Social media is one of the most effective and important marketing and communication tools that any company can use, and this is especially true for hotels as it allows them to really engage with customers.
There are so many platforms to choose from, with Facebook and Twitter being the two most popular to start with, that you really are spoiled for choice too. It goes without saying that a solid hotels social media marketing campaign can really help to not only increase awareness of your hotel, but to also drive traffic through to your website. This in turn, offers you the perfect platform to increase your ROI and see more bookings come through.
However, the risk with social media is that if you haven’t got a clear idea of how you want to run your campaign, or don’t fully plan ahead with a strategy, you run the risk of your posts becoming stale and old, eventually fading off potential customers’ pages. It doesn’t always have to be about your hotel and what rooms you can offer.
After all, this will become boring and too salesy for most social media users, which isn’t what you want at all. So, here we have a few ideas on what kind of things you should post about to keep your social media strategy new and fresh.
Fun and quirky facts
Everyone loves a good fact, right? There are hundreds of fact books and even a number of television shows that are solely based around such pieces of information – we’re looking at you QI. Find out a fun fact about the local area, something that will interest people who are scrolling down their Twitter feed or Facebook page. It shouldn’t take you long to do some simple Google searching to find out some interesting trivia. Maybe you could start an ongoing fact of the day? You can even involve followers by asking them questions about your trivia and seeing who can answer. This is a great way to begin conversing and laying down the foundations of a relationship with them.
Tips and advice
Offering advice is another fantastic way to engage followers, especially when they are travel related. Going on holiday is a big deal for a lot of people and half of the excitement and pleasure comes from the planning. If you can give some sound tips, such as what you should pack and how best to deal with foreign currency, followers will see that you are an authority within the sector and will look to your for advice, thus being under the impression that a stay at your hotel would be wholly enriching. Become an expert and you will soon see the bookings roll in!
Funny stories
Enlighten peoples’ lunchtimes with a funny story. Trust us, they will appreciate it. The public loves hilarious videos of dogs doing silly things and pandas sneezing, so share the wealth and upload a few. You don’t have to be serious all the time, in fact you want to be seen as personable and approachable and so if anything, offering followers a bit of procrastination time is a good thing.
Competitions
We all love a good freebie, so why not play on this fact and throw in a few competitions into the mix when looking at what posts to upload on social media. Regardless of what the prize is, be it a free night at the hotel or a delicious dinner, really lead up to it. Don’t just simply put the competition online once as you are missing out on a great opportunity to bring in more engagement. Say that you are running the competition until the end of the week and set a variety of reminders to really get some hype going.
Ask for guest stories
There is no harm in asking guests for their opinions and experiences. Perhaps someone became engaged during their stay with you or a family celebrated a special occasion. Find out and ask for small stories about what happened while they were at your establishment. Sharing the experiences of other guests will draw others towards you too. Storytelling is a great way to get people’s attention, so make sure you include it in your strategy.
Local events
Let people know what is coming up in your local area. Is there a charity event due next month or is an important attraction hosting a fun family day? Entice followers to want to visit your town or city and remind them that there is always a place to stay if they decide to do so. The more information you can offer, the better as it shows you are an authority and really know your stuff about what is going on, making you the perfect hotel to stay at!
