Thanksgiving kicks off the busiest travel season for Americans. With all of the retail brands vying for the attention of shoppers, it can be incredibly hard to break through the noise and reach travelers online.
NB: This is an article from Travel Media Group
That’s why hoteliers should start planning their Thanksgiving social media posts and consider putting ad dollars behind those posts.
So how can you stand out? Try out some of these posts leading up to and during the Thanksgiving holiday.
1. Make your text posts visual
If you often share your 5-star reviews on social media or post about upcoming specials, consider making the text into a graphic instead of a plain text post. Social media posts with images get a 35% boost in retweets and are 37% more likely to get Facebook engagement. Interesting images can help a social media user to stop scrolling and take a look at your post. Don’t forget to include a direct link to your booking website in the post.
2. Fill rooms for Thanksgiving
If you still need to fill your hotel for the holiday, consider offering a social media special to book your hotel. Because Thanksgiving falls on a Thursday, a “book three nights, get one for $X/X% off/free” special is extremely attractive for weekend travelers. Sweeten the deal by sharing which local restaurants are open for Thanksgiving and information about local weekend events.
3. Capitalize on Black Friday for slow times
On Black Friday and the weekend after Thanksgiving, people are shopping, planning trips, and looking for deals. If you know that a certain time of year is always a low time for you, consider running a deal now to encourage bookings for that time. For the best chance of securing bookings, offer free cancellations, waive deposits, or include other value-adds like free parking or breakfast.
4. Ask: “What are you thankful for?”
It may seem simple, but asking an open-ended question is a great way to encourage engagement on social media. You can start by showing gratitude yourself. Consider featuring your housekeepers, managers, and maintenance workers and expressing your thanks for their help in giving your guests a great experience. This will help others want to share their own experiences and appreciation. More comments and likes on a post mean that more people will see this and other posts you make.
5. Encourage social sharing
Ask guests to share photos from their stay using a hashtag that you can track. You could set up a selfie station or hand out coloring sheets for kids to complete and pose with. Retweet and share photos that are posted to connect with guests online and encourage them to follow your profiles. This will help their connections to see your profile and like your page.
