The Importance of Social Media Marketing for Hotels

Hoteliers shouldn’t underestimate the importance of implementing social media marketing for a property, because it is a powerhouse for driving direct bookings. In today’s digital-driven society, the influence of social media continues to grow exponentially among travelers of all ages. Hotels can use social platforms for inexpensive yet effective marketing by running optimized ad campaigns, posting authentic content highlighting features and amenities, hosting contests and giveaways, and sharing user-generated posts plus branded stories and visuals that get travelers’ attention. 

Social Media in the Hospitality Industry

From virtual travel to vacation inspiration, the use of social media in the hospitality industry has exploded in recent years. New trends are constantly emerging, sparking ‘fear of missing out’—FOMO—and travel envy among individuals across the globe. Thanks to influencer marketing for hotels and multimedia advertising opportunities, properties of any size can use social media marketing to make lasting impressions with potential guests. Attracting guests to your hotel through social media requires a strategy for creating a compelling online presence that’s responsive, offers searchers valuable, authentic content and high-quality visuals, and speaks to your target audience on the channels they use most.

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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How Hotels Can Capitalize on Social Media

Given the 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. Read on as we walk through ideas to help you capture your audience’s attention in this competitive landscape so you don’t miss out on this important marketing channel.

1. Select Social Media Platforms That Make Sense

Based on data, we know that Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are among the top five most-used social platforms available. Marketers must understand which audiences gravitate to each platform to make the most of social media marketing for their hotels. If you’re trying to attract younger hotel guests, market on the platform where they are likely to spend time—and then apply this same strategy to any group or demographic. Here are some facts about social media users and channels to consider: 

• Facebook is the most widely used social media platform.
• 75% of Instagram’s active users are between 18 and 24 years old, followed by users 25–30 years old (57%).
• YouTube’s popularity correlates with the ongoing, long-term shift toward creative video.
• Nearly 85% of social media users fall between 18 and 29 years old.
• TikTok was downloaded on 1 in 5 devices in the past 24 months.

2. Create Quality Social Media Marketing Content for Your Hotel

You’ll need to dedicate time to content creation for social media marketing for hotels because most brands should post three to five times weekly on Instagram and TikTok, once or twice per day on Facebook and X; IG Stories and Threads audiences welcome up to three posts per day. There are a few rules of thumb for creating hotel content that ranks, and when planning a hotel’s social media materials, keep these tips in mind:

• Be authentic, but don’t be afraid to get creative
• Stay on-brand and engage with your followers
• Allocate resources so you post high-quality content, consistently

As a hotel social media marketing agency, we’ve seen the negative impact of trying to “sell” on social media. Instead, focus on communicating 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

Where budget allows, entertain the idea of influencer marketing to reach a new audience and offer fresh, relatable content.

3. Follow Best Practices for Social Media Engagement

Connecting with your customers and building a relationship with your audience is a crucial aspect of social media marketing for hotels. Engaging with followers allows you to glean insights about their habits and preferences that may have previously been unavailable to you.

Social media provides opportunities to bring your brand identity to life and strengthen your marketing efforts. Here are a few helpful tips to improve your engagement and make the most of your online interactions:

• 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 information.
• Support your destination and local partners through a collective effort to increase overall visitors.
• Dedicate resources to managing your social media community. Proper engagement on social media requires time and effort and only increases as your brand continues to grow.

4. Use Tools To Manage Social Media for Your Hotel

As the popularity of social media continues to skyrocket, a marketer’s toolbox must also grow. Below are three of the top tools to help manage social media marketing campaigns and engagement for your hotel:

• Hootsuite: As one of the first all-in-one social media management tools available, Hootsuite allows bulk uploading and boasts an academy of resources.
• Sprout Social: This user-friendly platform offers all the basics and more, including analytical 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. Tracking social posts along with other marketing campaigns, like email or print media for your hotel, makes it easier to keep brand messaging consistent and implement repurposed content for improved efficiency.

5. Budget for Social Media Advertising

The Global Statshot data suggests that social media ads are a big factor in brand awareness, with 29.6% of internet users discovering brands, products, and services this way (topped only by search engines, TV ads, and word-of-mouth). We’ve already offered our strong recommendation to dedicate specific resources to your hotel’s social media management, which comes with its own cost, but this is a worthy investment to capture new leads. 

We haven’t even started to skim the surface of paid social media marketing solutions for hotels. Hoteliers have many advertising options across the gamut of social platforms. Facebook alone supports countless ad formats and between lead generation and promoted posts, the possibilities can be endless (and so can the budgets).

6. Setting Up Your Hotel for Success on Social Media

As a data-driven digital marketing agency for hotels, we must emphasize the importance of analytics in your hotel’s advertising strategy. As with any other form of marketing, social media is an investment, and obtaining an understanding of what drives your bottom line through actionable insights and data 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 travelers.

Social media marketing for hotels is worth investing your time, effort, and ad dollars into to capture leads throughout the sales funnel and convert prospects into paying guests. If you need help making the most out of this important marketing channel, contact TravelBoom. Our agency offers elite social media campaign creation and management for hotels—just ask our satisfied clients.