We all know how vital hotel social media marketing is to a brand. Engagement, brand awareness, and interactive experiences draw guests to new places all over the world every day.
Something as simple as a mural on the side of a building can generate high engagement on social media. But with so much social saturation, how do you know which strategies to focus on?
Seek positive engagement and reviews
Hotels often forget about reviews via social media. Potential guests use reviews as a way to decide where they’re going to stay. Reviews have a significant influence on decision making across the board.
Guests don’t only check places like Expedia and Trip Advisor. They head to your Facebook and Twitter pages to see how you’re interacting and responding to guests. Positive comments and excellent resolution can make all the difference when it comes to your social media marketing.
Use Instagram to show off
You know by now that it’s hard to measure ROI when it comes to social media. Much of hotel social media marketing is about building brand awareness and engagement. Instagram falls into this category more times than not, but it’s still essential.
76% of travelers post photos of their trips via Instagram. Tap into user-generated content by sharing their experiences via regrams and reposts on your InstaStories. This does two things; it shows you’re engaging with your guests and serves as a peer recommendation at the same time.
Monitor relevant hashtags
With the right tools, tracking relevant keywords and hashtags is easy. But why is this important? Being able to jump into an online conversation while it’s happening is what we call “Social Selling.”
You’re able to position yourself as an expert and give advice when travelers need it most. In some cases, this can win you bookings if what they’re looking for is a place to stay in your location. Monitor the keywords that make the most sense for your brand, answer questions, and share relevant content. You’re building your audience and engaging at the same time.
Use Social Messaging
Messaging apps and chat boxes are growing in popularity. According to a 2018 report from Internet Trends, marketers frequently overlook WeChat, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger as avenues to reach guests.
These apps have over 1 billion active users monthly, which means there’s a huge potential there. Finding unique and new ways to use these messaging apps can put you in front of your target audience.
Always respond to customers
Did you know that 30% of people say they would switch to a competitor brand if they didn’t get a response on social media? That’s pretty telling as to what guests expect when they decide to stay with your brand. Even more telling? 71% said they’re likely to recommend a brand based on a positive social media interaction.
Gone are the days of using social media only to share your brand and what it’s about. It’s time to make sure you’re out there answering questions and being part of the conversation. Positive and fast response times can leave a lasting impression on current and future guests.
So, when it comes to your hotel social media marketing strategy, make sure engagement is at the very top of your list.
