{"id":7792,"date":"2018-11-23T09:31:59","date_gmt":"2018-11-23T14:31:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.brainstation.io\/?p=7792"},"modified":"2021-01-29T09:14:12","modified_gmt":"2021-01-29T14:14:12","slug":"how-a-tiny-motel-built-a-big-digital-following","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/how-a-tiny-motel-built-a-big-digital-following","title":{"rendered":"How a Tiny Motel Built a Digital Following"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you stayed in a hotel and didn\u2019t post about it online, did it really happen? If you\u2019re a millennial, there\u2019s a good chance the answer is no.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why nine-to-fivers turned motel owners Sarah Sklash and April Brown designed <\/span>The June Motel<\/span><\/a> with digital marketing in mind. With an <\/span>Instagram following<\/span><\/a> that rivals well-known hotel brands, the moteliers’ plan is paying off, and they\u2019re just getting started. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how digital marketing<\/a> helped transform a rundown motel into a social media success with nearly 30,000 Instagram followers.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Digital-First Mindset From Day One <\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When Brown and Sklash were thinking about quitting their jobs and buying a motel two hours east of Toronto, Ontario in a town called Picton, they knew there was a market for millennials looking for accommodations in the area.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"June
Sarah Sklash and April Brown, owners of The June Motel.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Armed with a business and marketing plan targeted toward twenty-somethings, Brown and Sklash bought the 16-room motel and got to work. A key part of their plan was designing the motel for a customer that is never far from their smartphone.  <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe knew it was going to be really important to nail the online experience. We knew we needed to make a splash with the design and encourage people to want to walk through the space and share it,\u201d says Brown. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the motel\u2019s bright pink doors to the neon \u2018Peace Love Wine\u2019 sign and the palm print wallpaper, the motel was designed around what Brown calls \u201cInstagrammable moments\u201d that invite guests to photograph and share their experience online.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next step was to translate the physical look and feel of the motel into an online brand. Sklash and Brown didn\u2019t have a big budget for marketing but invested up front in two key areas: design and photography. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Invest Where It Matters<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The social media landscape is competitive, and Sklash and Brown knew they would need more than a well-selected Instagram filter to stand out. Early on, the moteliers hired a designer to develop their brand guidelines and a photographer to begin building a library of Instagram-worthy images.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Instagrammable<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t just about the environmental shots of the rooms. We really wanted to capture the heart of the motel, what we wanted to be about and what we wanted to stand for \u2013 the essence and the spirit of the motel,\u201d said Brown.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Investing in branding, design and professional photography set The June Motel up for Instagram success, which led to media coverage in big-name publications like <\/span>Vogue<\/span><\/i>, the <\/span>Huffington Post<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>Bloomberg<\/span><\/i> and many more. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe still invest a lot in photography. I think it\u2019s a huge piece to succeeding on social media. Instagram is our number one platform and it\u2019s so visual, so we\u2019re always making sure we have the best shot to put forward,\u201d says Brown. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond Likes and Hashtags  <\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While Instagram put The June on the map as a destination for millennial travelers, Sklash and Brown are constantly thinking about other ways to integrate the digital experience into their guests\u2019 stay.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, The June\u2019s text concierge system <\/span>Whistle<\/span><\/a> gives phone-shy millennials an easy way to ask for extra pillows or area recommendations. The system also makes it easy to check in on guests throughout their stay, giving staff the opportunity to turn a negative moment into a positive experience before it turns into a bad online review.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"june<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor example, midday we can reach out to all of our guests and ask them on a scale of one to 10 \u2018How are we doing?\u2019 If anyone responds with eight or lower there can be an automatic response that prompts them to tell us what we can do to improve that experience,\u201d says Brown. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another way digital media allows guests to connect with the motel is through The June\u2019s <\/span>online store<\/span><\/a> offering items like the wallpaper guests might find in their room, the locally sourced toiletries in the bathroom and the \u2018good vibes\u2019 throw pillow on the bed. Prompts in each room let guests know which items are available for purchase online. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digital Transforming the Physical <\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s next at The June Motel? Brown is interested in the way digital is changing the typical hotel experience.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause you can have a concierge in your pocket essentially at all times, there\u2019s not this need for somebody to sit behind a check-in desk and wait for a guest to need assistance, for example,\u201d says Brown. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of a check-in desk, The June has a check-in lobby bar that makes the arrival experience less formal and more interactive. Along with their room keys, guests arriving at The June are given a welcome glass of ros<\/span>\u00e9<\/span> (and their first opportunity to share a social media moment). <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The motel also recently launched a co-working space that feels more like your living room or a cool coffee shop than a hotel business center. By moving away from the typical hotel workspace with desktop computers, desks, and printers, guests are invited to bring their own device or rent the space for a meeting or event. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s interesting how digital is shaping the guest experience, the flow, and the physical environment,\u201d says Brown. \u201cChanging that typical experience for people and making it less formal, more casual and more interactive is a big piece.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inspired? Find out more about BrainStation’s Online Digital Marketing Course<\/a> and Online Social Media Marketing Course<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow BrainStation’s blog with Bloglovin.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With an Instagram following that rivals well-known hotel brands, The June Motel’s digital strategy is paying off. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":7802,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[169,84],"tags":[628,136,633,670,669,137],"yoast_head":"\nHow a Tiny Motel Built a Digital Following<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With an Instagram following that rivals well-known hotel brands, The June Motel's digital strategy is paying off. 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