Hotels are today facing a new Social Media reality. I will here share some behind the scene tips on How to protect your Hotel.

I have a Secret to share with you today. Back in the days I worked for the Military in home country Norway. I was part of a team where our primary responsibility was to set up the IT Infrastructure.

One of our main focuses was on Security. We were required to follow the Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria (TCSEC), or as we popularly called it “Orange Book”. The security levels where divided into four levels, D, C, B and A.

D represents minimal protections which was typical for some of the first computers that directly accessed the operating system. The C levels typically require some form of password identification to access, which today is standard for most Windows based computers. B level is a structured security system that includes a security policy, structured security similar to CAPTCHA requirements and secure domains. This is typically where we find most Social Networks today. A level security is the most complex security level that require security all down to code levels. This is a very complex and difficult level for any brand to meet the requirements off.

Get FREE updates delivered directly to your email. Just fill in your email Click Submit Now and get Started Today!

Why Hotels today need a Risk Management Strategy

Risk Management is part of your Hotels Reputation Management. I often experience that the Hotel Family raise concerns related to Social Networking. Many of these concerns are related to security, privacy and brand integrity.

Social Networks like Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Facebook today all meet the requirements of B level security. They all is hosted on secure domain; and all is structured to develop a functional security policy for your Hotel. Today all of these Social Networks has included two-step verification processes.

This is optimal security that we can require from any type of online service today. So the challenges today is very similar as when I worked for the Military, or primary challenge is often related to Human Behavior.

We will address these challenges by first put in place Social Media Guidelines that focus on Human Behavior. On important factor when you develop your Hotels Social Media Guidelines, do this in collaboration with all team members. The reason for that is often reflected in that your Social Media Guidelines is not stronger then weakest link in your organization. And very often when there is a concern Many Hotel Brands tend to focus on the problem itself, then the cause of the problem.

Core elements to implement in your Hotels Social Media Guideline:

• Be transparent – provide honest and truthful information – disclose your relationship with the brand
• Be judicious – don’t violate your brands privacy and confidentiality
• Be authentic – make sure your write about your area of expertise, when you write outside your area of expertise provide proper disclosure
• Be perceptive – represent your brand, be consistent, be proud of who you are and your brands identity
• Reach out – engage in the conversation, identify consumers that mention your brand or niche
• Add value – identify your consumer’s needs and wants, and add value related to this
• Be a thought leader – make your content open-ended, be proactive and anticipate trends, don’t talk negative about your competitions SEND– why not refer to them?
• Create excitement – share the values you learn, share Social Goodwill and leave Social Footprints
• Did you screw up? – If you make mistakes – ADMIT IT!
• Pause – if you question your knowledge or info, then pause and ask for others opinion within your own organization before you hit
• Rinse/Repeat – developing your Social Media Guidelines is an ongoing process. Adapting to changes and new requirements is important. And it also important to be open to change when the process raise concerns

I learned a lot about Customer Experience and Social Network Security from my friends at IBM. @Jay_Henderson is one of the team members that showed me the value of combine Customer Experience with security. IBM has combined Risk Management and Reputation Management in a way that effective allow us to listen and manage our brand reputation.

1. Put someone on charge
Your Hotel need one person in charge that will oversee the process of combining Risk Management and Reputation Management
2. Make the compliance and reputation connection
Measure Risk Management and Reputation Management against your Hotels Social Media Guidelines
3. Reevaluate the impact of Social Media
Your Social Media Guidelines should address both the negative and positive effects
4. Keep an eye on your supply line
There is a lot great third-party applications that allow us to improve our Social Media Experience. But some third-party applications comes with an additional security risk. So get familiar with third-party applications to be sure that they meet your Hotel Requirements set in your Hotels Social Media Guidelines
5. Avoid complacency
One of the unique characters of Social Media is that is very Dynamic. This will require your Hotel to be Dynamic with your Hotels Social Media Guidelines. It will be an ongoing process that change and adapt. Concerns need to be addressed immediate, and eliminate any gaps in your process
6. Fund remediation; invest in prevention
Critical IT systems should be part of your core Hotels Social Media Strategy
7. Common Sense
The value of your Hotel Reputation is very critical today. It is important that every team member of your Hotel work in accordance with your Hotels Social Media Guidelines. Don’t over complicate security, focus on common sense strategies.

Take proper actions steps according to your Hotels Risk Management Strategy. Make sure you have activated two-step verification for Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and Facebook. Many tend to blame Social Networks and don’t even have a proper Password strategy in place. We are at the Social Media tipping point. Hotels can no longer afford to stand on the sideline. But at the same time we have to assure proper actions is taken to control Hotels security, privacy and brand integrity.

What Is Your Thoughts?

Are Social Media to much of a risk factor for the modern Hotels of today?

Get FREE updates delivered directly to your email. Just fill in your email Click Submit Now and get Started Today!

About the author

Are Morch is the founder and owner of Are Morch – Hotel Blogger. Get more from Are on Google+ | LinkedIn | Twitter

Learn more about my Hotel Collaboration Projects

Hotel remarketing is how you deliver your message to past visitors to your website who were not ready to make a booking decision. These warm leads are likely to be interested in staying at your hotel. Reminding them afterwards to return and make a booking is your best call to action.

The most common form of remarketing uses costly pay-per-click banner ads on the Google Display Network or social media sites. There are budget-friendly options that take advantage of the effectiveness of email marketing. These include email newsletter automation as well as travel remarketing tools like the Book Later Button.

Hotel Booking Conversion Funnel
The direct booking funnel is familiar to all hospitality businesses. This summarized view of the sequential process will make it easier for hotel marketers to visualize what is missing.

During the “Awareness” stage, you leverage every online marketing method to make consumers aware of your hotel brand. When they are planning a trip and looking to book lodgings, your hotel website should be familiar, have a positive reputation, and be easy to reach.

Once visitors reaches your hotel website they become “Prospects.” It is the job of your site to convince them to make a reservation before they browse elsewhere. Therefore visitors must be convinced that your hotel is the place to stay by leading them down the conversion path.

Finally “Bookings” are the successful result of the hotel conversion funnel. Measurements of your online marketing return on investment (ROI) are based on how well you can turn lookers (prospects) into bookers.

Hotel Remarketing Funnel
All is not lost when a consumer likes your hotel but decides for any number of reasons not to book right away. With remarketing, hotels get a second chance to convince travelers to return and book later. Here is the same funnel with hotel email remarketing in the mix.

With remarketing, you capture the email address of a visitor that expresses interest and asks for a booking reminder. Through the use of of hotel remarketing technology, they will receive a timely email in their inbox. This opt-in reminder reinforces your hotel brand, delivers your hospitality marketing message, and is an effective way to get warm leads to click back to your site.

With email remarketing, you are proactively capturing leads that cost money to attract to your site. Without remarketing you are putting all your eggs in the instant booking conversion basket when it is reported that as much as 97% of people do not book travel on their first visit. By remarketing to leads, your hotel can continue the booking conversion process and not lose customers to the competition.

Hotel Remarketing Technology
Hotel websites have several options to add an email remarketing campaign, all of which could be obtained for free. These three options require a small amount of time and basic website editing skills, so you may need to work with your hotel web designer or IT staff for help.

1. Hotel Email Me Contact Form
Create a new contact form with name and email address fields to keep it as small as possible. Title it “Email Me About Your Hotel” or something similar to get the point across that you will email hotel information and a link to your site. Add this form to the pages where your call to action is “Book Now” to offer an easy to agree to alternative. Once you receive their email request, reply with a well-crafted welcome message and why the recipient should return and book later.

2. Hotel Brochure Newsletter Sign-Up
For those hotels that already have an email newsletter provider, set up a separate hotel remarketing list. Create a sign-up widget to capture email addresses and label the subscribe button “Bookmark Hotel” or “Get Hotel Brochure” for example Configure the list to automatically send out a booking reminder with an e-brochure. Use email marketing best practices to avoid spamming the lead by sending one message only.

3. Book Later Button Widget

To save time and gain powerful travel remarketing features, consider getting the Book Later Button. After placing the widget near your “Book Now” buttons (and on analytics exit pages), visitors will be able to request a booking reminder with privacy and security. Your custom hotel remarketing email message will automatically get sent out on schedule. Best of all you can track the results for the greatest ROI.

Summary
Since it is evident that capturing and remarketing to hotel leads will deliver more repeat traffic and reservations, the question is not whether to introduce remarketing but how. As you can see from this article it can be as simple as a contact form, segmenting your email newsletter, or a robust packaged solution such as the Book Later Button.

*Exclusive Offer for Readers of Are Morch – Hotel Blogger*
As part of a special promotion, the next 50 people that respond to this limited time offer can receive a Book Later Button “Standard” license absolutely free. Simply fill in your email and launch your remarketing campaign today!

Guest Article

Booking Conversion Optimization is at the core of everything done at BookingCounts™. They publish travel content and deliver software tools to optimize travel marketing online and help you get more visitors to book now or later (when they are ready).

Scott Petoff is the owner and President of BookingCounts™. Just like myself Scott was inspired by his fathers unique way to identify travel reference points.

Follow @BookingCounts on Twitter
Like BookingCounts on Facebook

Interested in doing an guest article then fill out this form

5 REASONS WHY THE ANSWER IS YES

For over a decade now, people have been using the internet for information, buying, selling or simply web surfing. Some thought it would be a passing fad but it’s 2013 and growing more rapidly than ever, especially regarding social media. People, young and old, turn to social media first for an endless list such as connection, opinion, research, inspiration and so on. The hotel industry is no exception and in fact, social media may be its greatest ally.

GOOGLE+

A verified business page will automatically merge information such as reviews and location of a hotel between Google maps (Google+ Local) and a Google+ Business Page creating some of the strongest internet traffic. Be aware, that your hotel will be listed on Google’s hotel finder, whether you approve it or not, so it’s best to have control over your Google+ Business page and control the information as best as you can. Hotels like The Enclave Suites in Orlando, FL saw an instant increase in interaction and traffic once their Google+ Business page was up and active.

Google’s new hotel finder is proving to be one of the most relevant and important ways people find and choose a hotel. Having an active Google+ business page makes the transition from maps to hotel site or vice versa seamless and easy to the internet user. Easy and hassle free to the customer translates into more business for the hotel.

FACEBOOK

Although many young people have left Facebook for Instagram, it’s still a trusted and popular forum for the working adults actually spending money on hotels. Using Facebook, people can get information from other real people known to them personally or known through friends of friends.

TWITTER

Twitter is highly effective in getting information out quickly and straight to the customer. One tweet can be read and retweeted a thousand times in a matter of minutes or even seconds. Many businesses, like a href=”https://twitter.com/vodafoneau”>Vodafone, have even turned to Twitter as a modern way to handle customer service complaints.

PINTEREST and INSTAGRAM

Pinterest is the modern Home Magazine. While it’s predominantly used by females, many of them stay at home moms, it shouldn’t be ignored. After all, who plans the details of the family vacation or her daughter’s wedding? Pinterest is attractive, ever changing and interest grabbing. To ignore Pinterest would be akin to ignoring your mother when she gives good advice.

Instagram is a photo driven social site similar to Pinterest but without links to tutorials and blogs. While young people have flocked to Instagram and are posting numerous cross-eyed and tongues-out photos, there are thousands of beautiful travel photos posted daily including vacation stays in various hotels. Having your hotel, or beautiful nearby sights, pictured here is the same as a travel brochure. Hotels like the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, CA have a beautiful Instagram page and tons of great examples as to how to capitalize on this social platform.

LINKEDIN

Linkedin is a vitally amped up version of the business magazine. Used for information and connecting with others, in the same or complimentary businesses or professions, LinkedIn is quickly becoming a powerful internet tool. For the hotel industry, it’s the perfect venue for reaching the customer looking for a good business meeting or convention hotel.

Basically, social media is being used whether your hotel is engaged or not. People enjoy social media and despite the frequent news articles regarding privacy or lack of, people have a certain trust in the social media they use. After all, each person decides for themselves who and what to follow or connect with. Steering ahead and learning to manage the social media storm can be a huge benefit for the hotel industry, creating positive branding and reinforcing a customer’s decision to stay in a particular hotel. Social Media is a positive platform, here to stay, and shouldn’t be ignored.

Get FREE updates delivered directly to your email. Just fill in your email Click Submit Now and get Started Today!

Guest Article

Carla C. Burton is a self-employed Travel and Hospitality writer with a BBA in Business Administration from Bond University. Although a Gold Coast native, Carla moved to Melbourne in 2008 to further her writing career in the Travel industry. Carla has become a top contributor to many travel blogs world-wide, including many resorts in Orlando, FL, and thoroughly enjoys the freedom that self-employment has provided her. To find out more about Carla or to follow her other posts, follow her on Twitter @CarlaCBurton

Interested in doing an guest article then fill out this form