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All aboard the hype-train, it’s time to take a ride into the near future and show you what we’ve got coming up in our wonderful platform. So, get excited and have a little sneak peek of our upcoming features. Here comes the&nbsp;Stampede Spring/Summer product look ahead.



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<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Stampede Digital Voucher Codes</h4>



A nicely segmented audience, a tailored offer and….what’s missing to make that campaign really sing? How about a&nbsp;unique voucher code&nbsp;for each member of that audience. Make them feel really special and drive those repeat conversions.



Our first new product feature will allow you to send voucher codes in your email and SMS campaigns. Once the voucher is redeemed in-venue it will&nbsp;automatically get logged&nbsp;to the campaign it came from.



As always with Stampede you’ll be able to track the results of those campaigns with supreme accuracy. Granular level conversion tracking will show you exactly how many people came back and whipped out their voucher.



No more matching codes and campaigns, no more rough ideas of what worked (or didn’t). Just easy digital marketing.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stampede-bookings">Stampede Bookings</h4>



The second exciting addition we’re currently building is a&nbsp;fully integrated table booking system&nbsp;for venues.



Stampede bookings will include all the important features you’d expect:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Manage reservations, walk-ins, waitlists and table allocation</li><li>Get notified on reservations, cancellations and dietary requirements</li><li>Send automated email and SMS booking confirmations as well as review requests post-visit</li><li>Control your cover capacity and no-shows</li></ul>



… and much more



This adds another data capture string to your bow. But it can also&nbsp;take away a lot of hassle.&nbsp;



Many hospitality operators depend on a variety of connected platforms from different providers for their technology. Our integrated bookings system will take away lots that complexity. Everything will be in one place, one tab, one login, one monthly bill.



Keep an eye out for more updates on these features over the next few weeks.



If you’d like to be an early tester of any of these new product features (with a little incentive of course) then&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/company/#contact" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">get in touch.</a>

post

Stampede Spring/Summer Sneak Peek – More Tools To Help You Grow

4 Best Restaurant Table Booking Software Compared

As a hospitality marketer or restaurant owner, you know that providing your customers with an excellent experience involves much more than just preparing delicious food and drinks. It’s about creating memorable experiences and building strong customer relationships.&nbsp;



However, in order to be able to consistently deliver on this promise and grow your business, you need the right tools in place &#8211; including having a top-notch <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/what-is-a-hospitality-crm-system-a-full-guide">Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution</a> for managing all of your operations efficiently.&nbsp;



With the help of data-driven insights, CRM systems can completely transform the way you operate by helping you increase revenue opportunities while offering an optimised customer experience every time – from initial contact through to post-visit follow-ups.&nbsp;



Keep reading to find out why a CRM system is absolutely crucial for any hospitality marketer looking to maximise their ROI and exceed expectations with their guests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What is the role of CRM in marketing</h2>



In the world of marketing, a CRM system can be a powerful tool to manage and maintain relationships with customers. Not only does it allow businesses to store essential customer information, but it also enables them to interact with their target audience directly.&nbsp;



With a CRM, businesses can increase the effectiveness of their marketing efforts while simultaneously measuring their performance. It enhances a company’s understanding of its customers and allows them to tailor their marketing strategy accordingly.&nbsp;



As a result, it can lead to more significant brand loyalty and increased revenue.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crm-in-email-marketing">CRM in email marketing</h4>



<a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/marketing">Email marketing</a> is a powerful tool for hospitality businesses looking to reach out to their customers and build long-term relationships.&nbsp;



A CRM system can significantly enhance the effectiveness of email marketing. By leveraging data gathered from previous interactions and different sources businesses can better segment their customer base. They can create highly targeted, personalised email campaigns that help them to upsell and increase repeat visits.&nbsp;



The best part is, using a CRM system in email marketing also saves valuable time, as there is no need to manually import and export contact information.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crm-in-sms-marketing">CRM in SMS marketing</h4>



SMS marketing can be a powerful tool for reaching customers on the go. With a high open rate, text messages can quickly grab a customer&#8217;s attention and deliver your message.&nbsp;



To make the most out of SMS marketing, businesses can also use their CRM data to target specific groups with promotions and offers.&nbsp;



For example, to fill in empty spaces businesses can send loyal customers a special last-minute discount code to their phone.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crm-in-social-media-marketing">CRM in social media marketing</h4>



Social media has become essential to any business&#8217;s marketing plan, and proper social media management is critical to its success.&nbsp;



A CRM can play a pivotal role by helping companies collect and analyse important data on their customers. They can better understand how customers are engaging with their content, including what topics are most relevant and target their marketing efforts accordingly.



In addition, a CRM can help hospitality marketers to identify <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/breakdown-3-ways-customers-advocate-your-hospitality-brand">brand advocates</a>. These are customers who are highly engaged and are most likely to spread the word about your business.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Automate Your Marketing Processes with a CRM System</h2>



Marketing automation has revolutionised the way modern businesses operate, providing valuable tools and techniques that streamline workflows and enhance efficiency.&nbsp;



With a CRM system, parts of <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/easy-and-profitable-marketing-with-automations">email and SMS marketing can be automated</a>. Whether it&#8217;s an automated birthday email, a promotional offer to win-back customers or a follow-up message, a well-crafted automated campaign can make all the difference, engaging customers and driving sales.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Final Thoughts</h2>



Through the usage of CRM, hospitality marketers and operators can make their marketing efforts more effective and efficient. The ability to leverage customer data for predictive analysis gives businesses the opportunity to better understand consumer preferences and target promotions accordingly.&nbsp;



With automated processes in place, marketing resources are prioritised, saving both time and costs associated with manual labour. By understanding the power of a <a href="https://stampede.ai/amaze">CRM system</a> alongside proven strategies such as email, SMS and social media marketing, your hospitality business will gain an invaluable tool that will enable greater returns on investment while fostering stronger relationships with customers.

Why Is A CRM Solution Crucial For A Hospitality Marketer?

The hospitality industry has evolved rapidly in recent years and AI technology is playing an increasingly vital role in improving key areas of the customer experience.&nbsp;



With its scalable and flexible capabilities, AI can significantly reform the way businesses operate. It can help save time and money while driving long-term customer loyalty.



In this blog post, we&#8217;ll explore 4 ways that AI can be used to further enhance your hospitality operations.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-operations">1. Operations</h2>



Advances in technology have been paving the way for new and exciting opportunities in business operations.



One of the latest AI tools to emerge on the scene is the chatbot. A virtual assistant that provides responses based on customer queries by scanning common keywords and related answers. It offers valuable support to staff by taking over routine tasks. 



On top, chatbots are available 24/7, so they ensure customer service standards are held up even outside of traditional business hours.



Hotels commonly use AI tech for contactless check-ins and virtual assistants acting as concierges. With these technologies, guests get the most out of their stay as it simplifies many aspects of hotel services. 



In the same way, self-serve kiosks are becoming a fixture in restaurants, allowing customers to place orders with ease and freeing up staff time.



Finally, <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-get-maximum-value-from-customer-review-sentiments">AI-powered sentiment analysis</a> can help companies track trends and issues related to customer feedback. This enables them to make data-driven decisions and continuously improve their service.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-marketing">2. Marketing</h2>



AI can vastly support marketing strategies by gathering more relevant data and customer insights. From this, marketers can create hyper-targeted and personalised campaigns that matter to customers and therefore have a higher chance of converting.&nbsp;



Using AI automation, marketers can easily automate repetitive tasks, such as uploading data using spreadsheets. This allows them to focus their time and attention on other parts of the business.&nbsp;



Another example of automation is <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/increase-sales-with-your-crm-and-marketing-automation">trigger-based campaigns</a>. They are based on previous customer interactions. I.e. Send a discount to customers who haven’t been at your venue for a while.



AI can also support digital advertising by taking over jobs such as audience and campaign optimisation. And finally, social media monitoring across channels for brand mentions and engagement is made easier with AI.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-sales">3. Sales</h2>



Sales is a challenging and complex area for any business but with the help of AI, hospitality operators can get some significant assistance.



Hotels, for example, are now able to apply a <a href="https://hoteltechreport.com/news/dynamic-pricing-hotels">dynamic pricing strategy</a>. Room rates are adjusted in real-time to reflect demand patterns and rates are optimised depending on seasonality. Whilst ensuring that customers are getting the best prices when booking direct.&nbsp;



Additionally, AI can offer valuable insights into customer interactions and purchasing behaviour. This way operators can quickly identify potential opportunities for upselling and cross-selling to boost their revenue.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-data-analytics-and-reporting">4. Data analytics and reporting</h2>



Data analytics and reporting are invaluable tools for hospitality businesses seeking to gain insights into customer behaviour and improve decision-making. With the usage of AI, these processes have become even more streamlined.



One of the most significant benefits of AI is the ability to automatically generate customised reports and dashboards. This covers especially time-consuming, manual tasks that were often prone to errors.



Additionally, AI can help to better manage data and identify the most valuable customer segments. Those can be applied to create personalised marketing campaigns.&nbsp;



Resources and inventory are also much more efficient and easier with AI&#8217;s ability to make suggestions as well as forecast market and business trends.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-takeaway">Takeaway</h2>



AI has revolutionised the hospitality industry. Demonstrating its undeniable potential in optimising operations, improving marketing strategies, increasing sales and becoming more data-driven.



New technology continues to be mixed with traditional methods and offers an unprecedented level of customisation. This can advance the bottom line and improve the overall customer experience.



The ultimate aim of integrating AI into hospitality roles is to create a system which runs smoothly while allowing employees to focus on personalising services. 



When interacting with customers becomes easy and efficient, brands will be able to build stronger customer relationships and loyalty leading to greater business growth opportunities.



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.

4 Ways To Optimise Your Hospitality Business With AI

NEW REPORTS

New This Week

September 2024

October take two 🎬

Octobers biggest feature drop 🎃

September take two 🎬

Whats new in September

Feature Update – Improved campaigns, reporting and imports

Improving Conversion Rates in Marketing

Stampede Updates – July 2017

No doubt, digital tools have provided something of a lifeline for many hospitality businesses in recent years. Those tools come with valuable data that can be used to&nbsp;create a better and more personalised customer experience.



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However, many still argue that shifting too many interactions toward digital will diminish the overall customer experience. Making things impersonal when hospitality thrives from human interaction.



Over the next few weeks, we will tackle this common myth. Come with us as we explore&nbsp;how you can use data to wow your customers&nbsp;and create a personalised experience using marketing campaigns.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-personalised-marketing-recipe">The Personalised Marketing Recipe</h5>



For this, we’ve built a&nbsp;simple 5 ingredient success recipe&nbsp;that you can follow.



To start, we will use the example of a birthday campaign.



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



First off, what&nbsp;data do you need and where do you get it from?



For our example, you’d need to capture:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Your customers’ date of birth</li><li>Their email or phone number</li><li>Their first name (at least)</li></ul>



This can be done through your WiFi sign-in, webform, booking platform, etc.



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



The second ingredient is the trigger that sends your personalised email/SMS campaign.&nbsp;



In our scenario, the trigger event would be time-based, using the customer’s date of birth. E.g. when customer birthday is 3 weeks away &#8211; send the birthday campaign.



Time-saving tip&nbsp;&#8211; Most often you can&nbsp;automate these campaigns, so they will send by themselves. This is ideal for this birthday example.



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



Messaging is the important bit. It is all about the personal touch here, so include your&nbsp;customers’ names&nbsp;in your campaign and acknowledge their upcoming birthday.



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



The goal here is to&nbsp;further entice your customers to come back. Birthday bookings are generally larger and more lucrative too.



This is how your personalised marketing campaign could look like combining the message and offer:



<a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-create-email-subject-lines-that-increase-open-rates/">Subject line</a> &#8211; [Name] It’s your birthday soon &#8211; we want to celebrate with you!



 Hey [name],



Have you made any plans for your birthday yet?



Why not celebrate your special day with us and make it a day to remember. No matter if you want to book a table for two or host a party, we’ve got you covered.&nbsp;



On top of that, we will treat you with a % discount.&nbsp;



Let’s celebrate &#8211; Book now



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">5) The Outcome</h5>



So, what can you expect to see as a result of those personalised marketing campaigns?&nbsp;



First off, you will get a&nbsp;returning customer&nbsp;that will eventually turn into a loyal one. Second, they will&nbsp;spread the word and bring in even more customers.



In our birthday example, if you can create a memorable experience, you’re not only satisfying your customer but also have the chance to win potential new customers. And they themselves will talk about the experience they have and share it on their socials.



Oh, and with their data, like birth date, this whole process starts over again, and again.



Keep an eye out for our next email to find out how you can apply our personalised marketing recipe to&nbsp;win back lost customers.&nbsp;



Need help segmenting your data for personalised email &amp; SMS campaigns?&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 through it.

A 5 Step Recipe That Creates Profitable, Personalised Marketing [Part 1]

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



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



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



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



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



Content ideas for your email:



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



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



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



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



Here are some post inspirations:



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Easy Halloween Marketing Ideas To Attract More Customers

A new venue opening is always exciting and creates a big hype.



Press coverage, opening events, social media posts, website launch… And of course, word-of-mouth from those who have already paid you a visit.



Inevitable, after all the buzz there will eventually come a time when the&nbsp;initial spike in your footfall&nbsp;will start to slow down.&nbsp;



The good news, there’s a way to prevent this from happening.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">Keep Up Your Footfall With Customer Data</h5>



If you capture customer data from the moment you open the doors of your new venue, you’re able to&nbsp;build and grow a strong mailing list.&nbsp;



This mailing list is the foundation for your marketing and helps you turn all those first-time visitors into loyal customers.&nbsp;



The graph below helps you visualise how footfall is impacted over time, depending on if you have access to customer data from the beginning or not.



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



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Screenshot-2022-10-17-at-11.08.29.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="636" src="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Screenshot-2022-10-17-at-11.08.29-1024x636.png" alt="" class="wp-image-22567" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Screenshot-2022-10-17-at-11.08.29-1024x636.png 1024w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Screenshot-2022-10-17-at-11.08.29-300x186.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Screenshot-2022-10-17-at-11.08.29-768x477.png 768w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Screenshot-2022-10-17-at-11.08.29-150x93.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Screenshot-2022-10-17-at-11.08.29-592x368.png 592w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Screenshot-2022-10-17-at-11.08.29.png 1050w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>



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



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-quickly-grow-a-mailing-list">How To Quickly Grow A Mailing List</h5>



However, building a mailing list from your&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/the-revenue-boosting-combo-of-wifi-and-bookings-data/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">table booking system</a>&nbsp;alone will only provide you with a limited amount of data. You will get the data from the lead booker but not the entire party, hence you’re missing out on a big bunch of customers.



So, ideally, you want to&nbsp;get the contact details of everyone&nbsp;who is in your venue.



The best way to gather this real-time data is by using your WiFi as a <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/wifi" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">captive portal</a>. This means customers enter their contact details when they sign up for your WiFi. 



Now all you need to do is to set up email and SMS campaigns to reach out to those customers.



Save some time and make use of&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/easy-and-profitable-marketing-with-automations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">automated campaigns</a>:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Post-visit&nbsp;&#8211; thank them for their visit and offer a discount for next time</li>



<li>Referral&nbsp;&#8211; offer a discount or upgrade if they bring in new customers</li>



<li>Win-back&nbsp;&#8211; reach out to those who haven’t come back yet with a special deal</li>
</ul>



Tip: If you ask for your customers’ dates of birth, you can surprise them with a personalised offer for their big day!



Start capturing your customer data to sustain your footfall in your new venue.&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 the&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/wifi/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stampede Captive Portal</a>.

New Venue? Keep Your Footfall For Longer With Customer Data

AI In Hospitality Marketing: A Complete Guide

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

The Hospitality Industry Is Leaving Money In Their Inbox [Industry Insight Report]

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Butta Burger

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Birdhouse London

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Mele Group

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Bar Tonic

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The Coal Exchange Hotel

How to Set Up a Coworking Space in Your Coffee Shop

WiFi Marketing: 3 Powerful Ways It Can Grow Your Business

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

Identifying your loyal customer base shouldn’t be a gut feeling that it exists in some way.



You can and should put a real number on how many you have.



All you need is the right tools and access to customer loyalty data.



You want to dig really deep into your data to get valuable insights from your loyalty numbers.



Here’s everything you need to know to define concrete loyalty for your business.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-customer-loyalty-data-sources">Customer loyalty data sources</h2>



There are many possible in-venue and online sources that you can use to gain customer loyalty data.



Some examples:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>WiFi logins from your Guest WiFi</li>



<li>Interactions from your loyalty program</li>



<li>Bookings made via your booking system</li>



<li>Transactions from your POS</li>



<li>Purchases from your E-commerce</li>
</ul>



What you want to learn from this data is the number of interactions each customer had over a certain period of time.&nbsp;



Next, you need to narrow down this data a bit further.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Segmentation to identify loyal customers</h2>



Segmenting your data will help you to spot common behaviours that determine how engaged and loyal your customers are.&nbsp;



You are looking for patterns in the data here.



Key metrics to look out for:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>How much do they spend on average in-venue and / or online</li>



<li>How often do they visit/book during a period of time</li>



<li>How engaged are they with your loyalty scheme, e.g. number of stamps, frequency of points&nbsp;</li>



<li>How often do they book special events</li>
</ul>



This helps you to spot trends, i.e. the frequency of bookings per month goes down after the 3rd visit.



From this, you can then take relevant action.



For example, set up an <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/easy-and-profitable-marketing-with-automations">automated email</a> to customers who have been at your venue 3 times. Feature some of your venue highlights and invite them to come back.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Clever analysis tool: retention cohort report</h2>



In addition and to get a black-and-white percentage of customers that have repeatedly returned over a time period, you can create a retention cohort chart.



But before you fire up a new spreadsheet and start manually adding your data, there might be a better and quicker solution readily available.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Making sense of your retention cohort report</h2>



A lot of e-commerce and other tech software comes with an automatically created <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/introducing-more-tools-to-thrive-stampede-2023-product-update">retention report</a> as part of their analytics feature.&nbsp;



Such a report might look a little complicated at first but is quite easy to read and understand.



The image below shows an example.



<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="" 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>



The left column refers to the selected monthly time interval. The top column represents the number of subsequent visits.&nbsp;



The chart starts with the first visit which is the total number of customers in that particular month. This will be your reference number moving forward.&nbsp;



Reading from left to right, it shows you how many of those initial customers have reached their number of return visits (along the top row)



The report displays cohorts. So each return visit number is a separate group with customers that share one characteristic: their number of return visits.&nbsp;



As a consequence, customers can only ever be in one cohort at a time, and there is no overlap.



What actions can you take from this report? You can, for example, build segments from your cohorts and create tailored marketing campaigns for them.&nbsp;



Someone who has visited 10 times will expect different communications from someone who has only visited 2 times.



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



Stop guessing and start measuring your customer loyalty with real data and the <a href="https://stampede.ai/">Stampede Guest Experience Platform</a>.

How Hospitality Operators Can Use Data To Reveal Loyal Customers

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

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]

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

How to Use Segmentation to Increase Guest Engagement in Hospitality

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. 



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





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

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

In order to ensure ongoing success, hospitality businesses need to look for innovative strategies that will help them acquire and retain customers, run their operations more smoothly and increase revenue.



More and more turn to Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is a powerful tech tool that can support all sorts of areas in hospitality.



In this blog post, we’ll look at 4 AI use cases for hospitality operators who are serious about getting ahead with technology.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-personalised-service-with-ai">1. Personalised service with AI</h2>



Customers crave personalised experiences and services tailored to their specific needs



With the help of highly sophisticated algorithms, AI can segment customer data quickly, analysing it based on patterns, demographics, historical spending, and interactions.&nbsp;



This enables businesses to deliver targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with individual customers. AI also empowers staff to offer a more customised experience based on previous guest behaviour and preferences. This further encourages loyalty and word-of-mouth referrals.&nbsp;



AI can equally help to <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/another-5-step-recipe-how-to-easily-win-back-lost-customers-part-2-of-5">detect and retain lost customers</a> by using pre-defined triggers and employing automated campaigns to bring them back and turn them into loyal customers.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-content-output">2. Content output</h2>



With the rise of AI, marketers can craft captivating and converting content quickly and efficiently.&nbsp;



One of the primary benefits is its ability to generate all sorts of marketing content. Common examples are social media posts, emails, and website content. It massively speeds up the creation process and helps marketers save time and resources.



Additionally, the technology can translate content into multiple languages, making it easier to reach international audiences. This is especially handy for hotels.&nbsp;



Another advantage of using AI for content creation is that it can help boost your SEO strategy. By incorporating relevant keywords into your content, you increase your website’s chances of appearing higher in Google&#8217;s search engine results.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-ai-powered-sentiment-analysis">3. AI-powered sentiment analysis</h2>



It can be overwhelming to sift through and answer mountains of online reviews and social media comments.



That&#8217;s where AI sentiment analysis comes into play. AI uses algorithms to identify common keywords and interpret customer sentiment. This way businesses can get a better understanding of their customer&#8217;s needs and how they feel about the brand. The information can then be used to identify common trends and issues that customers face and to improve products and services.&nbsp;



AI can also craft automated and customised review responses. Customers&#8217; concerns can therefore be addressed in a timely manner and if needed, passed on to a member of staff to handle them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-chatbots">4. Chatbots</h2>



Hospitality businesses are increasingly turning to chatbots to help streamline customer service and improve the overall guest experience. Plus, they are available 24/7.



Chatbots can assist with a variety of tasks and help overcome staff shortages.&nbsp;



They can provide answers to common questions, take orders for room service or restaurant reservations, and help guests with other enquiries such as housekeeping service. They can even make recommendations based on customer preferences.



Furthermore, Chatbots can be integrated with voice assistants. This allows for a more natural user experience and eliminates the need to type out long commands.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conclusion">Conclusion</h2>



There are many ways AI tools can support hospitality operators nowadays which makes it worth investing no matter the size of the business.



From providing personalised service, creating more content in less time, and observing customer sentiment more accurately to making use of automated chatbots. All these things combined can result in significant increases in revenue for business owners.&nbsp;



AI is also highly adaptable, so operators can modify their strategy as the situation requires. This ensures that they can be prepared for any change that comes their way.



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.

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

Data from the <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/ishybridworkingheretostay/2022-05-23#:~:text=More%20than%20three%2Dquarters%20(78,had%20fewer%20distractions%20(53%25).">Office of National Statistics</a> suggest that the number of people who regularly work from home has doubled since pre-pandemic times.



As the novelty of working from home wears off, demand for public spaces that offer a social yet productive working environment will grow.



If you own a coffee shop with plenty of space then you are in a prime position to take advantage of this demand. You already have many pieces in place to set up a good coworking space.&nbsp;



With <a href="https://drinkycoffee.com/coffee-statistics/">coffee shop revenues still below pre-pandemic numbers</a>, this could be an excellent opportunity for coffee shop owners to recover and diversify their income.



Here we will go through the necessary steps to accommodate paid coworking customers in your coffee shop.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">1. Assess Demand for Coworking Space</h5>



Before you plough time and money into setting up your coffee shop for coworking, you should first try to find out how likely it is people in your local area would be willing to pay to work at your premises.



There are a few ways of doing this. They include:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Look online if there are any coworking spaces in your area. If there are some then it&#8217;s very likely that there is demand for these types of spaces in your local area.</li>
</ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Take note of how regularly people work at your coffee shop. Many of these people would be willing to pay a small fee to work there if you can provide a more productive space.</li>
</ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Put up a comments and suggestions box in your shop with a sign above it saying &#8211; “We are thinking of offering coworking with ergonomic furniture and high-speed internet. Would any of you be interested in this?” Check how many people have expressed interest over a four-week period</li>
</ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>If you have some sort of online access to your customers (active social media account or <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/marketing">email list</a>) then simply ask your customers on there.</li>
</ul>



It&#8217;s really important that you get some sort of interest in coworking before you make any moves to implement it in your business.



Do not assume that a lack of competition in your local area means that you have found an underserved market. In ninety-nine per cent of cases, a lack of competition means a lack of demand.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">2. Designating a Space for Coworking</h5>



Once you have decided that you are going to offer coworking at your premises, the next step is to decide which part of your coffee shop you are going to set up a coworking space. And how much of your premises will be designated for coworkers.



When it comes to deciding where in your shop you want to have your coworkers, you should remember that one of the biggest needs of working people is for their environment to be quiet.&nbsp;



Therefore you should try to select a space that is as far away from any of the noisiest areas of your shop as possible.&nbsp;



If you have the means to have a physical barrier between the coworking space and other areas of your shop (say an upstairs area, for example) then this is ideal.&nbsp;



It may also be worth investing in a sound system that allows you to exclude music from your designated coworking space while still having it piped into other areas of your premises.



You also need a dedicated space big enough to meet your demand from coworkers.



I’ve found that during working hours, about one-fifth of your customers will be coworkers. So try to dedicate around that proportion of your seated area to coworking.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-deciding-on-pricing-and-terms">3. Deciding on Pricing and Terms</h5>



Coworking is usually either priced as an individual fee per day, or as a monthly fee that covers a certain number of hours per month.



You are also going to have to decide what is included in this fee. Are coworkers entitled to unlimited food and drinks as part of their fee, or will this be sold separately?



In my experience, the best way of pricing out coworking at a coffee shop is to offer a monthly fee for a certain number of hours. Allow one meal, unlimited drinks and a selection of unlimited snacks as part of this.



Offering free food and drinks as part of your terms gives you a real competitive advantage over coworking spaces. While many coworking spaces do offer complimentary snacks and drinks, these won’t be of the same quality as ones freshly prepared by you.



While you may not be able to offer meeting rooms and private phone booths at your coffee shops, your ability to offer superior food and drinks should make you more appealing to freelancers and solo workers.



When it comes to pricing, current rates (2022) for coworking tend to be around £75 &#8211; £100 for part-time (2-3 days a week) and £125 &#8211; £180 for full-time (5 days a week).



The main variable for this cost is location. So if you are based in London then it&#8217;s likely you will be at the top end of this scale.



Of course, you will have to experiment with pricing and find the sweet spot between profitability per head and demand.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-getting-the-required-infrastructure-in-place">4. Getting the Required Infrastructure in Place</h5>



To have any chance of being competitive in the coworking market you will need to offer customers:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Ergonomic padded chairs with armrests</li>



<li>Tables of a suitable height to work at&nbsp;</li>



<li>High-speed, reliable <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/wifi/">guest WiFi</a> that can handle multiple users at the same time</li>



<li>A quiet environment</li>



<li>A means of <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/marketing">communicating with existing</a> customers</li>



<li>Opening hours during regular office hours (and ideally longer)</li>
</ul>



Many coffee shops are unlikely to have the required table and chairs, or the internet.&nbsp;



It is imperative that you invest in these things before you offer coworking.&nbsp;



Offering a bad coworking experience due to insufficient infrastructure can damage your reputation and ruin your chances of being seen as a viable coworking option by local people going forward.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-5-marketing-yourselves-as-a-coworking-space">5. Marketing Yourselves as a Coworking Space</h5>



In my experience, the best way of marketing yourself as a coworking space is to try and rank for the term: “coworking space in [your location]” on Google.



So long as you narrow this down to your really local area, say “coworking space in Hackney” rather than “coworking space in London”, then you have a decent chance of ranking due to a lack of competing coworking spaces in this area.



To optimise your website for this keyword, just do the following:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Set up a dedicated page on your website for your coworking where you talk about your offering and terms. Make sure this is titled with your target keyword.</li>



<li>Add that you offer coworking in your business description and services in your Google My Business account</li>



<li>Add that you offer coworking on some areas of your website’s homepage</li>



<li>Look around if there are any online directories dedicated to coworking spaces and sign yourself up for these.</li>
</ul>



You will not rank for coworking-related keywords immediately. However, if you follow these steps you should be appearing in these searches within a couple of months.



Other ways that you can market yourself as a coworking space include:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Having a sign outside your premises</li>



<li>Making social media posts about it and asking your followers to share it</li>



<li>Emailing existing customers on your email list</li>



<li>Taking out an advertisement in the local newspaper (this is always cheaper and more effective than you expect it to be)</li>
</ul>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-final-thoughts">Final Thoughts</h5>



The rise of remote working after the pandemic has meant that the part-time coworking space market will certainly grow in the next few years.



Coffee shops are in a prime position to take advantage of this as they can set up a coworking space without core changes to their business operations. All they need are a few tweaks to be able to compete with (often overpriced) dedicated coworking spaces.



If you have a large premise, then this could be an excellent opportunity for you to increase and diversify your income.



This article was written by Oli Baise. Oli helps run London-based coffee shop The Coffee Traveller. He writes about all things coffee and the coffee industry in his blog <a href="https://drinkycoffee.com/">Drinky Coffee</a>.

The Power of Reviews and Recommendations

Team Update

Did you know that Stampede integrates with over 200 e-commerce platforms? By connecting your e-commerce system with Stampede you will be able to access even more customer data insights, allowing you to create enticing marketing campaigns to bring customers back.



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



Here’s the&nbsp;<a href="https://zapier.com/apps/categories/ecommerce" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">full list of all 202 e-commerce apps</a>, including Shopify, Square and WooCommerce.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-use-transactional-e-commerce-data">How to use transactional e-commerce data</h4>



By adding more customer data sources together you&#8217;ll get a better view of the customer journey and their relationship with your brand. Those insights can then be used to create more personalised and targeted offers.



And that&#8217;s the key to getting great conversion rates.



Having all your data sources available in one place makes this easy and effective for you as well.&nbsp;Simply mix and match your data sources to create unique customer segments&nbsp;for your next email and SMS campaigns.



To get you started, we&#8217;ve put together some clever segment combination ideas and campaigns to go with them for inspiration.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">8 clever segmentation &amp; campaign ideas for your e-commerce data</h4>



1.&nbsp;Customer has purchased online but has&nbsp;not&nbsp;been at venue:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>We&#8217;d love to meet you! Why not come by and say hello? Get % off for your first visit.</li><li>Like our [product] and want to explore our full range? Come by our venue and get [freebie] for your first visit.&nbsp;</li></ul>



2.&nbsp;Regular in-venue customer but no online purchases:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Want to enjoy some of your most favourite items at home? Check out our online store and get % off your first order.</li><li>Did you know that we also sell gift cards and meal-kits? They will make a great gift for [e.g. Mother’s Day]. Special offer only valid until …</li></ul>



3.&nbsp;Customer has purchased the same item several times (automated message):



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Looks like you’re a fan of our [product]. What about getting it to your doorstep every month without having to remember to re-order it?</li><li>We’ve seen you like [product] and thought you might as well like this [product].</li><li>A fan of [product]? We’ve got a much wider range available in our venue. Come by and get [freebie].</li></ul>



4.&nbsp;Customer has made several online orders and are a regular customer (loyal):



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Thanks for sticking with us! Here’s a sneak peak of our new [product] and an exclusive early bird offer for you.</li><li>Here’s a little treat for you. Simply show your voucher code the next time you come to visit us to get [freebie].&nbsp;</li></ul>



5.&nbsp;Abandoned cart (automated message):



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>We’ve noticed you left something in your cart. Do you want to proceed? Get additional % off if you order within the next …</li><li>Here’s a free shipping to what is left in your cart. Order now.</li></ul>



6.&nbsp;No online order or in-venue visit in the past 30 days (cold):



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Here’s % off to say we miss you! Visit us or buy online.&nbsp;</li><li>Just checking in, as we haven’t seen you in a while. Get % off your next visit/order.</li></ul>



7.&nbsp;Big online spenders and high review scores (advocate):



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Looks like you’re enjoying [product]. Why not tell your friends and get % off your next order.&nbsp;</li><li>We want to say thank you and have [freebie] waiting for you at our venue.</li></ul>



8.&nbsp;Big online spenders and low online rating (win back):



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>We’re sorry to hear that you’re not happy with [product] and we would like to retry. Here’s % off your next visit/order</li><li>Give us another chance, we want to make up. Your next order of [product] is on us.</li></ul>



Check out this useful article on our blog&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-set-up-a-successful-meal-kit-e-commerce-page/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">on how to set up a successful e-commerce page</a>.



Ready to integrate your e-commerce platform to Stampede for more data insights?&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/company/#contact" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get in touch&nbsp;</a><a href="https://stampede.ai/company/#contact" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a>and our team will be happy to assist.

Drive More Sales With E-Commerce Integrations and Data

Snap Box – Stampede Network Application

A new kind of marketplace for hospitality apps

October Update – 3x Faster Guest WiFi and more

New Features & Updates – September 2023

New Integration With Storekit

Better Marketing For All

The Path To Regrowth

Apple ID login now available for Stampede Guest Wifi Solution

Apple ID Login – New Feature

Stampede now integrates with TP-Link and their Omada controller

New Integration with TP-Link Omada

Marketing Your Restaurant Online – A Brief Guide to Getting Bums on Seats

The real countdown is about to begin – Welcome to the Stampede Advent Calendar

All Hospitality Apps Need This One Thing To Work Well

Today we are launching our &#8220;Snap box&#8221;, a remotely managed device to provide the best in class captive portal solution. Using the latest standards outlined by Apple and Google utilizing the DCHP option 114 which enforced captive portal compliance and experience. 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-why">The Why</h3>



Running a captive portal is a must-have for all physical businesses, why? because it will deliver up to 75% of your guest traffic.



Not only this but it also provides a seriously rich dataset which tells you how long someone is in your venue, when they arrived and when they leave. 



If you are running a hotel it can also tell you which room a guest is staying in&#8230; 



So if 75% of your business comes from this data source, why does it still feel like almost all captive portals still SUCK, and why does it feel like that&#8217;s getting worse?



Guest Wi-Fi can be so powerful there are now umpteen companies out there who will do you a deal on a captive portal solution. The issue here is building a decent captive portal is really hard &#8211; In 2021 I wrote a love letter to building the worlds best captive portal &#8211; <a href="https://patrickclover.medium.com/how-to-build-the-worlds-best-captive-portal-feee1654fa8b">read here</a>. 



Captive portals have a superpower but it comes with a weak point. They give any operator the ability to track any customer within 6m of the device, but this has opened up quite a serious privacy issue.



While most operators make little use of this it is entirely possible. The main reason people can&#8217;t utilize it is that this stream of data (by design) is not connected to anything else in a business. It might get exported/imported into other systems on mass but you couldn&#8217;t use the data to say &#8220;&#8230;as soon as someone leaves the building ping them a message.&#8221;



The barrier to entry for selling captive portals is very low (given the market, supply of engineers and increasing demand). But the barrier to entry for desired user experience is very high, and has gotten higher. And because of Apple / Google&#8217;s privacy concerns, they have begun locking down the triggering of these pop-up screens. Which in the worst case will leave your guests with a broken-looking screen&#8230;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-enter-apple">Enter Apple</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2048-1024x576.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-23594" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2048-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2048-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2048-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2048-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2048-1200x675.jpeg 1200w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2048-150x84.jpeg 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2048.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Apple has decided to do its thing and enforce operating system changes to help alleviate the privacy and experience concerns.



Apple released this spec entitled <a href="https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=q78sq5rv">&#8220;How to modernize your captive network&#8221; </a>back in 2020! Ages ago, right? Welcome to innovation in this space. Later in the year, this proposal was picked up by the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) &#8211; <a href="https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc8910">read more</a>. It was then implemented in the <a href="https://developer.android.com/about/versions/11/features/captive-portal">Release of Android 11</a>



This solution is truly the hallmark of <a href="https://www.apple.com/">Apple</a>. It can control when the popup should be seen, and how long the guest&#8217;s session should last and also has the ability to show the guest how much bandwidth they are allowed to consume &#8211; cool right?



Woohoo! A captive portal solution that is bulletproof, privacy first and guest experience-centric.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-implementation-problem">The Implementation Problem</h3>



The issue with the approach outlined by Apple is that it requires a robust network setup, including on-premise infrastructure. In practice, this means you will need.



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Custom domains </li>



<li>DDNS support </li>



<li>Localized SSL certificates </li>



<li>A HTTP Server and web proxy</li>



<li>Content caching</li>



<li>DHCP with support Option 114</li>
</ul>



Apple wants the network owners i.e. hospitality operators to own the networking stack for this new standard to work.



The problem faced now is that very few operators will have the correct equipment on site to support these changes or few will.



And in true Apple fashion, it looks to be mandating this in a future release of iOS.



Your captive portals will ultimately become unstable when this happens, and you may have already noticed an increase in customer complaints and downtime as a result.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-oh-snap">Oh, Snap!</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-video"><video autoplay loop muted src="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/mikrotik-provisioning-steps.mp4"></video><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Snap re-provisioning from factory reset</figcaption></figure>



This month, we have launched a hardware line called Snap which solves this problem.



This line of hardware can be remotely provisioned in your Stampede dashboard. Out of the box it will ship with all the features needed to run a best in class experience and adhere to Apple&#8217;s beautiful captive portal solution.



For guests, this will mean we can serve much richer content (like videos) and deliver zero-second latency performance to local devices.



As we have been providing more functionality &#8220;on the floor&#8221; it has become obvious we need tighter control of what&#8217;s happening in the building. This device will automatically have its functionality extended over time to support a next-generation digital hospitality experience.



Imagine using a table booking system like Stampede that was accessing its information via a Snap box and then relaying that onto an iPad at the front-of-house. Or running promotions in real time to guests who were connected to the Wi-Fi&#8230; under the hood this device can be programmed/re-programmed to bring any Stampede service closer to the customer.



To recap, it has built-in redundancy, lower operating costs and performance that&#8217;d make your eyes POP. And I really mean that &#8211; when you experience response times measured in sub (ms) the guest experience is magic.



The Snap box is a powerhouse, it packs as much power as a desktop PC. Its job? To provide the best possible guest experience with no compromises and no cowboy funny business.



It is future-proofed and will end up being the central hub for all serious hospitality operators.



We are building up a network of Stampede Snap installation partners across the UK who will be able to perfectly implement this solution, with recruitment beginning in Mid-August.

What is Real-Time Marketing in Retail?

3 Steps to transforming the customer experience in retail

Guest WiFi in the Retail Industry

The troubling news:&nbsp;72% of hospitality operators have noticed a dip in visitor frequency&nbsp;recently. But more importantly:&nbsp;59% have also observed an increase in spend per head!



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



While the frequency might go down, customers want to treat themselves whilst they’re out.



So, what’s the best way for hospitality operators to tackle this? Level up your&nbsp;upselling strategy!



Here are two simple techniques you can use to increase spend per head and table.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-deploy-marketing-for-pre-visit-upselling">Deploy Marketing For Pre-Visit Upselling</h5>



There are many opportunities to make some additional sales before customers come to your venue.



Start with your&nbsp;booking confirmation email. Make sure to highlight any offers or special packages straight away. Give customers a sneak peek of what they might miss out on and leave them with an&nbsp;easy option to book any add-ons.



On top of that, send an automated SMS (or email) the day before or on the day of the booking. This message should focus on your promotions once again but this time&nbsp;create some urgency, i.e.&nbsp;&#8220;last chance to enjoy our …”, “you don’t want to miss our … special”.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">2 Quick Win In-Venue Upselling Ideas</h5>



The biggest upselling opportunities present themselves once customers are actually at your venue.



Check out these two proven in-venue techniques that will help you increase spend per head:



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">1) Train your staff for at-the-table upselling</h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Use cross-selling and offer pairing recommendations, i.e. drinks or sides</li><li>Make personal staff or customer-based recommendations &#8211;&nbsp;“I love our new …”, “One of our most popular …”</li><li>Try to upsell on high-margin items and suggest the larger option first</li><li>Highlight popular daily or seasonal menu specials</li><li>Make personalised recommendations based on previous visits &#8211;&nbsp;“Same … as usual?”</li><li>Let customers sample drinks</li><li>Offer desserts to go</li></ul>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">2) Use digital upselling</h6>



The most effective in-venue upselling technique is to&nbsp;push your&nbsp;promotions directly to your customers&#8217; phones. Instead of relying solely on table displays which might not grab their attention.



This digital upselling can be done through a&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/marketing/#upsell" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">captive portal WiFi solution</a>. Once customers have joined your WiFi you can immediately reach out to them with automated marketing messages.



Using digital tools for upselling also helps you to&nbsp;compensate for any staff shortages and busier periods.



<a href="https://h.stampede.ai/meetings/stampede/demo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Reach out</a>&nbsp;to find out more about how our Guest WiFi solution can help you increase spend per head massively through&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/marketing/#upsell" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">digital upselling</a>.

How To Sell More And Increase Spend Per Head With Upsell

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

This month we&#8217;ve been putting the spotlight on branding within Stampede.



Consistent branding has a huge positive impact on customer loyalty and engagement. The goal is to improve recognition and recollection amongst your customers, increasing the chance of word-of-mouth marketing. And we all want more of that lovely free advertising.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-new">What&#8217;s new?</h2>



Brand Kits &#8211; a single location in Stampede to control your brand settings across all channels. This includes WiFi login, review feedback emails, website forms, and the table booking widget.



Bringing the settings for all these into one location will save you and your teams heaps of time and effort. Deploying consistent branding this way won&#8217;t have directly measurable results but it&#8217;s impact will be positive.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-digging-into-details">Digging into details</h2>



Within the Brand Kit you&#8217;ll be able to save things like text font for both headings and body text at account level to save you doing this for every email.



You&#8217;ll also be able to upload a Primary image, such as your logo, and colour to be used across all your channels. This would control the colour of all your call-to-action buttons for example &#8220;Book now&#8221; on an email or &#8220;Confirm booking&#8221; on your table booking widget.



Lastly (for now) you can also set a default Background image to be used in various locations. This might be a collage of your dishes, an artful photo of your interior design, or maybe something more conceptual around your brand like a pattern.



Once you&#8217;ve got these set you can check the previews to see how your various channels will look.



Ideally they should be very similar to your menus, website and any other existing brand elements you have.



If you have an existing brand book &#8211; this will be the place to input that so that it&#8217;s saved across your account.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coming-soon">Coming soon</h2>



Booking confirmation pages &#8211; our team is working on a new landing page for table booking confirmations. It&#8217;ll make managing bookings easier for customers, and we&#8217;re including ways to help them spread the word about their visit to your venues.



Review capture design &#8211; we&#8217;re also giving our Reviews automation emails a refresh. Mobile optimisation is our main priority here, and when paired with the Brand kits, it&#8217;ll tie the digital customer experience together.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-getting-started">Getting started</h2>



If you&#8217;ve got a Stampede account and want to learn more about Brand kit, or get some help setting up, <a href="mailto:support@stampede.ai?subject=Learn%20more%20about%20Brand%20Kits">contact our Customer Success team.</a>



Otherwise you can <a href="https://stampede.ai/demo">get a guided tour</a> from one of our team at a time to suit you

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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10 Quick Ways To Prevent Lost Revenue From No-Shows

5 Expert Staff Picks To Inspire Profitable Personalised Marketing

Increase Your Footfall With A Simple Customer Referral Loop [Part 5/5]

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

Another 5 Step Recipe: How To Easily Win Back Lost Customers [Part 2/5]

These Automations Can Help When Short-Staffed

4 Reliable Ways to Reduce No Shows by 30%

More effective way to run meta ads for hospitality

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

Introducing Quick Campaigns

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

We at Stampede are on a big mission. 



We want to make the hard-to-do marketing easy and accessible for all hospitality operators. How do we do this?



It&#8217;s simple. We provide hospitality businesses with smart and innovative tech tools to help them make the best use of their customer data. So they can start building a strong mailing list and market to their customers to drive repeat visits.



We are therefore very honoured to be amongst the finalists for the “Best Use Of Data 2022” award by the <a href="https://businesstechawards.com/">UK Business Tech Awards</a>.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">Effortless Growth Through Digital Marketing</h5>



Our award application focuses on the UK-wide rollout of the Stampede platform at the <a href="https://www.bestwestern.co.uk/">Best Western GB hotels</a>. We want to equip their hotels with the right tools to succeed with data and digital marketing.



Until now, most of Best Western GB’s guest data is withheld by Online Travel Agencies (OTA). Hotels are therefore not able to get in touch with their guests after their stay. Plus, a lot of hotel operators feel inexperienced and unsure about doing email marketing, which is holding them back from using it.



Our platform is built to make marketing easy, especially for busy operators. With Stampede, hotels can now start building their own customer mailing list through their Guest WiFi. This means, that customers who have booked via OTAs can be contacted via email marketing and turned into direct bookers moving forward. 



By using Stampede, Best Western GB hotels can easily create low-cost and high-return email campaigns. What makes those quick-to-set-up campaigns so effective is the intelligent use of guest data insights. 



In addition, our innovative reporting suite allows operators to better track their guest interaction, both online and in-venue. By linking those insights, they can create targeted and personalised campaigns to increase bookings and customer loyalty.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">Helping Other Hospitality Operators Grow</h5>



Clever technology powered by valuable data leads to proven massive ROI. 



Our joined project with Best Western GB shows how simple it can be for hospitality businesses to strive by making the best use of their data. 



We want to share this success story with all hospitality operators, especially now as the industry faces difficult economic times.



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



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Best-West-CJF-Infographic.png"><img decoding="async" src="https://image.stampede.ai/fill/1894/4651/ce/0/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGFtcGVkZS5haS93cC1jb250ZW50L3VwbG9hZHMvMjAyMi8wOC9CZXN0LVdlc3QtQ0pGLUluZm9ncmFwaGljLnBuZw==" alt="" class="wp-image-22099"/></a></figure>

Best Use of Data 2022 Finalist

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

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.

Introducing More Tools To Thrive – Stampede 2023 Product Update

Stampede Celebrating World WiFi day

POWERFUL NEW FEATURES IN CONNECT 3.1

Paid and Hybrid WiFi Networks with Stampede

Connect 3.1 is Here!

The Advantages of Managed WiFi for Your Hospitality Chain

Facebook, Data Security, and Hospitality WiFi

Facebook WiFi and your Business

Rock Your Restaurant with WiFi and Instagram

WiFi in Education

New Features Preview: Consolidated Invoicing & Payment Via BACS

Comparing In-House Delivery and Third-Party Delivery Apps

Staycations: 6 Ways To Get Your Business Noticed

<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>.