Any hotel or resort which wants to establish their property’s social media channels OR make their existing social media more effective naturally has some key questions.
And you are not alone.
Many hotels – particularly independent properties or those which are flagged by brands yet can’t afford to have a full-time social media person or agency on retainer – are forced to figure out how to most effectively implement an effective social media strategy to help drive business to their hotel. While the task may be daunting, it’s not impossible and can offer distinct benefits.
The Basic Questions Hotels Have About Social Media
Many hotels working to improve or begin their social media activities have the following questions: Which social media platforms should I be on? What metrics should I pay attention to? What part of my overall marketing funnel will my social media strategy impact? How is social media creating value and helping me steal market share?
To answer these questions, hoteliers need to understand what the foundation of hotel property social media comprises – and more importantly, what it does not.
The most basic definition of what social media for anyone involved in hospitality or travel is as follows:
A hotel’s social media objective is to create brand awareness, curate a sense of place, inspire wanderlust, and influence the customer purchasing journey.
The core platforms being referenced above as “social media” are Instagram and Facebook.
How Social Media Differs from Your Website
A traditional website approach, on the other hand, is everything social media is not. It is about precision, accuracy in details, and incredibly clear and direct information with regard to showcasing specific offerings (facilities, amenities, etc.).
A hotel’s website is where the conversions happen (bottom line marketing funnel), and the path to get the customer to that point is where your social media strategy can be leveraged for optimal influence. To break it down, hotel websites are where we can track tangible ROI (return on investment) while social media presence is where we can track ROI in terms of [PB1] impact/influence via specific KPIs*.
