One of the biggest changes in how hotel marketing managers promote their property is in how they use social media to improve brand awareness. The days of advertising with only print media have long since passed. With millennials beginning to dominate travel numbers, hotel marketing managers need to appeal specifically to them. The way to do this is by improving the hotel’s online presence so it is right in the face of the millennial traveler when they are on social media and doing online searches.
The Power of Social Media
The trend of using social media to research travel accommodations really started to take hold in the early part of this decade. By 2013, it was estimated more than 50 percent of travelers were now using social media to check reviews, feedback, and travel itineraries for their trips. Since then, that number has grown considerably.
Today, the most prominent hotels in searches are not only dominating on review sites, but they are also among the most active properties on social media. In essence, they are turning guests into marketing agents for their property. They do this by creating something we have referred to numerous times… the Instagram moment.
An Instagram moment is something deemed sharable by a hotel guest. It could be the pool set up, an elaborate lobby display, or a special treat on their pillow or night stand. That special touch is what creates that “wow” moment that gets them to pull out their phone, take a picture, and share it with their friends.
Creating a Special Profile Page
The most successful profiles are successful because they are unique. Just because you are part of a major flag does not mean the header photo of the page should be generic. For instance, if your hotel has a beautiful view of the ocean, why would the header photo on the page be some generic photo of the outside of the hotel?
A social media profile page is just like meeting someone in person for the first time. You have about 10 seconds to make a great first impression, and the visual elements of the page are all you have to wow them during their first interactions. Point being, use your profile page to immediately convey what the guest can experience at your property that makes it different from anywhere else.
The one area where you want your brand to stick out, however, is on the profile picture. This should be done because it should be very clear to visitors when the property itself is commenting or making posts.
Another way to create a better user experience is by customizing the tabs on the social media page to promote your booking page, special promotions available, email subscriptions, awards won by the hotel, your YouTube channel, contests, etc. Those tabs need to encourage users to interact with the page, so choose them carefully.
Unique and Relevant Content
This is probably the area where most properties really drop the ball. Rather than make the page a resource for travelers and guests, they are constantly ramming the property down people’s throats. This is a recipe for disaster, as they will eventually either ignore postings or unlike the page.
The news feed should be filled with a mix of user experiences, original photos, local information about events and happenings, and the like. It is also VERY important for someone to monitor the page daily and interact with guests. There is nothing more frustrating to the modern traveler than making a service related comment or observation only to have it completely ignored. It is imperative to interact with these guests within hours, if not minutes, of their posting.
Tracking Results
As with any type of advertising, analytics are going to play a major role in deciding what is working and what is not. Posts should be monitored on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis to evaluate what is working and what needs to change. While all social media sites offer internal analytics, there are more detailed programs, such as HootSuite, that offer much more detailed analytics of the pages.
Social media should not be an afterthought for any Director of Marketing, but sadly, it often is. If it is not an afterthought, it is often contracted out to an agency generating generic posts they are using across the board for all of their clients. Social media is a very intimate relationship with your guests and should be treated as such. This is your direct voice to the traveler, your customer service outlet, and a very powerful marketing tool all rolled up into one.
Is your hotel or hospitality organization dropping the ball when it comes to social media? Do you need a Director of Marketing that fully comprehends the importance of integrating social media into the hotel’s marketing plan? When you are ready for change, consider Joseph David International. We have been successfully placing executive-level hotel managers for more than a decade for one simple reason… we don’t just find candidates, we find the perfect candidate for your property’s specific needs. For more information about our hotel management recruiting services, click here.
Photo By BrianAJackson