Hotel Digital Marketing Essentials

Module 1: Digital Marketing Framework

This module will take you approximately 90 minutes to complete and covers:

• Hotel Digital Marketing History
• Hotel Digital Marketing Framework
• Our Traveler’s Journey
• Digital Marketing Strategy

Module 2: Owned Media

While all channels are important, Owned Media is the area that your hotel or brand has the most control and influence over. Owned Media includes assets and tools such as your website, booking engine, email, CRM, and loyalty programs.  In this module, we focus primarily on the website, booking engine, and email marketing.

This module will take you approximately 90 minutes to complete.

Module 3: Earned Media

We begin with reviews – as this has such a big impact on each step of the traveler’s path to purchase. We then move on to the evolving role of public relations and and social media.  The module wraps up with the evolution of SERPs – search engine results pages and how adding schema to your website can help your organic results.

This module will take you approximately two hours to complete.

Module 4: Paid Media

The five lessons in this module take an in-depth look at Paid Media, including search engine marketing, metasearch, display advertising, paid social, and OTA advertising.

This module takes approximately 90 minutes to complete.

Module 5: Digital Marketing Analytics

This module explores the analytics of digital marketing and includes website analytics, paid advertising analytics, earned media advertising analytics, and distribution and technology.

It will take approximately 60 minutes to complete.

Module 6: Trending Tropics

This lesson ties up all of the loose ends of digital marketing for hotels.  It covers big trending topics including Big Data and AI,  vendor management, and the organizational structure of the digital marketing function – now and in the future.

This module will take approximately 90 minutes.

Register Now via HSMAI’s partner, HotelBSchool

• Full course for HSMAI members = $425
• Full course for Non-members = $450
• 20 or more registrations = $295 per person

The full course registration fee includes:

• the live, instructor-led course (meets once a week for 6 weeks from 3:00 – 4:30 pm ET)
• a copy of the book Hospitality Digital Marketing Essentials: A Field Guide for Navigating Today’s Digital Landscape [the study guide for the Certified Hospitality Digital Marketer (CHDM) certification]

Individual modules are $75 for HSMAI members and $80 for non-members. Individual modules do not include a copy of the book.

This registration fee does NOT include the CHDM certification. Learn more about the CHDM certification and applying for it. This course is NOT a requirement for the CHDM, but is a great prep course if you’re taking the CHDM exam.

Rather attend a live, instructor-led virtual course? The next course starts September 16, 2025.

This course will be presented by devoted HSMAI volunteer leaders, Dan Wacksman and Holly Zoba, the previous HSMAI Marketing Advisory Board chairs. Holly and Dan have been recently recognized by HSMAI as one of the Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Optimization. In addition to their leadership in industry, they continue to contribute to the HSMAI Certified Hospitality Digital Marketer (CHDM) program and study guide.

Dan Wacksman, CHDM, CHBA, CRME
Sassato, Principal

With over 20 years of senior level experience in hotel marketing and travel distribution, Dan Wacksman has recently launched a new company, Sassato, to help hotels and travel related businesses to improve their performance in marketing, distribution, technology, and implementations.  Prior to this, Dan was Senior Vice President of Marketing and Distribution for Outrigger Hotels and Resorts, where he oversaw Marketing, Digital, Loyalty/CRM, Contact Center Operations, OTA relationships, and overall distribution strategy. Previous roles include Managing Director for GTA China and Regional Director for GTA Asia, where he had overall responsibility for offices throughout the region (at the time GTA was one of the world’s largest wholesalers),  General Manager of Aoyou.com, an Online Travel Agency based in Beijing, and Director of Strategic Development for Travelport where he was involved in acquisitions and strategic initiatives.  Dan currently teaches a digital marketing class at the University of Hawaii and is a frequent speaker at industry events.

Holly Zoba, CHDM
Scout Simply, Principal

Holly Zoba has 15 years of experience in hotel Sales and Marketing, with Hospitality Partners and the Aurora Foundation, both in property level and corporate roles.  She has also spent the last 10 years in hotel training and development as the SVP of Signature Worldwide and now as the architect of Influencer Sales Training.  Recently she received a certification as a full stack web developer, MERN stack, and has contributed to the development of several web applications.  Her company, Scout Simply, provides digital sales training through her Influencer Sales program as well as sales and marketing employee development through education, coaching, consulting and audits.  Holly is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and has also authored multiple articles in industry publications.

The course(s) are designed over a six-week consecutive time period, segmented by digital marketing topic area.

Prework

15 minute video on the history and key milestones of hospitality marketing

Week One

Introduction and definitions of Paid, Owned and Earned Media The Marketing Funnel, Conversion Formula and Buyer Journey Business, Customer and Marketing Strategies

Week Two

Owned Media

• Hotel Website – Content, Imagery, SEO and Merchandising
• SEO
• Booking Engine

Week Three

Owned Media (Continued)

• CRM
• Email Marketing
• Loyalty and Recognition
• Tracking and Analytics

Week Four

Earned Media

• Social
• Public Relations
• Reputation Management
• Influencers
• Tracking and Analytics

Week Five

Paid Media

• Search
• Display
• Native Advertising
• Meta
• Affiliate Marketing
• Social Media
• Tracking and Analytics

Week Six

Distribution Landscape

• OTAs – Models and Strategies
• Tracking and Analytics

Vendor Management

Communication

Wrap Up

Note: All live virtual sessions will take place from 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Eastern, every Tuesday. If unable to attend any of the sessions, a recording of the session will be provided to participants upon conclusion of each session.

This course is designed for hospitality professionals who work directly or indirectly with the marketing of  hotel(s) who seek to acquire a firm understanding of hotel digital marketing and/or those seeking support to obtain the Certified Hospitality Digital Marketer (CHDM) credentials.

Hoteliers from branded or independent property level, regional, or corporate level

• Sales
• Marketing
• Ecommerce
• Revenue Managers
• Revenue Strategists
• Asset Managers/Owners
• Regional Operations
• General Managers

In addition to hoteliers, those who support hotels

• Hospitality Supplier/Vendor/Partner Sales and Account Manager

Course Length
6 Weeks

Live virtual course will be held from 3-4:30 p.m. Eastern every Tuesday for six consecutive weeks (all sessions will be recorded).

Effort
2-3 hours a week

Participants will be encouraged to spend at least a minimum amount of time each week dedicated to course reading, attendance in the 90-minute live web session, and practice activities to ensure knowledge capture.

Format
100% online, instructor-led

Small class sizes ensure personalized attention and interaction.

Participants are encouraged to turn on their web cams during the course.

NEXT COURSE: Begins September 16, 2025

Register Now

• HSMAI members = $425
• Non-members = $450

The registration fee includes:

• the live, instructor-led course (meets once a week for 6 weeks from 3:00 – 4:30 pm ET)
• a copy of the book Hospitality Digital Marketing Essentials: A Field Guide for Navigating Today’s Digital Landscape [the study guide for the Certified Hospitality Digital Marketer (CHDM) certification]

This registration fee does NOT include the CHDM certification. Learn more about the CHDM certification and applying for it. This course is NOT a requirement for the CHDM, but is a great prep course if you’re taking the CHDM exam.

Course schedule won’t work for your schedule? Check out the self-paced, on-demand version that is always available, 24-7.

This course will be presented by devoted HSMAI volunteer leaders, Dan Wacksman and Holly Zoba, the previous HSMAI Marketing Advisory Board chairs. Holly and Dan have been recently recognized by HSMAI as one of the Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Optimization. In addition to their leadership in industry, they continue to contribute to the HSMAI Certified Hospitality Digital Marketer (CHDM) program and study guide.

Dan Wacksman, CHDM, CHBA, CRME
Sassato, Principal

With over 20 years of senior level experience in hotel marketing and travel distribution, Dan Wacksman has recently launched a new company, Sassato, to help hotels and travel related businesses to improve their performance in marketing, distribution, technology, and implementations.  Prior to this, Dan was Senior Vice President of Marketing and Distribution for Outrigger Hotels and Resorts, where he oversaw Marketing, Digital, Loyalty/CRM, Contact Center Operations, OTA relationships, and overall distribution strategy. Previous roles include Managing Director for GTA China and Regional Director for GTA Asia, where he had overall responsibility for offices throughout the region (at the time GTA was one of the world’s largest wholesalers),  General Manager of Aoyou.com, an Online Travel Agency based in Beijing, and Director of Strategic Development for Travelport where he was involved in acquisitions and strategic initiatives.  Dan currently teaches a digital marketing class at the University of Hawaii and is a frequent speaker at industry events.

Holly Zoba, CHDM
Scout Simply, Principal

Holly Zoba has 15 years of experience in hotel Sales and Marketing, with Hospitality Partners and the Aurora Foundation, both in property level and corporate roles.  She has also spent the last 10 years in hotel training and development as the SVP of Signature Worldwide and now as the architect of Influencer Sales Training.  Recently she received a certification as a full stack web developer, MERN stack, and has contributed to the development of several web applications.  Her company, Scout Simply, provides digital sales training through her Influencer Sales program as well as sales and marketing employee development through education, coaching, consulting and audits.  Holly is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and has also authored multiple articles in industry publications.