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By Jitendra Jain

If you’ve always loved computers and the internet, have worked in the travel industry and have a flair for the creative and a passion for marketing…then a career in online marketing & distribution in a hotel may be just the thing for you!

The role, often referred to as e-commerce, e-business or online marketing & distribution (though these are quite disparate terms) usually pertains to a growing niche in the hospitality industry. It’s often confused with revenue management, public relations and worse still…IT, but the focus is really quite simple…and it isn’t rocket science. Online marketing & distribution would be best described as a combination of traditional marketing, PR and sales taken to a whole new level on the Internet platform.


Terminology: Firstly, to clear up some misconceptions regarding the terms often used to describe the role. E-Business is the broad term that usually encompasses the entire value chain from purchasing, supply chain management, customer communication, business to business interactions, etc with the help of automated information systems on the Internet, World Wide Web, Intranets or Extranets (or a combination of these). E-Commerce falls under the e-business umbrella and usually involves using the Internet or World Wide Web to add a revenue channel, improve efficiency and interaction with customers or partners (often the hotel’s websites are the first “touch-point”, where a customer experiences the brand and web 2.0 features are making this interaction more and more sophisticated). E-Marketing on the other hand, involves an electronic or digital marketing focus, using disciplines like Search Engine Optimization, Paid Search Marketing, Banner Advertising, Email Advertising, Advergaming and so on.

Article continues here: http://thetalentjungle.com/hotel-online-marketing/

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About the author: Jitendra Jain (JJ) is the founder of The Talent Jungle (www.thetalentjungle.com), a hotel, hospitality and tourism base created in 2003 for industry professionals, students, educators and alumni, with a focus on sharing best-practices, hospitality education guidance and networking. He is a Business Graduate (specialized in Tourism & Hospitality) from HTW Switzerland and also holds Swiss Higher, Indian and American Diplomas in Hotel Management, with specializations in Rooms Division Management, Food & Beverage Management and Human Resources Management. He is currently engaged with a Global Hotel company as an E-Commerce Manager.

tags: job, career, work, ecommerce, ebusiness, emarketing, online, marketing, distribution, internet, hotels, resorts, hospitality, tourism