Flagged hotels enjoy an established presence in the global marketplace and the trust that goes along with that. But… despite the common misconception that the brand is entirely responsible for driving every flagged property’s bookings, successful hotel marketing is a joint effort at both the brand and property level.
Remember: your brand’s marketing team is servicing hundreds of hotels (often several in the same city) and providing the same tools to all of you. Think about that… every hotel in the brand family is getting the same marketing and sales templates, the same loyalty database, the same hotel website design and hotel booking engine.
Every same-branded property receives the same marketing assets, regardless of amenities, destination, or target audience.
But every flagged hotel has its own unique story to tell and few platforms are as well equipped to convey those stories as Instagram.
Instagram represents an opportunity for flagged hotels to shift travelers’ perceptions of a boring, me-too branded property to a unique travel experience not found anywhere else. The content is universal, shareable and easily understood by a wide range of audiences.
Tambourine’s Social Media Director Elle Andress details 4 ways Instagram can help social media teams at flagged hotels differentiate their properties:
-
Avoiding sterility
Today, people are investing their travel dollars in authentic experiences that immerse them in the local culture and lifestyle. They’re hungry for local secrets, bold adventures and seeing parts of the city that most tourists don’t see.
When your corporate brand team has control of your online marketing, they won’t be able to convey those local gems. First off, because they’re not even there. They don’t know what makes your destination so special.
They don’t understand the culture, the awesome mom-and-pop stores, and restaurants that give your neighborhood character or know the local secrets. Only you and your local marketing staff can tell a compelling story that will actually drive bookings.
Instagram is the ideal platform to showcase the images that make your flagged property unique in the eyes of potential guests and avoid perceived “sterility.”
