Today Social Media has become a valuable tool that will help super charging traditional Hotel Marketing.
The challenge Hotels faces today is to put Social Media in a context that add new values to Hotel Marketing. Hoteliers are familiar with traditional Key Performance Indicators like;
- Occupancy
- Average Daily Rate (ADR)
- Average Rate Index (ARI)
- Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR)
- Average Length of Stay (ALOS)
- Cost Per Occupied Room (CPOR)
- Market Penetration Index (MPI)
- Revenue Generated Index (RGI)
- Adjusted Revenue per Available Room (ARPAR)
- Gross Operating Profit per Available Room (GOPPAR)
Here are some of the Key Performance Indicators within the Hotel Social Media Mastery Framework;
- Awareness
- Audience Growth Rate
- Engagement Rate
- Visitor Frequency
- Social Media Conversion
- Customer Service
- Customer Experience
- Content Funnel
- Amplification
Traditional Hotel Marketing
Because the Hotel industry focuses heavily on creating experiences and relationships with customers and guests, marketing that inspires customer loyalty while also reaching out to new customers is an important part of ensuring the Hotel industry’s success.
Hotel marketing includes not only tangible products, such as room accommodations, food, but also intangible products such and creating a luxurious, fun, exciting, exciting, or relaxing atmosphere. Hotel marketing is as much about selling products to consumers as it is creating a complete customer experience that will keep customer come back for more.
Hotel marketers can employ a variety of strategies that will boost awareness of their brand and encourage engagement, to build lifelong relationships.
Social Media Marketing
Social Media Marketing is a powerful way for Hotels of all sizes to reach prospects and customers.
Your customers are already interacting with brands through Social Media, and if you’re not speaking directly to your audience through social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, you’re missing out!
Great marketing on Social Media can bring remarkable success to your Hotel, creating devoted brand advocates and drive new leads and sales.
Social Media Marketing, is a form of digital marketing that involves creating and sharing content on Social Media networks to achieve your marketing and branding goals.
It includes activities like posting text and image updates, videos, and other content that drives audience engagement, as well as paid Social Media advertising.
To use Social Media effectively, Hotels should learn to allow customers, guests, fans, advocates and influencers to post user-generated content, also known as “earned media,” rather than use a marketer-prepared advertising copy.
Social Networking websites allow individuals, businesses and other organizations to interact with one another and build relationships and communities online. When Hotels join these social channels, consumers can interact with them directly. That interaction can be more personal to users than traditional methods of outbound marketing and advertising.
Challenges with Hotel and Social Media Marketing
When looking at the principles of traditional Hotel Marketing and Social Media Marketing there is not that much difference.
In my research Hoteliers told me that their primary challenges with Social Media are content and online visibility.
I worked at Hotels, worked with Hotels, visited Hotels, talked to hoteliers and travelers, looked as several Hotel profiles online, seen videos, attended webinars, podcasts and more.
I have experienced an abundance of various stories unfold that brought new life to Hotels.
There is no doubt in my mind the content is there! Hoteliers have been able to take advantage of various types of advertising, direct mail, snail mail, public relations, database management, word of mouth, business to consumers, business to business and capture walk-ins.
And there has been a story unfolded in every single transaction that happened over the years within the Hotel Industry.
I will say that one of the biggest challenges for the Hotel Industry has been that the industry, in general, is not an early adapter.
The Hotel Industry was not an early adapter too;
- Computers
- Internet
- Technology
- Social Media
And also, the industry moves slowly with adaptation.
I will also say the Hotel Industry had some challenges to promote itself as attractive enough to hire quality technology and Social Media candidates.
Context is the Key To Super Charging Hotel Marketing
For years now since the depression there been a positive room demand, which has resulted in a growth in supply of Hotel rooms.
Analyst predicts a slowdown in 2018, but still expect a reasonable strong growth.
CBRE is forecasting a 0.1 percent occupancy increase along with a 2.3 percent rise in ADR for 2018. The net result is a projected 2.4 percent boost to RevPAR. 2018 will mark the ninth consecutive year of rising occupancy, something we have not seen since the 1990s.
With these positive results many Hotels has overcome some of the challenges of growing profits despite the growing competition.
And the good news is that there are indications that Hotels are in the midst of a record-breaking, sustained period of prosperity for U.S Hotels despite slow growth in occupancy.
The real challenges for Hoteliers lay in tying the positive elements of Hotel Marketing together with sustainable and effective Social Media Marketing strategies.
When putting the given signs of a healthy Hotel Industry in context with Social Media Marketing then we can provide new alternatives that will add values to new uncontested markets and increase retentions rates.
The ignition lays in a Social Media Framework
Hotel needs to focus on data integrity, and start collecting, manage and store information. Often, we see Hotels which focus on traditional Hotel Marketing, and they have no real strategy to integrate this with Social Media.
This will make it very difficult to analyze both sets of the data in a consistent matter. And it will end out in the data working against each other.
Small changes over a period can create a significant impact on your Hotels Social Media performance.
Hotels that have success with Social Media today follow a proven framework that assists them with shifting to a new mindset.
Social Media Mastery follows a proven framework that model new customer patterns.
If your Hotel implements small sustainable changes Social Media Mastery will be achieved.
Social Media is an ideal channel to communicate with your audience, as by its nature it is collaborative and offers a medium to build on and share the reputation of your Hotel for research and deliver excellence and a first-class customer experience. There are five components to the framework:
- Clearly defined audiences and goals
- Managing reputation through quality of content in context
- Added-value content that is original
- A managed approach to Social Media identity and footprints
- An integrated approach to communications
- Collaboration that integrates relevant user-generated content
Social Media success is built upon three key pillars:
- Foundation
- Funnel
- Amplification
In most cases, today Hotels wants to skip directly to the “HOW”, with little or no knowledge about “WHAT, WHY, WHO”.
The principles behind the Social Media Framework is to understand where to start.
This requires a framework that maps out proven steps that will take your Hotel in the right direction.
And this will allow your Hotel to overcome existing conditions in the industry. In the end, you want to become a vibrant innovative Hotel that is highly profitable.
The ultimate object here is to build a Social Media Community that will continue the momentum of your Hotel Marketing strategies. Hotels have to start model other businesses that already understood the principles of educating and mentor their audience.
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT AND FACEBOOK ADVERTISING FOR HOTELS
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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
