5 Remarkable Emerging Social Media Trends for Hotels
This story is brought to you in collaboration with Matt Banner from OnBlastBlog.com.
In today’s digital world transformation is happening faster than at any time in history. As a result, this digital transformation is not only one of the more important Social Media trends but also one of the top strategic priorities for Hotels.
Social Media is now a phenomenon that both leisure and business travelers use to share their stories, and more important where they now find inspiration for new journeys.
For Hotels, it has become crucial to capture the micro-moments and become part of the stories. Marketing and sales have emerged as Social Selling techniques. The modern marketer has to focus on engagement and relationship strategies.
The new digital landscape has put the customer in the driver’s seat. Social Media has made information more accessible than ever. The information shift has made it possible to identify new customer trends and triggers through effective listening strategies. Hotels are no longer depending on waiting on results from surveys or focus groups.
Customers are increasingly using digital channels to form opinions about major purchases. The key for Hotels is to be present in these channels with content that educates buyers and helps guide commercial decisions.
On average, leisure or business travelers do not contact suppliers directly until 57 percent of the purchase process is complete. That means for nearly two-thirds of the buying process, your customers are out in the ether: Forming opinions, learning specifications, building requirements lists, and narrowing down their options, all on their own, with minimal influence from your Hotel.
It’s not enough to teach; you have to teach well. And the dirty little secret of most content marketing is that it does neither. It’s obvious why: Content creation has been allowed to grow organically, with the inevitable result, that it has typically spread across multiple business and product lines and lacks a consistent, cohesive message.
All of that leads us to the biggest problem with current digital approaches for Hotels: They rely on content that is not at all useful for customers in the midst of a learning journey. Most content is low value; it may be interesting or get a lot of ‘engagement,’ but it doesn’t help buyers make educated booking decisions.
This is a structural problem. Marketing’s content creation machine is not designed to create consistent, focused messages.
Rather than investing the time and money to implement dubious models that attribute specific leads to specific pieces of content, Marketing should double down on two things: Simpler, more actionable models, and analytics talent.
If you can get digital integrated with your broader mix, get the message right, and pick the right format for those messages, you’ll be well on your way to thriving in the digital landscape.
Sources: B2B Digital Evolution and The Digital Transformation Agenda 2016.
Finding success in the Social Media landscape today requires a keen understanding of what makes people share and with engaging content on Social Media.
Start with learning some of the Social Media Trends that have emerged over the years.
5 Remarkable Emerging Trends for Hotels that impacted the Social Media evolution
Credit: OnBlastBlog
1. Know your audience
It is when your Hotel truly knows your audience you are in the best position to teach them well. Start with creating user and community personas that represent your target market, and at the same time focus on new and renewed customers.
This helps you get the message right and pick the right format for those messages. It is when the user and its community resonate with your message Social Media will initiate the ripple effects that take your Hotel to a new level.
2. Emotion is an asset (especially positive)
Empower your Hotel employees to engage with customers. Hospitality is a trait that is part of your Employee’s genes. You will find the X-factor when you allow your employees to bloom.
Customers today want to take part in forming their experience. Utilize your employees as performers that become part of their story.
It is the story that brings the customers back to your Hotel, it is the story the customers share with their network.
Passion, strengths, purpose, and character are the essence of your employee’s traits. Employee Happiness will be grown when you empower these traits. Desire, willingness, and mindset can all be trained.
Several types of studies have shown that happiness will increase productivity.
3. Your Social Profiles are extremely important
Today with multiple Social Channels the most important asset for Hotels has become the Social Profile.
We know with both leisure and business travelers that when they are in the research stage their attention span is very short. And your Hotels have a very short window of opportunity to catch their attention.
First, your Hotels have to be found on Social Media, then capture attention. The first thing the visitor’s eyes are drawn to is the profile images. Visitors will today conclude your Hotel in a matter of seconds based on the first few images they identify.
4. Social Media Creates a sense of belonging
One of the biggest shifts with Social Media is the access customers have to a community that they now identify as their closest friends.
Customers today feel they have a voice that matters when it comes to staging the ultimate experience.
Connectivity has become an important element that drives the flow of content on Social Media. Customers are influenced by authorities in their communities.
From a marketing perspective, it will require Hotels to identify new unique ways to give and be open to receiving from the community.
5. Wired to share
Social Media represents a busy real time information forum. And the information comes at us at a really fast pace from multiple channels.
And people love to share their thoughts whether they are censored or uncensored. Harvard neuroscientists have discovered that being able to share our thoughts triggers the same pleasure sectors of our brain that food and money trigger.
Research also showed that 80% of Social Media posts are announcements about a person’s experiences. We can take this and connect it to marketing by focusing our efforts on listening to our users as much as possible.
Over to you
The hotel industry is constantly changing, especially during a time of crisis. By investing in these solutions, make sure to future-proof your business and continue attracting new guests.
Ready to take your hotels digital transformation to a new level?
Hire a digital transformation coach for a new and bright future!
Related article: Decoration Tips To Help Your Hotel Stand Out to Guests
We are in this together!
I need to let you all know that we are in on this together. If you need to vent, talk, cry, or just have someone to talk with, I am here listening.
Where to reach me
Email: hotelblogger@aremorch.com
Also, join us at our Facebook Group – Hotel Social Media Community
We will get through this unprecedented event together! #hotelstrong #hospitalitystrong
For any specific information on COVID-19, I recommend going to CDC, WHO, AHLA, AAHOA, and HSMAI. Also, follow information from your local authorities.
NOTE
The hotel industry still is facing some uphill challenges. Make sure you follow their guidelines and say THANK YOU to those that now show a unique spirit to serve, and help us all get through this!! #hotelstrong #hospitalitystrong
Credit
A special thanks to Matt Banner from OnBlastBlog.com.
About Are Morch
Are Morch is a digital transformation coach helping hotels open their digital gateways, reimagine their processes and culture, and transform experiences in a fast-paced world while earning more direct bookings without competing with the OTA!
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