Gain the Competitive Edge by using the power of Social Media
As the supply of hotels increases, hoteliers are left with the challenge to find a competitive advantage to win room nights in their market. Hotel teams that are shifting room nights into their hotels are now using Social Media as a tool to attract new guests and stay engaged with existing guests. Some of the best Social Media platforms for hotel include:
• Youtube
• Linked In
Each platform has their own benefits to attract new guests with Targeted Ads and eye-catching content. Data shows that social media users spend up to 4 hours per day on social media. Your hotel should be a part of the content they engage with.
10 Ways to Win with Social Media
1. Create, Obtain access or Claim your Social Media Pages. Surprisingly, many hoteliers have not created social media pages or do not have full access to manage them. Once you have full access to your platforms, provide non-admin access to specific team members to each social media platform to "get in the game."
2. Take the time to fully complete your profile which includes properly formatted cover photos, thumbnails, About info, contact info, direct links to your website for booking etc..
3. Upload high resolution photos. On Social Media, it's all about how you look! If your photos are not high in quality, you may lose a potential booking.
4. Video, Video, Video...! Hotels that are winning with social media use videos consistently. It seems like a long shot to get your staff of a 100 room hotel to take the time to shoot multiple videos. But with today's technology, high quality video can be produced with most smart phones. For example, if you have an onsite bar or restaurant, take a video of your bartender mixing a cocktail. This will be engaging to your followers, especially after a long flight!
5. Post to your Social Media pages at minimum 3 to 5 times per week using your high resolution photos and videos. Each post must include your phone number, address and direct link to your website for booking. The frequency in posting will spark the opportunity to engage with your followers and ultimately increase your chances of winning a reservation!
6. Acknowledge your guest's Check In and Posts. On most platforms, social media users have the ability to "check in" through their social platform to show their friends/followers where they are. Like that check in post and comment with a "Thank you for checking in with us" and ask for a follow of your page. This will go a long way with the guest that physically checked in at your hotel and also through social media. Their friends/followers will be impressed and when they comment about the property, this give you an opportunity to send an offer to book your hotel!
7. Follow your Competitors Followers. This is a powerful tool we use for all of our clients. What better way to shift customers from your competitor than by sending them a follow request and having them virtually visit your property on social media. Go to your competitor's social media page, click on Followers and send a few follow requests. Our data shows that up to 25% of the follow requests you send will result in a new follower. So, your next follow request could result in a new reservation!
8. Use Sponsored Ads to promote your hotel. Want to target guests that will be potentially attending an event near your hotel or what if you could target guests that are staying at your competitor's hotel? Well, you can and it is effective! Create a Sponsored Ad targeting specific criteria such as Marriott Reward Members, Hilton Honor Members, IHG Rewards members, target a 5 mile radius to your hotel or specific feeder cities for an upcoming event, set a budget and let your Sponsored Ad produce new bookings!
9. Ask for and Respond to Social Media reviews. While your brand reviews are extremely important, do not neglect social media reviews as they can help increase bookings when travelers visit you on social media.
10. Include Social Media Analytics to your Weekly/Monthly Revenue meetings. This will give you a clear direction on how many times you are being seen on Social Media and your R.O.I from the efforts of professionally managing your platforms.
Contact Us for Questions or a Consultation
The checklist above can be tough for some hotels to consistently execute. That is why we offer these services exclusively to hotel owners and management companies to provide a specialized approach to your Social Media efforts. We take a results-driven approach and never ask our clients to sign a contract because if our services are not effective, you should have to right to cancel at anytime. With this, we guarantee that you will see a profitable return to our services and start winning room nights with Social Media.
Contact Us: www.hiendmedia.com/contact