General Overview
1. Review each section of the calendar before it’s sent to the customer. This should take no longer than 20 minutes.
- Make sure the sections are filled in with lots of detail, and that the strategy is specific to the customer and their vertical. (Ex: We don’t want to push midweek stays for a VR customer that only rents homes by the week.)
2. Participate in the Marketing Strategy Calendar call with your CSM.
Quarterly Goals
You and your CSM should set goals for the customer that are strategic, realistic, and revenue-focused. There needs to be a “why” behind the goal. For example: If the goal of your Q2 calendar is “spring & summer bookings”, hone in on why that’s the focus. Is this normally a slow time of year for the customer? Do we want them to be ahead of booking pace? You and your CSM should both be on the same page about what the customer’s needs are.
Blog Keywords
1. Do a site search on your customer’s website for each keyword. If the keyword is a duplicate or is too similar to another keyword used on the site, alert your CSM. It may be better to do an update instead of creating new, duplicate content.
- You can also add keywords to existing blogs. For example, it was beneficial for the Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls to have the keywords “things to do in the Hocking Hills with family” and “family vacations in Ohio” in the same blog.
2. Do a brief Google search for each keyword. Ensure there is enough information for a full 500-word piece. If there’s not, suggest a keyword swap.
- Similarly, if a keyword would be better suited for a long-form blog, suggest that.
3. Review the Notes/Recommendations section. You may need to ask your CSM to clarify their notes or reach out to the customer for more information.
4. Review the blog goal section (usually on page 2.)
- Make note of blog updates and ensure there are instructions on what needs to be done. (Ex: If the goal is to further optimize an existing blog, ask for data about how the blog is performing now so you know what changes to make.) Similarly, if you’re updating a landing page, make sure the target keywords are listed.
- Make note of whether the goal of a blog is to drive conversions or drive traffic. Are we focusing on bookings? Gift certificate sales? Brand awareness? Packages and add-ons?
Social Media
Fill in this section with local events and holidays/seasonal events. Refer to this section of the calendar when promoting posts on social each week. Notes should include anything specific to the client such as getting bookings for their annual brunch, pushing gift card sales for a specific holiday, etc.
Eblasts
1. Ensure the goal of each email is clear and includes the “why”.
2. Review the CTA and make sure it contains helpful information about what we are trying to get the recipient of the email to do. Ex: Instead of “Plan the Ultimate Dad’s Getaway”, we want to know: are we promoting Father’s Day bookings? Gift certificate sales?
- If the CSM is creating a special or a discount, ask when this is going to be completed.
3. Review your H1, H2, and H3 sections. See if they include specific recommendations for properties/room features. If a blog is featured, make sure the dates line up and that the blog is scheduled to be written before the email goes out.
4. If an eblast section says “CSM to reach out,” ask your CSM for that information well in advance.