Change refers to a difference in a state of affairs at different points in time. And often change represent a paradigm shift that meets various forms of reactions within the organizations.
Social and New Media has for many been a disruptive change that been meet with resistance. For many brands, disruptive behavior and media draw mainstream attention.
This is not unique the difference today is that most of us can access this information in real time. And we all have our perception of this information. In many cases, this perception is influenced by our beliefs, values, peers, and network.
But no matter how we perceive change on what happens during a paradigm shift in the other side we find a revolution. Just like computers and the Internet over time have represented an important revolution for Hotels and small businesses so will Social and New Media.
With new evolving technology and tools, we will learn to extrapolate relevant valuable business information despite the disruptions.
People today want meaningful connections with their community and networks. Trends today are often community-driven. Hotels and small businesses need to learn trend-spotting within communities and networks.
From a business perspective, the main objective is till to present the “right content in front of the right person at the right time”.
Most paradigm shifts represent more a behavioral change than anything else. The principles we need to focus on to future-proof Hotels and small businesses are not that unique;
- Brand awareness
- Community engagement
- Content distribution
- Sales / Lead generation
- Customer support
Brand Awareness
One of the key factors that brands like Airbnb and HomeAway could make an impact in a disruptive market has been brand awareness.
Both these brands discovered that the best way to build brand awareness and cultivate positive brand sentiments was through Social Media.
HomeAway implemented a complete Social Media Management system that from the start was geared towards large companies with global reach. They established a Social Media taskforce that enabled daily engagements, content curation through dedicated calendars, and direct interaction through their Social Inbox.
They used proper tools for reporting and tracking key performance indicators. HomeAway customer base was tech-savvy and their Social Media taskforce enabled the strengths of the tech-savvy community to their advantage.
Airbnb aimed to enhance their brand awareness towards outbound travelers. This targeted audience was identified through footprints based on search, browsing behaviors and Social Media activities. They put in place several effective visual campaigns that triggered their primary targeted audience.
Community Engagement
Communities are not made up of unrelated individuals or groups; rather, they include “Social Networks” that comprise community groups or organizations, individuals, and the relations or “linkages” among them. Social Networks are crucial to every aspect of community engagement, from understanding the community and to mobilizing the community.
Community Engagement today is embraced through the community culture, listening to your community, and harness the power of User Generated Content.
User Generated Content is the real essence of Community Engagement today. Brands that have figured this out has learned that user-generated content is how you get your customers to sell for you. Many brands have learned that often the key is to engage with Community Influencers. Content that is embraced and shared by Community Influencers often get interpreted as Social Proofs.
Content Distribution
To achieve our main objective presenting the “right content in front of the right person at the right time” we must put in place a Content Distribution system that supports this.
Start this process by asking these simple questions:
- Why do you want people to read your content?
- What is it that you want to achieve with the content?
- Who is your audience?
- What type of content does plan to share?
- How does your audience consume content?
- What type or service/product are you providing?
Once you have worked out the answers together with your Social Media task team then the next steps are to;
- Meet your audience where they are
- Create quality content
- Determine ROI
- Optimize
Sales / Lead generation
It is important to understand the principles that allow your Hotel or small businesses to build a Solid Social Media foundations. But at the end of the day real tangible results is what owners and managers will be looking for.
When done correctly, you can use Social Media to generate real leads for your business. And the cherry on top is that Social Media lead generation is cost-effective, and produces results:
- Social Media marketing has reduced costs for 45% of businesses
- Revenue increased by 24% of businesses when they utilized Social Media for lead generation
Your Social Media task team need to have a great grasp on sales funnels, the way that customers move from awareness to purchase (and beyond). These funnels cover all the different reference points, marketing channels, and key metrics that go into a buying decision and help you have a better sense for what messaging and content makes the most sense at different points of the customer’s journey.
The costumer’s journey from awareness to purchase covers;
- Awareness
- Interest
- Engagement
- Action
- Advocacy
One of the biggest challenges with this new shift both for Hotels and small businesses building a
Customer support
To provide extraordinary support today two key ingredients need to be in place;
- Happy employees
- Happy customers
Research has shown us that 80% of companies believe they deliver “Superior” customer service, but only 8% of customers think these same companies do.
With Social Media customers now has access to more information than ever, and they are in the driver seat. Brands need to fix this huge disconnect between their beliefs versus how customers see it. Customers are no longer loyal to the brands what matters is how much value your brand could provide during a given experience.
Happy customers will share their experience with their community and reference their overall sentiments in new ways that generate new and renewed customers.
When Chip Conley was CEO for Joie de Vivre Hotels he focused on making time at the end of his executive meetings to allow one person to talk for one minute about someone in the organization who deserved recognition. It could be a peer, manager or maid. After the executive had spoken for one minute about why this employee deserves recognition, a different executive at the meeting volunteers to call, e-mail, or visit that employee to tell him or her what great job him or her is doing.
Happiness is contagious, and this type of initiative will boost overall morale.
The future lays in investing in the Happiness Advantage. We are shifting toward Customer Partnerships. Start future-proof your Hotel or small business today.
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About the author
Are Morch is the founder and owner of Are Morch – Hotel Marketing Coach. Get more from Are on Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Instagram| Podcast