Social media marketing is the communication that businesses use to reach out to their audiences. Without social media marketing, the business world would not reach its full potential, goals will never be met and market pools will begin to stray onto new service or product providers to meet their needs in a more effective and modern manner. The hotel industry is no different.
What is social media marketing?
Social media marketing is the online advertising go-to for brands and companies looking to make a huge impact on their clients. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and a myriad of other platforms deliver quick and easy to consume material to niche target markets with the simple click of a button.
This revolutionary tool has made news faster than it ever was, and has created a sense of urgency in the market. In the hotel industry, social media marketing is needed to engage with consumers and explain to them what their hotel stands for, what it can offer and how it can provide a better experience than its competitors.
Here are five social media marking tips that hotels can adopt into their yearly marketing plans and budgets:
Plan out your social media strategy
Much like our daily life, achieving goals and targets runs a lot smoother when plans are in place. A social media plan or strategy allows you to see the full picture of your hotel brand’s potential. It allows you to interlink departments and creates a more streamlined impression of your hotel experience.
Take basic planning to a whole new level by incorporating special events, hotel functions, special offers and experiences into your strategy. This personable approach will allow you to attract more clients and hopefully retain a few based on your social media marketing strategy.
Set out your KPIs
What are your hotel goals? What do you hope to achieve in the year? What aspect of your business would you like to improve? These specific and measurable goals can be considered your KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and will allow you to keep staff, marketing teams and hotel owners happy with trackable progress in the form of data.
What’s your following?
We might not all relish in the fact that likes, clicks and follows from digital strangers is what keeps businesses alive; but we have to accept that it’s the truth and the only way to draw in more clientele. Older generations might not see the value in increasing following on Instagram, but the hotel-seeking, text-savvy millennials you’re trying to draw in are attached to their devices and specific platforms; hunting down the lastest and hottest hotels in the industry.
Boost your following with frequent posts, stories, giveaways, shared content and competitions to keep your followers on their toes. This will generate a brand ambassador mentality that will allow your hotel to boom on social media.
Consistency is key
Consistency is one of the things a reputable hotel should understand without error. Consistency is what keeps the standard up, whether it’s the specific fold of a guest towel or the temperature in guest rooms, hotels are expected to keep up appearances and their social media’s aesthetics are just as important in this day and age.
This is where your strategy comes in handy. Planning out a clear strategy allows you to get a bird’s eye view of the entire week, month or year. By cleverly using your analytics tools to track the best performing social media interaction with your market, you’ll be able to trace a pattern to gain more impressions and keep your work consistent.
Don’t forget to boost
For years, experts have suggested a balance between sponsored and organic content. And while they are definitely right; the balance between the two has shifted. Paid posts increase reach, travel beyond your following and attract new users to your pages. Every user that land on your page should be instantly posed with the question, “to book a hotel room – or not?”.
Boosted posts tease users, they draw them in and make sure that the steps needed to complete a booking are clear and easy to access. Boosting content on social media could definitely increase your ROI (Return on Investment).
Really and truly, social media marketing for hotels is no different from promoting any other industry. The key is to interact with your market in the most professional and friendly way; the crux of this all lies in the strategy; get in touch with 4Sight for advice on how to plan your social media marketing strategy and help you reach new potential with every post.