With the rollout of Sponsored Placements, there's a new way to get a top listing on TripAdvisor. TripAdvisor launched Sponsored Placements, a new advertising option that enables hotels to buy a sponsored advertisement on top of TripAdvisor’s page for that city. Previously you needed great reviews and rates to be at the top.
TripAdvisor introduced a similar program for its restaurant listings last year, and plans to expand Sponsored Placements beyond hotels as well. TripAdvisor said that more than 10,000 property owners in 5,500 markets have run campaigns since Tripadvisor introduced the sponsored ads in a beta testaround three months ago.
“TripAdvisor is currently our most effective marketing tool,” Gianfranco Acamparo, owner and GM of the Grand Hotel Aminta in Sorrento, Italy, and an early adopter, said in a statement. “With the new Sponsored Placements, we can appear above search results and people are able to contact us directly via our Business Advantage links. It's saving me commission costs because people are contacting us directly or booking on our website. So far we've seen a 20-percent increase in direct bookings in 40 days.”
Customers can set up a Sponsored Placements campaign by selecting from three monthly cost-per-click budget options, allowing owners to set their maximum spend threshold, with customizable budgets coming soon. The ads are then automatically targeted to highly qualified traffic searching for relevant accommodation options in the area. Businesses are only charged for the clicks their ads receive.
Access to Sponsored Placements is available to all accommodation providers with an active Business Advantage subscription who share rates and availability through TripAdvisor. Business Advantage is an evolution of TripAdvisor's Business Listings product and empowers accommodation businesses to impact booking decisions, differentiate from competitors, and measure and strengthen their online reputation.