In August 2008, Prophis eResearch asked 433 American travelers about their online hotel Internet marketing browsing this past year. They wanted to know if people were swayed by user-generated blogs, videos and reviews, if they flocked to official website content or if they just meandered around the search engines for a while.

Prophis eResearch found that people still very much valued the experiences of friends, family and coworkers. Word-of-mouth is one of the most coveted areas of hotel Internet marketing. Features like "Forward to a friend" on blogs, e-newsletters and web pages can really help promote the spirit of sharing. People are definitely making good use of the official travel sites from the places they want to go.
In the PhoCus Wright Consumer Travel Trends Survey (2007), 64% of travelers consulted a search engine, which shows the continued importance of search engine optimization within the hotel Internet marketing industry. One of the emerging trends in hotel Internet marketing is the growing influence that personal reviews are having on consumers. The best known site is Trip Advisor, but there are countless others. Even social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook have travel groups.

As consumers look for hotels, flights and destinations, they're looking for a more personalized experience that speaks to their interests, dreams and history. The best hotel Internet marketing will use e-newsletters, ads, copywriting and social networking strategies that provides tailored information, rather than just dry sales copy.