Hotels are quickly learning that social media is an essential piece of the digital marketing puzzle. While some hoteliers may feel overwhelmed by all of the options, there are a variety of ways hotels can use social media to their advantage. It's important to know which platforms to use, when to post, and even more crucially - what to post.
As a hotel marketer or owner, you should know how social media can help you reach new guests and generate more revenue. If you're unsure where to start, this article can help you learn new strategies and follow social media trends.
Why is Social Media Important for Hotels?
Social media has taken on a life of its own. Over a billion people are using the most popular platforms, and with new ones popping up all the time, it's vital to be on social media. Hotels can reach new potential guests through social media, connect with guests who have stayed there, and even promote specials or deals.
Social media is important for many industries, but it's becoming increasingly crucial for travel. Travelers trust recommendations from family and friends, and today, online reviews are just as critical as personal recommendations. Pictures of incredible vacations and travel experiences can easily sway a potential guest. With 97% of millennials saying they post pictures while on vacation, hotels should be doing their best to capitalize on that trend.
When used correctly, social media can be a powerful tool to reach new guests and grow your business.
Best Social Media Strategies for Hotels
Now that we've gone over some basics let's get into strategies. As a hotel, you should be on multiple platforms, but you don't need to be everywhere. It's more important to focus on quality over quantity. Figure out which platforms your target guests are using and start there. This can take some dedicated research to find your target audience and their preferred platforms. The biggest platforms in the travel space are Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. But don't forget about travel-specific sites as well; be active on Travelocity and Trip Advisor to reach even more potential guests.
Once you've established your presence, it's essential to be consistent with your posting. If you only post once in a while, guests will quickly forget about you. But if you're constantly bombarding them with content, they'll get annoyed and tune you out. Find a happy medium and stick to a posting schedule.
One way to make it easier to post consistently is by using automated software to schedule your posts. Using an app like Meet Edgar, Hootsuite, or Sprout Social can help you create content, schedule, and post for you. You can use Google Analytics or HubSpot to track when your audience is most active on social media to engage your followers better.
When it comes to what to post, mix it up! Posts that perform well are ones that are personal, relatable, informative, or funny. People want to see more than just pictures of your hotel - although those are important too! Give potential guests a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into running a hotel or show them what makes your hotel unique. You can also post about local events or attractions, share travel tips, or show off your staff's personality.
Another social media strategy that hotels should consider is using influencers. Partnering with relevant influencers can help increase your reach and brand awareness. When looking for influencers to partner with, look for ones with a large following in your target market. You'll also want to consider working with micro-influencers as they tend to have higher engagement rates than larger influencers.
As technology advances, so do the opportunities for hotels on social media. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are two newer technologies that hotels can use to give potential guests a taste of their experience. These types of posts tend to perform well on social media and can help increase bookings.
Content for Social Media Marketing for Hotels
Creating quality content is essential for any social media marketing campaign, but it can be tricky to develop new ideas. The most important part of creating high-quality content is its value. It must be valuable or helpful to make the most impact.
Your potential guests want to see where they're staying. Share photos and videos of your hotel, rooms, amenities, and surroundings. These photos and videos can be fun, serious, or simply informational.
Give potential guests a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into running a hotel. Maybe your head chef is exciting; show their work or share how they develop new recipes. Have one of your staff take photos throughout their day and post a series of photos.
Post about local events or attractions. People like seeing what there is to do in the area. Consider partnering with local attractions to boost your visibility.
If you run a hotel, you know a thing or two about travel. Share travel tips or helpful advice. Maybe you can post a map of the local airport for potential guests to view. You could post a packing list for business travelers or a list of the best kid-friendly attractions.
Use augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) to give potential guests a taste of their experience. These types of posts are trendy right now and can really set your hotel apart.
Offer special discounts or promotions. Use your social media to create a buzz about your current deals. You can use social media to create a custom promo code that only social media users can use.
Host a social media contest or giveaway. Social media contests are a great way to increase engagement and followers. They can also be used to generate leads or boost bookings.
Using a mix of these content ideas, you can create a well-rounded social media strategy that will help increase brand awareness and drive bookings.
Best Social Media Platforms for Hotels
With so many platforms on the social media market today, it can be tricky to find the right ones for your hotel. The most important thing is to find popular platforms with your target market.
Some of the best social media platforms for hotels include:
Facebook: With over two billion monthly active users, Facebook is one of the largest social media platforms. It's an excellent platform for sharing photos and videos, creating ads, and running contests or giveaways.
Instagram: This visual platform is perfect for hotels. Share beautiful photos and videos of your hotel, rooms, amenities, surroundings, and more. You can also use Instagram Stories to give potential guests a behind-the-scenes look at your hotel.
Twitter: This platform is great for sharing news, updates, travel tips, or promoting special deals or promotions.
Snapchat: This platform is perfect for giving potential guests a behind-the-scenes look at your hotel. You can also use it to share special deals or promotions.
Pinterest: This visual platform is perfect for hotels. Share photos and videos of your hotel, rooms, amenities, surroundings, and more. You can also use Pinterest to create virtual tours of your hotel.
Tik-Tok: This short-form video platform is perfect for hotels. Share fun videos of your hotel, rooms, amenities, surroundings, and more. You can also use TikTok to give potential guests a behind-the-scenes look at your hotel.
YouTube: This video platform is perfect for sharing informational videos about your hotel or the surrounding area. You can also use it to create virtual tours of your hotel.
By using a mix of these platforms, you can reach a wider audience and give potential guests a well-rounded look at your hotel.
Hotels need to use social media as part of their marketing strategy as the world becomes more digital. Social media is a great way to increase brand awareness, drive bookings, and connect with potential guests.
When used correctly, social media can be a powerful tool for hotels. It allows you to reach a wider audience, connect with potential guests, and create a buzz about your hotel.
If you're not using social media as part of your marketing strategy, you're missing out on a great opportunity to reach potential guests and boost bookings.
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