Social media has become one of the most important avenues for brands to promote themselves. 55% of consumers learn about new brands on social media, often becoming a brand’s first impression on a consumer and having an immediate impact on whether or not they chose to buy in.
Hospitality businesses are no exception — social media accounts can entice guests to learn more about your property, potentially converting social users into direct bookings. Dive into why social media marketing is so important for hotels, before discovering five key strategies for creating a successful marketing campaign.
Why is Hotel Social Media Marketing Important?
In today’s digital world, social media marketing is an essential part of brand strategy for any hospitality business — both increasing online brand visibility & offering touchpoints that can lead directly to guest bookings.
Modern hotel guests will often check a property’s social media account prior to even looking at a website, seeking bite-sized nuggets of information to test the waters before diving into more specific information. In turn, making your social media presence representative of your property should be a priority.
Social media marketing for hotels also offers more specific avenues for branding success — whether through viral marketing or by targeting specific demographics.
The Power of Viral Marketing
Viral marketing rapidly spreads awareness of your brand through organic, online social channels. Campaigns that go viral are rarely the most work-intensive; rather, they leverage a creative, strong, on-brand message that translates across social channels and gets people talking.
Take, for example, IHOP’s “International House of Burgers” campaign from 2018. IHOP temporarily changed its name to “IHOb” to boost its sales outside of breakfast — spurring national coverage and rampant conversation across Instagram, Twitter, & other social media outlets. The result? Massive brand exposure and domination of public conversation.
From a witty tweet to a strong image on Instagram, brands can spur viral marketing through a variety of means. Whatever the method, continuous posting on social media expands the chances your brand goes viral — gaining valuable free publicity in the process.
Reaching Rising Traveler Demographics
Social media marketing is also a key tool for attracting important new demographics emerging within the hospitality industry. Two of the most important demographics to target with social media marketing are bleisure travelers and travelers in Generation Z.
Social Media Marketing for Bleisure Travelers
Bleisure travelers are just what their name implies — hotel guests who combine business & leisure for an adaptable, versatile travel experience. These guests prioritize both high-speed internet connectivity for reliable working conditions & luxury resort amenities to relax after taking care of business.
Because bleisure travelers are inherently connected online due to their mobile work, social media marketing is a particularly effective means to market to this demographic. Keeping an active social media presence featuring high-speed internet connections and deluxe amenities can make your property an appealing destination for the bleisure demographic.
Social Media Marketing for Travelers in Generation Z
As Generation Z comes of age, hotels need to adapt to cater marketing & services to this increasingly important demographic.
Gen Z travelers have unique needs compared to older groups of travelers, including a willingness to try new experiences. Because of this, it is vital that your property leverages social media to showcase the unique experiences offered at your venue. Perhaps most importantly, Gen Z tourists have grown up with smart-phones, integrating them into their lives from an early age. As such, they’re far more likely to respond to social media marketing as opposed to more traditional means such as print and email.
5 Key Strategies to Promote Your Hotel On Social Media
For both general and targeted advertising, social media marketing is essential for your hotel branding. Here are five key strategies to use when promoting your hotel on social media.
1. Appealing Social Media Accounts
In social media marketing, first impressions mean everything — your brand needs to pop as soon as a user visits your page or they’ll quickly divert their attention elsewhere.
Instagram accounts should be full of vibrant, appealing pictures showcasing the unique amenities and guest demographics of your property, while LinkedIn pages can market directly to bleisure travelers with sleek graphics and call-outs for network connectivity. Whatever your brand, your social presence should immediately speak to it — giving users an instant encapsulation of what makes your property unique.
2. Hashtag Driven Social Media Campaigns
Hashtag campaigns enable your guests to promote your property on social media without needing an additional post from your property’s account. Creating a unique hashtag for your property gives guests an easy way to share their positive experiences online, tie these experiences to your property, & connect with other guests in the process.
Hashtags can include the name of your property, specific amenities that make your hotel unique, or limited time promotions & giveaways awarded to lucky guests who share their experiences online.
3. Account Giveaways, Including Hotel Amenities
Speaking of giveaways, social media is a great place to market giveaways to lucky guests. Hotels can tempt guests with free WiFi, spa treatments, or other amenities if social media users share posts, tag a hotel, or give your account a follow. By offering services, hotels can gain valuable followers and engagement to build on in the future and continue marketing for further conversions.
4. Social Media-Catered Photo Opportunities
Photo opportunities offer another key way for hotels to encourage guest posts on social media. Does your property have a unique location or amenity that separates it from competitors? Showcasing these features on social media can be a seamless, intuitive way to showcase these experiences to future guests.
Encourage guests to take pictures and tag your account or leave a coinciding hashtag so other future guests will easily find that your current guests love your property and the unique offerings it brings to the table.
5. Seasonal Hotel Social Media Deals
Marketing offers a natural way to tap into guest excitement regarding seasonal events, from the winter holidays to hot summer vacation. Any brand can tap into this excitement to upsell their services, and hotels are no exception — social media can showcase compelling seasonal offerings both on-site and in the areas surrounding your property.
This strategy can tie together hashtag campaigns, giveaways, and photo opportunities — offering seasonal giveaways & encouraging guests to get festive on your property before sharing online.
Hospitality Network Supports Hotel Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing offers exciting new avenues for hotels to connect with guests and spread their brand — tapping into key rising demographics and converting social media users directly into bookings.
For guests to access social media on-site, hotels need to offer responsive, reliable internet connectivity across your property. Hospitality Network offers cutting-edge WiFi solutions, custom-tailored & built from the ground up for your hotel. Request a consultation with us today to leverage world-class WiFi for your property — supporting social media and other next-generation hotel strategies