Social media, distribution channels, web investment, discounting, being risky and target-setting – it couldn’t be easier as an independent hotel owner, right? How do you choose which e-distribution channels are right for your hotel? Several factors need to be taken into account to ensure the best practices of Revenue Management.

1. Everyone’s listening.

Social media, what exactly is it? Ignore the myth that social media is just Facebook and Twitter, these days the internet is social media and a strategy for managing it has never been more important. Facebook and Twitter are important, but don’t forget the numerous other channels including TripAdvisor, Foursquare, YouTube and local websites and blogs.

Communication on the internet takes place everywhere; make sure someone is monitoring it. Revenue managers often don’t have time to monitor social media and over the next few years, the position of social media manager will become an important role. Don’t get left behind and ensure you implement an effective social media strategy. There are many partners available who can help you build an effective strategy if your resources don’t allow it.

2. Choose the right distribution channels.

How do you choose which e-distribution channels are right for your hotel? Several factors need to be taken into consideration, from channel contribution potential, distribution spread and cost to how easy the channels are to manage, what types of marketing exposure they can provide and the sort of technology they use.

If you want to target the mobile-commerce market, choose a distribution partner that has access to these channels. Demand is slowly improving, and it has never been more important to ensure your hotel is seen everywhere.

Identify the right channels for you, manage your rates dynamically and don’t lose sight of rate parity across those channels. If you’re currently distributing rates manually to a number of different channels, a channel manager may be a suitable option for you, making your life easier and leaving that all important time available to make vital strategic decisions.

3. Invest in your own website.

A good revenue management strategy should be carried through to the hotels’ most important revenue channel, their own website. At least 10% of revenue should be generated from your website and it should generate at least 25% of your revenue in the next couple of years.

One of the key factors to achieving this is through search engine optimisation (SEO) and Pay Per Click (PPC) campaigns and as a revenue manager you should already be thinking about these strategies.

Consider your target market, identify what keywords your audience is searching for and ensure your website is optimised for these keywords. Take a look at the competition – what key words is your competitive set appearing for in the search engines?

Think seasonally – are your key words changing when you promote new rates and offers? Talk to your webmaster and ensure they are doing this properly. It they’re not working on this at least three times a week, you’re not optimising your website as much as you should be.

A good representation company should be able to help you devise an effective SEO and PPC strategy.