as they may be, great Hotel eMarketers are confident in their knowledge and passion for what they do and will always share that knowledge with others. These professionals are also great at building active and passive networks that they can constantly interact with and learn from. 

 
For those Hotel Managers looking to get great hotel internet marketing professionals onboard, here are 5 Key Tips on hiring and holding onto them:

Article continues here: http://thetalentjungle.com/great-hotel-emarketers/ 

Jitendra Jain (JJ)

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