Social media, one of today’s most influential assets of marketing, may seem a fairly simple method in increasing your hotel’s online presence. However, there are a few important things you should consider to make sure you’re getting the most out of your platform. In this blog article, we’ll give you tips on the essential do’s and don’ts for your hotel’s social media and digital marketing strategies.
The Do’s
Creating A Strong Brand Identity:
Creating a compelling digital profile for your hotel’s business can work wonders for your brand’s image and identity, so it’s important that you’re putting out high-quality content that reflects your hotel’s brand and values. Some things as simple as high-quality images or a consistent colour palette across platforms can elevate your online presence and keep it visually cohesive.
If you’re willing to (and it’s within your business’ budget), it might be worthwhile investing in professional photography and videography that highlights the most attractive elements of your venue – this isn’t the be all end all, with today’s technology, high-quality images and videos can be produced at the press of a button on your phone, it’s completely up you.
Another little social media tip, don’t be afraid to incorporate your hotel’s logo into your posts, this small touch can really feed into your hotel’s level of brand recognition. Or maybe even putting some faces to the business! Things like showcasing your team members, featuring behind the scene glimpses, and offering sneak peeks to any upcoming hotel events make your page more ‘human’ and intrigue your audience.
Engaging with Your Audience:
Engaging with your target audience across social media platforms is a valuable strategy in hotel social media marketing, as it encourages regular interaction between your business and current/future clientele. This can be done through responding to comments and messages on a regular basis, and addressing any inquiries or concerns (even compliments) that guests may have, that way they feel heard and understood by you as an establishment – it creates a more personal connection as well as credibility and trust.
Another strategic tip is to encourage user-generated content, whether it be sharing guests’ experiences, reviews, or photos from their stay. This way, customers not only take your word for how wonderful your hotel is, but they also take each other’s – the proof is in the pudding.
Elements such as social media competitions, giveaways, and polls are also essential to your hotel’s online presence as they actively involve your target audience and increase user interaction. After all, shares, likes and comments can be crucial in driving engagement to your profile. However, it’s important to remember, before publishing any posts related to contests or giveaways, to check the social media platforms guidelines as they may have some limiting factors that, if disobeyed, can get your post or even profile flagged. It’s also important to ensure you’ve got some solid competition terms and conditions published too.
The Don’ts
Neglecting Reviews:
In hotel social media marketing, it’s important to regularly interact and respond to your reviews, whether they’re good or bad.
A common misconception is that if it’s a bad review, you should ignore it, maybe even try to hide it from your clientele. In reality, this isn’t the case. Regularly monitoring both kinds of reviews relays to your audience that you value guest feedback, showing them they can trust that they will be taken care of, and taken seriously. Obviously, showing gratitude for positive guest reviews helps highlight all the unique selling points of your establishment, but you also need to address the negative ones tactfully, apologise for any inconvenience, offering solutions publicly. If they have further concerns, it’s a good idea to take the conversation private to make sure you’re able to resolve the issue effectively.
Finding the right balance in content frequency:
In social media, whilst consistency is absolutely key in enhancing your hotel’s online presence, there is such a thing as over/under-posting content.
When under-posting content, there won’t be enough engagement with your audience as they won’t be seeing enough to be kept interested, this can ultimately lead to a loss of followers and reach across platforms, causing your online growth to stagnate. The contrary can be said for over-posting, too much content and you can bombard your audience, over time they will become overwhelmed and fatigued by your profile, causing them to unfollow.
Conclusion:
So, what are the main takeaways from this article? A well-branded social media profile is vital for your hotel’s brand awareness, customer engagement, and overall success in the hospitality industry. However, it’s so important to know the right level of consistency across platforms, over or under-doing it can deter clientele.
If you’re wanting to know more about how social media management can elevate your hotel business online, you can check out our other blogs for more advice. Additionally, if you’re looking for expert insight and support for your hotel’s social media marketing, you can check out our social media marketing services and get in contact with our team today.
