Most hotel owners think the only way to reduce OTA dependency is to throw more money at Facebook ads or hire expensive marketing agencies. But the real solution isn't more budget, it's leveraging what you already have: authentic stories and staff who actually care about the guest experience.

A hospitality marketing veteran who's advised VCs and built a 1.6 million social following reveals the direct booking playbook that independent hotels are using to reclaim revenue from OTAs. Scott Eddy has spoken at hundreds of conferences worldwide, doing the unexpected: giving away strategies that agencies charge thousands for.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why rolling out the red carpet for OTA guests (instead of alienating them) converts 30%+ into direct bookers
• The exact content categories that drive bookings and why shaky iPhone footage outperforms polished videos
• How to make your front desk staff into content superstars without hiring an expensive agency
• The one Instagram metric (hint: it's not followers) that actually predicts revenue
• Why "saves" and "comments" matter 10x more than likes for direct bookings
• The AI-discoverable scripting framework that's replacing traditional SEO for hotel discovery
• How long-form storytelling videos outperform short-form for brand discoverability (despite what Instagram tells you)
• The fatal mistake 80% of hotels make: posting beautiful property photos with promo text overlays that actively repel guests

If you're serious about reducing OTA dependency and building a direct booking engine without a massive marketing budget, this episode will provide the roadmap. Don't make the expensive mistake of outsourcing what your in-house team can do better.

About Scott Eddy

Scott Eddy is a globally recognized hospitality brand strategist and digital pioneer who transitioned from a decade in investment banking to founding the first and largest digital agency in Southeast Asia. With a combined following of over 1.2 million, Scott has hosted the travel series Video Globetrotter on Lifetime Television and is consistently ranked among the top 15 hospitality influencers in the world. He now travels full-time as a consultant and keynote speaker, helping hotel brands convert authentic storytelling into measurable ROI while championing the "independent advantage" through raw, human-centered digital engagement. A genuine citizen of the world, Scott lives entirely out of hotels and cruise ships, leveraging his experiences in 85+ countries and 120+ cruises to provide a unique "perpetual guest" perspective on the evolving travel landscape.

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