Launched today was the affiliate hotel bookings website HotelDealsIreland.ie.  Activate has devised a broad online marketing strategy to include Email Marketing, Pay Per Click, Search Engine Optimisation, Facebook & Twitter.

Hotel Deals Ireland enables users to book superb rates on wide stock of  hotels in Ireland.  Categories include:

• 5* Hotels Ireland
• 4* Hotels Ireland
• Budget Hotel Breaks Ireland
• Hotel Deals Dublin

Accommodation is a extremely competitive sector in Ireland and the site will need a strong push to make any impact.  We plan to revisit this client as a case study later in the year to analyse &  share some of the results of the online marketing push.

However, this week I heard from Temple Gate that they had an issue with a client who booked a room under the impression that the Temple Gate Hotel is close to the 02 in Dublin (some 240km away).  In fact they had found the hotel in Google by typing in ‘hotels near 02 dublin’.  I tried to replicate the search myself and found that Temple Gate Hotel was showing up on the map in the local search results, and for some strange reason Google maps was now placing them firmly on Ennis Grove in Dublin 4!   Not only that, their map listing for Ennis related searches had disappeared.

I have come across cases where it took some time to get an old address updated, but this is the first where I have seen Google change a correct location to one that has absolutely no connection to the business in question.   We have now tried to reclaim the listing and update the address.  Any of you who have gone through this process will know that the options for doing so are limited.  You can either get Google to send an automated text or phone the telephone number they have on file for the business  to confirm.  I didn’t fancy the chances of an automated Google call to the receptionist so opted for the postcard.   It’s rather ironic really that we are waiting for snail mail from the U.S. from one of the the biggest Internet companies in the world.

We’re delighted to be shortlisted in the prestigious Irish Web Awards 2009 in the Social Media Campaign Category for our client LookWest.ie.

LookWest.ie is an iniative of the Western Development Commission, a State body which promotes Ireland’s  Western region as a great place to live, work and do business.

2009 saw LookWest.ie take the social media bull by the horns and make a concerted effort to connect with their target demographics in engaging and meaningful ways.  Social Media can of course be risky, in that opening up a two way dialogue with users means sometimes you may need to accept the criticism and rough and tumble of two-way dialogue.  Something that government bodies are traditionally reluctant to do.

I am delighted that the spirited & dynamic approach of the LookWest team has paid off and that we’ve made the shortlist.

The awards take place on 10th October at the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel, Dublin.  We’ll be there, keep your fingers crossed for us!

LookWest.ie is an iniative of the Western Development Commission, with responsibility for promoting economic and social development in the Western Region.  LookWest.ie promotes Ireland’s Western region as a great place to live, work and do business and maintains a database of subscribed individuals and enterprises.  The new look e-zine was tasked with informing and appealing to both individuals and business.

• We introduced LookWest.ie in an introductory paragraph.
• Each e-zine presents quite a bit of information and therefore we  ‘themed’ each monthly ezine to provide focus and context.
• Many of the articles contain statistical information so we presented users with a summary paragraph and the option to ‘read more’ for more in-depth information.
• The e-zine referred users to LookWest’s new Twitter account and Facebook page

Campaign Stats

The stats of the first e-zine send were very encouraging.  Despite a long period of inactivity with their database:

• Only 8 people unsubscribed.
• The open rate was 33%
• The click rate was 45%

This is an indication of a finely tuned message sent to a relevant and well maintained database.

Stats vary widely on average open and click rates in e-mails.  Generally accepted averages are 25% for both.  That will obviously depend hugely on, amongst other things, your message, frequency of emails, quality of your database and your sector (whether it is e-commerce, B2B, charity etc).

Tips for planning an e-zine:

• Plan ahead – schedule in advance and gather relevant information
• Consider “theming” emails where appropriate
• Have a clear focus on what you are trying to say, by basing it on what is likely to be of interest to your readers
• Ask yourself why users have signed up to your e-zine. What are they expecting you to provide them with?
• Break information up into bite sized chunks
• Present key information in the top.  Many users will see only the top in a preview pane, and will use this to assess whether to open or delete.

This really cute video was made in-house by Instore staff, and shows customers how to care for the wood in the very popular Tessa range of furniture.