Products

Table Management

Guest Wi-Fi

Marketing & CRM

Reviews

Loyalty & Rewards

Gift Cards

Analytics & Reports

Industries

Restaurants

Hotels

Pubs & Bars

Resources

Learn

Marketing Scorecard

Free Downloads

Email Campaign Templates

Automation Ideas

Blog

About

People and Promise

Careers - We're Hiring!

Success Stories

Testimonials

User Resources

Supported Hardware

Knowledge Base

Partners

Pricing

Elena Turner

Connect with your customers and enhance your marketing

Stampede

With the exception of agriculture, it’s hard to think of an industry more affected by seasonal pressures than the hospitality sector. Along with the times of exceptionally high demand, surviving and even thriving during times of low demand is perhaps the <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/top-marketing-trends-in-the-hotel-industry-for-2020/">biggest challenge facing independent hotels</a>. Often lacking the efficiencies of scale and considerable marketing budgets of the bigger chains.&nbsp;So how do you boost your hotels&#8217; occupancy? 







However, there are plenty of ways that independent hotel owners can attract more bookings all year round. Without any huge investment or having to resort to third-party travel booking websites. In fact, believe it or not, right now you are surrounded by deep wells of untapped demand. All you have to do is figure out how to uncover them. And your hotel could be filled to overflowing, seven days a week, 365 days a year!&nbsp;



Once you open your mind to the possibilities, you will see opportunities to boost occupancy in all kinds of areas. To help you, we’ll cover four different ideas in this article. Bear in mind there are many more &#8211; really, we’re only scratching the surface.&nbsp;



As an independent hotel, you are in a uniquely powerful position to forge relationships. But also take advantage of trends that would take bigger organisations years to emulate. Intrigued? Let’s dive in and explore this together!&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Idea # 1 &#8211; Become a destination for Digital Nomads</h4>



We’ve written before about digital nomads. Those with in-demand skills who travel the world while working remotely, utilising just their laptops and smartphones to remain connected to their employers. This is a <a href="https://workationing.com/digital-nomad-remote-work-statistics/">trend</a> that is set to grow substantially over the years ahead. So establishing your hotel as a great place to stay and work could reap handsome rewards in years to come.&nbsp;



Of course, the beauty of these travellers for you is that they tend to be completely free of the need to follow the usual holiday patterns. They travel at any time of year, or often all year round. Making them perfect for filling your otherwise quiet times.&nbsp;



And how might you tap into this lucrative market, we hear you ask? Well, to begin with, you may already know of some regular guests who fit this description. So why not have a chat with them to find out what would make your hotel an even more attractive destination for them to visit. Recommend their contacts to visit also? Here’s a few more suggestions to get your ‘idea bulb’ flashing;



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Could you repurpose one of your function rooms into a bright and modern co-working space? Available to non-residents to take advantage of in return for a small monthly fee? This would be bound to attract free publicity, as well as boosting your status as a destination for remote workers!</li></ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Create a dedicated page or section of your website specifically on how you cater for digital nomads. Index the page for search engine optimisation. So that this section of your website will start to get organic hits from those searching Google for ‘workations’ in your city or area.</li></ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Hundreds of social media groups dedicated to this lifestyle. Not to mention membership organisations and job boards. All of these contain opportunities for you to advertise or post links to your website offering your services. Why not kick off with a time-limited special offer just for those quoting code “Nomad” to claim?</li></ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Idea # 2 &#8211; Turn drop-in visitors into overnight stays</h4>



There is a branch laden with low-hanging fruit that many independent hotels overlook altogether in their marketing. We’re talking about the people who are right at this very moment utilising your hotel bar, cafe, or lobby area as a venue for a work meeting. A chance to catch up with a visiting friend, or just popping in for a quick meal on their way to their next destination.&nbsp;



These visitors may have never used your facilities before, or they may be regulars. But you just haven’t given them a reason to stay overnight yet! They all know exactly where you are. They know many of your facilities, and they have had a chance to experience your service. Without a shadow of a doubt, they represent a much easier prospect for you to entice to visit. Compared to someone who hasn’t visited your hotel yet.&nbsp;



And if you’re wondering how you can get the contact information of these drop-in visitors, wonder no more! <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-marketing-with-wifi-benefits-your-business/">WiFi Marketing</a> gives your visitors the option to connect to WiFi in your hotel, and at the same time lets them opt-in to get special offers from you. Easy!&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Idea # 3 &#8211; Special Offers for Senior Citizens&nbsp;</h4>



This might seem like the kind of strategy more suited to a hairdresser than an independent hotel but stay with us. Similarly to digital nomads, retired travellers are not constrained by traditional holiday seasons. Not only that, the current generation of senior citizens from all around the world are more likely to travel than any of the previous ones. With <a href="http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articles/309398/travel-most-important-for-over-half-of-retired-people">over half</a> of the retired people citing “travel” as the most important part of their plans.&nbsp;



Even better, retired travellers stay for longer. They are <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Tourism_trends_and_ageing">less likely</a> to make use of rented accommodation and are known to be receptive to marketing campaigns that specifically aim for their patronage. (Did you know that <a href="https://www.saga.co.uk/">Saga</a>, which specifically caters for those over 50 years of age, has over 2.7 million customers?!)&nbsp;



If all of this sounds like a good fit for your hotel, you can follow similar steps to those outlined in the Idea # 1 Digital Nomad section above to target this market. Maybe you could create a bar and a socialising area specifically for your “Silver” visitors? Again, there are membership organisations, magazines, and travel companies that specifically target this sector. All you have to do is create some offers to attract the attention of savvy senior travellers &#8211; and get them out there!&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Idea # 4 &#8211; Partner up with Business Associations&nbsp;</h4>



As business travel tends to be a lot less seasonal than those on vacation. It makes sense to consider how you could position your hotel to be the ideal conference destination, or the obvious choice for employees of a particular PLC to stay overnight.&nbsp;



Again, this tends to be an area that is much overlooked by independent hotels. Perhaps you think that the big chains will always be the first choice for the busy business travellers. However, there’s no reason why that should be the case <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/5-useful-free-marketing-tools-that-anyone-can-use/">if you’re smart with your marketing</a>.&nbsp;



Study the industries in your district. Especially look out for any large companies that have headquarters, training centres, or other significant properties nearby. Don’t forget existing clients. There could be a CEO who regularly visits that could be persuaded to make your hotel the default option for all her employees.



Again, you can create a search-optimised dedicated page of your website for business travellers. Use offer codes for conferences that might be held in your city so that you win more of this passing trade. Create simple flyers that you can drop off at local companies. <a href="https://www.canva.com/">This tool</a> is a great way for even non-graphic designers to design attention-grabbing leaflets and postcards! Offering them exclusive rates in return for their patronage.&nbsp;Maybe even a free or discounted first drink in the bar?



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Bringing it all together</h4>



We hope that these ideas have given you plenty of food for thought on how you can boost your year-round hotel occupancy. All this without having to resort to offering huge discounts via third-party resellers. If you found this article useful, why not sign up to our email newsletter so that you can be sure not to miss out on future posts?&nbsp;



Want to find out more about how WiFi marketing can further boost your hotel occupancy?



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>





<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>

post

How to Boost Hotel Occupancy And Direct Bookings

There’s a lot of talk about cutting costs these days. What better way to approach that than looking for free alternatives to some of your biggest expenses?&nbsp;



With all the free technology and website plugins out there, some must be at least semi-decent, right?



We wanted to find out more about what you don’t get with free versions, and what that might cost you in terms of customer experience and ultimately, revenue.



For this, we looked closely at 4 popular free WordPress (WP) plugins and compared the most important booking features against each other.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-free-wp-booking-plugins-compared">4 Free WP Booking Plugins Compared</h5>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table valign="middle"><tbody><tr valign="middle"><td class="has-text-centre" data-align="centre">Features</td><td class="has-text-valign:middle" data-valign="middle" data-align="centre">ReDi Restaurant Reservation</td><td>Five Star Restaurant Reservations</td><td>WPCafe</td><td>&nbsp;Quick Restaurant Reservations</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Number of free venues</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">1</td><td>1</td><td>Unlimited</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Reservation restrictions&nbsp;(block times/days/length)</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">X</td><td>Only for days and times</td><td>X</td><td>&nbsp;Yes</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Data Export</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">X</td><td>X</td><td>X</td><td>X</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Customisable</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Yes</td><td>Only for the form, no custom fields</td><td>Yes</td><td>Only for the form, no custom fields</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">&nbsp;Automated reservation confirmation</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Yes</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td><td>Manual only</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">&nbsp;Booking reminders</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">X</td><td>X</td><td>X</td><td>X</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">&nbsp;Support</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Yes</td><td>Yes</td><td>X</td><td>X</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Integrations&nbsp;</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">X</td><td>X</td><td>Yes</td><td>X</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">&nbsp;Additional notes</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">No analytics or statistics</td><td>No front end page to display bookings</td><td>No front end page to display bookings</td><td>No daily or monthly calendar view</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">7 Reasons Why Bookings Platforms Are Worth Paying For</h5>



Here are a few important things you might be missing out on by relying on a free booking platform plugin



Data access:



You often have to pay to access customer data and/or are not able to download it for further usage. This means you can’t contact customers post-visit to ask for feedback or send them offers to bring them back.



Integration with other tech tools:



If you can’t access or download customer data, an integration would at least allow you to use your data to some extent. Without any of those options, you are massively missing out on future revenue.



Limited live or backend support:



You always have to install the plugin on your website yourself, which can sometimes come with its own challenges and takes up time. Plus, not all providers offer free customer support.&nbsp;



Multi-venue:



The majority only have one venue included in their free version. Any additional venues cost extra. Same for having multiple users for your account.



Customisation:



Custom fields (i.e. dietary restrictions, extras) are vital to make your customer experience more personal. Quite often you can only choose from preselected fields, even in the paid plans.



Customer communication:



Most of them don’t allow you to send email/SMS booking reminders. This can lead to an increase in no-shows and high operational costs.



The same applies to the post-visit feedback request, which isn’t available on any free plan.&nbsp;



Automation:



Technology should make our lives easier and help us save time. Booking reminders and review requests are one of the simplest marketing automation to set up but are not included in any of the free plans.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">Takeaway</h5>



Free booking platform plugins might satisfy some basic booking requirements. However, the money you save on the free versions often costs you more further down the line.&nbsp;



Being unable to contact customers to drive loyalty is one of the biggest issues here. Your loyal customers are the ones that bring in new customers. And with their connection, the process starts over again.&nbsp;



In this case, it is definitely worth investing in a more complete booking system. Make sure to check out our <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/buyers-guide-11-key-features-your-table-booking-system-needs/">buyer’s guide</a> including the key features you should look out for when choosing a platform.



Get more tables booked, and manage your front-of-house operations efficiently. <a href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request">Book a demo</a> with our team to find out more about Stampede Bookings.

Are Free Booking Platform Plugins Any Good?

So we’re heading into the colder months, and those setting the regulations still talk about outdoor areas for hospitality. It seems inevitable that we’ll be getting layered up to support our favourite venues for the next while.&nbsp;



 Whilst in a riverside pub terrace in York on a chilly evening earlier this week, we got talking about how we’d be happy to see mulled wine/cider etc. on the menu already!



Speaking of winter menus for outside dining, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-10-21/how-chefs-are-adapting-their-menus-for-chilly-outdoor-dining" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">this might be useful.</a>



In the news, Marstons have announced a £2m investment in upgraded outdoor spaces and seating, which will provide additional capacity of around 15,000 covers.



 If you’re exploring outdoor space options for the coming months, this is a reminder to check your customer WiFi coverage in these areas. Seating which is further from the source will mean poor or no internet connection for customers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hardware"> Hardware</h2>



 Our Support Team have an expert knowledge of the best systems for any setup, and are happy to provide free advice on what you might need, as well as contacts for on the ground installation. We can also arrange a site assessment for you through our partners.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-customer-benefits"> Customer Benefits</h2>



 <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/wifi/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WiFi</a> isn’t just about letting customers browse Facebook as they sip mulled wine. You can use it to push customers straight to order-and-pay apps (without QR codes), for <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/hospitality-reopening/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Track and Trace</a>, to monitor footfall and occupancy and more.



 It’s the gateway to better customer experiences in many ways.



 For your business, it’s the easiest way to boost the size of your mailing list, just in time to <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/marketing/#email" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">promote</a> your Christmas specials and offers.



 We’re here to help you, with WiFi setup questions or the customer experience, by <a href="tel:+441315107008" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">phone</a>, <a href="mailto:contact@stampede.ai?subject=Outdoor%20WiFi&amp;body=Got%20a%20question%20about%20outdoor%20WiFi%3F" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">email</a> or <a href="stampede.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">live chat</a>.

Keep The Outdoor Connected

Feature Update – Improved campaigns, reporting and imports

Improving Conversion Rates in Marketing

Stampede Updates – July 2017

Deck the halls &#8211; or rather&nbsp;deck your digital assets&nbsp;&#8211; in time for the holiday season. You want your customers to feel excited and get them into the right mood early on. People will be keen this year, but with competition being fierce, you need your digital assets to stand out to highlight your seasonal marketing offers.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



 But where do you start? First and foremost,&nbsp;get your familiar branding aligned with recognisable festive themes. There’s some easy but highly effective things you can do with your assets that won’t take up much of your time or require any advanced design skills.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seasonal-marketing-elements-images">Seasonal marketing elements &amp; images</h4>



Seasonal elements, illustrations and images&nbsp;are probably the quickest way to spread some festive cheer around.



Swap some of your images on your website with seasonal ones. You can reuse images from your previous festive seasons here or use stock imagery.



Include holiday-themed elements in your social media posts and in your emails. You can create your own&nbsp;festive template&nbsp;that you can reuse for all your assets (including your menu) to keep them uniform. Or to save some time, use ready-made ones. There’s a wide range to choose from online (e.g. template ideas for&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.canva.com/search/templates?q=winter%20season" target="_blank">Winter</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.canva.com/search/templates?q=holiday%20season" target="_blank">Holiday season</a>).



You can add some&nbsp;Christmas ornaments to your logo, the Santa hat is probably the most featured one around this time of the year. Profile frames and seasonal filters are also great for your socials.



Last, use a&nbsp;festive font&nbsp;for your offers and on your menu. Here’s some fonts ideas:&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Social-Media-Posts-2-14-2-1.png"><img decoding="async" src="https://image.stampede.ai/fill/1024/579/ce/0/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGFtcGVkZS5haS93cC1jb250ZW50L3VwbG9hZHMvMjAyMS8xMC9Tb2NpYWwtTWVkaWEtUG9zdHMtMi0xNC0yLTEtMTAyNHg1NzkucG5n" alt="" class="wp-image-20636"/></a></figure>



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Seasonal marketing colour schemes</h4>



Seasonal colours make your holiday marketing instantly recognisable. Dark red, pine green and snow white are typical colours associated with Christmas, so are metallic ones (tip &#8211; take them from our email header image).



As a rule of thumb,&nbsp;keep your brand colours as a basis&nbsp;and use any seasonal ones as your background or text colours. Don’t overdo it, it’s more about sprinkling it over than going full-on.&nbsp;



What to keep in mind when picking your colour schemes:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Look for a colour palette that compliments your brand colours</li><li>Find pre-made colour palettes on platforms such as&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.canva.com/colors/color-palettes/" target="_blank">Canva</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/free-seasonal-color-palettes" target="_blank">Shutterstock</a></li><li>Look for brands with similar colours and get inspired from what they’re doing</li><li>Pick around 3 seasonal colours you want to use throughout your assets</li><li>Pick colour shades used in the images</li><li>Use web browser extensions (e.g.&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/colorpick-eyedropper/ohcpnigalekghcmgcdcenkpelffpdolg?hl=en" target="_blank">Color Pick</a>) to get the&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://marketing.istockphoto.com/blog/hex-colors-guide/" target="_blank">hex code</a>&nbsp;from colours you’ve spotted to use in emails and designs</li></ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Seasonal marketing messaging</h4>



The last bit to sort out for your seasonal content is the messaging.



Help customers (and the search engines) find you for the right reasons this season. Add&nbsp;festive keywords&nbsp;in the right places on your website such as ‘Christmas Menu’, ‘Christmas Events’, ‘Christmas Office Party’.



And why not come up with your&nbsp;own branded, festive hashtag, e.g. &#8216;#[Company]XmasVibes&#8217;, to spread the word about your offers further on your socials.



<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.countryliving.com/life/a23477600/christmas-puns/" target="_blank">Seasonal puns</a>&nbsp;are always great fun. You can use them to spruce up (see what we did there?) your email subject lines: ‘Treat yo&#8217;elf this Christmas and book your table now.’, your post captions and your call-to-actions.



 Need a hand with promoting your festive season offerings via email and SMS?&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="mailto:contact@stampede.ai?subject=&amp;body=" target="_blank">Get in touch</a>&nbsp;with one of our team. We also have some festive templates available for you.

A Festive Checklist to Spruce Up Your Seasonal Marketing

Spooky times are creeping up at the end of this month, time to ramp up your&nbsp;Halloween marketing.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



We’ve come up with a bunch of promotional ideas to get you started and secure you some extra sales.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-halloween-email-campaign">1) Halloween Email Campaign</h5>



Highlight what you’ve planned this year and why customers shouldn’t miss out. Give them a&nbsp;sneak peek&nbsp;with some enticing images and menu previews.



Push them towards booking early on &#8211;&nbsp;‘limited availability &#8211; book now to secure your spot’.



Content ideas for your email:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Trick or Treat your customers &#8211; offers/deals</li><li>Planned events for kids and grown-ups</li><li>Menu &amp; drink specials</li><li>Include links to your socials for more Halloween content</li><li>Various booking call-to-actions</li></ul>



Time-saving tip:&nbsp;Stampede users can access the Halloween template from their account.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">2) Halloween Social Media Ideas</h5>



Seasonal events are great to&nbsp;give your accounts a little boost&nbsp;and put your brand forefront.&nbsp;



Here are some post inspirations:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Dress up competition &#8211; couples, families, pet</li><li>Take your&nbsp;<a href="https://www.countryliving.com/diy-crafts/g279/pumpkin-carving-ideas/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pumpkin carving</a>&nbsp;to the next level (#SquashGoals)</li><li>Share homemade&nbsp;<a href="https://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/g1194/halloween-treats/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">baking&nbsp;</a>treat ideas</li><li>What’s your favourite scary movie?</li><li>Trick or treat poll &#8211; which sweet do you go for?</li><li>Caption this &#8211;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.countryliving.com/life/a23012541/halloween-puns-funny-cute/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">halloween puns</a></li><li>Competition &#8211; find the hidden pumpkin on our website to win or how many ghosts can you spot on our website?</li></ul>



Find some best-performing Halloween hashtags&nbsp;<a href="http://best-hashtags.com/hashtag/halloween/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">3) Halloween In-venue Ideas</h5>



You can go full-on with a themed party or just focus on some smaller events. Nevertheless, customers love to share their experiences on their socials, so keep&nbsp;“TikTok-ability”&nbsp;in mind!



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Host a theme party &#8211; mad hatters tea party, dinner in the dark,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/g2640/halloween-cocktails/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">spooky cocktail party</a></li><li>Host a Halloween-themed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.countryliving.com/life/g37154795/halloween-facts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pub quiz</a></li><li>Install a spooky or pumpkin patch photo wall</li><li>Run a pumpkin carving competition for kids</li><li><a href="https://www.womansday.com/life/g40290350/halloween-bingo-cards/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Halloween bingo</a>&nbsp;for kids &#8211; can you spot the items in our venue?</li><li>Halloweenise your food &amp; drinks menu</li><li>For takeaway or delivery: sneak a nasty little surprise into the box</li></ul>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">Bonus: what&#8217;s trending this year</h5>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Offer a selection of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/halloween-mocktail-recipes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">non-alcoholic beverages</a></li><li>Eye-catching&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cosmopolitan.com/food-cocktails/g40671448/halloween-snack-ideas/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">snack ideas</a></li><li>Get crafty with some easy&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/g28190402/diy-halloween-decorations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DIY&nbsp;</a>decoration ideas for your venue</li><li>Stand out from the crowd and get some costume&nbsp;<a href="https://www.allure.com/gallery/unique-halloween-costume-ideas" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">inspiration</a>&nbsp;from Harry Styles, Bridgerton and Stranger Things</li><li>Try something different &#8211; a Mexican-inspired&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/how-to-throw-a-day-of-the-dead-party/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">“Day of the Dead” party</a></li></ul>



Need a hand with promoting your Halloween marketing?&nbsp;<a href="https://h.stampede.ai/meetings/stampede/demo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get in touch</a>&nbsp;with our team to find out more about&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/marketing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stampede Marketing</a>.

Easy Halloween Marketing Ideas To Attract More Customers

It’s now been just over a week since the U.K. government set lock-down in place to prevent coronavirus spread. At Stampede we were already fully stuck in our work from home setup and up to speed again. We were really thankful to be able to do this. It allowed us to get on with some really important projects quickly.



Here’s a roundup of what we’ve been doing to help out our customers and the sector overall:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Built and launched a <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/new-feature-alert-gift-cards/">free digital gift card</a> generator</li><li>Made the Marketing features free to all</li><li>Built a database CSV import system for Marketing</li><li>Designed and added multiple new email marketing templates</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Free Digital Gift Card</h2>



Something we’d had in the pipeline for a while, but seeing the immediate need for pay-it-forward systems as lock-down commenced meant we brought this to the top of the pile.



In roughly 3 days our product team pulled it all together and we had a working <a href="https://product.stampede.ai/gifting">digital gift card system</a> for anyone to use, for free.



Interest is already picking up and feedback from users so far has been positive. We look forward to seeing this getting plenty of use.



We’re now adding extra functionality and polish to the system but anyone can start using it right away



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Marketing For Free</h2>



There were two stages to this decision. First &#8211; we wanted to make sure any and all businesses using Stampede had an easy way to talk to their customers and give them critical updates. And so, <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/marketing/">email and SMS marketing</a> is now available to everyone regardless of their plan.



Second &#8211; if it was free for all customers, there’s no reason it shouldn’t be free to other businesses like them. They needed to send critical updates too and we wanted to help with what we can.



This pushed us to:



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Database Upload with CSV</h2>



It was a necessary addition to make sure businesses could make full use of the Marketing features. Like Gift Cards it was moved up to highest priority for the product team.



This is live now too, enabling any business with a CSV database of their customers to upload to Stampede and start sending emails.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">New Email Templates&nbsp;</h2>



After seeing what sorts of activities our customers were turning to in order to keep operating, our marketing success team built some brand new email templates inside the Stampede Marketing system. 



To help businesses promote these new activities faster there’s now a template for “We Deliver” with logos of popular delivery apps included; “Takeaway Available” for those offering takeaway; and “Gift Cards” to help promote the new digital gift cards businesses would set up, also within Stampede. 



As part of the Marketing feature, these are all free to use as part of the updates covered above. 



It’s been a fairly hectic week (and a bit) for everyone but as time marches on we hope that the new activities and processes become the new norm for people, and the businesses are able to find their feet in new and successful ways.



If you&#8217;re not an existing Stampede user you can sign up for access to Gift Cards and Marketing <a href="https://signup.stampede.ai/?source=marketing">HERE</a>.

Weekly update from Stampede featuring Gift Cards and Marketing

Last Week at Stampede

You run a business and you like to think you know your customers &#8211; but do you really?

Sure, you probably know your audience demographic breakdowns and probably some of your peak times, but are you doing anything with this information other than plugging it into a spreadsheet and playing with pivot tables? (not that there&#8217;s anything wrong with that &#8211; we love pivot tables).
<h3>Automatic WiFi Marketing to Your Customers</h3>
But instead of just letting that data sit in cells, here&#8217;s an example of how you could be using it to reach out to your customers.  How about sending an email or SMS message to your customers on their birthday, enticing them with a free drink or starter? Who could resist? And &#8211; since it&#8217;s a birthday &#8211; naturally they&#8217;ll be bringing along their friends as well. More people = more orders = more business for you.<img decoding="async" class="" style="width: 320px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right;" title="Stampede Marketing" src="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2735287/Blog/wifi-marketing.jpg" alt="Stampede Marketing" width="320" data-constrained="true" />
Even better &#8211; what if all this was done automatically?
And &#8211; hold on &#8211; we&#8217;re not done yet &#8211; what about if you were then able to add your customers email to your marketing list (automatically, of course) so that you could continue to send them promotions and specials in the future.
<a href="https://www.stampede.ai/how-it-works#marketing">All that marketing power</a> &#8211; and more &#8211; is ready and waiting for you just inside the Stampede Connect dashboard. And getting started with WiFi marketing in Stampede is even easier than you think.
<h3>WiFi Marketing with Stampede</h3>
Just take a look at this short video that shows you &#8211; in two minutes, believe it or not, how you can setup Stampede to automagically send your customers an SMS message the first time they connect.
<iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uX-Vy3m0dcg?rel=0" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Pretty darn easy, right?
So what are you waiting for? <a href="https://connect.stampede.ai">Login to your Connect dashboard</a> so you can get started right away. And if you&#8217;re not using Stampede yet (we won&#8217;t judge), sign up for a <a href="https://www.stampede.ai/get-started">FREE trial</a> so you can see how you can start laser targeting your customers.
How are you using Stampede with your business? Feel free to leave a comment below. Also, be sure to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxc2sJ3nBYJhLGQr_2RM60w">subscribe to our YouTube channel</a> so you get notified of the latest videos and if you&#8217;ve got something you want to see us do a video demo or explainer for &#8211; be sure to drop us a line.
<a class="eut-modal-popup" href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request?month=2020-02">Click here to get started.</a>

WiFi Marketing and Your Business: More Than Pivot Tables

If you’re a hospitality operator looking to keep your guests engaged and loyal, personalised marketing is your secret weapon. However, to offer truly customised experiences businesses have to include one invaluable tech tool in their overall customer relationship management <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-create-a-hospitality-crm-strategy-that-drives-results">(CRM) strategy</a>: their CRM platform.



In this blog post, we’ll discuss how hospitality operators can create personalised email &amp; SMS marketing campaigns powered by their CRM.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-personalised-marketing-and-why-does-it-matter">What is personalised marketing and why does it matter?</h2>



Personalised marketing is the process of creating and sending out email and/or SMS campaigns that are tailored to each customer. Studies show that <a href="https://www.epsilon.com/us/about-us/pressroom/new-epsilon-research-indicates-80-of-consumers-are-more-likely-to-make-a-purchase-when-brands-offer-personalized-experiences">80% of customers are more likely to make a purchase from personalised marketing</a>.&nbsp;



The approach involves combining data insights with creative messaging and personalised content to create the ultimate customer experience.



By leveraging data insights, hospitality marketers can create more relevant content that resonates better with their target audience. This leads to increased customer loyalty and a higher chance of repeat business.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How to get started with personalised email &amp; SMS campaigns using your CRM</h2>



If you&#8217;re looking to step up your email and SMS marketing game, then targeted campaigns are the way to go.&nbsp;



The data from your CRM builds the foundation for your personalised marketing. Data points can include everything from customer purchase history to personal preferences.&nbsp;



Once you have a good understanding of your audience, it&#8217;s time to use your CRM system to create targeted campaigns that speak directly to them.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Build a holistic customer profile</h4>



Creating a comprehensive customer profile in your CRM is crucial for any business looking to better understand its audience. To build a holistic customer profile, it&#8217;s important to collate all data sources in your CRM system to gain a full picture of the customer journey.&nbsp;



In order to get the most out of your customer profiles, you should strive to combine as much data as possible by accessing different sources. For example through your Guest WiFi, <a href="https://stampede.ai/get-bookings">table booking platform</a> or loyalty scheme. This includes everything from basic information such as age to interests and purchasing habits.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Create segments</h4>



To effectively reach and engage your target audience hospitality marketers need to create marketing segments within the CRM platform. These segments can be based on demographics such as age or gender as well as geography and behaviour.&nbsp;



By understanding the unique characteristics and needs of each segment, you can tailor your messaging. This way you will resonate better with them and improve the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns.&nbsp;



Additionally, businesses should make use of a CRM’s tagging feature. Profiles that are tagged based on triggers can further enhance segmentation by identifying specific actions or behaviours.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Set up automation</h4>



Marketing automation is one of the most valuable CRM features for hospitality operators.



With the ability to trigger email and SMS campaigns based on certain customer behaviour and interaction, businesses can create personalised messages that really engage with their audience.



For example, a simple <a href="https://www.coastdigital.co.uk/2020/01/02/email-marketing-why-you-should-embrace-birthday-emails/">birthday email can generate 342% higher revenue </a>compared to a traditional promotional email. Additionally, businesses can utilise automation to retain customers who haven&#8217;t visited their venue in a while with a special discount.&nbsp;



One big benefit is that this CRM automation saves valuable time for staff as once set up, they run automatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How other hospitality venues have successfully used personalised marketing</h2>



One of our customers, <a href="https://stampede.ai/customer/birdhouse-london">Birdhouse London</a>, has saved 2 hours per week on their marketing by using automated email campaigns. When customers subscribe to their newsletter, they get an automated email with a free margarita offer.



Another successful example comes from <a href="https://stampede.ai/customer/the-coal-exchange-hotel">The Coal Exchange Hotel</a>. They’ve used the clever Stampede CRM segmentation tool to tag customers that would be interested in their ‘kids eat free’ deal. From this, they were able to generate over £900 return visit revenue.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Summary</h2>



Personalisation is transforming the way hospitality operators communicate with customers. With specific and personalised campaigns, you can increase your revenue by targeting customers who are most likely to take action.&nbsp;



The first step to getting started is building a holistic view of your customers using your CRM data. Other successful implementations are creating segmentations and setting up automation.&nbsp;



As seen in the examples above, hospitality businesses can double their sales just by using personalised <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/marketing">email and SMS marketing</a> in a more intentional way powered by their CRM insights. Personalisation is key when it comes to reaching higher ROI in your marketing campaigns.

How To Create Personalised Marketing Campaigns With Your CRM

In case you haven&#8217;t heard, <a class="" href="https://www.android.com/versions/oreo-8-0/">this week Android released Oreo, the latest version of their operating system</a> (Version 8.0 for those of you keeping score at home).
The new version of the world&#8217;s most popular operating system introduces a number of visual tweaks to make phone and tablet displays smoother and more fluid and some behind the scenes updates to keep Android devices running at peak performance.

One of these new features is the ability to turn on WiFi when close to a known access point. This will be a lifesaver for device battery life. Sure, you could just turn the WiFi on and off on your Android as you go about your daily life. But that&#8217;s kind of a pain. And how about those times you&#8217;ve turned off your WiFi to save battery power, then, when you think you&#8217;ve connected to <a href="https://www.stampede.ai/wifi-in-action#coffee">WiFi at your favourite Cafe or Pub</a>, wind up using a month&#8217;s worth of data streaming the <a href="http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/game-of-thrones/feature/a795227/game-of-thrones-incredible-easter-eggs-you-might-have-missed/">latest GoT episode</a> because you thought you were connected to the free WiFi.
And let&#8217;s not forget about security &#8211; keeping your WiFi off when you don&#8217;t need it is one of the best ways of keeping your beloved phone or tablet protected from the <a href="https://www.stampede.ai/blog/articles/data-comprimised-wifi-pineapple">hackers who love to spy on unsecured public networks</a>.
Like we said &#8211; a lifesaver.
Here&#8217;s the way it works: each time you connect to WiFi, Android will remember the location (provided you have location services enabled, of course). Every time you return to that known location, Android will automagically turn on the WiFi and connect you to the network.
<h3>Enabling Automatic Wifi in Android Oreo</h3>
Right &#8211; enough with the pregame show &#8211; here&#8217;s how to turn on this nifty feature in Android:
<ol>
<li>Open Settings</li>
<li>Tap on Network &amp; Internet</li>
<li>Select the WiFi Connection where you want to enable an automatic connection</li>
<li>Select WiFi Preferences from the bottom of the screen</li>
<li>Enable &#8220;Turn on WiFi Automatically&#8221;</li>
</ol>
That&#8217;s it!
<h3>Need More Cookie?</h3>
Like we were saying &#8211; automatic WiFi connections are just the tip of the iceberg of new features in Oreo. There&#8217;s also improved Picture-in-Picture, built in Google Fonts, and improved second screen displays.
But don&#8217;t just take our word for it. Here&#8217;s a quick roundup of some of the other cool new features:
<iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Fn57JS9WnAQ?rel=0" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
What are some of the favourite features you&#8217;ve discovered in Oreo? Feel free to leave a comment below!
<h3>Get Connected</h3>
And if you&#8217;re running a pub, restaurant or other retail business, and you&#8217;re looking to provide awesome Wifi for your customers to connect their Android (and iPhones and tablets and&#8230;.you get the idea), why not give us a shot?
We integrate with most leading Wifi manufacturers like Cisco, Unifi and more and setup is a breeze.
What are you waiting for?
<a class="eut-modal-popup" href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request?month=2020-02">Click here to get started.</a>

Save Your Battery By Enabling Automatic WiFi Connections in Android Oreo

In hospitality, it’s not just about serving great food or providing a comfortable stay – it’s about delivering personalised experiences that make each guest feel valued. To do this effectively, you need a deep understanding of their unique needs and preferences. Let’s explore how Stampede helps you gain these insights, empowering you to offer guests exactly what they’re looking for.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-segmentation-matters">Why Segmentation Matters</h3>



Mass marketing is out. In today’s world, people expect to receive relevant, personalised messages. Segmentation allows you to target specific groups of customers based on factors like behaviour, location, and preferences. By doing this, you ensure that each message resonates with the right audience, increasing engagement and loyalty.



So why is this important for hospitality businesses? Simple: when you send the right offer to the right person, the chances of that guest returning or making a booking skyrocket.



In the Forbes article &#8220;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakemorgan/2020/02/18/50-stats-showing-the-power-of-personalization/">50 Stats Showing the Power of Personalization</a>,&#8221; Blake Morgan shares compelling statistics that highlight the effectiveness of personalised marketing in boosting customer engagement and loyalty.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-data-dilemma-offline-businesses">The Data Dilemma: Offline Businesses</h3>



One of the biggest challenges for offline businesses, like restaurants and hotels, is gathering useful and relevant data to segment their audience. How can you know your guests&#8217; preferences if you don’t interact with them online? This is where technology steps in.



Using a tool like Stampede Wi-Fi, you can collect guest data effortlessly. When guests first connect to your Wi-Fi, they fill out a quick form, providing valuable insights such as whether they are local or whether they like certain types of food. This data is a goldmine for building targeted marketing campaigns.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-create-segments-for-your-business">How to Create Segments for Your Business</h3>



Here’s a simple approach to audience segmentation for hospitality businesses:



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-collect-data">1. Collect Data</h4>



Start by collecting information about your guests through Wi-Fi sign-ups or surveys. You can ask questions like:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Are you local?</li>



<li>Do you prefer spicy food?</li>



<li>Are you interested in special offers or events?</li>
</ul>



<div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex">
<div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="563" height="1024" src="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Wifi-Login-563x1024.png" alt="Wi-Fi login example" class="wp-image-23627" style="width:313px;height:auto" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Wifi-Login-563x1024.png 563w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Wifi-Login-165x300.png 165w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Wifi-Login-768x1397.png 768w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Wifi-Login-150x273.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Wifi-Login.png 816w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 563px) 100vw, 563px" /></figure>
</div>



<div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="639" height="1024" src="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Survey-639x1024.png" alt="Survey example on mobile" class="wp-image-23625" style="width:313px;height:auto" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Survey-639x1024.png 639w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Survey-187x300.png 187w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Survey-768x1230.png 768w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Survey-150x240.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Survey.png 954w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 639px) 100vw, 639px" /></figure>
</div>
</div>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">2. Build Segments</h4>



Once you have the data, it’s time to create segments.&nbsp;



Use IF and AND conditions to refine your campaign targeting. In this example, we&#8217;re targeting guests who live nearby and enjoy spicy food. We selected &#8216;Custom Question equals Yes&#8217; (for those who answered &#8216;Are you local?&#8217;) and guests who liked a survey about spicy food.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="775" height="1024" src="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Segmentation-775x1024.png" alt="Segmentation in Stampede example" class="wp-image-23626" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Segmentation-775x1024.png 775w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Segmentation-227x300.png 227w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Segmentation-768x1014.png 768w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Segmentation-150x198.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Segmentation.png 942w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 775px) 100vw, 775px" /></figure>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">3. Targeted Campaigns</h4>



With your segments in place, you can now create highly targeted campaigns. Want to promote a new spicy dish? Send an email to guests who previously said they liked spicy food. Got a special deal for locals? Make sure it’s only reaching people who live nearby.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="610" height="1024" src="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Email-610x1024.png" alt="email example" class="wp-image-23624" style="width:650px;height:auto" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Email-610x1024.png 610w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Email-179x300.png 179w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Email-768x1289.png 768w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Email-150x252.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Email.png 858w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Real-World Example: Segmenting for a Restaurant</h3>



Let’s say you run a restaurant and want to promote a new dish. Using your Stampede Wi-Fi data, you’ve segmented your audience into two groups:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Locals who like spicy food.</li>



<li>People who are NOT local to your area </li>
</ul>



For the locals, you send a targeted email promoting your new spicy menu item. You know they’re nearby and love spicy food, so this campaign is highly relevant to them.



For the non-locals, you could send an “Upcoming events” email with a discount on their next visit, encouraging them to return with multiple reasons to come back to the area



By tailoring your message to each group, you increase the chances of conversion, bringing more guests back to your venue.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">The Tools to Make It Happen</h3>



Tools like Stampede make segmentation simple. Not only does it collect valuable guest data for you, but it also automates the process of creating and sending personalised campaigns. With everything in one place — from data capture and marketing tools to detailed reporting — you can easily manage your entire marketing strategy. This all-in-one solution allows you to track the performance of each campaign and see what resonates best with each segment, helping you optimise your efforts for greater success.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">The Bottom Line</h3>



Segmentation and targeting aren’t just marketing buzzwords – it’s a practical, powerful strategy that can transform how you connect with your guests. By gathering data, creating meaningful segments, and targeting the right people with the right message, you’ll see better engagement, higher loyalty, and more repeat business.



In hospitality, every guest matters. Make sure they feel that by sending them marketing that speaks directly to their preferences.



Ready to start using segmentation for your hospitality business? Get in touch today to learn how I can help you make the most of your guest data with tools like Stampede.

How to Use Segmentation to Increase Guest Engagement in Hospitality

Our mobiles have become so close to us that we now carry them wherever we go. We check mails on the bus stop, add favourite songs to a new playlist while we&#8217;re in the queue and check Facebook at every chance we get.
<h2>Facebook Connects Everyone</h2>
Even with all the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/11/technology/facebook-privacy-hearings.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">recent privacy issues</a>, Facebook continues to be one of the most popular social media platforms. Why? Because it&#8217;s easy and enables us to connect with friends from all around the globe and share the latest cat videos with them &#8211; satisfying an ancient human urge. Jokes aside, the benefits Facebook brings are undeniable. Looking a few years back, it was unthinkable to stay in constant contact with friends from the other side of the globe and see what they were up to.
Now, Facebook prompts you when it&#8217;s someone&#8217;s birthday and even provides you with a handy birthday card template to send them a personalised greeting. Soon enough, we started using every little break to check what’s happening on Facebook, always fearing we might miss out on the next big deal, whatever that’s supposed to be.

<h2>Providing WiFi to attract</h2>
As Facebook grew in popularity, the sight of people walking down the street, their faces buried in their mobiles, started to become more common. Businesses spotted the trend and started providing free Guest WiFi in order to attract Facebook lovers to their venues. What a genius idea &#8211; if people can lean back and relax at your business, they are very likely to check their phone, checking social media sites like Facebook and staying for that extra cup of coffee or a snack. Providing for all core amenities (including free WiFi) is key to success, and that’s especially true for hospitality businesses. In other words, new ways to take care of guests, brought new possibilities for businesses to differentiate themselves.
<h2>Get your business online</h2>
Today, Facebook is way more than just a way to stalk your friend’s holiday pictures. It offers information on all kinds of content, as it expanded from a personal medium to a portal that also accommodates brands and businesses. The next step for companies was being found and loved on Facebook, as it offers fantastic ways to create engagement with the fans of the customer base.
If we compare successful businesses today, we often look at the amount of Facebook likes they have on their page as social proof. People now use Social Media sites like Facebook to see how other users rate a venue and how their experience was before making a visit.
So &#8211; you&#8217;ve got a Facebook page for your venue, right? If that’s not the case, stop reading for two minutes, <a class="" href="https://en-gb.facebook.com/business/learn/set-up-facebook-page" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">click here</a> and set up an account for your venue. There are over <a href="https://zephoria.com/top-15-valuable-facebook-statistics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2 Billion Facebook users out there</a> that you could be reaching!
<h2>Create Online Visibility</h2>
Whereas big corporate companies have a dedicated department to shape the online presence of the company, smaller enterprises often face difficulties when it comes to managing and updating their online appearance. So what&#8217;s a small business to do?
We got you covered, don’t worry! When a user connects to a Stampede powered WiFi network, they are given the option to choose from <a href="/blog/wifi-in-your-venue-login-once-login-forever" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">entering their email address</a> or logging in through Facebook. This lets guests use the WiFi network with a single click by sharing the information that is public on their Facebook profile. This option holds a unique possibility for businesses, as they are then able to publish every connection that is made to their Guest Network on Facebook.
In other words, if a customer connects to the Guest WiFi Network, all their friends and contacts can see that the customer is checking in at your venue. This is a fantastic way to establish a strong and convincing online presence for your business and makes it easy for new and potential customers to find your venue online, check reviews of other guests and plan their next visit to your business.
As you can see, the right solution can help you to turn a necessity into a benefit for you business very easily. If you want to find out about the entire set of advantages that a Guest WiFi Software can bring to the table, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
You’ll be surprised what your WiFi can do for you.
<a class="eut-modal-popup" href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request?month=2020-02">Click here to get started.</a>

Facebook WiFi and your Business

A few weeks into 2023 and you might have ditched your new year’s resolutions already. No judgement, we’ve all been there.



However, a new year is always a great opportunity to reshuffle one’s business strategies in order to up the game.



Looking ahead, there are a bunch of exciting growth and marketing trends to watch out for. And yes, technology will of course play a part in those.



We’ve had a look into 5 key hospitality trends that you should integrate into your strategy to get the most out of 2023.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">1. Build A Unified Customer Experience&nbsp;</h2>



An outdated user interface will drive customers away.&nbsp;



So, you need to start judging your digital tools and assets as if they were your shop window or your venue decoration.&nbsp;



Think about your <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/avoid-these-3-common-guest-wifi-mistakes">Guest WiFi sign-up</a>, booking platform or order &amp; pay app. Are you happy with them representing your brand?



If not, the first step is to align all your tech tools toward a unified brand experience.&nbsp;



Here’s what to focus on:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Stick to your branding and brand voice across all channels and tools</li>



<li>Make sure the digital customer experience is as smooth as your in-venue one</li>



<li>Focus on easy-to-navigate tools for your customers (and staff)</li>



<li>Don’t neglect your website &#8211; a lot of attention has been paid to social media lately</li>



<li>All-in-one solutions allow for a unified experience as they don’t require integrations</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">2. Opt For Industry-Specific Tools</h2>



Too many cooks spoil the broth. Time to move away from the clunky and disjointed tech stack that you might have gathered over the past years.&nbsp;



Instead, focus on ROI-delivering tech that helps you achieve the results you want when <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-save-money-on-your-digital-tech-tools">revising your tools</a>.



Industry-specific tools are what you’re looking for here, to replace the mainstream big-name ones everyone else is using.



Those specific ones are tailored to your needs, easier to use and are therefore also accessible to smaller operators.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">3. Focus On Hyper-Personalisation</h2>



<a href="https://financesonline.com/hospitality-trends/">Approximately 90%</a> of customers are willing to share behavioural data if it results in a better brand experience.



No question, personalisation will continue to reign.



What changes is that customer insights are no longer coming from separate sources. It’s the clever combination of multiple data sources that takes it to the next level and makes it even more powerful.&nbsp;



This is also referred to as hyper-personalisation and is based on real-time behavioural and transactional data insights and actions.



With this, you want to create a 1:1 customer experience that translates into longtime loyalty.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">4. Go Beyond Customer Loyalty</h2>



Customers trust their peers more than any other source when looking for new venue recommendations.



It’s up to you to identify your <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-use-data-to-unveil-your-true-brand-fanatics">super advocates </a>amongst your customers, those that spend more time and money at your venue than the average. <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-use-data-to-unveil-your-true-brand-fanatics">Hint</a> &#8211; your data can help you unveil them.



Once you’ve done that you can nurture them with targeted marketing and personalised rewards (i.e. loyalty or referral program) to start building a loyal community.



This community will help you spread the word, boost your reviews and attract many new customers. Loyalty always pays off.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-5-let-ai-powered-solutions-give-you-a-hand">5. Let AI-Powered Solutions Give You A Hand</h2>



Since the beginning of the new year, our feeds have been flooded with AI talk. There’s a lot going on at the moment, with new tools coming up in a blink of an eye.



Whilst some of it might still be in its early days, we can already see the benefits for businesses. It’s all about efficiency.&nbsp;



AI-powered automations can optimise various parts of your marketing and help you scale up. From content generation to email marketing, social media and operational tasks.



They streamline less-pivotal parts of your business and save you hours a week whilst generating revenue on auto-pilot. What’s not to like about this?&nbsp;



Arguably, there needs to be work done in some areas to make them more industry-specific so that they can be used by everyone without any programming background.



Make sure you stay busy all year round with the&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/?utm_source=hs_email&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--P70VbCxT_AnnS8JwuzgRrHnMbNXfBlgQ_e9X3bmhij7P8-rUVLSBDUzhZwHRS_Yse9ab7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stampede Customer Experience Platform</a>&nbsp;that drives 5x more repeat customers.&nbsp;<a href="https://h.stampede.ai/meetings/stampede/demo?utm_source=hs_email&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--P70VbCxT_AnnS8JwuzgRrHnMbNXfBlgQ_e9X3bmhij7P8-rUVLSBDUzhZwHRS_Yse9ab7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Reach out</a>&nbsp;to find out more.

5 Key Hospitality Growth Trends You Shouldn’t Miss This Year

When it comes to running a restaurant you are quite literally dealing with some very picky taste buds. Just like when asking your patrons how they like their steak, you are never going to get the same response each time someone then goes on to leave a review.&nbsp;That&#8217;s where guest<a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-respond-to-positive-and-negative-customer-reviews-online/"> review management</a> should come into place.







None of us are perfect, and the same is absolutely true for any business. Sometimes the quality might slip a little more than is ideal. Or perhaps you’ve gone out of your way to please your customer, and they are still not happy with the service they received. It’s frustrating, right?&nbsp;



If that sounds like you, don’t be discouraged. Running a restaurant is tough, but there are some great practical ways you can deal with negative reviews, that might even leave your business better off for it.&nbsp;



The reality is there’s a fine line between managing your reviews and letting them <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/the-power-of-reviews-and-recommendations/">sink your business</a>. So if you own a restaurant, here’s how to master your review management for the better.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Customer First Approach</h4>



As the saying goes “the customer is always right”. While the reality for those actually working behind the scenes might give a different response, what is true is that without any customers you don’t have a business. This could not be any more true in the restaurant trade, where you need a constant stream of diners to keep your business afloat.&nbsp;



It’s important to get into the mindset of your customer to understand both positive and negative feedback. Getting lots of positive feedback feels great for your whole team, and you could even look to reward particular chefs or wait staff that go beyond to give great customer experience.&nbsp;



If you receive a negative review then that means your customer has had a bad experience. The first port of call is to get on top of why that is. The key is <a href="https://smallbusiness.chron.com/examples-good-service-restaurant-industry-38058.html">to perfect your customer service</a> so that all your staff are on the same page, and know-how to professionally deal with the situation.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Social Media Complaints</h4>



Social media is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it’s an incredible tool that can market your restaurant to thousands of potential customers. On the other, it’s a place where people can say exactly what they want about the experience they had with you. Even if it’s not true! Unlike in the old days where this would be handled over the phone or even in an email &#8211; it’s public for anyone to see.&nbsp;



So, what exactly should you do if you get a bad review on social media? It’s important to think about your response before you jump in. Remember that although we all use social media outside of work, it’s a very different beast when it concerns your business. Therefore, you must respond appropriately.&nbsp;



There have been many cases where restaurant owners <a href="https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/tripadvisor-review-indian-restaurant-response-16801045">have responded inappropriately</a> to negative reviews. The outcome has gone viral for all the wrong reasons. All it takes is one screenshot and your business could be forever tarnished.&nbsp;



When crafting your response, remember you’re not just replying to the person who made the complaint, you’re also replying to all those who will see it when researching your restaurant to book. You need to show that you value your customers and are on top of any issues that may have occurred.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Sweetener Deals</h4>



The last thing you want is to see a negative guest review about your restaurant without trying to remedy the situation. If it’s in a public arena such as Facebook or TripAdvisor, it will only make your restaurant look as if it doesn’t care enough to respond, or worse still that it’s all true!&nbsp;



If a genuine problem or mistake has occurred, the best course of action is to contact the affected parties. It’s important that no matter whether someone is praising your restaurant or is grumbling about it, you respond with the same level of customer service.



One way of showing an apology <a href="https://www.marketingdonut.co.uk/customer-care/customer-complaints/how-to-handle-customers-that-ask-for-compensation">is to offer something to your customer</a>, known as a sweetener deal. Sweetener deals could include a refund on their meal or a discount on a future visit. You could even throw in a free drink, dessert or side if they are currently still in your restaurant.&nbsp;



If there has been a mix up with an order, this is a great remedy and it can really nip a potentially bad review in the bud. Sweetener deals may have a small cost involved to the business, but can save potentially thousands in lost custom due to negative reviews.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Appreciate the Learning Curve</h4>



Let’s be honest, nobody likes <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2018/04/27/do-people-really-look-at-facebook-reviews-heres-why-it-matters/#51485b663b7b">getting a bad review about their business</a>. Not only does it feel pretty deflating, it can also harm your reputation. It is, however, something that’s unavoidable at least in small doses.



When someone leaves you a bad review, you need to take the time to recognise why that’s the case and if you or your team could have done anything differently. It might actually be an issue you weren’t previously aware of, so rectifying this could improve the customer experience for all your diners.&nbsp;



Food is a very personal thing so it’s impossible to please everyone all the time. It does, however, speak volumes if you are at least willing to listen to customer complaints and make the effort to take action off the back of it.&nbsp;



Running a restaurant can be stressful, not least when you have to respond to negative reviews within a public arena. The main thing to take away is that it’s important to face up to all reviews good and bad and learn from the situation. You must always put a professional foot forward and look for the best ways to remedy the situation without causing further problems.&nbsp;



If you run a restaurant, have you discovered our review management system? Our software can <a href="https://stampede.ai/reviews/?referrer=stampede.ai#reviews">display all of your reviews from social media in one place</a>, and remove the prominence of any bad ones for your peace of mind. Plus, we can streamline your marketing with personalised emails, SMS and automated messages, to keep your customers in the loop about your latest <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/free-restaurant-promotions-ideas/">deals and promotions</a>, sending updates right to their phones. 



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>





<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



By having your <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/the-value-of-restaurant-marketing-automation/">restaurant marketed professionally</a>, you can concentrate on what you do best &#8211; serving up delicious food with amazing customer service.&nbsp;



<a href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request?month=2020-03">Book your demo today. </a>

Guest Review Management

Introducing AI Segments for Marketing

A more effective ways to run Meta ads for hospitality

4 Ways CRM Data Can Be Used in Day-to-Day Service by Your Staff

Introducing Quick Campaigns

Snap Box – Stampede Network Application

A new kind of marketplace for hospitality apps

October Update – 3x Faster Guest WiFi and more

New Features & Updates – September 2023

Are you thinking of opening a prohibition styled speakeasy serving custom-crafted cocktails flavoured with the latest Scottish gins? Or are you starting a pop-up cafe specialising in the latest trend? What about bucking all the hype serving up good old fashioned diner grub? No matter what type of food or drink you plan to serve your customers. There’s going to be one thing that your customers demand as soon as they enter your place: <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/wifi/">WiFi</a>. 



As a matter of fact, a recent survey showed that the most <a href="https://pos.toasttab.com/blog/restaurant-management-statistics">important technology feature for customers is free WiFi</a>. It&#8217;s a vital part of their overall experience and can influence their decision to come back or not. 







In order to give your customers the best guest experience, you need to get everything right. Including your decor, your staff, your food and, yes, your WiFi. With that in mind, here are our top five tips on how to set up WiFi for your restaurant or pub.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-use-professional-wifi-equipment">Use Professional WiFi Equipment</h4>



You’ve poured your heart and soul into your new business. So are you going to let your customers sign in to the same crappy WiFi router that your internet company gives to pensioners downloading pictures of their grandkids? No. It’s time to put on your big boy pants and pay for a decent router. But buying the best doesn&#8217;t necessarily mean you&#8217;ll need to empty your bank account.



Our top <a href="https://stampede.ai/supported-hardware/">hardware recommendations</a> for seamless integration with Stampede include popular brands like:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>TP-Link</li><li>Ubiquiti UniFi</li><li>Cisco Meraki</li><li>D-Link</li></ul>



The <a href="https://www.netspotapp.com/blog/wifi-security/explaining-wifi-standards.html">standard that WiFi</a> uses for connections is called 802.11, appended with letters to reflect the WiFi generation. For example, when WiFi was first released to the public, way back when in 1999, it was known as 802.a. As of 2022, the most widely used standard is 802.11ax or WiFi 6, coming with an even greater data transfer speed. 



But don’t sit around waiting for the latest standard to come out before you purchase your equipment. Since WiFi devices are backwards compatible, you shouldn’t have to worry about getting outpaced by technology.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-place-go-mesh">Big Place? Go Mesh</h4>



If you&#8217;ve got a large pub or restaurant with lots of hidden nooks and crannies, then you&#8217;re going to want to go with a mesh network. The idea behind mesh networks is to provide all-around coverage for your pub or restaurant. Even better it eliminates any WiFi blind spots. A mesh network typically consists of a number of WiFi separate broadcast units. Usually, between two to four, that seamlessly integrate into one network. 



Hooking up mesh networks isn’t as difficult as it sounds. The router software usually takes care of the integration for you. Even though you may have up to 4 devices bouncing a signal around your business, customers only have to worry about connecting to a signal network. <a href="https://www.techadvisor.com/test-centre/network-wifi/best-mesh-wi-fi-network-systems-3661110/">This article in Tech Advisor </a>is a quick read and gives you a nice overview on some of the best mesh routers out there.



Here&#8217;s a <a href="https://stampede.ai/resources/bar-tonic/">case study we did with Bar Tonic</a>, one of our customers who rely on a good WiFi signal due to their special location.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Succeed with Stampede - Bar Tonic" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SVpZWzhhNBY?start=4&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-setup-a-captive-portal">Setup a Captive Portal</h4>



Alright, so you’ve got your network all set up and broadcasting. You’re getting a great signal from every location in your place of business. Even in the most distant bathroom stall. Now all you need to do is write up your network password on all the walls so your customers can connect, right? WRONG. 



You’ve just spent some bucks paying for a professional WiFi network for your business. So why give it away for free? By using a software product like Stampede, you can set up what is known as a <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/wifi/">Captive Portal</a>, to give your customers access to your shiny new WiFi network.



Here&#8217;s how it works: After a customer connects, they’re prompted to register for your network with their email address or using their social media account. Once they’ve verified their email, they’re logged in. No passwords to remember and no chalkboards on the wall. Just a much smoother customer WiFi experience.



The other cool part about a captive network is that it will <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/get-your-customers-to-login-once-keep-them-always-connected/">automatically re-connect your customer</a> next time they pay you a visit. No more logging in! And the best part &#8211; at least for your business? You now have your customer’s email address that (with their permission, of course) you can use for our next tip &#8211; automated marketing.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-use-automated-marketing">Use Automated Marketing</h4>



You’re providing free WiFi for your customers and, in return, you’re getting their data. So use it! When you have a customer login to your WiFi with Stampede, in addition to an email address, you can ask for other details on the <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/wifi/#portal">Captive Portal login screen</a>. Name, age, gender &#8211; anything you can think of. You can even add custom questions. This is a great place to ask your customer opinions about new menu items or specials you’re thinking about offering. And not to forget about the fact that you can customise the log-in screen to your own branding.



Once registered, you can import your customers&#8217; email into mailing list software like Mailchimp. Use software like Zapier to do thousands of different tasks, like importing emails into a Google Docs spreadsheet. 



Or, you can save time and have all your data conveniently in one place with <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/marketing/">Stampede Marketing</a>. Automated text or SMS messages are a great tool for <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/a-5-step-recipe-that-creates-profitable-personalised-marketing-part-1/">personalised marketing campaigns</a> to bring customers back. Want to reward <a href="https://stampede.ai/resources/8-tactics-to-increase-customer-spend/">loyal customers</a>? Send them a message with a <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/new-stampede-marketing-feature-unique-voucher-codes/">voucher</a> for a dessert on their third visit. Haven&#8217;t seen a customer in a while and want to get them back? Drop &#8217;em a coupon for a free drink &#8211; who can resist that?



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-get-social">Get Social</h4>



So you’ve got an awesome WiFi network with a Cative Portal set up in your pub or restaurant and your customers are loving it. Now it’s time to spread the word! Put your Instagram, Facebook and TikTok handles EVERYWHERE &#8211; menus, the walls, even on your receipts. Encourage your customers to share their experience and, more importantly, their photos. 



Take it one step further and use automated marketing to gather customer feedback with ease. Reviews help you build trust and attract new customers. With <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/automations/#reviews">Stampede Reviews</a> you can send an automated message after your customers have left the venue and ask them to leave you a review and write about their experience. What&#8217;s even better, you can access all major review platforms (Tripadvisor, Facebook and Google) from one dashboard, allowing for a much easier reputation management.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-awesome-wifi-in-your-restaurant-or-pub-set-up">Awesome WiFi in Your Restaurant or Pub Set Up</h4>



Now you&#8217;ve got awesome WiFi that your customers love. They&#8217;re spreading the word about you all over social media and you&#8217;re keeping them loyal with automated marketing. That wasn&#8217;t so hard now, was it?



So, if you&#8217;re thinking about taking the plunge and opening up the restaurant or pub of your dreams, and see the importance of offering awesome WiFi. Why not give us a try? <a href="https://h.stampede.ai/meetings/stampede/demo">Get in touch</a> to find out how this could easily be implemented at your venue.

5 Tips for Setting Up WiFi for Your Restaurant or Pub [Updated for 2022]

Online reviews are increasingly driving customers both towards &#8211; and away from &#8211; service businesses such as coffee shops, bars, and hairstylists.&nbsp;







As humans, we are hard-wired to attach more importance to the experience of others than what a company may try to tell us about themselves. Our natural scepticism makes us believe the apparently independent reviews and all-important “star rating” that we see. Especially, when we search for a company on Google or Google Maps more than the companies’ own words about themselves.&nbsp;



As could only be expected with such a powerful trend in the marketplace, it wasn’t long before some individuals tried to game the system. Who can forget the <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/06/garden-becomes-top-rated-london-restaurant-tripadvisor-site/">man</a> who made his garden shed the top-rated restaurant in London on TripAdvisor, for example?! The ease of setting up new accounts on many review sites might tempt hospitality business owners or employees to try a similar trick. However, there are plenty of ways in which this can backfire spectacularly.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Why it might seem so tempting to leave fake reviews… and why you should resist it</h4>



Your online review rating suffers from another well-known quirk of human psychology; we are more likely to tell others of a negative experience than we are about a positive experience. According to <a href="https://www.inc.com/andrew-thomas/the-hidden-ratio-that-could-make-or-break-your-company.html">Inc Magazine</a>, it takes an average of 40 positive customer experiences to make up for just one negative (1 star) review! In the face of such daunting statistics, it is certainly tempting to “level the playing field” a bit by leaving some positive reviews for yourself.&nbsp;



Apart from all the ethical reasons why you shouldn’t do this, there are some solid common-sense reasons too. Firstly, fake reviews can often be detected. Not just by the review platform, but also by punters looking to make a decision on who to award their business to.&nbsp;



There’s something about a glowing five-star review that is light on substance. But heavy on praise which just seems&#8230; instantly suspicious. The “Amazon effect” spills over into your customers’ consciousness. It is now a well-known fact that Amazon is flooded with fake reviews. Therefore, people have sharpened up their BS filters accordingly!&nbsp;



Secondly, there’s no reason to stress unduly over an individual bad review &#8211; or even a handful of them. Believe it or not, they can actually <a href="https://neilpatel.com/blog/your-business-needs-negative-reviews/">boost your credibility rating</a>. <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-respond-to-positive-and-negative-customer-reviews-online/">Provided you respond to each</a> in a positive, professional way, apologising to the customer for their poor experience. Also, inviting them to get in touch to discuss it further. When a potential customer sees this, they will instinctively know they are looking at real customer interactions. And not fake ones &#8211; and they will trust you more accordingly.&nbsp;



As a bonus, the presence of a few negative reviews means that punters will also attach a higher level of credibility to the other reviews they see on the business as a result!&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Technology to the rescue?</h4>



There is a final and persuasive reason. You should give all the incentive you need not to risk playing with the fire of fake reviews.&nbsp;



<a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-marketing-with-wifi-benefits-your-business/">Technology platforms</a> now exist that allow service businesses like yours to harness the power of online reviews in your favour. In a far more effective (not to mention far more ethically sound!) way than you could ever hope to achieve by posting fake reviews.&nbsp;



For example, our <a href="https://stampede.ai/reviews/?referrer=stampede.ai">own system</a> has two powerful features that allow small to medium business owners to boost their online review ratings. A system to remind customers to leave reviews via SMS text message or email. Thereby overcoming the traditional apathy that those who had a positive experience might otherwise feel. Even further, our system places negative/low (1 to 3 star) ratings into a “holding area” for you to deal with before they get published online!&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">A brave new world for traditional service businesses&nbsp;</h4>



Traditional “brick and mortar” type businesses can’t afford to ignore online reviews. Or, for that matter, the importance of offering WiFi to their customers &#8211; any longer. Did you know, for example, that 70% of people prefer bars &amp; pubs that have access to WiFi?&nbsp;



As <a href="https://marketingartfully.com/what-are-important-customer-demographics/">customer demographics</a> change, statistics like these are only likely to ever move in one direction. Towards an increasingly connected, mobile, online world. Along with this, review platforms such as TripAdvisor, Google, and Facebook are adding new security measures and compliance systems to monitor and weed out fake reviews. Having noted the bad publicity that the ability of some organisations to rig the system in their favour have resulted in.&nbsp;



The good news is that accessing smart technology can help even the smallest coffee bar attract and retain loyal customers is easier than at any point before. Not to mention extremely affordable too. Sophisticated online marketing tools that used to be the sole preserve of big chains and nationwide organisations is now within the reach of the most time-pressed service business owner.



Along with this, the power of social media, which is encouraging many individuals to seek out an individual or unique experience that they wouldn’t get elsewhere that they can then share with their friends online. All works in favour of smaller, more bespoke establishments like yours.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Bringing it all together&nbsp;</h4>



In conclusion, fake reviews, whether purchased or placed yourself, are simply not worth the risk. Here’s what you should consider instead to boost your online review ratings:



<ol class="wp-block-list"><li>Leave a polite response to any negative reviews that you receive online. Apologising sincerely (no matter how unfair the review might seem!) and asking the reviewer to get in touch. That way you can discuss their problem directly with you so you can look into it further</li><li>Encourage more positive reviews to be left by going the extra mile to impress customers with your own unique touch. Asking them to review you. If you want to automate the process of asking for reviews, systems like Stampede can do all the heavy lifting for you. Leaving you to focus on the customer service angle!&nbsp;</li><li>Consider the use of a review management platform. This allows you to place low reviews in a “holding area” before they get published. So you have an opportunity to intervene and make things right</li><li>Ask review platforms to investigate and remove reviews that you have reason to believe are fake</li></ol>



We hope you found this article useful. Watch this space for future posts that can help you take your <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/getting-started-with-guest-wifi/">service business to the next level</a>!&nbsp;Or why not give our reviews feature a try?



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>





<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>

Fake Reviews Can Hurt Your Business. How You Can Safely Boost Your Ratings

<a href="https://www.2stepreviews.com/google-reviews-influence-your-seo-heres-how/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Customer reviews are the third most influential factor in Google’s local search algorithm</a>. In the world of Google, reviews are seen as customers’ online word-of-mouth. They give your business a credibility booster.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



As a result, you will get found more often through organic searches. All this will drive&nbsp;more traffic to your website&nbsp;and lead to more bookings.



Your star rating and Google’s own ranking are the two main factors that impact local search results.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rating-vs-ranking">Rating vs. Ranking</h5>



Your overall rating is simply the average of all your customers&#8217; star ratings.



The composition of the ranking on the other hand is a bit more complex. It is determined by the platform&#8217;s own algorithm which scores your business based on various factors.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">Factors Influencing Your Google Reviews Ranking</h5>



There are a number of signals Google pays attention to when calculating your ranking.&nbsp;



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">1) Quantity</h6>



It’s no surprise that a&nbsp;high volume&nbsp;of reviews will help maintain your search results position.&nbsp;



Plus, the Google algorithm will&nbsp;pick up on certain keywords&nbsp;within the written parts. So your business will come up when potential customers search for those keywords. I.e. ‘Spanish tapas in Edinburgh’.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">2) Velocity</h6>



<a href="https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/#" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">50% of customers only pay attention to reviews from the last two weeks</a>. The same applies to Google. The more recent reviews on your profile, the stronger your ranking will get.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">3) Diversity</h6>



<a href="https://www.searchenginejournal.com/ranking-factors/local-citations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Citation signals</a>&nbsp;are important for Google as well. Get your company listed on various directories and make sure your reviews come from a mixture of sources. This could be other&nbsp;3rd party sides like Tripadvisor or Yelp.&nbsp;



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">4) Content</h6>



Google also gives credit to the actual content of your reviews, i.e. their quality. Do they provide value to the next reader?



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">5) Strong Star Rating</h6>



It goes without saying that the higher your overall score, the better your local ranking will be.&nbsp;



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">6) Reviews Management</h6>



The last factor is about how much you are interacting and engaging with your reviews.



Are you responding to both positive and negative reviews? Are you keeping your&nbsp;reviews page well-maintained&nbsp;and all business information updated?



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">Key Takeaways</h5>



Here’s what you can do to influence your Google reviews ranking and push your local searches:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Ensure a steady flow of reviews &#8211;&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/get-reviews/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">automate the requests</a>&nbsp;to save time</li><li>Keep on top of your reviews &#8211;&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-respond-to-positive-and-negative-customer-reviews-online/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">respond to positive/negative</a>&nbsp;reviews in a timely manner</li><li>Encourage customers to leave longer reviews &#8211; reach out to loyal customers</li><li>Allow customers to review your business on various sites</li><li><a href="https://stampede.ai/reviews-calculator/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Use our calculator</a>&nbsp;to find out how many 5-star reviews you require to get the score you need</li></ul>



Get all the tools you need to ensure better and stress-free review management. Download our&nbsp;<a href="https://assets.stampede.ai/magnets/reviews-toolkit-for-restaurants.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FREE Restaurant Reviews Toolkit</a>.



Save time collecting your reviews and automate your requests.&nbsp;<a href="https://h.stampede.ai/meetings/stampede/demo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get in touch</a>&nbsp;with our team to find out more about&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/get-reviews/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stampede Reviews</a>.

The Secret To Mastering Your Google Reviews

If you’re looking for an easy win when it comes to social media, we’ve got a classic trick to share with you today.



Before we get into it, a little thought experiment: How many of your social media followers do you think are also on your email marketing list? It’s not easy to tell, but how do the numbers compare?



 Getting the two audiences to synchronise is a worthwhile exercise &#8211; more touchpoints = more sales after all &#8211; but it’s not the easiest thing to do.



Turning email subscribers into social media fans is the path of least resistance, but what if your social media following is where the big volume exists? There could be hundreds or thousands of those followers who miss your content thanks to the algorithms. If they get your emails though, they are more likely to interact with your marketing efforts.



 Celebrity chef and restauranteur Tom Kerridge reminded us of a great way to cross-pollinate your social media following and your email marketing list: fear of missing out.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Screenshot-2020-12-16-at-17.14.05.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="550" height="1024" src="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Screenshot-2020-12-16-at-17.14.05-550x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-19425" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Screenshot-2020-12-16-at-17.14.05-550x1024.png 550w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Screenshot-2020-12-16-at-17.14.05-161x300.png 161w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Screenshot-2020-12-16-at-17.14.05-150x279.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Screenshot-2020-12-16-at-17.14.05-592x1103.png 592w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Screenshot-2020-12-16-at-17.14.05-32x60.png 32w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Screenshot-2020-12-16-at-17.14.05-48x90.png 48w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Screenshot-2020-12-16-at-17.14.05.png 598w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px" /></a></figure>



In this post on Instagram, he reminds followers that his e-Newsletter will be sent the following day. He addresses this post to his “Pirates” &#8211; those who are on his mailing list. Some followers who see this will feel a bit left out, but luckily there’s a link in his bio to join his mailing list (and become a Pirate).



 Simple and effective but it harnesses that emotional response at the core of so much social media: fear of missing out.



To do something similar on your own feed:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Identify an exclusive feature of your newsletters that only subscribers can access</li><li>Leverage that exclusive feature in your social media posts, regularly. Give them a taste of what they’re missing out on.</li><li>Make sure it’s easy for people to sign up to your email list</li><li>Post reminders on social media before the regular send date of your newsletters</li></ul>



Posting reminders of newsletters arrival will increase your open rate too &#8211; bonus!



 Some brands will run competitions to drive newsletter sign-ups as Tom has done above, but it’s not imperative if you are offering something valuable in every email.&nbsp;



 A regular routine of newsletter recruitment in your social media can do the same job, more often, without the costs of a giveaway competition.



 For all things email, from website subscription forms to newsletter templates, <a href="https://stampede.ai/company/#contact" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">get in touch</a> with one of our team.

Expand Your Mailing List For Free

Infographic: How likely are people to act on promotions?

Stampede-Meta Audience Connect: Simplifying multi-channel marketing strategies

There have been various growing-ons at Stampede, in both product and business sense. We’re feeling very fortunate to be able to keep working on improving the product and still engage with our customers as they navigate the impact on their business.



We were very pleased to welcome <a href="https://www.grindstonetaphouse.com/">Grindstone Tap House</a> of Berea, Ohio as a new customer recently. The need for businesses in the USA to come back strong is as great as anywhere else and we were happy to help Grindstone Tap House set up their new guest WiFi system. We’re looking forward to seeing them welcoming customers back.



Following on from our work with Grindstone Tap House, we have updated <a href="https://stampede.ai/pricing/">our pricing calculator</a> to include options for US Dollars and Euros, due to increased demand from venues operating in these regions. Regardless of where your business is based, we still have <a href="https://stampede.ai/covid-19/">free tools available</a> to help boost their recover as pandemic restrictions ease.



We have been making a variety of minor changes and updates to the system itself too. In our reputation management platform &#8211; <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/automations/#reviews">Reviews</a> &#8211; we have added in sentiment analysis. This is an AI-powered feature that analyses the content of all the businesses reviews, across Google, TripAdvisor and Stampede, and locates the keywords or phrases most frequently associated with positive or negative reviews.



It’s an extremely useful tool to quickly and accurately identify any stand-out strengths or weaknesses from customer feedback. This saves users time in identifying where to concentrate their efforts, or what they can leverage in advertising as their best service.



Elsewhere, we have carried out some updates to our marketing message builder. We’ve made adjustments to bulk email or SMS marketing tool, to make it easier and faster to send out a high-quality campaign. There have also been big improvements made behind the scenes to send speed and upgraded results reporting included for better campaign performance feedback.



We’ve also had some very encouraging requests from customers around their re-opening plans. We’ve been helping with arrangements for outdoor WiFi coverage, getting marketing programs updated and restarted, and setting up conversations with other hospitality software providers whom we integrate with. 



These latest inputs are also helping us evaluate what else features such as our Guest WiFi can do to help when it comes to re-opening. We’ll be producing a series of content on this topic in the coming weeks, keep an eye on our blog or sign up to <a href="https://stampede.ai/company/#contact">our mailing list</a> to be the first to hear more on this.

The Path To Regrowth

If you think newsletters aren’t an effective marketing strategy for your business, think again. According to the Data and Marketing Association, <a href="https://dma.org.uk/article/polishing-the-email-marketing-jewel-in-your-multi-channel-crown">email marketing has a 4,300% ROI</a>. So, if you are yet to get on board with creating and sending out newsletters to promote your restaurant, you could be missing out!







Newsletters are a great way of keeping in touch with your customers. After all, if you aren’t on their radar, then they are unlikely to make a booking with you. That being said, there are ways to go about creating a newsletter that can either help boost your restaurant or make it worse. Especially if it comes across bland or just another piece of inbox spam.



As restaurateurs, we know your weapon of choice is more likely to be something in your kitchen rather than a quill. So if you need some tips on putting pen to paper (or in this case email to a customer!), here are some of our top tips to create a newsletter that’s as sizzling as your food. 



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">What Is A Newsletter?</h4>



A newsletter <a href="https://sendpulse.com/support/glossary/email-newsletter">is a piece of corporate correspondence that is sent out on a continual basis</a>. It is designed based on the company branding and usually features around 100-300 words about the latest news or promotions. 



Newsletters are sent directly to the customer’s email inbox and are distributed either monthly or quarterly. The aim is to keep your business at the forefront of the customer&#8217;s mind. This is done by sharing what’s new, special company insights or even upcoming promotions. 



In addition, newsletters can contain key information, buttons or links that can allow customers to book directly.&nbsp;



Used as part of your overall marketing strategy, newsletters can really help to boost trade especially as it will go directly to their inbox. This is unlike a social media post or piece of physical advertising, which isn’t always seen by everybody. 



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">How To Create A Newsletter for your Restaurant</h4>



Although it might sound like you just need to type a few words and hit “send”, creating a newsletter is a little more elaborate than that!



There are many platforms you can use. Such as <a href="https://mailchimp.com/newsletter-lander-v1/?ds_rl=1280559&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiA2vjuBRCqARIsAJL5a-LiPDob-RMiiTjGYd3XbkEwrSgj95J_PZjYsv4gKEjnCf5FBrlKl3MaAvyDEALw_wcB&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds">Mailchimp</a>, which will give you customised templates so that you can incorporate your overall branding into the design.&nbsp;



Before you start, you’ll need to type out exactly what you want to say and spell check it. Your copy needs to have a clear purpose consisting of a start, middle and end.&nbsp;



If using any images, make sure you have the full copyright and that they are high definition. For free images have a look at <a href="https://unsplash.com/">Unsplash</a> or <a href="https://www.freepik.com/home">Freepik</a>. Low quality, pixelated images will look unprofessional. So send a test copy to yourself first to double-check everything is as it should be before you send it out to your customers.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"> Identify Your Goals</h4>



Ultimately, the goal of any newsletter is to market your business to get more customers and increase profits. However, <a href="https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2016/03/lessons-enewsletter-perfection/">when sending a newsletter out, there still needs to be a core focus</a> otherwise people aren’t going to be interested.&nbsp;



For example, you could send a quarterly newsletter that introduces new staff members or restaurant dishes. The goal here gives some behind the scenes to boost familiarity, rather than anything too heavy promotion wise.



While you absolutely can send monthly newsletters, make sure there’s something to say that warrants such frequent communication. For example, menu changes for the new seasons or special themed nights you are hosting that month.



Ensure your goal is clear throughout so the newsletter remains targeted. If it drifts off into too many topics or is generally lacking a purpose, people will switch off and unsubscribe.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Keep It Interesting</h4>



Sharing news about your latest products, services or offers might be exciting to you. However, your customer isn’t necessarily going to feel the same. So how do you change this? 



It starts with having a great subject line, as ultimately that’s the first thing your customers as going to see in their inbox. For example, avoid generic subject lines such as “Your monthly newsletter”. This will come across as another one of those annoying sales emails and is unlikely to be read.



Essentially, anything bland is going to end up in spam or be deleted. Worse still, your customers could unsubscribe from your marketing emails altogether.&nbsp;



Make the subject line pop, <a href="https://www.pinpointe.com/blog/30-fresh-and-fun-ideas-for-your-newsletter">and keep everything else as equally interesting</a> without waffling on. This will ensure high open rates, customer retention and will encourage sales.&nbsp;



Keep everything sharp, to the point and don’t forget to include incentives within the newsletter <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/engaging-customers-through-wi-fi-marketing/">to encourage customer loyalty.</a>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h4>



Writing a newsletter is an effective way to communicate with your customers. However, like all forms of marketing, it does require the right approach to make sure you’re targeting your customers in the best possible way.



Key points to factor in are the subject line, content, layout and overall message. You can also experiment with the frequency to make sure you’re striking the right balance between keeping customers informed and sending too much correspondence.



Struggling with the layout. Have a read on <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/4-tips-for-an-outstanding-email-design/">our other article</a> on how to create an outstanding email design. 



To be able to send out your newsletter in the first place, you need customer data. Our software can allow you to collect this in a way that’s secure and easy. What’s more, with <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-marketing-with-wifi-benefits-your-business/">tailored insights</a> you’ll be able to create customised marketing campaigns to suit your restaurant.&nbsp;



Once you’ve mastered the art of the newsletter creation for your restaurant, you’ll be able to add yet another string to your marketing bow. Why not give our marketing solution a go and get all your <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-set-up-your-first-email-campaign-guide-2019/?referrer=stampede.ai">email marketing automated</a>?



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>





<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>

How to Create the Ultimate Newsletter for your Restaurant

With our new stripe integration, we make charging for WiFi a whole new and simple experience.
Previously, PayPal was the most common way to obtain money from customers in exchange for WiFi. Unfortunately, not everyone has a PayPal account to use for this, and as a result, can&#8217;t enjoy the benefits of WiFi in a paid environment.

However, we now live in an age where bank cards are taking over, with cash only amounting to <a href="http://www.frbsf.org/cash/publications/fed-notes/2016/november/state-of-cash-2015-diary-consumer-payment-choice">32%</a> of total transactions in 2015. For those guests who don&#8217;t use PayPal <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-4559 alignright" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 205px;" title="Stampede Pasta Cosa branding" src="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2735287/Imported_Blog_Media/Screen-Shot-2017-02-01-at-15_23_26.png" alt="Stampede Pasta Cosa branding" width="205" data-constrained="true" />and to the business owners who want a higher return, welcome to <a href="http://stripe.com">Stripe</a>.
Stampede, together with <a href="http://stripe.com">Stripe</a>, have created a bespoke, user-friendly integration that allows one-click pay from the splash screen, which until now was very uncommon in this field. Previously, a user would need to go through numerous steps to get on to a paid network. However, with Stampede, when a user first joins the network they will be prompted to choose a plan and simply enter their payment details and log in. Each time they connect after this, they can simply enter their email address, click &#8220;check&#8221; and be logged straight in. A great user experience on paid WiFi networks.
From the venue owner perspective, we have made it extremely simple to set up payment plans. Simply choose how much each plan costs, as well as how long it allows access for and that&#8217;s all you have to do.
So, to start saving money, whilst providing an easy and efficient way of charging guests for wifi, choose Stampede + <a href="http://Stripe.com">Stripe</a>.
<a class="eut-modal-popup" href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request?month=2020-02">Click here to get started.</a>

Revolutionising The Way You Charge For Guest WiFi

A Quick Guide On First-Party Data Strategy For Hotels

UGC Revolution: How User-Generated Content is Reshaping Marketing Strategies

AI In Hospitality Marketing: A Complete Guide

4 Ways To Optimise Your Hospitality Business With AI

The Pros And Cons Of Using AI In Hospitality

4 Revenue-Driving AI Tools For Hospitality Operators

3 Restaurant-Specific AI Tools That Drive Sales

How To Speed Up Content Creation With AI In Hospitality

3 Clever AI Tools To Support Your Hotel Operations

Comment: Amazon Clicks and Mortar Scottish Store

Submitted by Fiona @ Manchester Gin &amp; Three Little Words



At The Spirit of Manchester Distillery, our business has three core elements &#8211; gin production, distillery experiences, and a cocktail bar. Obviously, all three areas have been hit hard by 2020. The cocktail bar, Three Little Words, and our distillery experiences have been closed for the best part of a year, resulting not just in lost revenue but in refunds and cancellations &#8211; and of course the disappointment we and our customers have faced! The gin side of things has been able to continue but has taken a huge hit. Our sales are usually around 75% to the on-trade, which of course completely dropped off. We&#8217;ve focused on retail and online orders direct to customers to see us through and well as launching virtual &#8220;At Home&#8221; events and experiences.



The Virtual Tastings, without a doubt have stolen the show over lockdown. We had hundreds, if not thousands, of guests booked in for guided tastings, distillery tours, and gin making experiences, all of which we had to cancel. It was gutting for us and the customers too &#8211; we received so many messages of support but also loads of requests for tasting notes and perfect serve information. We decided to host a live &#8220;virtual&#8221; tasting from Seb and Jen&#8217;s dining room, where they started the distillery in 2016. The first one sold out quickly and we had a couple of hundred people watching. The second sold out even quicker, even though we made more available &#8211; we decided to go all out for the third one in May and thought we&#8217;d try to break the world record for the Biggest Gin Tasting. It was so much fun, we brought together thousands of people to drink &#8220;together&#8221; even though we couldn&#8217;t actually all drink together. We also used it to raise money for Big Change MCR who provide support to homeless people &#8211; people with nowhere to go when we were all told to Stay Home.



This has since led to a new product &#8211; people purchase the virtual tasting set and then tune in to watch the recorded session with Seb and Jen. We&#8217;ve also developed a scaleable corporate product in it, helping to bring people back together through virtual work events. Over Christmas, we hosted over 100 virtual Christmas parties from a completely new revenue stream. Usually, the bar would&#8217;ve been crammed for the whole of December with Christmas parties and festive get togethers, instead it was empty &#8211; except for a few of us working from there from time to time. We managed to recreate this in a 2020 kinda way, albeit virtually. It helped keep us going through Christmas but also helped to send out product around the world to gin lovers from Manchester internationally.



Hopefully we&#8217;ll all be able to get back together in the same building! We&#8217;ve just launched our Valentine&#8217;s product which is another at-home experience and have seen great demand for it, so we&#8217;re continuing to adapt and try to bring exciting drinking experiences to people at home. We&#8217;re also focusing on how, when we can reopen, we can do so safely and in line with guidance, but in a way that puts emphasis on atmosphere &#8211; the one thing you just can&#8217;t replicate at home. Our bar team are developing some incredible cocktails, which I&#8217;ve been lucky enough to try &#8211; and believe me, it&#8217;s so much better than anything you can make at home! Maybe it&#8217;s in the hospitality of it, maybe it&#8217;s in the surprise that comes from an unexpected ingredient, or the passion you hear in someone&#8217;s voice as they describe the drink they&#8217;ve just lovingly prepared for you&#8230; But we want to make sure we retain that in the midst of social distancing.



Lockdown has been hugely challenging but it has definitely shown us our resilience. Not once have we sat still. At every opportunity, we&#8217;ve adapted, released new products, developed exciting campaigns to engage and reach new customers and while it&#8217;s been absolutely sh*t, there have been some good times and some exciting ones.



It&#8217;s made me incredibly proud to work within the hospitality and drink industry.

Manchester Gin – Lockdown Story

In 2015, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said £1 Billion had been allocated to ‘digitising’ <img decoding="async" class="" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 320px; float: right;" title="Stampede Hospital WiFi" src="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2735287/Blog/hospital-wifi.jpg" alt="Stampede Hospital WiFi" width="320" data-constrained="true" />the National Health Service, and that all NHS buildings will offer free Wi-Fi to their patients in a ‘digital and paperless NHS’.
Despite this, hospital WiFi  is patchy, with some hospitals and health care centres offering internet access while others don’t.

Access to WiFi is seen as essential for travellers booking a hotel, for students in keeping up with coursework and for people working away from the office &#8211; the same people who use services in the NHS &#8211; and rely on WiFi to go about their day-to-day lives. We need internet to keep in touch, stay on track with work, pay bills, do the food shop. WiFi is no longer a nicety, it&#8217;s almost a necessity.
<h3>Why is Hospital WiFi so important?</h3>
The current average length stay in a hospital is around one week.  With no hospital WiFi patients are cut off, isolated, possibly anxious and likely bored at a time when they are feeling vulnerable.
Access to <a href="https://www.stampede.ai/blog/articles/wifi-in-hospitals">hospital WiFi</a> is crucial for patients to stay in touch with their loved ones while in hospital and pass time while they recover. It allows families to watch films together, comfort children who may be very sick and can reduce stress and anxiety, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3052954/">which supports patient recovery</a>.
Maybe as budgets continue to squeeze and we are repeatedly told how scant resources are, providing patients access to WiFi isn’t seen as a priority over more staff or equipment? But the numbers don’t lie &#8211; 6.9 million outpatient appointments are missed every year, each one costing the NHS over £100 for each occurrence. Many GP surgeries and dentists already have text reminders set up for outpatient appointments, but for the most part, patients will receive a letter telling them where and when their appointment is.
However, with an emphasis on building large ‘super hospitals’, patients go for an appointment and often enter an airport-like atrium, bustling with people with often no idea where to go. With endless identical corridors, they get lost, are late for/miss appointments, leading to clinics running late, delays in treatment, causing them as well as staff to feel stressed and adding to problems with waiting lists and meeting targets.
<h3>How Hospital WiFi Can Help</h3>
What about being able to go further and automatically tell the patient how to get to the their appointment with directions to the waiting area sent automatically to their phone?
Even better, what about doctors using a WiFi network to do Skype consultations for patients who don’t need a physical examination? Save time, costs and hassle for patients while enhancing efficiency, reducing cost and easing pressure for the NHS. A pilot scheme in London hailed this <a href="http://www.centrallondonccg.nhs.uk/media/24178/CLCCG-Cavendish-Skype-pilot-interim-report.pdf">a great success in terms of cutting costs while maintaining patient satisfaction</a>.
The NHS is increasingly pushing the idea that ‘prevention is better than cure’, endeavouring to cut costs of treatment. WiFi can support this by sending health promotion messages to visitors on-site, such as age-related messages about vaccinations or gender specific health care reminders. It’s easy for people to ignore letters through the post &#8211; why not target them with a pop-up message on their phone while they are in a health centre, prompting them to make that appointment?
<h3>WiFi to help NHS meet targets and initiatives</h3>
Instead of waiting for the results of scans and X-rays to be completed and sent back up to the relevant ward or department, hospitals using a WiFi network can benefit from having access to results instantly as they become available.
Remotely monitor equipment, such as oxygen tanks, and be notified they need to be changed, and access patient records online removing the risk of losing sensitive paper notes. Even digitise the process of ordering meals for patients, reducing the hassle of distributing and collecting paper forms.
With patient satisfaction and experience increasingly paramount, WiFi networks should allow the NHS the opportunity to gather feedback cheaply and quickly via email or text. This added convenience for patients is also likely to increase the response rate, giving health centres a more accurate representation of patient satisfaction while allowing them to develop and make services better.
Embracing WiFi will aid communication and make collecting results more timely, accurate, and efficient. When staff spend less time on admin and operational tasks, more time can be spend on patients, improving the standard of care and enhancing their experience.
As part of the increased push for efficiency, intelligent <a href="https://www.stampede.ai/how-it-works#analytics">WiFi Analytics </a>can offer insights into who is on-site, dwell times and the busiest times at the fingertips of entire hospitals, individual departments, GP surgeries and dentists. This can help with the allocation of resources, such as staff and equipment, contributing to increased efficiency and smart spending.
<h3>NHS WiFi: secure as it needs to be?</h3>
A recent cyber attack on the NHS affected 40 hospital trusts, and the government is now under intense scrutiny with people asking why the NHS is so vulnerable to hackers.
Currently, medical staff, students and researchers have access to Eduroam, where they automatically connect to the WiFi at all participating institutions, which is a good resource. However patients are not able to connect, unless they happened to be a student and have registered at their home institution. More concerningly, a recent study suggested that <a href="http://aktuell.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/pm2016/pm00001.html.en">50% of devices connected to Eduroam network are vulnerable to hackers. </a>
It is essential that the NHS uses a secure network to keep huge amounts of sensitive data safe. Providing a legally compliant WiFi network  increases the robustness of security measures available. For instance, network segmentation lets health workers access a separate network from patients, keeping the sharing of confidential information extra-secure.
The NHS will also benefit from being able to pre-determine what devices are allowed to connect to the network, and ‘blacklisting’ those which are denied access, keeping networks safe from ‘rogue-users’.
An important safety feature, particularly with children being able to access the network, is content filtering which keeps nasty sites at bay, reducing the risk to the network and preventing illegal activity, such as torrenting.
The NHS is a unique institution serving over 1 million patients every 36 hours. It is the world’s largest publicly funded health service and the fifth biggest employer in the UK. We Brits view it as a “<a href="http://www.britishfuture.org/featured/new-report-where-is-bittersweet-britain-heading/">symbol of what is great about Britain</a>.” With its size can bring challenges in bringing about change, however setting up and integrating a WiFi network is quick and easy.
WiFi should be ubiquitous in hospital and healthcare centres to help build a smarter, more efficient health care system Brits continue to cherish. The NHS really can’t afford to go without.
<h3>How Stampede can help</h3>
Are you responsible for connecting a hospital, health care clinic, or other health service location? Stampede can custom fit a solution that will meet your needs for fast, secure, reliable WiFi. Drop us a line or <a href="http://www.twitter.com/blackbxwifi">reach out to us on social media</a> to learn more.

<a class="eut-modal-popup" href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request?month=2020-02">Click here to get started.</a>

Hospital WiFi: Making Healthcare Smarter and Getting Patients Connected

&#8220;Do we keep the order and pay app?&#8221; It&#8217;s a big question for many hospitality venues right now, and some have already answered it&#8230; 



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



Finally being able to interact and deliver face-to-face service to their customers at their tables again brings this question to the forefront now.



If you are thinking about dropping your app, considering swapping that allocated budget to other tech tools. The right tech can help you to grow even further and build a loyal customer base. Regardless of COVID restrictions and reactive needs.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-guest-wifi-an-allrounder-tech-solution">Guest WiFi &#8211; An Allrounder Tech Solution</h4>



A Guest WiFi without a password but using a captive portal instead allows businesses to collect customer data through WiFi sign-ups. And grow their mailing list with ease.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Never Miss a Customer Again</h4>



One big drawback of ordering apps is that you often only get contact details from the person that is ordering. So for larger bookings, say a group of 6, &nbsp;you’re missing out on the other 5 customers at the table.&nbsp;



However, if you opt for a guest WiFi solution instead you can turn this one booking into 6 new customer contacts, as they might all sign up to your WiFi.



Hence, you’ve got 6 new customers you can reach out to now and turn into regular visitors. Those might bring another group next time and so it grows.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Digital Menus For More Flexibility</h4>



Arguably, the digital menu feature of an ordering app does have many advantages for a business. It can be changed and adapted with only a few clicks. Plus, it can also be embedded into your website. This means you don’t have to upload a new pdf version every time you make small menu changes.&nbsp;



Guest WiFi solutions often support <a href="https://utfb.untappd.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">digital menus</a> as part of their setup, which can be accessed via the WiFi login. It&#8217;s great for accessibility and maintains that easy update perk.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Supporting Experiences, Not Changing Them</h4>



The crux of the order app is that unless it&#8217;s web-based. Customers have to download it before they can start ordering. This might not be something all your customers were happy to do and can create friction in their overall customer experience.



A Guest WiFi solution with a captive portal removes the need for a password, downloads, tokens or codes that staff need to memorise, fetch or guide customers through using. Thus leaving them free to enhance the customer experience in the ways that only person-to-person contact can.



So, before you think about steering away from technology entirely, consider what technologies can continue to provide a business and customer benefit. Your staff can always make ordering a great experience, but they can&#8217;t do much to fix a clunky customer WiFi.



Want to find out how our <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/wifi" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Guest WiFi solution</a> could work at your venue?&nbsp;<a href="contact@stampede.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Reach out to one of our team.</a>

Can A Guest WiFi Solution Step In For Your Ordering App?

[vc_row bg_type=&#8221;color&#8221; padding_top_multiplier=&#8221;5x&#8221; equal_column_height=&#8221;middle-content&#8221; mobile_equal_column_height=&#8221;false&#8221; section_id=&#8221;stories&#8221; bg_color=&#8221;#16183f&#8221;][vc_column css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1631268993216{padding-top: 30px !important;}&#8221;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Hospitality tools built to grow your business with ease&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|text_align:center|color:%23ffffff&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221; el_class=&#8221;main-page-title&#8221;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;main-page-text&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1631279626658{padding-bottom: 25px !important;}&#8221;]
Retain your customers using hassle-free, intelligent marketing tools that won’t impact your costs.
[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][fildisi_button align=&#8221;center&#8221; button_text=&#8221;Get Started&#8221; button_hover_color=&#8221;primary-2&#8243; button_shape=&#8221;extra-round&#8221; button_link=&#8221;url:https%3A%2F%2Fstampede.ai%2Fget-started%2F|title:Get%20Started&#8221;][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner mobile_width=&#8221;hide&#8221;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;20722&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1637073665967{padding-top: 20px !important;}&#8221;][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row bg_type=&#8221;image&#8221; bg_image_size=&#8221;full&#8221; bg_position=&#8221;left-center&#8221; padding_top_multiplier=&#8221;2x&#8221; padding_bottom_multiplier=&#8221;2x&#8221; equal_column_height=&#8221;middle-content&#8221; mobile_equal_column_height=&#8221;false&#8221; section_id=&#8221;email&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;20721&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221;][/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Email Marketing&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221; el_class=&#8221;main-page-title&#8221;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;main-page-text&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1631187987562{padding-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]It’s the most cost-effective and efficient way to increase your revenue. More than 80% of businesses use email marketing as their primary way to retain customers and keep them coming back.
Restaurants, bars and other hospitality venues should be no different.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][fildisi_button button_text=&#8221;Get Started&#8221; button_hover_color=&#8221;primary-2&#8243; button_shape=&#8221;extra-round&#8221; button_link=&#8221;url:https%3A%2F%2Fstampede.ai%2Fget-started%2F|title:Get%20Started&#8221;][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1/2&#8243; el_id=&#8221;intercom_button&#8221;][fildisi_button button_text=&#8221;Read Success Story&#8221; button_type=&#8221;outline&#8221; button_hover_color=&#8221;primary-2&#8243; button_shape=&#8221;extra-round&#8221; button_link=&#8221;url:https%3A%2F%2Fstampede.ai%2Fresources%2Fcru-holdings%2F|title:CRU%20Holdings&#8221;][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][fildisi_divider line_type=&#8221;custom-line&#8221; line_width=&#8221;144px&#8221; line_height=&#8221;3&#8243; line_color=&#8221;custom&#8221; line_color_custom=&#8221;#edf2f7&#8243; padding_top=&#8221;30&#8243; padding_bottom=&#8221;15&#8243;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;text-includes&#8221;]OUR EMAIL MARKETING INCLUDES:
<ul>
<li>Quick customer segmentation</li>
<li>Easy to use drop and drag builder</li>
<li>Ready-made templates based on real successful campaigns</li>
<li>Accurate conversion tracking with unique voucher codes</li>
</ul>
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row bg_type=&#8221;image&#8221; bg_image=&#8221;20389&#8243; padding_top_multiplier=&#8221;3x&#8221; padding_bottom_multiplier=&#8221;3x&#8221; equal_column_height=&#8221;middle-content&#8221; mobile_visibility=&#8221;hide&#8221; section_id=&#8221;stories&#8221;][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;CRU Holdings&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:36px|text_align:center|color:%23ffffff&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221; el_class=&#8221;main-page-title&#8221;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;“Stampede has become such a powerful marketing tool for us at CRU Holdings. It is well designed, flexible and integrates seamlessly with other systems.”&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:25px|text_align:center|color:%23ffffff|line_height:1.4&#8243; google_fonts=&#8221;font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal&#8221;][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row bg_type=&#8221;color&#8221; padding_top_multiplier=&#8221;2x&#8221; equal_column_height=&#8221;middle-content&#8221; mobile_equal_column_height=&#8221;false&#8221; section_id=&#8221;sms&#8221; bg_color=&#8221;#edf2f6&#8243;][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;20720&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221;][/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;SMS Marketing&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%23fc3a9b&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221; el_class=&#8221;main-page-title&#8221;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;main-page-text&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1631187976850{padding-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]Reach your customers where they are: on their mobiles and on the go.
SMS marketing has a read rate of 97% within 15 minutes of message delivery.
Send timely, personalised messages for an immediate response &#8211; bring those customers back to your venue.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][fildisi_button button_text=&#8221;Get Started&#8221; button_hover_color=&#8221;primary-2&#8243; button_shape=&#8221;extra-round&#8221; button_link=&#8221;url:https%3A%2F%2Fstampede.ai%2Fget-started%2F|title:Get%20Started&#8221;][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1/2&#8243; el_id=&#8221;intercom_button&#8221;][fildisi_button button_text=&#8221;Read Success Story&#8221; button_type=&#8221;outline&#8221; button_hover_color=&#8221;primary-2&#8243; button_shape=&#8221;extra-round&#8221; button_link=&#8221;url:https%3A%2F%2Fstampede.ai%2Fresources%2Flane-7-group%2F|title:Lane%207&#8243;][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][fildisi_divider line_type=&#8221;custom-line&#8221; line_width=&#8221;144px&#8221; line_height=&#8221;3&#8243; line_color=&#8221;custom&#8221; line_color_custom=&#8221;#edf2f7&#8243; padding_top=&#8221;30&#8243; padding_bottom=&#8221;15&#8243;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;text-includes&#8221;]SMS MARKETING:
<ul>
<li>Keep customers engaged and generate repeat business</li>
<li>Support email marketing and increase open rates by 20-30%</li>
<li>Measure repeat visits and track ROI directly</li>
</ul>
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row bg_type=&#8221;image&#8221; bg_image_size=&#8221;full&#8221; bg_position=&#8221;left-center&#8221; equal_column_height=&#8221;middle-content&#8221; mobile_equal_column_height=&#8221;false&#8221; section_id=&#8221;automation&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243; text_align=&#8221;center&#8221;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;20719&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221;][/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Automation&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221; el_class=&#8221;main-page-title&#8221; el_id=&#8221;automation&#8221;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;main-page-text&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1634053990761{padding-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]Keep in touch with customers and build your brand presence, without spending hours on marketing.
Use real customer behaviour to send highly targeted messages that keep customers engaged.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][fildisi_button button_text=&#8221;Get Started&#8221; button_hover_color=&#8221;primary-2&#8243; button_shape=&#8221;extra-round&#8221; button_link=&#8221;url:https%3A%2F%2Fstampede.ai%2Fget-started%2F|title:Get%20Started&#8221;][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1/2&#8243; el_id=&#8221;intercom_button&#8221;][fildisi_button button_text=&#8221;Read Success Story&#8221; button_type=&#8221;outline&#8221; button_hover_color=&#8221;primary-2&#8243; button_shape=&#8221;extra-round&#8221; button_link=&#8221;url:https%3A%2F%2Fstampede.ai%2Fresources%2Fsignature-pub-group%2F|title:Signature%20Pub%20Group&#8221;][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][fildisi_divider line_type=&#8221;custom-line&#8221; line_width=&#8221;144px&#8221; line_height=&#8221;3&#8243; line_color=&#8221;custom&#8221; line_color_custom=&#8221;#edf2f7&#8243; padding_top=&#8221;30&#8243; padding_bottom=&#8221;15&#8243;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;text-includes&#8221;]USE AUTOMATION TO:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Send your offers at the right time to the right customers</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Build a connection with genuinely personalised messages</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Generate repeat visits and bookings without repeated marketing effort</li>
</ul>
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row bg_type=&#8221;color&#8221; equal_column_height=&#8221;middle-content&#8221; mobile_equal_column_height=&#8221;false&#8221; section_id=&#8221;upsell&#8221; bg_color=&#8221;#edf2f7&#8243;][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243; text_align=&#8221;center&#8221;][rev_slider slidertitle=&#8221;Stories Marketing&#8221; alias=&#8221;slider-3&#8243;][/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Upsell&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221; el_class=&#8221;main-page-title&#8221; el_id=&#8221;upsell&#8221;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;main-page-text&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1631187966021{padding-bottom: 15px !important;}&#8221;]Design and launch promotions in minutes, without the cost and wait for printers.
We would have statistics here around how hard it is to track response rates on fliers, but those stats don’t exist! Case in point&#8230;[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][fildisi_button button_text=&#8221;Get Started&#8221; button_hover_color=&#8221;primary-2&#8243; button_shape=&#8221;extra-round&#8221; button_link=&#8221;url:https%3A%2F%2Fstampede.ai%2Fget-started%2F|title:Get%20Started&#8221;][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1/2&#8243; el_id=&#8221;intercom_button&#8221;][fildisi_button button_text=&#8221;Read Success Story&#8221; button_type=&#8221;outline&#8221; button_hover_color=&#8221;primary-2&#8243; button_shape=&#8221;extra-round&#8221; button_link=&#8221;url:https%3A%2F%2Fstampede.ai%2Fresources%2Fcocktail-embassy%2F|title:Cocktail%20Embassy&#8221;][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][fildisi_divider line_type=&#8221;custom-line&#8221; line_width=&#8221;144px&#8221; line_height=&#8221;3&#8243; line_color=&#8221;custom&#8221; line_color_custom=&#8221;#edf2f7&#8243; padding_top=&#8221;30&#8243; padding_bottom=&#8221;15&#8243;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;text-includes&#8221;]UPSELL FEATURES:
<ul>
<li>Increase spend per head and spend per visit</li>
<li>Change promotions and offers fast and easily</li>
<li>Save time and money with fewer fliers and posters</li>
</ul>
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row disable_element=&#8221;yes&#8221; el_class=&#8221;try-it&#8221;][vc_column css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1584018827046{padding-top: 40px !important;padding-bottom: 40px !important;background-image: url(https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/banner-bg2.png?id=15813) !important;border-radius: 20px !important;}&#8221;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Try Stampede for free&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:30px|text_align:center|color:%231f2888|line_height:65px&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221; el_class=&#8221;full-weight&#8221;][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;main-page-text&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1584018887988{padding-bottom: 30px !important;}&#8221;]
Get started growing your business with a 14 day free trial.
[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1/4&#8243;][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][vc_raw_html]JTVCY29udGFjdC1mb3JtLTclMjBpZCUzRCUyMjE1NTk4JTIyJTIwdGl0bGUlM0QlMjJGcmVlJTIwVHJpYWwlMjBTdGVwLTAlMjIlNUQ=[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1/4&#8243;][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Book A Personalised Demo&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|text_align:center&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221;][vc_raw_html css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1657279445758{border-bottom-width: 20px !important;padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;}&#8221;]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Marketing

A Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) is an invaluable and powerful technology tool for hospitality owners and operators to maximise the customer experience and reach their business goals.&nbsp;



But what exactly do we mean when we talk about CRM systems for hospitality?&nbsp;



In this post, you will learn all there is to know about this topic. Starting off with a definition, to features and benefits as well as tips on how to choose the right one.



In case you have unanswered questions left, we’ll also address common FAQs at the end of this guide.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-a-crm-system">What is a CRM system?</h2>



A <a href="https://stampede.ai/">CRM system</a> is a tool used to manage interactions with existing customers and potential customers. It allows businesses to better track and organise customer data, such as contact details, purchase history, and other interactions.



Hospitality businesses of all sizes can benefit from a CRM solution, from small restaurants to large hotel groups. In the hospitality industry, it can be particularly valuable as a streamlined way to collect and analyse customer data coming from different sources. This could be your Guest WiFi, your loyalty scheme or your table booking system.



By understanding what guests are looking for, hospitality businesses can create unique experiences that meet individual needs and preferences and keep customers coming back time and again.&nbsp;



With the right CRM platform, hospitality operators can also access valuable insights into customer preferences and behaviours over time. Those can be used to drive business decisions.



Ultimately, this clever tool helps hospitality businesses build long-term relationships with customers in order to increase repeat visits, boost word-of-mouth referrals, and maximise revenue.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CRM key features</h2>



In today&#8217;s business landscape, understanding your customer is essential for long-term success. That&#8217;s why CRM software continues to grow in popularity, especially since it can provide a wide range of benefits to your business.&nbsp;



Here are some of the <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/the-6-must-have-key-features-of-a-restaurant-crm">key features of a CRM</a>:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Customer profile management allows you to gather and store customer information to help create more targeted marketing campaigns.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Interaction tracking helps you monitor customer activities and preferences, enabling you to tailor your messaging for greater impact.</li>



<li>Automations simplify your sales and marketing processes and reduce manual workloads.</li>



<li>Reporting and analytics provide you with insights into your business&#8217;s performance, allowing you to optimise your operations.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Third-party integrations expand the capabilities of your CRM, allowing you to connect to other systems and tools.</li>
</ul>



Hospitality businesses have unique needs when it comes to CRM, and the features that matter most will depend on the size and type of business.&nbsp;



For instance, a hotel might find value in features such as loyalty programs, reviews management and revenue optimisation tools.&nbsp;



Restaurants may benefit from features like table booking management, event planning, and automated marketing.&nbsp;



Additionally, hospitality operators will likely find value in having access to comprehensive customer profiles and powerful analytics and reporting tools.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What are the benefits of a CRM for hospitality operators?</h2>



Without a CRM system in place, hospitality businesses may struggle to keep track of their customers and understand their preferences.&nbsp;



This can lead to errors such as sending promotional materials to the wrong customer. But also not having enough information about an individual&#8217;s interests to tailor the promotions and offers for them.



Furthermore, businesses are unable to accurately measure the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns and customer engagement strategies. As a result, businesses may not be able to capitalise on opportunities for growth or improve their customer service.



By investing in a CRM solution, <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-restaurants-benefit-from-a-crm-system">hospitality operators can be more efficient in their operations</a> and optimise their customer experience. Automations enable businesses to streamline processes, saving time and money while allowing them to focus on providing quality service.&nbsp;



Additionally, CRMs allow venues to track customer interactions and activities in real-time. This gives them the ability to respond quickly and anticipate customer needs.&nbsp;



By leveraging analytics and reporting capabilities, operators can gain valuable insights into their customers’ purchasing habits, preferences and interests. This data is essential for optimising marketing campaigns to ensure that resources are used in the most efficient manner.&nbsp;



In short, a CRM system allows hospitality businesses to make informed decisions about how best to reach their customers and grow their business.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How to choose the right CRM?</h2>



<a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/the-3-different-types-of-a-crm-system-explained">Choosing the right CRM</a> for your hospitality business can be a daunting task. With so many options and features to consider, it&#8217;s important to first identify your specific business needs.&nbsp;



Once you have a clear understanding of what you require, you can begin to look out for important features. Focus on features that are critical to the smooth running of your customer service operations. For example communication management, automated workflows, marketing automations and data analytics. These capabilities will help streamline your operations and improve customer relationships.&nbsp;



When choosing a CRM, it&#8217;s also important to look for a platform that is tailored to the hospitality industry. This will ensure that you have access to the specific functionalities and integrations that are relevant to your business.&nbsp;



Taking the time to research and select the ideal solution can make all the difference in the success and growth of your hospitality business.



Once you have selected the CRM that is right for your venue, it&#8217;s important to ensure that it is properly implemented. A successful implementation will help ensure that all of the features and functionalities are being used to their fullest potential.



This includes training staff on how to use the system to its maximum capacity, as well as integrating the CRM with other systems to ensure data accuracy and consistency.&nbsp;



Additionally, it&#8217;s important to create a plan for ongoing maintenance and upkeep. The focus should be on regularly updating customer data, monitoring system performance, and making any necessary changes to ensure that the platform is operating optimally.&nbsp;



With the right implementation and maintenance plan in place, your CRM platform can be a powerful asset in helping your hospitality business succeed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How can a CRM improve your marketing?</h2>



A CRM solution can <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/why-is-a-crm-system-crucial-for-a-hospitality-marketer">revolutionise your marketing strategy</a> and improve your bottom line. With personalised customer data at your fingertips, you can create targeted email and SMS campaigns that speak directly to your audience.



Gone are the days of generic, one-size-fits-all approaches to marketing. With a CRM, you can tailor your messaging to specific customer segments based on their preferences and behaviours.&nbsp;



By leveraging customer data and creating targeted campaigns, you can build a strong relationship with your guests, increase bookings and enhance their overall experience.



For example, you could use the data to identify customers that haven’t visited in a while. You then send out discounts or loyalty rewards to encourage them back into your venue.&nbsp;



Plus, automating your marketing processes can save you time and money while still nurturing customer relationships.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">3 Common FAQs about a CRM Solution</h2>



Let&#8217;s address 3 of the most frequently asked questions about this powerful tool.&nbsp;



<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>What is a CRM system? Simply put, it is a software application that helps businesses better manage customer data, interactions, and relationships.</li>



<li>How can it benefit my business? A CRM can provide key insights into your customers&#8217; behaviours, preferences, and needs. This information can be used to create more targeted marketing and sales strategies, increase customer satisfaction, and drive revenue growth.</li>



<li>Is a CRM right for my business? If your business interacts with customers in any capacity, then it can be incredibly useful. It can help you organise important customer data, streamline communications, and improve customer service.</li>
</ol>



Investing in a CRM can be a smart decision that pays off in the long run.



Got some more questions? You might find the answer in <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/7-frequently-asked-restaurant-crm-system-questions-answered">this article</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Summary</h2>



In conclusion, CRM platforms are essential tools for elevating hospitality businesses to the next level.&nbsp;



They help streamline operations and provide a better customer experience by allowing businesses to efficiently collect customer data and insights from every interaction.&nbsp;



A well-built hospitality CRM system can significantly improve marketing campaigns, customer service, and process automations.&nbsp;



It is important to pick the right CRM software for your business, making sure to consider the features and pricing options that are right for you. By doing your homework and properly researching available solutions on the market, you can ensure you select one that best meets your needs.

What Is A Hospitality CRM System? A Full Guide

<div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex">
<div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
<div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="340" height="340" src="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lane7-icon2-340x340-1.png" alt="case study icon growth graph" class="wp-image-19670 size-full" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lane7-icon2-340x340-1.png 340w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lane7-icon2-340x340-1-300x300.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lane7-icon2-340x340-1-150x150.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lane7-icon2-340x340-1-96x96.png 96w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lane7-icon2-340x340-1-16x16.png 16w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lane7-icon2-340x340-1-100x100.png 100w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lane7-icon2-340x340-1-60x60.png 60w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lane7-icon2-340x340-1-90x90.png 90w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 340px) 100vw, 340px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Over 41,500 new customer records</h3>



Growing their database with automated data capture. 
</div></div>
</div>



<div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
<div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="340" height="340" src="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Case-Study-Icons-1.png" alt="case study marketing roi icon" class="wp-image-21409 size-full" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Case-Study-Icons-1.png 340w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Case-Study-Icons-1-300x300.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Case-Study-Icons-1-150x150.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Case-Study-Icons-1-96x96.png 96w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Case-Study-Icons-1-16x16.png 16w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Case-Study-Icons-1-100x100.png 100w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 340px) 100vw, 340px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">£49,000 Marketing ROI</h3>



A time-saving and intelligent marketing tool.
</div></div>
</div>
</div>



<div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-2 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex">
<div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
<div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="340" height="340" src="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Case-Study-Icons-2.png" alt="Case Study Icons Loyalty" class="wp-image-21240 size-full" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Case-Study-Icons-2.png 340w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Case-Study-Icons-2-300x300.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Case-Study-Icons-2-150x150.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Case-Study-Icons-2-96x96.png 96w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Case-Study-Icons-2-16x16.png 16w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Case-Study-Icons-2-100x100.png 100w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 340px) 100vw, 340px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">97% customer opt in rate</h3>



A compliant and engaged customer database to support marketing efforts.
</div></div>
</div>



<div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
<div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="340" height="340" src="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Case-Study-Icons.png" alt="case study email open rate icon" class="wp-image-21370 size-full" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Case-Study-Icons.png 340w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Case-Study-Icons-300x300.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Case-Study-Icons-150x150.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Case-Study-Icons-96x96.png 96w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Case-Study-Icons-16x16.png 16w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Case-Study-Icons-100x100.png 100w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 340px) 100vw, 340px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">43% email open rate</h3>



Bringing more customers back more often.
</div></div>
</div>
</div>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-overview">Overview</h1>



<div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-3 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex">
<div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow" style="flex-basis:66.66%">
Established in 2011, Bar Tonic is an independent, intimate cocktail bar located in Edinburgh’s New Town.



Bar Tonic uses the&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/guest-wifi/">Stampede Captive Portal</a>&nbsp;to grow their database and send out personalised and automated email marketing campaigns to bring customers back.
</div>



<div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow" style="flex-basis:33.33%">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Screenshot-2022-04-01-at-11.11.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="635" height="684" src="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Screenshot-2022-04-01-at-11.11.png" alt="Bar Tonic small round cocktail" class="wp-image-21394" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Screenshot-2022-04-01-at-11.11.png 635w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Screenshot-2022-04-01-at-11.11-279x300.png 279w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Screenshot-2022-04-01-at-11.11-150x162.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Screenshot-2022-04-01-at-11.11-16x16.png 16w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Screenshot-2022-04-01-at-11.11-592x638.png 592w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 635px) 100vw, 635px" /></a></figure>
</div>
</div>



<figure class="wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-left"><blockquote>“The main improvement for us is having all the data in one place, being able to segment and me not having to spend the time doing that. So the automation makes my life a hundred times easier.”<cite>Chris Aitchison &#8211; Marketing Manager, Bar Tonic</cite></blockquote></figure>



<div class="wp-block-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow">
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Succeed with Stampede - Bar Tonic" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SVpZWzhhNBY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>
</div>

Bar Tonic

Competitions are everywhere on social media. You’ve likely entered a few yourself, especially with such fantastic prizes to be won. As a business, they are a really effective marketing tool. Which is why even though you are giving something away &#8211; you’re set to gain a lot more back. But how do you set up a successful competition on your social media channels in your venue?







With any social media post (especially competitions!) the aim is to get as many people as possible to engage with your content. The reason for this is because the more your followers are reacting and sharing your content, the more likely they are to buy your product or service. As a restaurant with tables to fill all week long, that could make the difference between empty tables or even a waitlist.&nbsp;



Further reading: <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-effectively-design-social-media-posts/">https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-effectively-design-social-media-posts/</a>



If you are thinking about setting up and running a competition across your social media channels. Here are our top tips to make it a success.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Why it pays to do giveaways&nbsp;</h4>



On the face of it, giving something away for free might appear like a simple way to reward your followers with no real business sense behind it. But that couldn’t be further than the truth. Competitions on social media are big business, <a href="https://outgrow.co/blog/stats-giveaways-contests">scoring an average of 3x the amount of engagement</a> compared with regular posts. What that means is triple the number of people will be viewing your content. 



Given competitions normally <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/the-importance-of-digital-word-of-mouth/">require users to comment, like, share or tag a friend</a>. Every time someone does so, this greatly increases the engagement on your page. Therefore, it doesn’t take many people to enter and follow those steps before the number of new followers and engagements your page receives, far outvalue the prize itself. 



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Mastering the basics</h4>



First of all, you’re going to need to think of a good prize! The focus here shouldn’t be on the value of the prize alone. Rather, make sure that the prize is tied in with your core audience to attract the highest number of entrants. As a restaurant, giving away a free meal for two is always going to be a winner. However, there’s plenty of room for something more creative too. 



You can set up the competition on your social media channels through a number of different methods. It can either involve a singular platform or can be run across all platforms. You can either create it as a generic post or <a href="https://blog.hootsuite.com/how-does-facebook-boost-posts-work/">create a boosted post to reach a wider audience</a>. Boosted posts are especially great for newly opened restaurants. As they can supersize your follower count in no time, and really get your name out there in the wider community. 



Before you post the competition, you should type out your message in advance and make sure it really builds a sense of excitement. After all, you want people to enter and share your content! Don’t be afraid to break a lengthy text up with emojis. Also, be sure to include any terms &amp; conditions (T&#8217;s&amp;C&#8217;s) in with your post. It’s also a good idea to use pictures or a video along with your post. These will get even more engagement from people scrolling through their feeds. Clearly show them what they can win, and make it worth their while. 



Also, check out our 5 useful free marketing tools that can help you design your competition post. Further reading: <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/5-useful-free-marketing-tools-that-anyone-can-use/">https://stampede.ai/blog/5-useful-free-marketing-tools-that-anyone-can-use/</a>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Hitting the right audience</h4>



Along with tailoring your message and prize to the right audience. There are some other key strategies you can employ to make sure your competition reaches its maximum potential. The first one is the time at which you post. Food-related posts typically work best when posted at mealtimes, so you might want to schedule your message to go out just before lunchtime or dinner time in the evening.



Many social media platforms will have analytics sections, that will show when your users are most active online. It makes sense to post during peak hours if you want to achieve maximum impact. For example, posting about your curry house isn’t likely to do well at 9 am on a Monday morning. However, would do much better at 6 pm on a Thursday, when people are more likely to be receptive to such content.



Remember that each platform will have a slightly different way of doing things. For example, Instagram is a great place for <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-hospitality-businesses-can-use-instagram-stories-more-effectively/">visual storytelling</a>, whereas Twitter is more about the short and sweet message. Facebook is the <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/rise-of-social-media">biggest platform with over 2.3 billion users</a>, meaning it’s likely to give you the biggest ROI overall. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, so it’s important to tailor your delivery to suit the platform you choose.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h4>



Setting up social media competitions that go out across your social media feeds are an excellent way to connect with your followers. Ultimately, building an online community. The stronger your social media presence is, the more people your regular content will reach. As a hospitality business, having as many people as possible in touch with your products or services is a real recipe for success.



Every social media competition should state the requirements (such as like, follow, etc.) so that with every entry, you are returning value to your business. You can even do an announcement post or video that further encourages engagement, giving social media competitions endless potential to boost your overall stats.&nbsp;



Competitions on social media can help you grow more than just your post reach and audience. With our free <a href="https://signup.stampede.ai/?source=marketing">Mailing List form tool</a>, you can turn those social media followers into a powerful mailing list for email and SMS marketing. This gives you measurable results and massively increased engagement and uptake in your offers and services. 



Take the guessing game out of your digital advertising and deliver targeted campaigns that actually work for your business. Why not give it a try in your venue?



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>