A confirmation email is the one email that a consumer eagerly looks forward to – the one email they are not going to delete without opening and the one email that they will devour in its entirety.
So, if you think about it, email confirmations are one of the most underrated marketing tools that businesses have at their disposal. Unlike a newsletter, this piece of communication includes information that’s highly important, relevant and tailored to the consumer. And unlike a newsletter, businesses won’t be left wondering if their communication has indeed been read by their consumer.
If every stay were to be a relationship between the hotel and the guest, then the booking confirmation email is like the first official date. This is where you get to make a strong first impression and show-off your personality. Here are Top 3 tips to nailing that perfect email confirmation template so you’re not wasting a great opportunity to establish your brand image.
1. Highlight the Essentials
When a guest has made that reservation, they want to be told that they did it right – and that the room of their choice has been safely secured. When drafting your email confirmation template, make sure you’re highlighting the essentials and delivering all the relevant information. This one email should be your guest’s go-to email when it comes to their stay at your accommodation.
A handy checklist of essentials includes:
- Reservation number/booking ID
- Location Details
- Accommodation type (include a photo – a visual reminder to get your guests excited for their stay!)
- Dates of Stay
- Check-in/check-out Information as for example, the online check-in link.
- Costing and Payment Info (you can attach a detailed receipt, if desired)
- Location and contact information
- Cancellation policy (offer your guests an opportunity to cancel right from the email)
- Promotion of your app, your referral program, your summer offer…etc.
2. KISS (Keep it simple, silly)
While you may be tempted to overpack this email, the rule of thumb should be to KISS – Keep It Simple, Silly. You do not want to drown the essential stuff in a whole of irrelevant noise. Detailed information about your hotel, its history, the services and the amenities are all better suited for your website. Besides, the guest has already booked their stay – you’ve already made your sale – so now it’s time to deliver. Focus on delivering only the information that is essential – keep your design simple and your content relevant.
But do not mistake simple for boring! Inject life into your content through a bit of light humor, and a pump of excitement.
3. Cater to Your Guests
You’ve successfully made the sale so at this point, ideally, you know what your guest profile is – is it a solo traveler? A corporate customer? A young family? Or perhaps it’s a large group booking. Use this knowledge to tailor your booking confirmation email and cater to your guests. Design separate templates for different categories of guests so as to hit the right tone with each of them.
Using tools like Chekin allows you to personalize and automate your communications – So every time you receive a reservation your guests will receive detailed information about your accommodation and their booking.
4. Email sequence after the confirmation
Your email sequences is an opportunity to promote, engage and collect feedback before and after a guest confirmed their stay in your property. We looked at Selina email sequences and found a very interesting strategy.
Bonus: Don’t let it get stale!
Nailing the templates for email confirmations is a great job done – but it’s not the end of it. As a good marketing practice, don’t let your templates get stale. Keep updating the content to stay in tune with seasonal trends as well as industry trends.
Watch this demo session made by a hospitality check-in automation expert: Link here
