Something that has become more and more popular in internet marketing is the use of social media influencers. These are people with considerable followings that are paid to tout products, services, hotels, restaurants, and pretty much anything else you can think of via their personal social media accounts.
In most cases, these influencers have thousands and thousands of followers. Point being, a single post that goes viral could generate more than 10,000 views for very little cost. Or, wait, is there a cost we are not considering? After all, we have already stated in other posts paid online advertising is not exactly considered trustworthy by today’s millennial travelers. So, what is the risk for a hotel property using these influencers to build its online presence? What are the benefits to using influencers to build your brand?
Pros of Using Professional Influencers on Social Media
The whole goal of social media is to create engagement. That is probably the biggest positive aspect of using an influencer. These people have very loyal followers that will like and share posts on their respective platforms. More importantly, these people are generally every-day people, not celebrities, so their endorsement carries a bit more weight than an actor in a commercial.
Most influencers are also known for very targeted audiences. For instance, I have a friend that is a paid influencer for food companies. Her handle on Instagram is @SouthDallasFoodie and she regularly makes posts for local restaurants as well as food products. When she speaks about food, her almost 6,000 followers listen. Her posts generate dozens, if not hundreds, of likes and shares for whatever food product or restaurant she is promoting.
Now, while she does a wonderful job for food products and restaurants, she would not be an ideal candidate to help me promote a hotel property simply because her specialty and audience are completely food related. Point being, if you are going to use an influencer, make sure this person has a loyal following with a proven track record in the specific niche you want to promote.
Cons of Using Professional Influencers to Promote a Hotel
The public is not stupid, so they know these individuals are being paid to promote a product or brand. Having said that, this negative can be turned to a positive by using an influencer that only uses products, or in this case hotels, they personally use and trust. This will make a HUGE difference in how the posts are received by the public.
To that point, you will need to do significant research to ensure the influencer you are using is trustworthy and lives up to his or her word. These individuals should be native to the area, not someone overseas using generic pictures for their posts. The posts need to be authentic or they will not be effective.
Legally, there are also some concerns. Because influencers are being paid, they must be very clear they are being paid or receiving some type of benefit for the products, services, and businesses they are promoting. In 2017, the Federal Trade Commission posted on its website this is something the agency is very clearly looking into and will be enforced moving forward. If the influencer you are using does not specifically have this posted on their profile page or on the post itself, look elsewhere.
As a marketing manager, you are going to have to weigh all of these factors to decide if hiring a social media influencer is right for your property. Another solution is to set your specific property up to create that “Instagram moment” that can turn your paying guests into influencers for the property. You do this by creating the proper setting as well as creating positive experiences guests like to share on their personal profiles.
Is your marketing team missing the mark in developing your hotel’s online presence? If the time has come to hire a new Director of Marketing or any other executive-level managers, give Joseph David International a call. JDI is a top-rated hotel recruiter because we don’t just fill holes… we find the ideal candidate to meet the needs of your specific hospitality organization or property. For more information about our services, click here.
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