Winning the Social Media Game for Hotels

The hotel industry wasted no time in jumping on the revolutionary wave of digital marketing, particularly with their social media strategy. There is use denying how this platform has become such a useful extension of a hotel to make themselves heard.

However, the problem is that almost every hotel is on social media now, posting images, promos, vacation tips, and whatnot. Additionally, with the rise of hostels and Airbnb for the budget-tight traveler; you can say hotels have seen better social media days.

What will it take for a hotel to stand out again in the highly competitive and saturated social media and digital marketing world? Will posting memes be enough? Is it worth the risk to be the next sassy and snarky Twitter roaster like Wendy’s?

Before you jump the gun on any crazy social media or digital marketing strategies; we would like to run a few ideas with you first.

Post the Faces Behind Your Hotel on Social Media

Posting pictures of your rooms, pool, restaurant, and other such commodities are a given – but it is pretty basic. While it does make sense for every hotel to do this; since it is what the customers are after in the first place; have you thought of shining some light on actual faces for your social media strategy?

These faces being the staff behind taking care of your hotel; it can be the concierge, waiting staff, cooks, housekeeping, etc. Celebrate your team in your posts; and make it fun by posting a bit of a behind-the-scenes of them at work; or allowing them to share their stories about working at your hotel. 

However, while this all meant to be light and fun, do consider the staff’s privacy rights and your turnover rates. Make sure that when you do feature your team on social media; make sure they have fully agreed to it and that they will not be quitting any time soon.

Cut Loose and Have Fun On Your Hotel’s Social Media

Some hotels do not realize their freedom to let loose and have fun on social media; especially those that appeal to a wide range of audience demographics. Unlike other businesses like consulting offices that need to keep a formal tone; hotels can experiment with quirky and light content. 

Post memes, jokes, ask questions, create a poll – the options for light content can be endless for hotels. Of course, keep in mind not to go overboard that your posts are no longer relevant. Light content is excellent; but relating it to your industry by connecting information about your local area or traveling would make things even better. 

Tap the Interests of the Modern Traveler

Who are the modern travelers? These are usually young adults who tend to jump from one place to the other lugging along their laptops; and almost every time the first thing they do is ask for your WiFi password. Despite how they come off at first, most of the time, they are attached to the hip with their laptops and internet connection is because of their job.

The best way to pique their interests is to show off any neat co-working spaces you have in your hotel on your social media. If you do not have a designated co-working space, any area in your hotel people frequent to set up their laptops and work will do. You can even make use of a room with a great view by setting up a table and laptop right next to the window, adding a coffee cup for added drama.

What is Special About Your Location

The main reason why a guest would choose to book a hotel is because of its location, as it is usually what the whole point of their trip was. While content about your hotel is great, extending yourself a little and posting about your location is another excellent way to draw in social media followers and guests. 

Share a story that happened in your location, or post about fun, historical, and cultural facts. Basically, anything that can spark an interest in a person for them to visit the said location. Also, never miss out on posting events that are happening, especially big ones like festivals and celebrations. 

Put More Focus on User-Generated Content

Again we are talking about putting more faces on your social media. But aside from your staff, think about featuring your guests as well. Take note when a guest posts about staying at your hotel with pictures. Then, ask permission for you to reshare it on your official pages and even tag that guest so their friends can see your post.

Other fun ideas for creating user-generated content is posting a contest to inspire them to interact by commenting, sharing, or liking. However, similar to when you are posting about your staff, you need to be careful about your guest’s privacy rights and only post when you have full consent. 

The Road to Winning the Hotel Social Media Game

Overall it is all about bringing your social media profiles to a personal level if you want to stand out amongst other hotels. It can be a bit tricky compared to the basic type of content you would usually do, but try it out and see for yourself how humanizing your brand can do wonders for your digital marketing.

Should all the effort be a little too much for you, though, you can always consider hiring a social media virtual assistant in the Philippines or an internet marketing agency in the Philippines to help you out.

About Axel May Rivera

Axel is an avid fan of many dramas and songs. She is always eager to explore and discover more when it comes to movies and entertainment, especially in Korean and Filipino culture. In her free time, she enjoys reading books and playing badminton.