Because customer loyalty is paramount to business success, it’s important to understand the wants and needs of your audience. And with the proliferation of online businesses, many changes have been made with regard to how companies market to their audiences.

Whether you’re a hotel offering a free night’s stay after guests were greeted with a messy room or a restaurant picking up a patron’s tab after they waited over an hour for their order, appeasing customers is important get return business. It bred the mantra “the customer is always right.”

Indeed, the use of self-service phone prompts, social media, and call centers in the cloud area few ways in which companies in the hospitality industry attempt to rebrand and re-focus on how they market to customers.

Here are several ways businesses can deliver real-time, cross-device customer service that amplifies the user experience.

Rely on Customers’ Prior Search History

These days, companies must rely on technology and think outside the box to deliver personalized marketing campaigns to customers. Search engine optimization and retargeting campaigns are a couple of strategies companies can implement to target their niche audience. For example, if a customer searched for “five-star resort in Los Angeles,” banner ads, pop-ups with local deals and similar personalized messages allow companies to better target these customers.

Understanding what customers are after and have previously searched for online allows companies to create personalized marketing campaigns. It also allows companies to gather information about their customers and offer suggestions — albeit things to do, places they want to visit, how they plan to spend their money on vacation and countless other options. The more personalized the message and offer is to customers, the easier it becomes to attract them.

Take Advantage of Past Order History

Another popular way to use personalized marketing campaigns is to look at customers’ previous purchase history. If a longtime, loyal customer regularly stays at your hotel and has booked double-room suites for vacation, consider offering them a “free upgrade” when they book their next visit. You can also integrate perks or other promotions. This  lets customers know you appreciate their business and haven’t turned to a competitor.

Use Prior Order History to Make Suggestions

There’s nothing customers appreciate more than being recognized or remembered. In the hospitality industry, this is key to retaining them. Some ways you can better personalize their hotel stay or evening dinner at your restaurant include:

• Sending personalized text messages with promo codes when customers make a dinner reservation
• Sending newsletter emails with discounts for future travel dates
• Offering off-season upgrades or packages when customers visit your hotel or resort
• Offering business customers upgrades to premium suites, especially if they’re gold or diamond members

Companies in the hospitality industry should also make it a point to implement the latest technology and software to target their niche customers in their marketing campaigns. Integrating text messaging options, intuitive mobile website design, live chat, 24-hour call centers, social media and other agent-assisted tools will really impress upon them in a positive manner.

In truth, there’s really no shortage of ways in which businesses in the hospitality industry can create targeted, personalized marketing campaigns for their audience. Doing so is a great launching pad for businesses to begin. In the hospitality industry, you can’t go too far in trying to impress your audience. Instead, rely on the latest tools, software, and social media campaigns to really let them know you appreciate their business and want them to remain a loyal customer.