If you have never run Facebook ads for your hotel, it is a low-cost option to try. You can get started with as little as $20 and do some testing.

It is important to go into running ads on social media with a different mindset as compared to Expedia Travel Ads. When running ads through Expedia Travel Ads, that user is currently farther in the booking cycle and actively looking to make a transaction. When someone is scrolling through their Facebook feed, they may not be inclined to leave their “friend” space to make a transaction at that time.

While clicks to your website are important, also give value to engagement. If you can engage with future customers now, then it is more likely your hotel will be in their consideration set when it is time to make a booking. Digital KPIs for social media may be different than other digital channels.

Facebook has seriously awesome targeting parameters to get your hotel in front of potential customers that align with a business’ target market and need periods.

Define your Transient Demand Generators

Hotels have endless options to align with their demand generators and target markets in specific geographic areas.

Most large demand generators show up as an interest. To get the ideas flowing, think about some of these that might have a strong following:

  • Music Venues
  • Sports Stadiums
  • Universities and Colleges
  • Amusement Parks
  • Zoos & Museums
  • Convention & Conference Centers
  • Shopping & Outlet Malls
  • Festivals & Events

Targeting Options for Hotels

For event-specific targeting, you have a few options. If the event has an event page on Facebook already built, consider 1) sharing to your page and 2) commenting about your offering on the event page. Then, you can choose to put funds behind those efforts.

For events at music or sports venues, look to see if it aligns with dates where occupancy may be low. If this is the case, consider targeting those who like the specific musician or band that is playing with drive radius. Similarly, for sports venues, your home team likely has a great following, but consider targeting the opposing (travel) team’s followers that may be more likely to need a hotel.

Facebook ads are a great way to leverage local packages you have created with other partners, like restaurants, public transportation facilities or demand generators.

If you are interested in booking weddings in your event space, you can select Newly Engaged as a parameter, broken down into 1 year, 6 months or 3 months. Then, align that with a geo parameter, like a 25-mile radius around your city or choose specific zip codes. For this style, be sure to choose Lead Generation when setting up the ad. This feature allows you to create an RFP in which the user’s profile auto-populates many fields, making a mobile submission easier.

If you are a flagged hotel under a major brand, you can target those followers of your specific brand, and couple that with feeder cities to your city. Some large brands have a separate page for their Rewards platform.

If you are a pet-friendly hotel, you can get creative and select Pet Lovers or Dog Lovers, then add an additional parameter (Must Also Match) that they like Hotels or Travel. Lastly, since most people travel with their pet in their car, target cities along the interstate nearest to your hotel.

Does your CVB (Convention Visitors Bureau) allow posts on their page on behalf of your hotel? If not, consider paying via Facebook to target their audience.

Next Steps

Once you have an idea of who you want to target and when, then you can follow the step-by-step instructions on how to run a Facebook ad.