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Empowering Brands to Harness User-Generated Content



In the age of social media and digital connectivity, user-generated content (UGC) has emerged as a powerful tool that is reshaping marketing strategies. UGC tools are designed to help brands effectively curate, manage, and leverage user-generated content. These tools provide a range of functionalities, such as content discovery, moderation, rights management, and analytics. By using <a href="https://www.ttagz.co.uk/">UGC tools</a>, brands can easily identify and collect relevant UGC related to their products or services. 



They can also engage with their audience, encourage content creation, and amplify the reach of UGC through various channels. With the help of UGC tools, brands can streamline their UGC strategies and make the most out of the content generated by their users.



Customising UGC Experiences for Brands



UGC software takes the concept of UGC tools a step further by offering more advanced features and customisation options. This software allows brands to integrate UGC into their websites, apps, or other digital platforms seamlessly. They provide templates and design tools that enable businesses to create visually appealing UGC displays that align with their branding.



<a href="https://www.ttagz.co.uk/">UGC software</a> also often includes sophisticated moderation algorithms and AI-powered filters to ensure that only relevant and appropriate content is displayed. By leveraging UGC software, brands can create immersive user experiences and drive higher levels of engagement with their audience.



Centralised Hubs for Discovering and Showcasing UGC



In addition to UGC tools and software, user-generated content platforms have emerged as centralised hubs where brands can discover, curate, and showcase UGC from various sources. These platforms aggregate UGC from social media platforms, review sites, and other online channels, allowing brands to easily find and display relevant UGC. <a href="https://www.ttagz.co.uk/">UGC platforms</a> often provide built-in moderation and rights management features, ensuring that brands can maintain control over the content they use. 



By leveraging UGC platforms, brands can tap into a vast pool of authentic content created by their customers and build stronger connections with their target audience.



The Impact of UGC on Marketing Strategies



The rise of UGC has had a profound impact on marketing strategies. Traditionally, brands relied heavily on their own content creation efforts to convey their messages and promote their products. However, with the UGC revolution, consumers have become brand ambassadors, sharing their experiences and opinions organically. This shift has created a sense of authenticity and trust that is difficult to achieve through traditional marketing methods.



UGC allows brands to harness the power of social proof. When potential customers see UGC showcasing positive experiences, they are more likely to trust the brand and make a purchase. According to studies, <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190220005302/en/Stackla-Survey-Reveals-Disconnect-Between-the-Content-Consumers-Want-What-Marketers-Deliver">UGC is trusted by 92% of consumers</a>, making it a highly influential factor in purchasing decisions. By incorporating UGC into their marketing strategies, brands can tap into this trust and leverage it to drive conversions and build brand loyalty.



UGC also enables brands to foster a sense of community and engage with their audience on a deeper level. By encouraging users to create and share content, brands can create a two-way conversation, fostering a sense of belonging and co-creation. This not only strengthens the relationship between the brand and its customers but also generates valuable insights and feedback for product improvement.



Conclusion



In conclusion, user-generated content is reshaping marketing strategies and revolutionising the way brands connect with their audience. UGC tools, UGC software, and UGC platforms are essential resources that enable brands to harness the power of UGC effectively. By embracing UGC, brands can leverage social proof, build trust, and foster a sense of community. The UGC revolution is here, and brands that adapt to this shift will have a competitive edge in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

post

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

WiFi Marketing: 3 Powerful Ways It Can Grow Your Business

EnGenius Tech now a Stampede technology partner

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

The Easter countdown is officially on. Time to get your digital assets and marketing promotions Easter ready to&nbsp;bring in some extra revenue.



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



Many businesses will opt for a traditional brunch or roast lunch offer. Take a twist this year with a new approach to some traditional dishes. What about <a href="https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/hot-cross-scones/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hot cross scones</a> for your brunch menu? Or introducing customers to some <a href="https://www.thespruceeats.com/traditional-easter-foods-from-around-the-world-4161077" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dishes from other countries</a>?



But there is more you can do to create an Easter experience your customers will remember&#8230;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-easter-marketing-elements">Easter marketing elements</h4>



Sprinkle some&nbsp;Easter themes on your digital assets&nbsp;to build your customers&#8217; excitement.&nbsp;Seasonal elements, illustrations and images&nbsp;are the quickest way to get started.



Easter and Spring is all about vibrant and cheerful colours, so focus on using <a href="https://icolorpalette.com/palette-by-themes/easter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pastel colours,</a> including pinks and yellows, to make your Easter marketing instantly recognisable.



Ready-made <a href="https://unlayer.com/email-templates/easter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Easter templates </a>can help you save lots of time when it comes to designing email campaigns too



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">8 Easter social media ideas</h4>



Easter offers lot of great opportunities for fun and engaging social media campaigns too.&nbsp;Mix and match different formats&nbsp;(posts, stories and reels) to reach a wider audience.



<ol class="wp-block-list"><li>Caption this &#8211; use&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.countryliving.com/life/a30717299/easter-puns/" target="_blank">Easter egg puns</a></li><li>Share fun Easter memes</li><li>Host a virtual egg hunt across your socials and website</li><li>Share your staffs’ Easter traditions, favourite meals …</li><li>What’s on your Easter brunch table</li><li>Short video/reel &#8211; make your own DIY Easter decoration</li><li>Easter sneak peak &#8211; coming up at your venue</li><li>DIY bunny ears competition</li></ol>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">8 Easter in-venue event ideas</h4>



Easter-related activities are not exclusively for kids, grown-ups can have a lot of fun as well. Get the whole family involved:



<ol class="wp-block-list"><li>Egg hunt or scavenger egg hunt</li><li>Egg and a spoon race</li><li>Competition &#8211; egg decorating</li><li>Guessing game &#8211; jar filled with easter eggs</li><li>Host an <a href="https://quiz-questions.uk/easter-quiz-questions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Easter-inspired pub quiz</a></li><li>Easter baking class</li><li>Team up with a local florist for a wreath-making workshop</li><li>How to set your Easter table &#8211; decoration ideas</li></ol>



Easter marketing content ready but not sure how to set up your email campaign? <a href="https://stampede.ai/company/#contact" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get in touch</a> with our team who are happy to help.

16 Rapid Ideas For Successful Easter Marketing Campaigns

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A common struggle with loyalty programs is that it takes customers too long to earn enough points to redeem.&nbsp;



As a consequence, customers lose interest quickly.



By using gamification elements to support your loyalty schemes, you can speed up the whole process whilst keeping customers on the hook.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-gamification-works">Why gamification works</h2>



Gamification adds a fun element to a loyalty scheme. The concept behind it leans heavily into our competitive spirit and reward-seeking behaviour.&nbsp;



Here are 4 reasons for implementing gamification:&nbsp;



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Keep customers engaged and interested. Customers earn extra points as a top-up, quite often these are linked to instant rewards.</li>



<li>Increase brand awareness. It encourages customers to interact with your brand more often.</li>



<li>Get more customer data. Customers spread the word when they have fun, which will lead to a snowball effect.</li>



<li>Attract a wider range of customers. Gamification is ideal if you want to bring in younger generations.</li>
</ul>



To help you get started, we’ve gathered 5 gamification ideas. These will power up your loyalty scheme to keep customers thrilled.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">5 engaging gamification ideas for your loyalty scheme</h2>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">1. Gamification Challenges</h4>



A limited timeframe with the chance to win something exciting hypes customers up to take part.



Monthly or seasonal challenges are probably the most cost- and time-efficient gamification tool for your loyalty scheme to boost interaction.



Simple examples:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Online quizzes</li>



<li>Guessing games</li>



<li>Tag &amp; share challenges</li>
</ul>



Advanced examples:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>DIY competition &#8211; ‘Create our new Summer cocktail’</li>



<li>Creative competition &#8211; ‘Name our new [menu item]’</li>



<li>Seasonal challenges &#8211; i.e. dress up for Halloween</li>
</ul>



Tip: Online challenges are great database growth boosters so make sure to ask customers for their contact details upon entering.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">2. Online &amp; in-venue games</h4>



This gamification concept connects both offline and online customer interaction.



Treasure hunts are ideal for this, where customers have to look for clues on your socials, website as well as in-venue.



Tip: Whilst they are searching, you get the chance to introduce customers to other offerings or venues you might have.



Additionally, if you want to boost quieter times during the day, try a ‘secret code word share’ via your socials. When mentioning the code in the venue customers get a freebie or discount.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">3. Badges, awards &amp; leaderboards</h4>



The most widely used advanced gamification loyalty scheme examples are badges, awards and leaderboards.&nbsp;



Customers get awarded for different interactions or milestones reached. Rewards usually go beyond in-venue and/or online transactions. You can incentivise actions such as completing an online profile, engaging on social media or leaving a review.



What makes these types so effective is it gives customers something to work towards. Plus, they can also compare their performance to others.



<a href="https://www.brewdog.com/uk/beer-visa">Brew Dog’s Beer Visa</a> is a great example of this type of gamification. Customers get a stamp for visiting every bar in one location, once completed they receive a special pin badge.



Tip: Leaderboards make it easy to spot your most loyal and engaged customers.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">4. Tiered membership levels</h4>



A tiered membership scheme encourages customers to spend and engage more with your business in order to move up the rank.



Each tier comes with benefits that increase in value to make the whole brand experience more exclusive and personalised.&nbsp;



Another big benefit of tiered loyalty is that you can build highly targeted segments from those tiers and use them for personalised email campaigns.



Well-known industry examples are <a href="https://www.starbucks.co.uk/rewards">Starbucks</a> and <a href="https://www.pizzaexpress.com/club">PizzaExpress</a>.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">5. Mini online games</h4>



No doubt, online arcade-style games are highly engaging and addictive but they also require some sort of app integration. This ultimately places them at the higher end when it comes to implementing gamification.



A successful example is KFC’s recently launched new loyalty app <a href="https://www.kfc.co.uk/kfc-rewards-arcade">“Rewards Arcade”</a>. Customers get the chance to play after each purchase and get instant ‘free food’ rewards.



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



Make sure to check out our <a href="https://stampede.ai/downloads/8-tactics-to-increase-customer-spend">FREE Loyalty Guide</a> to learn more about the different types of loyalty programs and how they can help you to increase customer spend.

5 Gamification Ideas To Take Your Loyalty Scheme To The Next Level

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 AI Can Facilitate Reviews Management For Hospitality Operators

How To Speed Up Content Creation With AI In Hospitality

3 Clever AI Tools To Support Your Hotel Operations

ChatGPT vs. Jasper: The Two Most Popular AI Tools Compared

How to Set Up a Coworking Space in Your Coffee Shop

A lot of hospitality venues are offering ‘low-cost’ meal deals at the moment as a way to attract customers when budgets are tight.&nbsp;



Discounting is one option to keep your cash flow up, however, there are other tools you could use.&nbsp;



Think about how you can increase the actual value of what customers get from their experience.



Here are two ways to better retain cost-conscious customers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-customer-loyalty-program">1) Customer Loyalty Program</h2>



The past years have clearly shown how valuable loyal customers are as a reliable revenue source for businesses.



In fact, one-third of customers will spend more to secure loyalty points. So, a customer <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/making-a-success-of-loyalty-programs-part-ii">loyalty program</a> not only helps you bring customers back, but it also increases their spending.&nbsp;



To make your loyalty program a <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/making-a-success-of-loyalty-programs-part-ii">proper success</a> consider additional benefits aside from monetary incentives or freebies.&nbsp;



This could be a priority booking option or special member-only events. It’s all about adding more value to your customer&#8217;s experience and setting yourself apart from others.



Tip: Make sure to check out our <a href="https://stampede.ai/downloads/8-tactics-to-increase-customer-spend">free loyalty guide</a>, featuring 8 tactics to increase your customer spend and a breakdown of different loyalty programs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">2) Exclusive Community</h2>



Whilst your customer loyalty program is open to all your customers, an exclusive community only targets certain customer groups. Adding this extra exclusivity feeling to your loyalty program will further elevate customer engagement.



Plus, such a niche customer community also allows you to really personalise your perks and better tailor your marketing messaging.



Potential segmentations ideas:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Students</li><li>Families</li><li>Gender &#8211; ladie’s/men&#8217;s club</li><li>Neighbourhood customers &#8211; based on postcodes</li><li>Emergency Services/Military workers</li><li>Early birds / Night owls (first visitors, last visitors)</li></ul>



One great example is <a href="https://noodleunion.wagamama.com/">Wagamama’s Noddle Union</a>. Their program is aimed at students and includes monthly giveaways and prizes on top of regular deals to make signing up more attractive.



Learn more about our Loyalty feature <a href="https://stampede.ai/get-loyalty/">here</a>. Or get in touch with one of our team who are happy to run you through it.

2 Ways To Keep Your Footfall Up With Customer Loyalty

Untrackable traffic is probably one of the biggest fears of any data-driven marketer.&nbsp;



“Dark social” is an example of such a dreaded source, which has been on the rise over the past couple of years.&nbsp;



We’ve compiled everything you need to know about dark social advocacy and how you can use it to your benefit.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-dark-social">What is Dark Social?</h2>



Dark social refers to any web traffic that comes from sharing links that are not trackable. They won’t be picked up by Google because they usually don’t contain any <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/3-clever-tools-that-simplify-how-you-measure-marketing-results">UTM tracking code</a>.



As a consequence the original traffic source remains unknown, instead, those leads will show up as “direct traffic” in your analytics.&nbsp;



What makes this type of sharing so dark is the fact that it happens on private messaging platforms such as chat apps or instant messengers and not on public social media platforms.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Why the Channel is Growing</h2>



Recently, there has been a shift in how much people share on social media. This is mainly linked to privacy concerns and how their data is used.&nbsp;



Contrary to social media, private messaging platforms allow for end-to-end encryption, so people can better control their personal information.&nbsp;



Up to <a href="https://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media/what-is-dark-social/">80% of shares are in fact happening in the dark</a>, probably more than you might have expected.



This is even more so the case in the hospitality industry where people are looking for recommendations from their family and friends. So chances are high that they will share it privately.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">3 Ways Dark Social Affect Businesses</h2>



The impact of dark social on businesses can be broken down into 3 main points:



<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>Untrackablilty</li>
</ol>



As mentioned already, the major issue is that you can’t put an exact number on this type of channel.&nbsp;



There are ways you can measure it to a certain extent, such as through Google Analytics (Source: direct traffic) or by using special tools.



<ol class="wp-block-list" start="2">
<li>Exclusion from the customer conversation</li>
</ol>



The actual content that is shared through dark social remains invisible to companies.



You don’t know what is said about your business. Also, you can’t control the conversation and whether it is in line with your brand voice and values.



<ol class="wp-block-list" start="3">
<li>Lower reach</li>
</ol>



In general, your reach might be limited on dark social. People tend to share within their network, i.e. like-minded people with the same interests and behaviours.



It’s therefore not necessarily a channel to attract a new type of customer.



However, if you look into the demographics, you can reach an older audience as younger customers still tend to share their content on social media.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">3 Actionable Tips For More Transparency</h2>



The good news, there are a couple of ways you can increase measurability. It’s all about making your content more traceable in the first place.



<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>Encourage trackable ways of sharing: add share buttons/links to your content containing <a href="https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/what-are-utm-tracking-codes-ht">referral data</a>.</li>



<li>Chime in on the conversation: create your own community with loyal customers, i.e. a Whatsapp group.</li>



<li>Use <a href="https://free-url-shortener.rb.gy/">URL shortener</a> for social posts: shorter links with UTMs attached look cleaner and are easier to copy and paste.</li>
</ol>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Power of Dark Social</h2>



Taking all the above into account, dark social should definitely not be seen as a threat to marketers.



Even though it is a channel that is hard to control it contributes a lot to your brand awareness and engagement.&nbsp;



Think about it this way &#8211; if customers share your content privately it’s a sign of trust and loyalty. It is a form of unexpected <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/breakdown-3-ways-customers-advocate-your-hospitality-brand">brand advocacy.</a>&nbsp;



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



<a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-hospitality-operators-can-use-data-to-reveal-loyal-customers">Learn more</a> about how you can identify and grow your most loyal customers using data insights and our customer retention cohort report.

Shedding A Light On Dark Social And How It Increases Brand Awareness

In the last 12 months, over&nbsp;120 million emails&nbsp;have been sent through Stampede across thousands of campaigns.



From all that we learned:



A) That the number of sent emails should be a lot higher, because



B) People often avoid email campaigns because designing them is a headache, and



C) 99% of email campaigns are very similar in design and layout.



 Enter&nbsp;Quick Campaigns&nbsp;🚀 &#8211; taking you from start to sent in just a couple of minutes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-it-works">How it works</h2>



✅ Prompt the builder with your idea ✅ Use the Brand Kit to set your theme for your venue ✅ Choose your audience or segment (or make a new one) ✅ Add some text for the body of the email (you can change the main image too) ✅ Bolt-on a trackable call-to-action button Then hit Send!



It&#8217;s less effort than a social media post, and way more effective at generating bookings and conversions.



Think of it like filling in a form, instead of building a web page with a drag-and-drop designer. Most email campaigns are simple and they tend to be the best at getting the desired outcome.



For those that still want to nurture audiences with rich content, story telling and brand building you can still do all that and more in with Bulk and even Automated campaigns.



Email marketing continues to be one of the best performing channels for any business. Social media algorithms change, new trends emerge, new platforms pop-up. Marketers constantly have to adjust and redesign their approach to stay relevant and appear on feeds. You&#8217;re always renting the audience and fighting for attention.



Your email audience is yours to address as and when you like. Segementation is still your most powerful tool here, whether you send Quick or Bulk campaigns. 



<a href="https://stampede.ai/get-started/marketing/">Stampede is here to help</a> with thousands of ways to build audiences and segments so your message hits the right people at the right time, without slowing you down.







p.s. It&#8217;s never a choice between email or social media &#8211; it&#8217;s always BOTH

Introducing Quick Campaigns

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

As the internet gets “bigger” there’s a constant need for how we interact with it to keep up in performance. People want more, and they want it faster than ever.



Keeping that in mind &#8211; plus a few prickly real-world experiences &#8211; our teams have just completed upgrades to our guest WiFi service.&nbsp;



A great WiFi login is butter smooth, lightning fast, beautifully branded and tastefully personalised. Our latest update levels up all these areas.



Many of you reading this will know that <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/wifi/">guest WiFi</a> was where <a href="https://stampede.ai/company/">we started back in 2015</a>. Our founder Patrick knew there was a better way to get customers online in hospitality venues. We’ve grown since then, but that mentality is still our driving force.



The other driving force is time. We’ve done this update now (Oct ‘23) so that Stampede users and their customers get the most from the upcoming “golden period” of Christmas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-highlights">The Highlights</h2>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-speed">Speed</h4>



Three times faster. Or 320% faster to be more accurate. That is the headline result of our recent performance improvements. Customers get online quicker, even in low bandwidth areas.&nbsp;



This results in fewer complaints to staff and less time spent dealing with IT companies. It also means more customers will opt-in to your marketing &#8211; an ideal way to grow your mailing list. <a href="#technicals">Read on</a> to dive into the technical details.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-branding-and-design">Branding and Design</h4>



Consistent branding for your business across all pages with our <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/updates-september-2023">newly released brand kits</a> &#8211; you can read up on them here. Loading, welcome and email validation screens all support brand kits too.&nbsp;



This makes the entire experience more brand-focused, increasing customer recall and making your retention marketing more effective.



A lot of you ask about custom fonts &#8211; this update makes them now available on your WiFi portal and other screens, as per the brand kits.



Lastly &#8211; we’ve made the WiFi service more easily accessible for international customers without the need for them to choose language manually. Using the devices’ locale we automatically change the language in the portal. It’s a nice touch for those of you with regular international customers.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-note-on-paid-wifi">A Note on Paid WiFi</h3>



We’re still supporting many businesses who offer a paid WiFi service, and have dedicated a large amount of effort in this update to improving that side of our guest WiFi.



Using paid access we have supported £1.28m for customers across 59,600 unique payments since starting.



To improve the user experience, the updated paid access now looks and feels like a modern e-commerce shop. The goal is to make it easy for more users to get online in these use cases.



Behind the scenes, we have completely refactored the integrations between PayPal and Stripe to give the whole system a fresh start.



Device management on paid access has historically been problematic for some businesses and users. This has also been reconfigured to make it easier for guests/users to share paid access between accounts.



<code>&lt;a name="technical</code>s&#8221;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-getting-technical">Getting Technical</h3>



If you’re here then it’s time to get into the details. How have we taken world-class guest WiFi and made it even better?



Pre-generated everything



We are now pre-rendering every splash page before guests’ devices to speed up loading times. This is also done in all supported languages (14) which means &#8211; at the time of writing &#8211; we’re generating ~80,000 WiFi login pages before people even log in through them.



Bundle size&nbsp;



As all page generation is pre-generated the bundle size of our WiFi feature has decreased. To load a full page now requires ~140 KB of bandwidth &#8211; it used to be 430kb minimum. This means that WiFi portals will load quickly even in the most challenging connectivity environments.



Event-based



The WiFi feature has been moved into its own dedicated infrastructure which means API calls are entirely independent of other Stampede services. Interconnection between this service and Stampede still happens. This dedicated resource simply acts like a unique power source so it no longer shares power with other Stampede functions.



Client authentication



For true cloud-first WiFi hardware vendors &#8211; like TP-Link and Ubiquiti &#8211; we are now authenticating the guests server-to-server, previously done via client-to-server. This drastically speeds up authentication time, getting users online faster.



Streaming components



Components that affect page load speed like the phone number input, Apple Sign-in and Stripe checkout, are now being <a href="https://nextjs.org/docs/app/building-your-application/routing/loading-ui-and-streaming#what-is-streaming">streamed into the application</a>.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-signing-off">Signing off</h3>



There’s no doubt that this is a significant update. It wouldn’t have been possible without the feedback and input from our customers and partners, so a massive thanks to them.



The depth and detail of this update tell us that even the best always have room to improve. Don’t get too comfortable with the status quo, someone else will be moving the needle elsewhere.



If you want to explore any of these updated features in <a href="https://product.stampede.ai">your Stampede account</a>, or to upgrade your existing guest WiFi, <a href="https://stampede.ai/get-started">our team is here to help.</a>

October Update – 3x Faster Guest WiFi and more

Gift card sales have skyrocketed over the past years with customers being keen to support their local businesses. Though,&nbsp;how many of your sold gift cards have actually been redeemed yet? Fact is,&nbsp;<a href="https://enjovia.com/make-more-restaurant-profit-with-vouchers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">customers spend up to 72% more than the actual value of the card when they redeem it</a>. 



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



Time to unlock your hidden revenue with a personalised gift card reminder campaign using our simple 5 step recipe.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">1) The Data</h5>



For this campaign, you need to access your&nbsp;gift cards buyer data. The data should include the purchase date and gift card status, i.e. redeemed or unredeemed.&nbsp;



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">2) The Trigger Event</h5>



Now segment your data into customers&nbsp;who have purchased a gift card but have not redeemed&nbsp;it yet.&nbsp;



If your gift cards come with an expiration date you can use this as a trigger event, e.g. set up an automated reminder campaign for the month before.&nbsp;



Otherwise, you can choose the timeframe that works best for you. Ideally, you would run this sort of campaign during quieter times to further boost bookings.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">3) The Messaging</h5>



Your gift card reminder message should go straight to the point.&nbsp;Keep it simple with a strong call-to-action&nbsp;at the end. Also, use your subject line to tell your customers what your email is about to increase your open rates.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">4) The Offer</h5>



There’s no need for an additional offer in your campaign.&nbsp;



However, you can use your customers’ attention to&nbsp;promote certain events&nbsp;or&nbsp;fill in for last-minute cancellations&nbsp;with a prompt to book quickly due to limited availability.



Here&#8217;s how your gift card reminder email could look like:



Subject line &#8211; [Name] have you redeemed your gift card for [company] yet?



Don’t forget to pay us a visit and redeem your gift card!



Why not come by this weekend? We’ve got [event] coming up and only limited space available. So better be quick!



Book Your Space Now



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-5-the-outcome">5) The Outcome</h5>



You certainly don’t want to miss out on all this&nbsp;additional revenue&nbsp;coming with your gift card redemptions. So, keep on top of your gift card sales and make sure customers redeem them in time.&nbsp;



Besides, for many gift card holders this might be the first time at your venue. This is your chance to exceed their expectations and turn them into repeat customers.



Be sure to keep an eye out for our next part of this series on how you turn customers into regulars across all your venues.



Take your&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/gift-cards/#gifting" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gift cards</a>&nbsp;to the next level and go digital.&nbsp;<a href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get in touch</a>&nbsp;with one of our team to find out more.

Unlock Hidden Gift Card Revenue: The Next 5 Step Recipe [Part 3/5]

When&nbsp;operating multiple hospitality venues, quite often your customers’ loyalty is restricted to one of your venues only. Chances are your customers are simply not aware that you’re managing more than one venue. Though, what if you could&nbsp;extend their loyalty to all your venues&nbsp;and by doing so increase their overall spending?



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



Here’s how you can&nbsp;cross-promote your venues&nbsp;using our simple 5 step recipe for personalised marketing.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">1) The Data</h5>



For this cross-venue promotion campaign, you want to find out more about&nbsp;how customers have interacted across your venues. Sort your data by individual venues for a better comparison.



The data you need can be obtained from different sources:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Last WiFi login from your captive portal/guest WiFi</li><li>Last booking made from booking system</li><li>Last stamp/interaction from loyalty scheme</li><li>Latest reviews from different platforms</li></ul>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">2) The Trigger Event</h5>



There’re various trigger events that you can set up here. Use&nbsp;this campaign for your regular customers but also to retain those who haven’t been at your venue for a while.



Possible trigger events:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Is a one time-visitor</li><li>Is a regular customer but has only been in one venue</li><li>Has not visited for a while</li><li>Is a user of your loyalty scheme (active and non-active)</li><li>Has recently left a positive review</li></ul>



Make sure to set up&nbsp;automated triggers&nbsp;as well to save some time.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">3) The Messaging</h5>



Take the chance to&nbsp;introduce your full brand portfolio&nbsp;and highlight what makes venues different from each other. Also, emphasise that customers can expect the same level of outstanding customer experience across.



Besides, this campaign is ideal for&nbsp;cross-event promotions to boost bookings&nbsp;and get customers coming back on a frequent basis. You can also use it to promote quieter times in one venue to spread your bookings more evenly.



And don’t forget to link to your individual venues and to include a booking call-to-action for each of them.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">4) The Offer</h5>



Offers and deals should be part of your campaign here. This could for example be an&nbsp;introductory offer&nbsp;for customers to try your other venues, like a ‘%-off first visit’ or a ‘drink for free’.&nbsp;



For your cross-event promotions, you might also include an&nbsp;early-bird deal&nbsp;targeted at your loyal customers.



Here’s what your email could include:



Subject line &#8211; [Name], check out our [venue] and get %-off your first visit



Fancy a [venue special]? We’ve got you covered at our [venue]. /



As a [item] lover you have to check out our exclusive range of [item] at [venue]. /



Glad you’ve enjoyed your visit at [venue], why not check out our other [venues]?



Come by and get %-off your first visit. / Your first drink is on us!



DON’T MISS OUT &#8211; BOOK NOW



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-5-the-outcome">5) The Outcome</h5>



First and foremost this cross-venue promotion campaign will help you to&nbsp;increase the number of visits per customer across all venues. And of course, more footfall and event bookings ultimately lead to more revenue.



Be sure to have a read of our&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/resources/cru-holdings/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CRU holdings case study</a>&nbsp;to find out how a cross-venue promotion campaign has worked out for them.&nbsp;



And don’t miss the last part of this series on how our 5 step recipe can help you to foster brand advocacy.



Need help sending out your first cross-venue promotions?&nbsp;<a href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get in touch</a>&nbsp;with one of our team who are happy to run you our marketing product.

More Sales With Cross-Venue Promotion And Personalised Marketing [Part 4/5]

Summer is a brilliant time for the hospitality industry. For starters, the nights draw in a lot later and the weather is warm. Both of these factors make it easy to boost trade in the evenings, none more so when it comes to hosting customers outside. It’s a unique time of year where we all feel more relaxed. What about giving your restaurant outdoor seating space a little boost and make the most out of it this summer?







Plus, with the copious amount of bank holidays, customers are more likely to arrive in large groups and stay out for longer. Summer is also a time when many sporting events happen, making beer gardens or outdoor seating a desirable location.



There are, of course, some stark differences when it comes to seating customers inside a restaurant compared with outside space. What needs to remain the same, however, is providing the same excellent customer experience.



Further reading: <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/6-restaurant-sales-promotions-which-ones-right-for-you/">https://stampede.ai/blog/6-restaurant-sales-promotions-which-ones-right-for-you/</a>



If you are interested in learning how to make the most of your restaurant outdoor seating space this summer, here are our top tips.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Give Your Space A Makeover</h4>



The great British weather can take a toll on the exterior of your premises. So if you are planning on hosting guests there, it will take more than a few tables and chairs to brighten the place up. Simple things such as a jet wash over patios along with a fresh lick of paint on fences and walls can make a huge difference. It’s also a nice idea to <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d12527182-Reviews-The_Ivy_City_Garden-London_England.html#photos;aggregationId=&amp;albumid=101&amp;filter=7&amp;ff=267262682">add hanging baskets or similar biophilia too</a>. If you’re going to be serving food outside, ensure the area is clean and appetizing. It should also comply with health and safety regulations too.&nbsp;



Aside from the obvious though, your outside space is a chance <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/search/pins/?q=outdoor%20restaurant&amp;rs=typed&amp;term_meta[]=outdoor%7Ctyped&amp;term_meta[]=restaurant%7Ctyped">to inject some personality and character</a> into your restaurant. Current interior design trends include rustic pieces such as exposed brick or timber. By keeping things simple, you can actually create a modern and inviting space for your summertime guests. 



As the environment is also on our minds too, <a href="https://inhabitat.com/sparkman-wharf-cargotecture-restaurants-revitalize-tampas-water-street-neighborhood/">recycling or ‘upcycling’ pieces can work well for your outdoor spaces</a> too. The benefit of reclaiming old pieces is that it can be quite cost-effective. Especially when most pieces may only need slight tweaks to make them ready for use. 



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Food Trucks</h4>



Outdoor eating, drinking and socialising brings about a whole new experience for your customers. So why not experiment with how you serve your dishes? Food trucks are perfect for this, especially during the summer. Whether you create your own grill or pizzeria or even collaborate with other food providers to offer your customers something different. It can create a really new and interesting experience for your diners. After all, who doesn’t love a burger van <a href="https://www.gravyandcustard.co.uk/crumbleshack">or even apple crumble served out of a truck</a>?



For example, if you own an Italian restaurant, why not have an Italian food festival? With great weather, food and music you can really create a buzz in the local community. Your restaurant could provide the main meals, and food trucks stationed outside could serve gelato. Food trucks also have huge social media appeal, especially as they are less formal than a sit-down meal. You could also buy your own food truck and take it to local events or festivals to spread the word about your restaurant.



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



Alfresco dining creates a serene ambience that we only have for a few months out of the year in the UK, so as a restaurant you should definitely capitalise on this by providing entertainment. For example, live music would work perfectly in courtyards or even beer gardens.



You could <a href="https://pos.toasttab.com/blog/summer-restaurant-events">also experiment with themed nights</a> such as an outdoor cinema club or a games night. Table tennis or pool tournament would be a great idea too and is really easy to set up. Don’t forget to offer a prize for the winner!



Outdoor entertainment can also extend into your functions too. Given summer is home to both wedding and prom season, this is the perfect opportunity to utilise your outdoor areas to cater for large crowds. If your restaurant has sliding doors that lead to your outdoor space, you can merge the two spaces. 



This will also give you the option to create different zones for functions, such as the dance floor outside and the buffet inside. If your restaurant also has stunning views overlooking the coast or city, this would make your outdoor areas even better for providing entertainment too. 



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



UK summertime may be short-lived, but that doesn’t mean you can’t harness the abundance of potential that alfresco dining has to offer. Whether your restaurant or pub already offers outdoor dining, or if it’s something you are considering, it’s definitely worth getting on board with. After all, the sun brings people out to enjoy themselves. Why not let them do so in your fantastic restaurant?



However, in order for your restaurant outdoor seating area to be a real success this summer, you need lots of customers to visit it. Here at Stampede, we provide businesses with <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/gathering-the-right-data-for-your-restaurant-marketing/">customer insights based on their Guest WiFi connections</a>. Allowing you to market your restaurant, along with your outdoor summer events. 



Plus, if your customers are on the WiFi at your summer dining experience, this creates the perfect <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/the-importance-of-user-generated-content-on-social-media/">content to share on social media</a> &#8211; helping to promote your business further. 



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

How To Make The Most Of Your Restaurant Outdoor Seating Space In Summer

Feature Update – Improved campaigns, reporting and imports

The UK’s irrepressible hospitality sector: 2022 Industry Growth Report

The Ultimate Beginners Guide to WiFi Jargon

This article was written by Tom Saxon. Tom is the co-founder of <a href="https://www.batchcoffee.co.uk/">Batch Coffee</a>. He has been working in the speciality coffee industry for over 10 years throughout the world and in many parts of the supply chain.



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I personally love working in the hospitality industry and can’t encourage people enough to consider a career. The workforce is typically young and energetic which coupled with constantly making customers happy is why working in hospitality is a fulfilling and rewarding career. 



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Working In Hospitality &#8211; The Coffee Shop Industry</h4>



My day does start early as you’d expect in the coffee industry. The 6 am alarm is always met shortly afterwards with a delicious coffee though &#8211; one of the many perks of working with <a href="https://www.batchcoffee.co.uk/stories/best-speciality-coffee-beans-uk">speciality coffee beans</a>.



Opening up the roastery and cafe takes about 30 minutes. It involves dialling in coffee machines and preparing for customers. As they arrive each one is met with a small conversation &#8211; especially the regulars whom I would now class as friends.&nbsp;



The morning rush comes and goes quickly and I always feel pumped afterwards. The coffee industry is great as people are so thankful for their morning coffee and especially customers who dine in, their energy after they are fully caffeinated is contagious.



My responsibilities; first and foremost customer service. It&#8217;s so important that our customers leave happy and hopefully in a better mood than when they entered. Making coffee and ensuring the place is clean and tidy, stock control and various small jobs like checking the toilets every hour or so make up the rest of the day.&nbsp;



The days are quick and finishing at 4 pm means that I still have an evening to do whatever I’d like.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-tech-makes-working-in-hospitality-easier">How Tech Makes Working In Hospitality Easier&nbsp;</h4>



Working in a busy coffee shop can be occasionally stressful, especially behind the coffee machine where there is a finite number of coffees one can make per minute contrary to the odd customer&#8217;s opinion.&nbsp;



Add to this the fact that you are customer-facing, so while the orders stack up and you’re frantically trying to pull 18 shots of espresso and split a litre of steamed milk into 6 different milk-based espresso drinks you have to keep a smile on your face and appear unphased.&nbsp;



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">1. Ordering App</h5>



A really useful tool that has helped many <a href="https://baristaandco.com/">baristas</a> all over the world is an app where coffee can be ordered before a customer arrives in the coffee shop.&nbsp;



This means that the transaction takes place on the customer&#8217;s phone so there is no waiting in line and there is no time wasted serving the customer. This completely streamlines the process of ordering the coffee for the customer and the barista can immediately add the order to the queue.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">2. Customer Loyalty App</h5>



Another useful app that we use that involves the <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/the-paid-loyalty-scheme-that-works-a-treat/">customer&#8217;s experience is a loyalty app</a>. Stamp cards are now becoming a thing of the past, although they do work as a physical representation of how many coffees you have left before you receive a free one, the practicality of them from a barista&#8217;s point of view is a bit wasteful.&nbsp;



Today when customers place an order through their app they receive an e-stamp that can be visualised as a<a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/bring-more-customers-back-with-a-loyalty-program/"> </a><a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/bring-more-customers-back-with-a-loyalty-program/">loyalty card</a> on their phone. If the customer orders in the coffee shop they are able to scan a QR code that appears after the purchase on a screen facing outwards from the register which again adds another e-stamp to their virtual loyalty card.&nbsp;



This again streamlines a process that in reality saves only a matter of seconds per customer, but when looked at on a larger scale saves not only hours of staff time but crucially frees up a staff member during peak hours so the wait time is reduced which keeps current customers happy and entices new customers into the cafe.&nbsp;



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">3. Staff Scheduling App</h5>



Technology is now used in all areas of hospitality and one of the most efficient pieces of technology from a manager&#8217;s point of view is a roster application.&nbsp;



Back in the day, weekly rosters would be stuck to the wall in the form of a piece of A4 paper with an excel style table where employees could read their shifts and see when their colleagues were also working.&nbsp;



Albeit a physical representation, it was also messy as by the end of the first day the roster was published it had already been annotated with shift swaps.&nbsp;



Today, all of the shift organisation is completed via an app where managers can publish weekly rosters months in advance if they wish.&nbsp;



Colleagues can liaise directly through the app and request shift swaps with the authorisation of a manager needed and the new roster is then automatically updated. Staff can add holidays up to a year in advance so when the manager sits down to plan the roster they know exactly who is available for the forthcoming week.&nbsp;



The app usually has a singing-in system too, so gone are the days of more A4 prints on the wall or punch cards. Just tap start and finish at either end of the shift on the app which then records each staff member&#8217;s weekly hours.

Working In Hospitality: Harnessing The Efficiency Of Tech

What is Real-Time Marketing in Retail?

3 Steps to transforming the customer experience in retail

Guest WiFi in the Retail Industry

In March 2021, Google has launched a new, exciting feature called ‘<a href="https://support.google.com/hotelprices/answer/10472393?hl=en&amp;ref_topic=10468394" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">free booking links</a>’ made for hotels and vacation rental properties. The idea is to get more free, organic traffic to the hotel’s website through better visibility on Google Search and Maps. This will ultimately&nbsp;increase direct bookings.



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



So, can this feature be a game-changer for online hotel bookings?



We had a closer look into how it works and how you can get the most out of it for your business.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-it-works">How It Works</h5>



The booking link can be added to your Google profile and acts as a&nbsp;free listing of your rates and availabilities. The link appears alongside the paid ads in the booking module (see example below).



To use this feature you have to be registered at the&nbsp;<a href="https://support.google.com/hotelprices/answer/10123427" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Google Hotel Centre</a>&nbsp;or using Google Ads.



Hotels can choose which landing page they want their link to go to and Google will extract room availability and room rates from there.



When customers then search for a hotel, they can see the hotel’s own prices as well as any OTA offers. This way, they can quickly compare prices but also book directly from there.



As shown in the Best Western Hotel example below, the listing includes:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>The hotel/property name</li>



<li>The room rate for the selected date</li>



<li>‘Official site’ badge and logo</li>



<li>Any additional amenities, such as free cancellation, special offers, etc.</li>
</ul>



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



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-11-at-07.12.18.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://image.stampede.ai/fill/703/1005/ce/0/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGFtcGVkZS5haS93cC1jb250ZW50L3VwbG9hZHMvMjAyMi8wNS9TY3JlZW5zaG90LTIwMjItMDUtMTEtYXQtMDcuMTIuMTgucG5n" alt="Google Booking Link Example" class="wp-image-21616" width="527" height="754"/></a></figure>



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



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">Tips For A Higher Ranking</h5>



As those links are unpaid, they’re ranked according to the utility to users, which makes it a bit tricky to manage.



Some tips to&nbsp;rank higher on the listing:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Offer the best rate when guests book direct</li>



<li>Check that the prices on the listing match to those on your landing page</li>



<li>Keep enough availability for your direct bookings</li>



<li>Make sure your My Business listing on Google is updated and as detailed as it can be with reviews, high-quality imagery, amenities, etc.</li>



<li>Provide a user-friendly landing page experience</li>
</ul>



Also, check out the dedicated&nbsp;reporting feature&nbsp;in the Google Hotel Centre. You can see how many people have clicked on your link, as well as impressions and average booking value.



Use those insights to further&nbsp;optimise for direct bookings. Such as improving your landing page experience, reviewing your pricing strategy and comparing against local competitors.&nbsp;



What is the conclusion, are those free booking links as good as they sound?



The biggest bonus certainly is that the&nbsp;feature comes at no cost.&nbsp;It doesn’t involve much work to be set up but can certainly help to increase direct bookings.



It allows hotels to convert guests at an early point in their search and purchasing process. Plus, you get&nbsp;access to the guest data&nbsp;which you can use for future marketing purposes to boost guest loyalty. So, it is definitely worth setting it up.&nbsp;



<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request" target="_blank">Reach out</a>&nbsp;to find out how you can use your collected guest data to create personalised marketing campaigns that convert.

This Free Google Tool Can Increase Direct Bookings With Ease

Getting Started with Guest WiFi in your Venue Today

Providing Guest WiFi to the Royal Highland Centre

GDPR, WiFi, Stampede and You

Stampede WiFi and GDPR

Stampede at EIE Scotland

Why Offer WiFi as a Service?

Good Adverts, Bad Adverts

Shorter is Better! The 133 Character Limit

Offer GDPR Compliant WiFi with Stampede

Customer data is the key&nbsp;to feeding your marketing campaigns, driving repeat visits and increasing revenue. The more data and customer insights you can get, the bigger the knock-on effect.



There are many touch points along the digital and physical customer journey that allow hospitality businesses to collect data. But two stand out above the others. 



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-ways-to-collect-customer-data">2 ways to collect customer data</h5>



One popular data source is a&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/get-bookings/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">table booking system</a>. The data you get from those lets you to send reminders (reduce no-shows) and special offers in advance as a way to increase sales per booking.



Another common method is using a&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/wifi/#portal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">captive portal solution</a>&nbsp;to gather data through Guest WiFi. The real-time, in-venue data brings huge potential to increase spend per head, i.e. through&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/marketing/#upsell" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">digital upselling</a>.



In both cases, customers can be contacted after their visit to further boost loyalty through personalised campaigns and offers.&nbsp;



No doubt, those two tools are good on their own and will help you grow your database and business. But when&nbsp;combined, they elevate your expansion&nbsp;to new heights.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">The combined power of WiFi and Booking Data</h5>



The crux with booking data is that you only get data from the person that made the booking.



So what happens if you have a large group booking? You’re&nbsp;missing out on a big bunch of data&nbsp;and potential future business opportunities as you have no means to contact the rest of the party.



However, if you also opt for the captive portal you can gather the data of the entire booking party, once they sign up for your WiFi. An easy way to&nbsp;scale up your database from just one booking.&nbsp;



Even better, if both systems are integrated into one CRM. You can mix and match both sources to&nbsp;create high-converting campaigns&nbsp;and bring more customers back on a regular basis.



Here’re some examples of segmentation ideas using your booking and WiFi data insights.&nbsp;



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">4 clever segmentation ideas</h5>



1) Has booked but not been at the venue (cancellation):



-&gt; Win-back campaign with a special offer



2) Has been at the venue (WiFi) but not booked online yet (booking):



-&gt; Welcome or early-bird booking offers&nbsp;



3) Has been at venue (WiFi) and birthday coming up:



-&gt; Special birthday party booking offer



4) Regular booker/in-venue visitor (WiFi + booking):



-&gt; Bring your friends and get …% off



Want to scale up your marketing campaigns to achieve better results?&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.

The Revenue Boosting Combo Of WiFi And Bookings Data

A Quick Guide On First-Party Data Strategy For Hotels

As a hospitality operator, it&#8217;s essential to efficiently manage your customer relationships which helps you provide the best customer experience. After all, this is what builds the foundation for sustainable and long-term success.&nbsp;



Putting a profound customer relationship management (CRM) strategy in place should be part of your overall game plan.&nbsp;



In this article, we&#8217;ll have a look at the role your CRM system plays in creating and executing an effective strategy that drives growth.



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



Put simply, a CRM strategy is a plan that outlines how a company will engage with its customers and use data to foster long-term loyalty and growth.&nbsp;



It usually consists of a mixture of company-wide processes and planned actions, which are often executed and managed with the help of technology. The overall aim is to reduce acquisition costs and increase customer lifetime value.&nbsp;



With a well-defined strategy established, companies can streamline their processes, efficiency as well as operations and also gain a better understanding of their customers&#8217; needs.&nbsp;



To accomplish the set goals, it’s vital to leverage the insights and capabilities of your tech tools. Your <a href="https://stampede.ai/amaze">CRM system</a> is most important here as it stores all the relevant customer information.



This will help you to turn your strategy into tangible action that can be tracked. You can also better analyse your data to inform your marketing and sales decisions.



However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution here, as businesses of different sizes and industries will ultimately require different approaches. 



So, before you get started, it’s important to understand what components go into a CRM strategy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-key-hospitality-crm-strategy-components">3 key hospitality CRM strategy components</h2>



A successful hospitality CRM strategy is centred around your unique business needs and your customers.&nbsp;



The following three steps will guide operators in coming up with their own CRM strategy.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Step 1 &#8211; Define your goals</h4>



The first step is to lay out clear goals that align with your business&#8217;s overall objectives and that your team can follow.&nbsp;



For example, a small restaurant might be looking to quickly grow its mailing list. A large hotel chain, on the other hand, might be seeking to increase direct bookings and get access to customer data.



Tip: Make use of the <a href="https://asana.com/resources/smart-goals">SMART goal-setting formula</a> here. Goals should always be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. And don’t forget to regularly check your goals to make sure they are still up to date.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Step 2 &#8211; Describe your customer journey</h4>



The next step is to map out your full customer journey.



This involves taking into account every single touchpoint, both online and offline, that a customer encounters when engaging with you. Consider online reservations, WiFi sign-ups, and loyalty scheme usage but also physical in-venue visits.&nbsp;



By identifying these touchpoints, you can develop action points and define goals to improve the customer experience.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Step 3 &#8211; Build a target customer profile</h4>



It&#8217;s also important to define who your customers are in order to better target your audiences.



For this step, you need to segment all your customers into distinct categories.&nbsp;



Think about the different personas that come to your venue. Include basic background information such as demographics, profession, etc. In addition, consider why they’ve chosen your venue and what they expect from you.



For a coffee shop, their main customer base is probably workers of all ages stopping by to pick up their morning coffee. But there are also social drinkers who come to meet with their family and friends and who stay in your venue for longer.&nbsp;



For a hotel, this will look totally different. Their focus might be on families and/or couples with a certain budget. Or maybe their main clientele is business travellers. All these come with different amenity expectations.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Your CRM system will be a great supporter in this step. It helps you get a deep understanding of your customers and tailor your marketing strategies accordingly for maximum impact.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crm-dashboard-management">CRM dashboard management</h2>



One key feature of your <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/crm-dashboard-definition-and-benefits-for-the-hospitality-industry">CRM solution is the dashboard</a>. With its ability to provide insights and data about your operations, you can make more informed and strategic decisions. Whilst also keeping track of the progress towards your goals. 



But to truly harness the power of this tool, <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-build-a-customisable-hospitality-crm-dashboard">customisation is necessary</a>. For hospitality businesses in particular, key performance indicators (KPIs) may vary greatly compared to other industries. So to have the ability to tailor your dashboard to your specific needs is vital.



Some KPIs that are relevant to hospitality businesses include:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Customer retention rate</li>



<li>Average spend per customer</li>



<li>Number of direct bookings /online reservations made</li>



<li>Guest satisfaction ratings</li>



<li>Number of loyalty program signups</li>
</ul>



Many CRMs come with pre-made dashboards that you can adapt or even the option to create ones from scratch using different graphs and reports.



However, it’s important not to overload your dashboard. Keep it simple and focus on the most important metrics. This way, it’s easier for staff to spot trends at one glance and act upon them immediately.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-drive-sales-with-your-crm-system">Drive sales with your CRM system</h2>



With the insights and data that a CRM system provides, hospitality marketers can <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/increase-sales-with-your-crm-and-marketing-automation">level up their sales strategy</a> and grow their customer base more effectively.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">1. Marketing personalisation</h4>



One of the most effective marketing strategies is <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-create-personalised-marketing-campaigns-with-your-crm">personalised campaigns</a> that speak to the specific needs and interests of the individual customer.&nbsp;



This is where a CRM shines. It collects and collates data on each customer&#8217;s interactions, purchases, and preferences, which can be further segmented into categories.



Some example categories for hospitality operators could be:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>First-time visitors</li>



<li>Loyalty program users</li>



<li>Demographical &#8211; students, families, male/female</li>



<li>Geographical &#8211; locals</li>



<li>Upcoming birthday</li>



<li>Customers who have left a review</li>



<li>Customers who have made an online purchase</li>



<li>Customers who have not been at your venue for a certain period of time</li>
</ul>



By using this input to tailor marketing messages, businesses can significantly increase their chances of conversion and repeat business.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">2. Marketing automation</h4>



Additionally, setting up marketing automation for email and SMS campaigns can save time and ensure that every customer receives targeted and relevant messages. When CRM data insights and marketing automation are used together, businesses can create a truly powerful marketing strategy.



Automated welcome emails are one common marketing automation used by hospitality businesses. These are triggered when customers make their first booking or sign up for the newsletter. The goal is to stay in touch and turn them into loyal customers.



Additionally, you could set up automated booking reminders and confirmations via email and/or SMS. This helps hospitality operators reduce no-shows and also provides an opportunity to upsell.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-quick-crm-tips-for-hospitality-operators">4 Quick CRM tips for hospitality operators</h2>



Here are some quick tips to help you maximise your marketing strategy using the power of your CRM platform:



<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>Invest time in proper staff CRM training</li>



<li>Collate data from various tech tools to build a full customer profile</li>



<li>Keep your data clean and regularly updated your customer records</li>



<li>Use customer history and interaction to upsell</li>
</ol>



We’ve got some more tips and tricks for you <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/8-quick-tips-to-maximise-your-hospitality-crm">in this blog post</a>.



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



Any CRM strategy development for hospitality businesses should begin with defining goals that are in line with your overall strategy and values. It is therefore highly individual to each company.



Companies also need to understand and map out the customer journey as well as their customer personas to see how it fits into the overall sales, marketing and growth strategy.



Once all that is in place, operators should use their <a href="https://stampede.ai/">CRM system</a> to monitor, manage, and optimise each customer touchpoint. This can easily be done through the integrated dashboard feature, which should also be customised to only show relevant metrics.

How To Create A Hospitality CRM Strategy That Drives Results

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A new kind of marketplace for hospitality apps

New Features & Updates – September 2023

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Stampede Updates – July 2017

What’s On This Week? – 01/03/2021

What’s On This Week? – 08/02/2021

Sharing Success and Inspiration

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What’s On This Week – 14/12/2020

Adapt and Attract

What’s On This Week – 7/12/2020

Improve Your Campaign Measurement

Fresh Content Ideas To Fuel Your Marketing

Black Friday: 3 Ways Hospitality Businesses Can Get Involved.

Staycations: 6 Ways To Get Your Business Noticed

Marketing to track and trace customers in hospitality

Can You Market To ‘Track and Trace’ Customers?

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Where To Upskill During Downtime

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How Your Hospitality Business Can Make the Most of Downtime

Wagamama Exec Chef Steve Mangleshot showing how to make chicken katsu curry

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product update-organisations allowing for better control of users and locations within Stampede

Organisations: People and Locations

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How to Make Live Video Work For Your Restaurant – Lights, Cooking, Action!

Team Update

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

When business picked up after lockdown, the popular western US brand&nbsp;<a href="http://ribandchophouse/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rib &amp; Chop House</a>&nbsp;decided to elevate their loyalty program to a paid scheme to reward their most dedicated customers.&nbsp;



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



Since implementing their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsrmagazine.com/expert-takes/rib-chop-houses-loyalty-membership-turns-guests-brand-evangelists" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">exclusive pay-to-join, limited membership ‘Royalty Program’</a>&nbsp;they have reported great results and have now shared their success story.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-customer-loyalty-vs-royalty">Customer Loyalty Vs Royalty</h5>



A royalty program allows you to reward your most loyal customers with&nbsp;unparalleled benefits&nbsp;on every visit. This way you can turn your top-tier customers into brand fanatics.



But what makes Rib &amp; Chop House&#8217;s program so successful? We had a closer look.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">Finding Your Royal Customers</h5>



First things first, how do you spot your royal customers? It’s simple,&nbsp;check the analytics from your tech tools&nbsp;to get customers’ insights.



Here are the&nbsp;3 metrics&nbsp;Rib &amp; Chop House took into account:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Top-tier users of their existing loyalty program</li><li>Big spenders&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;on average their royal customers had a 14% higher spend than non-royalty</li><li>High visit frequency&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;up to 5 times per month compared to 1-3 for loyal customers</li></ul>



In addition, Rib &amp; Chop House noticed another common characteristic: Royal customers really want to&nbsp;experience the venue. Their prime motivation is not collecting points to get a freebie or discount.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">6 Royalty Club Best Practice Tips</h5>



Rib &amp; Chop House also shared some&nbsp;details of how their paid loyalty scheme benefits their customers:



<ol class="wp-block-list"><li>$600 in gift cards annually&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;equals the cost of the royalty program membership</li><li>Limited the number of members&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;to make it really exclusive</li><li>Offer priority seating&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;a secured table with no pre-booking required</li><li>Allow for anytime cancellation</li><li>Host member-only events&nbsp;</li><li>Additional amenities&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;10% off every bill, free birthday entrée, a complementary set of branded steak knives</li></ol>



Stay tuned to find out more about how to identify your royal customers.

The Paid Loyalty Scheme That Works A Treat

For decades, hospitality businesses have trusted in the power of human labour to keep their venues running. Artificial Intelligence (AI) promises more efficient operations and better-personalised experiences for their customers.&nbsp;



But while AI has comes with huge benefits &#8211; from automating mundane tasks to better understanding customers’ needs &#8211; it also poses potential drawbacks.&nbsp;



Before you decide whether or not integrating AI into your hospitality operations is right for you, take some time to consider both the pros and cons we lay down in this blog article.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-ai-is-used-in-the-hospitality-industry">How AI is used in the hospitality industry</h2>



AI is being used in a variety of ways in the hospitality industry, from chatbots that assist with reservations to orders to automated systems that streamline check-in and check-out processes and marketing and sales automation.



It also comes with the ability to predict customer needs and preferences, which can help with recommendations, personalised service and upsell.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-advantages-of-using-ai-in-hospitality">Key advantages of using AI in hospitality</h2>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">1. Increased operational efficiency and productivity</h4>



With AI, businesses are able to streamline their operational and administrative processes and automate tasks. This allows for a significant increase in productivity and better resource management.



Moreover, with less manual handling required, there is a reduced chance of human error. Especially when dealing with customer data or uploading and updating spreadsheets, which can be prone to mistakes.



Marketing teams can massively improve their efforts with AI. For example, use data insights to build defined customer segments. The foundation for email and SMS campaigns that really resonate with customers and drive them back to their venue.&nbsp;



With clever <a href="https://stampede.ai/downloads/hospitality-marketing-automation-playbook">campaign automation</a>, operators can additionally save valuable time and staff can focus on more crucial tasks.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">2. Reduced costs</h4>



With the rise of AI, there are new opportunities for hospitality businesses to cut costs.



Routine and repetitive tasks can easily be automated, saving on labour costs. Besides, by implementing AI, operators can bypass ongoing staff shortages.



It also allows for more efficient and accurate decision-making backed by real data insights. So without relying on guesswork, operators can ultimately reduce unnecessary costs in the long run.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">3. Improved customer experience</h4>



The key to retaining customers is to ensure that they have a memorable experience when interacting with your brand. This is where the use of AI comes in.&nbsp;



Businesses can create a much more personalised and tailored experience that is based on customers’ preferences and behaviours.



Moreover, AI can help to connect all of a customer&#8217;s interactions with a brand across various digital channels. This contributes towards a more unified and seamless online experience.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">4. Better forecasting</h4>



In today&#8217;s fast-paced environment, having accurate and timely forecasts can mean the difference between success and failure.&nbsp;



AI has the ability to analyse vast amounts of customer data in a second and provide insights into revenue opportunities that may have otherwise been missed.&nbsp;



Perhaps even more importantly, AI can predict market trends, giving businesses an edge in their strategic planning. By leveraging the preciseness of forecasting, businesses can make smarter decisions, allocate resources more effectively, and ultimately, increase their bottom line.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-main-disadvantages-of-using-ai-in-hospitality">Main disadvantages of using AI in hospitality</h2>



Although AI has the potential to take business operations to the next level, it comes with its share of disadvantages that should also be considered.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">&nbsp;1. Impersonal service</h4>



One major issue with AI is the loss of the human touch. Whether it&#8217;s automated customer service systems or self-checkout kiosks, these rather impersonal experiences can negatively affect customer satisfaction.



AI systems can never fully replace human intuition and judgement, which can also lead to errors and inaccuracies in service.&nbsp;



No doubt, the human element is vital to creating a warm and welcoming environment. It&#8217;s through genuine connections with staff that customers feel valued and it&#8217;s those connections that keep them coming back time and time again.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">2. System failure</h4>



Running a hospitality business is a complex task that requires a lot of moving parts to function well. The success of operations depends heavily on all of the systems working properly.



Unfortunately, when these systems fail, they can cause serious disruption to the entire operation. Rooms may be double-booked, orders may be lost or misplaced and customers may be left waiting for extended periods of time.



As a result, unsatisfied customers and negative reviews can quickly pile up, causing lasting damage to the business.&nbsp;



To mitigate the risk of system failure, it’s important for hospitality operators to have a plan in place in case their AI tool breaks down. By being proactive and prepared, they can ensure a seamless experience for their customers.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">3. Technological limitations</h4>



The hospitality industry requires technology tools that cater to their particular needs. Customer interactions happen both online and offline. Generic AI tools might not align with their specific requirements and might therefore create more work than taking off the workload if not set up properly.



Even with the right technology tools to hand the various systems used need to interact and talk to each other. Without those <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/5-common-data-integration-flaws-in-hospitality-tech">integrations</a>, the data flow is disconnected and operators are not able to generate a single customer view.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">4. High implementation costs</h4>



The implementation of these tools often comes at a high cost, making them unaffordable for smaller venues. This situation has forced operators to carefully weigh the pros and cons before deciding if it is worth investing in AI tools.&nbsp;



While AI can bring about significant returns, it may not be a worthwhile investment for all businesses. However, as technology continues to advance, we may see a rise in more cost-effective solutions that cater to a range of budgets.



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



In conclusion, there are pros and cons of using AI in the hospitality industry that should be taken into account.&nbsp;



Technology can be used to save money, increase efficiency, improve customer experience and enable more precise forecasting. However, many operators are still struggling with the lack of human element when it comes to dealing with customers and their needs.&nbsp;



Furthermore, technological limitations should not be disregarded as they might also cause certain problems when it comes to adapting AI to existing processes.&nbsp;



Finally, before making any investments in AI, operators should evaluate the costs associated with them as this could highly affect their financial situation.&nbsp;



All factors taken into consideration, applying AI technology correctly can prove extremely beneficial for restaurants and the hospitality industry in general.



Make sure to <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/ai-in-hospitality-marketing-a-complete-guide">check out our full guide</a> exploring AI for hospitality marketing.

Home

We’ve been quite busy behind the scenes in recent weeks, working on various bits and pieces to make our platform even more powerful.&nbsp;



And we can’t wait to share the details with you in our Stampede 2023 product update.



So, get excited about new features (we certainly are) and have a little sneak peek of what we have in the pipe coming out soon.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-wifi-survey">1. WiFi Survey</h2>



The more you get to know your customers and their preferences the better you can tailor your marketing to drive loyalty.



This is why we came up with a pretty cool and unique feature that is linked to the WiFi login: our new <a href="https://product.stampede.ai/ba782304-abcc-11ea-ac20-0a369310b5a4/venue/survey">WiFi survey</a>.



Imagine tinder-style swipe cards that are shown to your customers straight after they’ve logged in.&nbsp;



You can use them to ask simple yes/no questions. Anything that helps you to build more granular customer segments.



You can also turn those on and off as you like, which makes it a great tool for seasonal questions such as “Have you booked your staff Xmas party yet?”, etc.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="847" src="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Group-11209-1024x847.png" alt="Stampede WiFi survey" class="wp-image-22924" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Group-11209-1024x847.png 1024w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Group-11209-300x248.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Group-11209-768x635.png 768w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Group-11209-1200x992.png 1200w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Group-11209-150x124.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Group-11209.png 1241w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">2. Reporting Updates</h2>



Our second big update is related to our reporting section. Personalised reports now allow you to really dive deep into your customer data.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">My Report</h4>



No two businesses are alike.



With <a href="https://product.stampede.ai/ba782304-abcc-11ea-ac20-0a369310b5a4/reports/my-reports">My Report</a>, you can get creative in how you view your data and build an individual dashboard with whatever metrics matter to your business.&nbsp;



This way you always get a quick overview of the most essential key numbers and results to know exactly what’s going on in your business.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="788" src="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/my-reports-1024x788.png" alt="Stampede my reports" class="wp-image-22928" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/my-reports-1024x788.png 1024w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/my-reports-300x231.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/my-reports-768x591.png 768w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/my-reports-1200x924.png 1200w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/my-reports-150x115.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/my-reports.png 1439w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Retention Breakdown</h4>



Our second new report, the <a href="https://product.stampede.ai/ba782304-abcc-11ea-ac20-0a369310b5a4/reports/monthly-retention">retention breakdown</a>, shows you a monthly rundown of return visits.



This overview tells precisely how many times customers came back after their first initial visit, broken down by venues.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="690" src="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Group-11227-1024x690.png" alt="Stampede retention breakdown" class="wp-image-22925" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Group-11227-1024x690.png 1024w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Group-11227-300x202.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Group-11227-768x518.png 768w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Group-11227-150x101.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Group-11227.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">3. Booking 2.0</h2>



Since launching our <a href="https://stampede.ai/get-bookings">table booking system</a> last Summer we’ve added more than 20 features. They will all help you generate even more bookings with ease.



A lot of those are based on direct feedback from our users. Here are some of the key updates:



Operations-related:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Include internal booking notes, also available as a pdf download</li>



<li>Add cancellation charges</li>



<li>Join tables together for bigger group bookings</li>



<li>Add attributes to tables, e.g. highchair, wheelchair</li>



<li>Mark bookings as walk-ins</li>



<li>Segment bookings based on time slots, i.e. ‘lunch’, ‘dinner’</li>



<li>Get a detailed daily breakdown
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Bookings: number of pre-booked, same-day &amp; walk-ins</li>



<li>Covers: total, active &amp; arrived</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>



Customers-related:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Ability to update their own booking</li>



<li>Pick allergens upon booking</li>



<li>Show other available venues if selected times are not available</li>
</ul>



… and much more.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="663" src="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Bookings-list-v2-1024x663.png" alt="Stampede Bookings 2.0" class="wp-image-22929" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Bookings-list-v2-1024x663.png 1024w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Bookings-list-v2-300x194.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Bookings-list-v2-768x497.png 768w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Bookings-list-v2-1200x777.png 1200w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Bookings-list-v2-150x97.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Bookings-list-v2.png 1390w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



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



All these new product features are live now in Stampede, you can <a href="https://product.stampede.ai/?">log in</a> and use them right away. <a href="mailto:support@stampede.ai">Reach out</a> if you have any questions or want to upgrade your account.



Now onto our last exciting reveal that is coming out soon.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Coming up &#8211; Stampede Inbox</h2>



Quite often, email inboxes are not connected to a CRM or booking system and only some of the staff members have access to incoming emails.&nbsp;



The result: missed and unanswered customer requests.&nbsp;



On top of that, potential previous dialogues with customers are not visible to everyone.&nbsp;



All this will have a negative impact on not only the customer experience but will also result in lost business.&nbsp;



The good news, there’s a better and more streamlined way of handling your customer communications that makes it accessible for your entire team.



And the best bit, we are building it for you: a unified inbox.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="539" src="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Inbox-feature-1-1024x539.png" alt="Stampede inbox" class="wp-image-22926" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Inbox-feature-1-1024x539.png 1024w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Inbox-feature-1-300x158.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Inbox-feature-1-768x404.png 768w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Inbox-feature-1-1200x631.png 1200w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Inbox-feature-1-150x79.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Inbox-feature-1.png 1371w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



It will have all the basic features you’d expect from an inbox:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>All inbound emails gathered in one place</li>



<li>A rich-text editor to style your content, attach images &amp; links</li>



<li>An option to add internal notes</li>
</ul>



Though, we’re not going to stop here.



What makes our inbox so powerful and one-of-a-kind is the 360° customer profile view that comes with it, as the inbox is linked to all our product parts.&nbsp;



This means historic customer data based on previous interactions is pulled through to the conversation. So you get more context for better-tailored communications with each individual customer.&nbsp;



To make the process even more efficient, you can also directly reply from the different product sections, e.g. to a new review or booking.



This is just the beginning of our inbox. More is to come soon, like the ability to connect to other channels, i.e. Instagram and SMS. So stay tuned.



Ready to make 2023 your most successful year? Get started with the <a href="https://stampede.ai/amaze">Stampede Customer Experience Platform</a> to drive 5x more repeat customers.

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<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>.