Facebook marketing for hotels has grown to new heights in recent years as social media sites continue to showcase the ability to reach a massive, worldwide audience.
NB: This is an article from Cvent
Put simply: If your property isn’t taking advantage of Facebook marketing, you’re probably missing out on a ton of revenue opportunities. In this post, we’ll walk you through Facebook marketing for hotels. We take a deep dive into why advertising on social media matters, explore how to create successful marketing content, provide resources to help assist you along the way, and much more.
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If you’re not personally a fan of social media, you may be asking yourself, “Do I really need a Facebook page for my hotel? Is it worth the time and effort?” Well, yes. It is. Still the most popular social media site in the world, an estimated 1.8 billion people are active on Facebook each day. The expansive audience size and potential revenue pool should put Facebook marketing near the top of your priority list when it comes to maximising your hotel’s digital marketing efforts.
Key benefits of Facebook marketing for hotels
Through content management, demographic targeting, and customisable ad campaigns, hotels that utilise Facebook successfully are able to accomplish numerous goals at once. In fact, hotels that commit to Facebook marketing:
- Stay more connected to guests by encouraging and responding to feedback.
- Build brand awareness and promote company goals by sharing core values, tracking improvements, and providing brand content.
- Expand their audience reach and drive more business to their property through captivating CTAs.
- Promote packages, discounts, and exclusive rates that increase occupancy and boost revenue.
- Increase guest loyalty by providing value-based content for their online audience.
In the digital transformation era, where social media dominates our information stream, Facebook continues to prove that it’s an invaluable resource for hotels.
Creating and maintaining a Facebook Business Page
To create a Facebook Business Page, you will need a personal page first. Once your profile is set up, simply choose “Create New Page” from the drop-down menu and get started. From there, you will choose a business category, enter your property information, and add photos and other content before sending out invites and building your online audience.
To build a Facebook Business Page that generates traffic and drives business to your hotel, follow these guidelines:
- Include current contact information.
- Include location to boost search results.
- Ensure property information is accurate and consistent across all platforms.
- Include professional-level photos.
- Add a “property tour” video, panoramas, or a 360 carousel view of the hotel.
- Use a professional, accessible voice in your posts.
- Link other online platforms and hotel listings to your page. Include TripAdvisor, your Instagram account, and your Cvent venue profile.
Create a tempting profile that captures attention and makes viewers want to see more.
5 of the most impactful Facebook marketing features
Facebook is an incredibly user-friendly platform that provides ample information and tutorials for every content feature they include. Creating a full, content-rich profile will give your property a professional appearance and encourage viewers to spend more time on your page as they explore.
- Posts. Regularly provide information about hotel improvements, policy changes, staff highlights, amenities, and so on. Share images of team celebrations, satisfied guests, and hotel sales efforts. For small sales teams, or marketing managers with packed calendars, scheduled posting will be a lifesaver. Schedule content to post ahead of time during busy seasons, vacations, or other times that regular updating may become difficult.
- Promos. Share content that promotes overnight packages, all-inclusive meeting options, or discount and promotional booking codes. Consider offering an exclusive discount code to help track the success of Facebook conversions. For example: “Use code FBK10 to receive an exclusive 10% discount for your 2-night stay this fall”
- Stories. On average, adults have an attention span that lasts between 8-12 seconds. As a result, Facebook stories have become an ideal online marketing tool that promotes and maintains customer engagement. Add and update Facebook stories to provide viewers with quick snippets of engaging content. In addition to capturing attention, short videos can help travellers get a sense of your property’s enthusiasm level and dedication to service.
- Events. Use Facebook to promote events taking place at your property or in the local community. Pay close attention to page updates from top accounts, local attractions, area demand drivers, and local tourism pages. Your area Chamber of Commerce likely shares relevant news and event information on their page regularly. RSVP to local networking events, fundraisers, and mixers. You can also view the guestlist for events ahead of time. By scanning the list of RSVPs beforehand, you’ll give yourself the opportunity to prepare targeted marketing materials.
- Reviews. Read and respond to hotel reviews consistently. While it’s not necessary to respond to every single review, hotels should strive to respond to at least 40% of guest feedback, and always respond to negative reviews. Address concerns and offer a constructive response in return. Be kind, courteous, and gracious in your response. Additionally, including a linked logo in hotel email signatures or other online listing sources will help drive guests to your Facebook profile. Share outstanding guest reviews and encourage your in-house guests to leave a review on Facebook as well.
