Hotels Give Up Control Drop the Ego and Start Embrace Social Media

Traditionally the Hotels Marketing and Sales Teams is in control of the messages that go public. Social Media has created new challenging shifts here. Hotels can’t control what people think, hear, see or say on Social Media Channels.

Social Media today act as a self-served referral-based community. If you want to earn business from this community, you are required to be part of it.

What is the answer to these challenges? Do Hotels need to get rid of the Marketing and Sales Team?

The major shift to People to People (P2P) driven Hospitality

We are starting to see that services like Airbnb and Uber is developing new P2P driven Hospitality Channels.

There have also been indications that some creative people are planning to introduce similar service concepts that will compete with Restaurants. Soon we will see P2P hosted meetings and parties that offer the complete experience package.

Hotels can no longer sit on the sideline watching. Be part of the future, and discover how your Hotel can embrace P2P driven Hospitality.

And YES I there are challenges with P2P driven Hospitality. But many of these challenges will be handled as Hosts start to learn that they also need to learn Reputation Management. Global business travel is shooting to the roof, and today all of the business needs are not met through Airbnb or similar services.

But this is not the time for Hotels to look for the flaws in this major shift to P2P driven Hospitality. I am sure when OTAs was launched there was plenty of flaws with this alternative too.

This is the time to look for how to add more creative and innovative value for attractive price points for the Hotels customers.

Join the Social Media Communities

Of course, Hotels should not get rid of the Marketing and Sales Team. Though if your Hotel chooses to stay on the outside, you might experience the brutal reality of how customers are in the driver seat today.

Your Hotels job will be to reignite value-based reference points for your Customers. The only way to identify new values that matter to your customers is to be part of Social Media Communities where they hang out.

Just take a look at some of the recent data from Facebook and Twitter.

Facebook:

• 829 million daily active users on average in June 2014
• 654 million mobile daily active users on average in June 2014
• 1.32 billion monthly active users as of June 30, 2014
• 1.07 billion mobile monthly active users as of June 30, 2014

In the US users spend about 40 minutes daily on Facebook.

Twitter:

• 271 million monthly active users
• 500 million Tweets are sent per day
• 78% of Twitter active users are on mobile
• 77% of accounts are outside the U.S.

Users spend about 20 minutes daily on Twitter.

Both Facebook and Twitter have put a lot of efforts into their Mobile Applications. The increase in mobile accessibility will make a major impact on how Customers will communicate with Hotels in the future.

Hotels can no longer stay on the sideline watching, it is time to step up the game and take the bull by the horns.

The Content is Dynamic not Controlled

No Hotel today can control Social Media Content. Your Marketing and Sales team might control how the marketing messages are placed in various traditional channels. The traditional marketing messages is still something Hotels can predict and analyze.

With dynamic content, Hotels can learn how potential customers receive the message in real time. This enables them to interpret the opinions of your Hotel, and communicate with a large community the effects of value reference points.

Hotels today has to learn how to take advantage of Reputation Management.

Giving starts before Receiving

Most decision-makers today still want to start with the Receiving end. No doubt ROI is what will determine our bread and butter. With Social Media, it starts with Giving, and then your Hotel will earn Receivables.

I give half an hour of my time Free to Hotels that want to learn more about my Social Media Coaching Programs. Sometimes it ends up being 45 minutes, sometimes one hour. My goal is to fill this time in with as much value as possible. And one of the main things I work with today is to find new ways for Hotels to embrace the shift to P2P Driven Hospitality.

Service and Gratitude should be built into the backbones of every Hotel. Utilize your Social Media Profiles to serve your network and customers. Start with giving first, share content from your customers that will add value to others in your network. And always thanks customers or people in your network that share information about your Hotel.

Great Social Media Profiles will serve as a valuable outpost for your Hotel. Start surprising and delighting your customers today. When sign up today for my updates you will also get Free access to my Social Media Profile and Following Check List.

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT AND FACEBOOK ADVERTISING FOR HOTELS

Facebook Native Advertising will help Hotels redefine the customer experience. Take advantage of new innovative strategies that will improve your Hotels ROI.

FREE access to our Hotel Social Media Community – Get more insights and training about Facebook Native Ads for Hotels!

Our Social Media Management team has refined these processes to help Hotels. Contact us today to learn more.

Join our Free Hotel Social Media Community on Facebook for more in-depth insight.

Try something new it will magnetize your Hotel!

Be flexible and identify new ways to make guests happy.

As guest behavior and pattern continues to evolve, expectations will continue to rise. Navigating these changes can be challenging. Learn more about how we can help your Hotel.

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