If you’re in Prague, then chances are you’re already thinking about online marketing. After all, the city’s biggest attractions – the baroque castles and the historic bridges – are all linked to the internet.
You may be wondering what all the hubbub is about. Does internet marketing really work in Prague? Can I use it to promote my business?
To find out, we spoke to Andrés Romero, who runs the hugely successful travel agency Frommers.com from Barcelona, and has been living in Prague for more than a year. During that time, Andrés has learned a lot about the digital marketing scene in his new home. Let’s dive in and find out what he told us.
The Rise of Online Marketing in Prague
Romero points out that in the past, people would come to Prague and then head straight to the historic Charles Bridge to catch a sight of the famous golden domes of the church. After their visit, they would eat a crepe and go to the cinema to see a Hollywood blockbuster.
Today, those iconic golden domes draw thousands of visitors to Prague each day, but they’re not the only draw. Since the 2000s, the city’s tourism industry has seen a massive uptick in digital marketing. Why? Well, as with many other global cities, the popularity of social media in keeping up with friends and family back home has massively increased. People want to share their Prague experiences with friends and family, and a lot of brands and businesses have cottoned on to that.
So, while the church bells may still ring in the Old Town, the tourists today are more likely to use the internet to find the attractions that make Prague a unique and special city to visit. In 2019 alone, Prague tourism saw a 19% increase in average daily searches, according to the Hotel Association of Prague (AHK). For context, that’s nearly twice the rate of growth seen in the previous year.
Hotel rooms are big business in Prague, with tourism revenues bringing in an estimated €500,000,000 per year. Romero says this is likely to increase as more and more people seek out new ways to research destinations and seek travel plans. That’s likely to lead to more hotels getting in on the act, and potentially more competition.
How to Market Your Business in Prague
Now, as exciting as all this is for Prague tourism, it doesn’t come without its challenges. For starters, as we’ve established, the internet can be incredibly useful for research and discovery. If your business doesn’t exist online, then it’s really difficult to get the word out there to potential customers. So, one of the first things that you’ll want to do is set up a website or blog to give your business an online home. This is also a great way to build credibility and trust with future customers.
In addition to a website, don’t forget to broadcast your presence on social media. Romero says that although the Church is still a major influencer in Prague, millennials are leaving a greater impact, thanks to social media.
From humble beginnings as an indie blogger in 2013, now-famous food blogger Kateřina Matušková credits her success to her social media following. The blogger behind My Oskar and I Love Pizza saw her popularity on social media and took note, hiring her to do online marketing for her baking business. Since then, Matušková’s My Oskar and I Love Pizza have amassed a following of more than 110,000 subscribers, and her Instagram account has over 2.2 million followers. Matušková also hosts regular Twitter chats with her fans, where she gives them the inside scoop on her latest recipes and business tips.
The importance of social media in today’s marketing landscape can’t be overstated. It can help generate interest and engagement in your product or service, and help you identify and reach your target audience. The numbers don’t lie: 41% of American Express survey participants said that they’d rather read about companies on social media than in traditional advertisements, and 56% said the same about magazine articles.
Another way to market your business in Prague is by joining city chambers of commerce and similar organizations. These groups help businesses get the most from their PR campaigns, connecting them with journalists and helping them establish credibility with potential customers. Don’t forget: the more you put in, the more you get back. So, if you’re serious about marketing your business in Prague, then get involved and make sure your voice is heard.
Traditional and Digital Marketing Mix
With all this talk about digital marketing, wouldn’t it make sense to throw in the towel on the traditional way of doing things? After all, isn’t QR codes, SEO and bots enough to get your business in front of the right audience? Well, sure, if you want to reach people who are already interested in your product or service. But what if you want to go beyond that?
Marketing is about reaching people who aren’t yet interested in your product or service, whether that’s a hotel guest searching for holiday homes or a college student looking for a job. So, if you want to reach the widest possible audience, then you need to have a mixture of both tactics. Don’t just rely on one or the other – use both. And remember: keep testing. Find out what is and isn’t working, and adjust your strategy accordingly.