August is one of the most strategic months for many hoteliers and property managers. But making it truly successful takes more than just hope—it requires a well-rounded approach: data analysis, optimized pricing, and smart marketing actions.

Let’s say it’s early July and you notice a few too many gaps in your August calendar. What should you do?

Dropping your rates right away might not be the best move. As we discussed in our article on how to analyze occupancy without panicking, the issue might not be your prices—it could be a temporary dip in market demand.

What’s the right move in that case? Email marketing.

In this article, we’ll look at two newsletter ideas based on your occupancy trends and one to send to guests who’ve already booked.

High occupancy: time to build relationships

If your bookings for August are looking good—great job!
This is your moment to shift from selling to nurturing: using email marketing to deepen the connection with past guests and show them they’re still on your radar.

Nurturing might sound simple, but it’s a powerful strategy. It helps you:

• Keep your property top-of-mind
• Encourage word of mouth and future bookings
• Strengthen bonds with loyal guests

How to create a nurturing newsletter with Smartconnect

First, decide who should receive your newsletter. That means segmenting your contact list so you’re only messaging the people who’ll genuinely appreciate this type of email.

If until now you’ve just been storing guest emails in your PMS without sorting them—no problem. With a tool like Smartconnect (Smartness’ CRM and email automation solution), you can import and segment all your contacts automatically.

Now it’s easy to target your two most relevant groups, for example:

• Summer season guests (those who stayed with you during a previous summer)
• Repeat guests (those who’ve booked more than once)

What should you write in your nurturing newsletter?

Smartconnect will suggest content for you, but if you’d like to write your own message, it only takes a few minutes.

Remember: a nurturing email isn’t about selling right now. It’s about keeping the relationship alive, making your guests feel appreciated, and reminding them of the connection they have with your property.

Need inspiration? You could send a summer greeting to past guests and invite them to follow your Instagram page—just like in the screenshot below.

Low occupancy: time to focus on offers

If your on-the-books data still shows too many empty rooms in some August weeks, don’t panic—this is exactly when email marketing can make a real difference.

Sending a promotional newsletter with a small incentive to a carefully selected segment of your contact list can be more effective than you think. But remember: this isn’t about slashing prices. It’s about adding value to certain dates with a special perk for people who already know and trust you.

So the discount you offer should be modest (for example, 10%)—but presented as an exclusive benefit for a limited group of guests. That way, you can drive bookings without compromising the perceived value of your property.

How to create a promotional newsletter with Smartconnect

With Smartconnect, you can launch a targeted email campaign in just a few minutes—starting with occupancy analysis and segmenting contacts based on past behavior. For example, you might select:

• Last-minute guests (those who booked less than 30 days in advance)
• Short-stay guests (couples or families who previously stayed 1–3 nights)

Click “Edit layout” to write your email content. One important tip: the discount code mentioned in your newsletter must be created in advance in your booking engine. That way, guests can enter it directly when booking.

Below is a sample screenshot of what the final result might look like. Once your email is ready, simply click “Save and schedule” to send it at the perfect time.

And what about guests who already booked? It’s the perfect time to suggest experiences

After you’ve sent your nurturing newsletters and those aimed at filling last-minute availability, don’t forget about the guests who have already booked a stay in August and are getting ready to arrive.

This is the perfect moment to suggest experiences and add-on services that will make their stay more personalized and memorable.

Can you do this with Smartconnect? Absolutely.

In just a few minutes, you can send an automated newsletter to guests with confirmed August bookings, inviting them to explore your Marketplace before they arrive.

The Marketplace – included with your Smartconnect subscription – is a personalized webpage with your logo and brand colors, where guests can discover and book services and experiences with a single click.

Guests who have already booked and are counting down to their vacation are in full planning mode—they’re imagining their trip and still have time to fine-tune it. Sending a personalized newsletter at this stage allows you to:

• Enrich the guest experience by offering suggestions tailored to their profile (families, couples, sporty guests, relaxation seekers)
• Increase the average booking value without discounts, simply by promoting extras you already offer
• Reduce last-minute requests at reception, as many services are pre-booked online
• Show thoughtfulness and attention to detail—strengthening the guest relationship even before they arrive

When should you send it?

Timing is everything. If you send the email too early, guests may forget about it. Too late, and they won’t have time to make decisions or plans.

Our advice? Send it 10–15 days before arrival:

• It’s close enough to generate excitement
• It’s early enough to give guests time to explore and book add-ons
• It leaves room to send a second reminder just before their stay, possibly including practical details like check-in times, parking info, or the weather forecast

As you’ve seen, email marketing helps fill rooms—but that’s not all.

It’s a strategic tool that lets you communicate better, build guest loyalty, and add value to every phase of the guest journey—before, during, and after their stay.

With Smartconnect, Smartness’s CRM and email marketing automation software, you can do it all automatically.

But there’s more: by using the full Smartness platform, you can create an integrated strategy in just a few clicks.

Dynamic pricing, marketing, upselling, guest communication, and market analysis—everything in one seamless ecosystem designed to help you grow your business without added complexity.

Want to see how it works?