Hotel Social Media Webcast by Kristi White, VP, Project Management, Knowland
featuring Tammie Carlisle, Head of Hospitality, Milestone
This webcast brought together Kristi White and marketing maven Tammie Carlisle from Milestone, a leading provider of digital solutions for hospitality, for a lively conversation on how to leverage social media in your 2021 marketing plans – and get results!
Kristi noted a recent blog post from Milestone was possibly the most comprehensive guide to social media she has seen. The two discussed what drove the development of this guide and how hotels can benefit from following this advice.
Key takeaways of the discussion include:
The three components of social media marketing: Tammie outlined the three types of social media marketing agencies us to share data. Photos and images and the feel-good aspect they bring; PR/influencer posts and posts that trigger the proper SEO. With that in mind, tapping into the travelers’ needs and desires will help your hotel succeed.
She noted that people are spending more time on social channels and now is a good time to engage with consumers that are stuck at home. Pent-up travel demand is just around the corner, whether it is leisure, weddings or visiting family, so tapping into aspirational travel with thoughtful social media can play a role in keeping return business. As the vaccine rolls out, many will be revving their engines to travel, anywhere that isn’t home. Tammie calls it “vaccication”.
Start small and build, but be consistent: Before you begin down the social media path, understand your business objectives, obviously revenue is the biggest, but beyond that, do you need to build awareness, or try to get meetings back, or convert your meeting space to the leisure travelers that are currently booking? If you are just starting, be mindful and start small and build. Tammi provided great suggestions for different groups and advice for how to get started and which channels are appropriate for your goals.
Pay attention to each channel’s demographic according to your hotel’s consumer base. Post and see what days/times are most successful. Pay attention to when your followers engage with your posts. If you are just starting out, start with Facebook, set up a business profile and look to build awareness. Be consistent in frequency, the voice, the tone and the messaging of your posts.
The Do’s and Don’ts: The number one rule for gaining loyal followers is don’t spam or only post specials or a call to stay at your hotel. Follow the 80/10/10 content rule. 80% informational, 10% navigational and 10% transactional. Your followers will thank you.
If you are a salesperson, use pictures and commentary for any activity you are currently having at your property. Do things around what your meeting planners want to see to gauge how your property is handling meetings. Make sure you are covering your events and share via social to ensure both MPs and customers see the activity.
Look at niche markets. They may not have the volume but may be relevant for your hotel. Fan sites for nearby theme parks, or other venues that may be opening up in the coming months, may provide a way to tap into usable hashtags. Use group hashtags to pick up business from that “Still need a room for #event”
Listen to the webcast recording here in to gain more valuable tips.
