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Ad serving tips for restaurants and hotels during the pandemic

It’s hard to think of an industry that has not been impacted by the pandemic, but people would agree that the hospitality industry is probably the most negatively affected. The harsh reality is that restaurants were forced to close very suddenly, and for those that were able to survive and re-open, many were limited to how many people they could have in their building at any given time. Hotels have also been put in a tough position, as many people are not traveling until the worst of the pandemic passes, which could still be quite some time yet. Business needs to go on, though, and that means continuing to use advertising to let people know that you are surviving and ready for business. Let’s take a look at some ways in which the hotel and restaurant industry can use ad serving during the pandemic.

Share your story and your future

People are looking for positive stories during this tough time, so they will almost certainly react well when reading about how a restaurant/hotel managed to survive when so many others were forced to close. There can, though, be a fine line between sharing your story and simply looking for sympathy. The story should be told in a way that is positive and uplifting, which could include sharing what you learned during the pandemic and how it will shape the way in which your business operates in the future. That could be something like adding delivery service or contactless check-in that was not available before.

Highlight safety protocols

People want to feel safe when they decide to venture out for a bite to eat, which is why so many businesses in the food and hospitality industry are going to great lengths to show how they make that happen. Restaurants running ads should talk about what they are doing to keep their restaurant clean, while also talking about how food is prepared and delivered to guests. Hotels should emphasize their staff training, protection equipment and facility cleaning.

Promote transparency

Any restaurant or hotel that is not active on social media needs to rectify that as soon as possible. An ad can only tell a small part of the total story, so it’s always a good idea to get online, connect with existing and potential customers and let them know what is going on in terms of things like rules within the building and updates on what you are preparing when things go back to a more normal environment. Customers will want to know about social distancing protocols, wearing masks, and other details that will almost certainly be important to anyone planning to dine in a restaurant or stay in a hotel.

Ask for community support

One thing that we have seen a lot of during the pandemic is people getting out and doing all they can to help support local businesses and service workers. There are a lot of businesses and individuals that have been hit especially hard during the past year or so, but the sense of community that we have seen across the board has been outstanding. Even now, it is still a good idea for restaurants to push the idea of eating locally when they run ads.

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