Even if you’re not a fan of Facebook or social media in general, you probably have an idea of the impact it can have on basically every facet of society, including the success of hotels.
NB: This is an article from Siteminder
Relying on OTAs alone to reach and acquire guests is not enough, nor is it always the most profitable.
The influence of social media simply shows no signs of slowing down and, even as new platforms like TikTok emerge, Facebook is still one of the most popular and powerful networks in the world – don’t worry, we’ve found some stats to prove it.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and stay up to date
In this blog we’ll give you a complete (but hopefully simple) overview of why Facebook marketing can be so important for your hotel, how to get started, and a bunch of tips and tricks to do it effectively.
Why your hotel needs a strong Facebook marketing strategy
Not being present or active with your hotel business on Facebook would be a huge misstep, especially given how likely it is that your competitors are using it to grow their brand and capture bookings.
But instead of just telling you that you need it to achieve better business results, let’s show you with 12 compelling statistics we found thanks to Facebook itself, HootSuite, Sprout Social, and Stackla:
- Facebook has 2.74 billion monthly users in 2021 – an increase of 12% since September 2019
- More than 55% of Facebook’s audience is under 35 years of age – a savvy, energetic demographic who are keen to travel. However this also signifies older generations are avid users of Facebook – highlighting the platform’s broad appeal.
- 76% of leisure travellers use the Facebook family of apps for travel related activities
- 38% use Facebook messenger to chat about trips to friends
- 74% are influenced by friends and family when deciding on travel plans
- 73% of US users login daily, while 93% login weekly
- Two-thirds of users visit a local business page weekly
- An average user clicks 12 Facebook ads each month
- 80% are exclusively mobile users
- The average ad price for Facebook decreased 9% in Q3 2020
- 86% of people said they’ve become interested in a specific travel destination after seeing user-generated content
- 52% of consumers say they’ve made plans to visit a destination based on media their family or friends have shared
Not only can statistics like this display how vital it is to engage travellers on Facebook, but they can also start to guide your plans too.
How your hotel can get started
Marketing on Facebook can be a lot easier than you think! There’s a lot you can do for free, quickly and easily, to influence your audience.
Before you get started…
First things first though, if you’re a new business owner or haven’t tried it before you need to set up your hotel Facebook page. To do this you need a personal page first. Once you have your profile active, you can create a new page for your hotel and get started on your business profile; choosing a category, entering property information and photos, before sending out invites to begin building your audience. The information you include on your hotel’s Facebook page should be much the same as your Google Business Profile.
During setup…
Ensure that you include:
- All current contact details
- Your property’s location details
- Professional or high-quality images
- Language that is accessible and aligned with your brand
- Links to your other online platforms such as Instagram or TripAdvisor
- Accurate and consistent information that matches your profile in other places on the internet
Now you’re ready…
Free marketing is the best marketing so you’ll want to build your number of followers as quickly as possible so you can start promoting your offers. Plus, once your page reaches 2000+ likes you’ll have an option to create custom page tabs so you can further customise your content.
Getting more likes and building your audience
To grow your hotel’s Facebook page organically – that is, without spending on ads – there’s a lot you can do to get some quick wins.
Start off by:
- Inviting your own contacts and friends to like your page
- Asking people you know to share and recommend your page or posts
- Add links to your Facebook page on your website, emails, Google Business Profile, and other social media sites such as Instagram or Twitter.
- Encourage guests or visitors to your hotel to join your page by putting displays on tables, your front desk, or on welcome packs in your rooms
Tips for content and community engagement
After the initial influx of followers you’ll have to work a little harder to grow – but you can still do it for free by posting quality content regularly and actively engaging with other pages and businesses.
For content, follow the 80/20 rule: 80% of posts should be about the local area and only 20% of posts should be about the hotel itself. Use insights to find out what your audience likes and when the best time to post is. We know from recent Sprout Social data, the highest engagement days on Facebook are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Posting three to 10 times each week can be used as a general guideline.
Additionally, if another local business or organisation mentions your hotel in a post on their Facebook page and tags your page, thank them, like the comment, and join in with the conversation. Facebook is a community so a sharing mentality here will serve you and your hotel well. Following and engaging with local businesses can benefit you in the long run.
