The Importance of Social Media Marketing for Hotels

In a day and age where consumers are living in a digital-driven society, the importance of social media marketing for hotels continues to grow exponentially. This inexpensive marketing resource provides a platform for you to be authentic, share your brand, build a following and engage with both past and potential guests.

Social Media in the Hospitality Industry

From virtual travel to vacation inspiration, social media in the hospitality industry has exploded in recent years. New trends are constantly emerging, sparking a fear of missing out in individuals across the globe. Couple this with the urge to travel after the experience of a harrowing pandemic and countless hours of indoor scrolling and you can begin to realize the importance of social media marketing for hotels.

Social media platforms are one of our most effective ways for a direct connection with guests in various markets. 
Rivero Delgado, Area Vice President at Marriott International

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Hotel Social Media Strategy

A global social media statistics research summary recently found that more than half of the world now uses social media (approaching 60 percent), which includes 424 million new users in the past 12 months. The report also revealed that the average daily time spent using social media currently sits at a staggering 2.5 hours per day.

Given these substantial participation rates, it would be foolish not to dip your toes in the water and splash in the waves that social media continues to make.

Jump to section

1. Social Media Platforms That Make Sense
2. Creating Social Media Content For Your Hotel
3. Hotel Social Media Best Practice: Engagement
4. Tools to Manage Social Media for Your Hotel
5. The Cost to Advertise on Social Media
6. Setting Your Hotel Up For Success on Social Media

1. Social Media Platforms That Make Sense

Based on data, we know that Facebook, Instagram and Youtube are among the top five most-used social platforms available.

• Facebook is the most widely-used social media platform.
• At more than 30%, Instagram‘s largest age group lies between 25-34.
• YouTube highlights the ongoing, long-term shift toward creative video.

We also know that according to our pre-COVID 2019 Leisure Travel Study, nearly 40 percent of hotel guests viewed a property’s Facebook page prior to booking a room (52 percent when looking exclusively at Millennials).

How to Win Facebook Marketing for Hotels Post iOS 14.5

2. Creating Social Media Content For Your Hotel

There are a few rules of thumb when it comes to creating content for your hotel’s social media accounts:

• Be authentic, but don’t be afraid to get creative
• Stay on-brand and engage with your followers
• Allocate resources and be consistent in your efforts

Steer clear of trying to “sell” on social media. Instead, focus on what makes your hotel special and why your guests enjoy visiting. Do you offer a one-of-a-kind activity or amenity? Have you recently renovated? Are your rooms uniquely decorated? Is your property nestled in a five-star location? Are you an all-inclusive resort?

Here are a few ideas to help create social media content for your hotel:

• Share a live feed of events happening at your hotel
• Showcase an amenity or room at your property
• Suggest nearby restaurants or attractions
• Highlight upcoming events happening in the area
• Post eye-catching photos of your property

In some cases, where budget allows, it makes sense to entertain the idea of influencer marketing. This modern concept exploits the aforementioned fear of missing out that travel and tourism instills in people around the world.

3. Hotel Social Media Best Practice: Engagement

Connecting with your customers and building a relationship with your audience is crucial for success on social media. Engaging with followers allows you to glean insight from information that may have previously been unavailable to you.

This is your opportunity to bring your brand identity to life and bolster both on and offline marketing efforts. Here are a few helpful tips:

• Always respond to reviews – even if they are positive. It shows that you’re paying attention to feedback and value your guests.
• Answer questions – even if they are repetitive or the information is available elsewhere. Social media is a straightforward way for users to reach out when they can’t easily find what they are looking for.
• Support your destination and local partners through a collective effort to increase overall visitors.

Be sure to dedicate resources to managing this multi-platform marketing territory. Proper engagement on social media requires time and effort and only increases as your brand continues to grow.

4. Tools to Manage Social Media for Your Hotel

As the popularity of social media continues to skyrocket, a marketer’s toolbox increases too. Below are three of the top tools to help manage social media for your hotel:

• Hootsuite: As one of the first all-in-one social media management tools available, Hootsuite allows bulk uploading and boasts their own academy of resources.
• Sprout Social: Sprout is a user-friendly platform that offers all the basics and more, including analytics insights and engagement opportunities.
• Buffer: This budget-friendly option features an intuitive user interface for everyone from beginners to experts.

Creating a month-to-month content calendar in advance can drastically reduce last-minute frustration. You can also employ this timely tactic to reinforce overall marketing strategies for your hotel by incorporating cross-platform sharing, consistent brand messaging and more.

5. The Cost to Advertise on Social Media

We’ve already offered our strong recommendation to dedicate specific resources to your hotel’s social media management, which comes with its own cost. However, we haven’t even started to skim the surface of the alternative paid marketing solutions that each platform provides.

Paid advertising opportunities present themselves in a variety of ways across the gamut of social media marketing platforms. From lead ads to conversion events, the possibilities can be endless (and so can the budgets)!

Learn more about The Best Facebook Ad Formats for Hotels here.

6. Setting Your Hotel Up For Success on Social Media

As a data-driven digital marketing agency, it would be preposterous to omit analytics from our suggestion for your hotel’s social media strategy. As with any other form of marketing, social media is an investment and obtaining an understanding of what drives your bottom line is priceless.

Our top two tricks here are targeting and tracking. Narrow your audience to engage more qualified users and track your efforts to determine what is and isn’t working.

Learn more about Reaching the Right Traveler – Facebook Targeting for Hotels.

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Still not sure of the importance of social media marketing for hotels? The experts at TravelBoom can help convince you. Contact us today for help creating an elite social media campaign for your hotel.