Social Media Marketing Tips for Hotels

With 2.3 billion social media users active world-wide, and 36% of online travellers visiting social networking sites to influence destination selection, social media marketing in the hotel industry is now more important than ever.

Here, we provide you with some useful hints and tips for boosting and managing your hotel’s online presence.

Content is king

Good content is the backbone of any successful social marketing strategy. Relevant, interesting posts can be used to drive targeted traffic to you website, increase your following, and build brand loyalty. Favour quality over quantity when it comes to social media marketing, making sure that your content is engaging and meaningful, rather than obtrusive.

A picture is worth 1000 words

Due to the fact that visual content is 40 times more likely to get shared on social media than other types of content (bufferapp.com), make sure to showcase as many pictures as possible when marketing your accommodation establishment on social media. Include pictures of rooms, facilities, restaurants, public spaces, and activities to entice guests and provide them with an idea of what’s to come. What’s more, to give travellers a broader sense of what to expect when on holiday, provide pictures of the surrounding area and of attractions worth checking out.

Advertise, advertise, advertise

With social media ad spending likely to exceed $35 billion in 2017, social media advertising is essential in this day and age. Benefits for a well-executed social media ad include increased brand recognition, improved brand loyalty, increased web traffic, higher conversion rates, and more. The most common social media platforms for advertising are Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Choose your hashtags wisely

Three different kinds of hashtags are important when marketing hotels on Instagram or Twitter: trending, niche, and contest hashtags. Trending hashtags can be utilised to increase brand awareness, niche hashtags are used to get people excited, while contest hashtags are used to boost engagement. Figuring out which ones to use when will require a fair amount research, however, the benefits greatly outweigh time spent. Choose a simply, easy-to-read hashtag for your business and then use this in conjunction with other relevant hashtags when posting.

Run regular competitions

Contests on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram are a simple, yet effective way to increase brand exposure and encourage engagement. Pick a platform, come up with an end goal – be it building leading or boosting followers – define your audience, and then choose the best contest for your needs. Key points to keep in mind are to ensure the competition is easy to enter, easy to share and easy to participate in.

To find out more about social media marketing for hotels, or hotel management in general, simply contact Hotel Revenue Management on jaco@hotel-revenue-manager.com or +27 744 90 77 11.