Are You a T-Shaped or V-Shaped Hotel Marketer? Let’s Find Out
Ever feel like you’re juggling everything, writing email campaigns, updating the website, briefing photographers, tweaking Meta ads and checking GA4? You’re not alone. Most hotel marketers are expected to wear ten hats, often with little clarity on what makes them truly effective.
Here’s something you may not have asked yourself: what’s my marketing shape?
Let’s explore what it means to be a T-shaped or V-shaped hotel marketer and how this insight can guide your next move, grow your impact and protect your time.
What is a T-Shaped Hotel Marketer?
A T-shaped marketer has broad knowledge across several marketing channels with deep expertise in one specific area. That depth makes you highly valuable in one domain, while your broad awareness means you can collaborate across many.
You might be T-shaped if:
You’re the go-to person for a bit of everything
You love testing new tools, platforms and formats
You understand how your channels fit together
You support or brief other teams confidently
Example: You handle digital marketing for a boutique hotel. You’re excellent at content writing and SEO blogs, guides, and landing pages are your bread and butter. But you also understand Meta Ads enough to boost a campaign, can format an email in your CRM, and know how to brief a photographer for web content.
💡 Top Tip: Pick one area to master fully. If you already shine in content, invest time in learning advanced SEO, video scripting or AI writing workflows. Deepening your strength helps you scale sustainably and position yourself as a specialist within your generalist toolkit.
What is a V-Shaped Hotel Marketer?
V-shaped marketers go beyond one area of expertise. You’ve developed deep skill in two or more complementary disciplines, and you know how to blend them strategically.
You might be V-shaped if:
You create full-funnel campaigns from top to bottom
You can plan, execute and report on your own strategies
You influence budgets and commercial decisions
You think like a performance marketer and an experience builder
Example: You work across three serviced apartment properties. You manage paid campaigns and landing pages, plus you run all CRM comms and re-engagement flows. You track performance in GA4 and feed insights back to the Revenue, Distribution and General Manager. You don’t just drive traffic, you convert and create loyalty.
💡 Top Tip: Protect your time. You’re managing high-value channels. Prioritise strategy, testing, and deep work. Build systems around your strengths and consider where you can delegate admin or reporting tasks to stay focused.
Why This Matters for Your Career
Hotel marketing isn’t about just being visible anymore. It’s about profitability, personalisation and precision. Understanding your shape helps you:
Know where to spend your energy
Plan your next learning investment
Delegate or hire to complement your strengths
Explain your value in a job review or interview
As we say in French, connais-toi toi-même, know yourself first. Your clarity helps everyone you work with.
Real-World Hotel Scenarios
T-shaped marketer
You're a CRM star, you write strong subject lines, run nurture flows and set up targeted automations. You can also coordinate with social and paid teams to ensure campaign consistency, even if you're not executing those channels directly.
V-shaped marketer
You plan a seasonal promo. You set up the paid search strategy, A/B test the offer page, track conversions and launch an automated re-engagement email. You manage the journey from click to booking to follow-up and report on the results.
What Shape Should You Be If You’re a One-Person Team?
If you’re a one-band marketer doing sales and marketing for a small hotel or serviced apartment, V-shape is ideal.
You need two core strengths that work well together, like:
Paid ads + CRM
SEO + content marketing
Social media + analytics
You’ll also need T-shaped breadth to brief freelancers or agencies, design visuals, update the website or report to ownership. So think of it like this: V-shape for impact, T-shape for flexibility.
Reflect: What’s Your Shape?
Ask yourself:
What’s the one thing I’m really good at?
What other area am I confident in or excited to build?
What gives me energy and what drains it?
What work gets results and recognition?
Draw your shape. Literally. Sketch your T or V. Then choose one focus area for the next quarter. That’s how you grow intentionally not just reactively.
Generated by AI
Q&A: Hotel Marketer Shape Answered
Q: Is one shape better than the other?
A: No. T-shaped marketers make great collaborators. V-shaped marketers drive integrated strategy. It’s about role fit, not ranking.
Q: Can I be both?
A: You might start as T-shaped and evolve into a V as your second skill matures.
Q: What if I don’t have a specialism yet?
A: That’s common early in your career. Experiment, track results, and double down where you see the most traction and enjoyment.
Q: How do I use this in a job interview?
A: Say something like: “I’m T-shaped with a strong focus in SEO and content.” Or: “I bring V-shaped strength across paid media and conversion optimisation.”
Q: Can I use this to build my team?
A: Yes. Map everyone’s shape. Use it to identify gaps, pair strengths, and shape your next hire or training priority.
Final note…
Your marketing shape isn’t fixed. It’s a blueprint. One that can evolve with experience, experimentation and intention.
Et voilà, being a T or a V isn’t about being perfect. It’s about knowing your value and growing from there.
Let’s keep learning. One guest, one insight, one bold idea at a time.