The short version
People book a feeling first and a table second.
The guest journey
- Discover. Instagram, TikTok, creators, a Google search. This is the bait.
- Decide. Google Business Profile, photos, the menu, reviews. This is the hook.
- Arrive. Booking has to take seconds. This is the book.
- Stay. The experience itself is marketing too.
- Return. Email, loyalty, community. This is how first visits become regulars.
What matters most, by channel
- Google Business Profile. Hours, photos, menu and reviews. It's often the first stop, so keep it current. Local SEO starts here.
- Instagram and TikTok. They sell the feeling of the place. Social media is where most of the work goes.
- Reviews. Read them, reply to them, and learn from them.
- Email and loyalty. The cheapest way to bring someone back. See email and CRM.
- Creators and events. New audiences, and a reason to come this week. See the creator program.
- Your website. Menu, hours, booking. See websites.
What to measure
- Restaurants and cafes: reservations, covers, average check and repeat visits.
- Hotels: occupancy, ADR (average daily rate) and RevPAR (room revenue divided by the rooms available).
- Spas and wellness: bookings, rebooking rate and package sales.
Seasons, peaks and slow nights
Plan around the busy times and give the quiet ones a reason: an event, a menu, a guest chef, a package. A slow Tuesday is a marketing problem you can actually solve.
Common mistakes
- A beautiful feed with no booking link.
- Reviews nobody answers.
- Wrong hours online.
- Promoting the discount instead of the place.
- Several locations that look like different brands.
We love this sector enough to make a crossword about it.