Marketing your hotel in only in the traditional way isn’t going to cut it anymore. Humans thrive on connection.
NB: This is an article from WIWT
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Building relationships, exchanging ideas, and staying connected are part of our nature. That’s where social selling shines. With social selling, your hotel can tap into this powerful instinct – and the potential is enormous, with over 39% of travellers using social media to plan their trips.
Social selling is the chance for your hotel to create trust, engage with potential guests on a personal level, and drive bookings in a competitive market. Let´s explore how social selling can set your hotel apart with this guide by our hotel marketing solution.
What Is Social Selling?
Social selling is all about leveraging social media to discover, connect with, and nurture meaningful relationships with your potential guests. Unlike hard selling—which focuses on aggressively promoting products or services—social selling thrives on authenticity, engagement, and value-driven interactions with your guests.
For hotels, this translates into using platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok in a strategic, and guest-focused ways:
Showcase the unique aspects of your hotel: Highlight what makes your property stand out.
- Share eye-catching photos and videos of your rooftop pool with sunset views, your locally inspired cuisine, or your serene spa facilities.
- Use Instagram Stories or TikTok to take followers behind the scenes, like a day in the life of your concierge or how your chef creates a signature dish. Real-life glimpses build excitement and intrigue.
Engage with travellers by answering questions and providing inspiration: Be active in responding to comments, DMs, and tags.
- If someone asks about nearby attractions, suggest your favourite hidden gems.
- When a potential guest comments on your post about an upcoming trip, recommend your top room choice or offer tips for their stay.
- Share travel inspiration through posts like “The Top 5 Things to Do Near Our Hotel” or “How to Spend 48 Hours in [Your Destination].” These personal touches make travellers feel valued and understood.
Build a community of loyal guests who advocate for your brand: Encourage past guests to share their experiences and tag your hotel.
- Repost their photos and thank them publicly—it not only shows appreciation but also creates social proof for potential guests.
- Start a branded hashtag (e.g., #StayWithUs or #[YourHotelNameStories]) to foster community engagement.
- Offer exclusive perks to your followers, such as a discount for direct bookings, to deepen their connection to your brand and encourage repeat stays.
Why Social Selling Matters for Hotels
Before jumping head-first into social selling, it´s always important to understand why it can matter so much for your hotel. From our experience, we´ve seen that your hotel can mainly benefit from:
- Personalized Guest Experiences: Social selling allows you to understand your audience’s preferences, enabling them to offer personalized recommendations and experiences.
- Enhanced Trust and Credibility: Engaging authentically with travellers on social media builds trust and positions the hotel as a credible and approachable brand.
- Broader Reach: Social media platforms have billions of users. Social selling taps into this vast audience, ensuring that the hotel’s offerings reach potential guests worldwide.
- Real-Time Engagement: Guests increasingly expect instant responses to their queries. Social selling enables hotels to engage with potential customers in real time, providing timely solutions and boosting conversion rates.
