Measuring the ROI of social media marketing
Some hoteliers are reluctant to invest in social media marketing because measuring its ROI can be a bit difficult. It’s true that social media strategies for hotels don’t always generate a lot of direct revenue, but they provide value in other ways. Hotel social media marketing focuses more on building your brand. It’s how hotels form deeper relationships with guests and become their number one destination. And as today’s travelers focus on experiences rather than specific amenities, social marketing is proving to be the best way to immerse guests in the entire experience a hotel stay has to offer.
Engaging guests and building your brand with hotel social media marketing
The interactive nature of social media is its biggest draw for most users, who love to share their experiences with others. You can leverage this by encouraging your guests to post pictures and comments from their stays on your Facebook wall, Twitter feed, and other social media pages.
The social media sites Pinterest and Instagram are great places to build your hotel brand and gain new guests. By inviting current guests to post photos of their favorite spots on hotel grounds, interesting events they attended, and local scenery, you will build an evocative portrait of all that a stay at your hotel has to offer. Video hotel marketing through YouTube takes hotel brand building to an even higher level. You can showcase your hotel’s key attributes with video tours of your grounds, amenities, and local activities.
Using hotel social media marketing to take control of your hotel’s reputation
Word of mouth has always been one of the most effective marketing tools for hotels. The hotel review sites that proliferate on social media are essentially word of mouth referrals – just in a digital format and with vastly wider reach. A recent study found that 81% of travelers find these user reviews important, and almost half (49%) of travelers won’t book a stay at a hotel that doesn’t have any reviews. The reviews these social media sites post are seen by millions of travelers around the world, giving hotels the opportunity to manage their reputation on a world-wide scale.
You can use hotel social media marketing to take control of your hotel’s reputation by making a point to respond quickly and positively to reviews and comments, especially negative ones. Appoint a member of your staff on every shift to monitor and respond Facebook, Twitter, and the major review sites within an hour of posts. Soon you’ll find guests using your hotel’s Twitter account as a customer service channel where they can make requests that they know will be swiftly met. Your guests will appreciate the excellent service and you will position your hotel as a customer-service oriented establishment where guests are valued.
Now that you know how to use social media to market your hotel, it’s time to put these strategies to use to ensure your hotel’s success! The marketing team at Travel Tech Strategies can help you develop a complete internet hotel marketing plan that includes responsive hotel web design, social media marketing services, expert SEO services, hotel mobile app development, and much more.
Contact Travel Tech Strategies today at 954-779-2801 for help implementing hotel social media marketing strategies that will build your brand and help ensure your hotel’s success!