10 Social Media Tips for Resorts to increase engagement7 min read
Social media has become an essential marketing tool. Social media marketing or SMM refers to using social media and social networks to market your company’s products and services. It provides a platform for companies to engage with existing customers and reach new customers. To stand out on social media, you need a comprehensive strategy. The market is competitive as more players are trying to grab the attention of the viewer.
Like any other industry, social media marketing has become an accepted practice in the hospitality industry. Marketing your hotel can go a long way in improving engagement with your audience and create a loyal fan base with travelers. In this blog, we have collated a list of social media tips for resorts and hotels.
Table of Contents
Know your customer
Guests research the internet to pick the best hotel in their budget. You can use Facebook, Instagram, and Trip Advisor to influence prospective guests before choose your hotel. One of the first questions you need to answer is, What type of guest do you want to cater to? Are your customers – families, business travelers, or romantic couples or do you want your hotel to convey a romantic, action-packed, or budget, or luxury vibe?
The answer to these questions will help you define what you will post on the social media platform. Encourage your clients to like you on Facebook or follow you on Twitter. They can leave reviews on Trip Advisor.
Social media sites used by Resorts
Facebook is a perfect social media platform for hotels and resorts. The social media platform allows businesses to add extra tabs and cross-reference other social media networks and websites. You can use add relevant contact details and amenities you provide.
Social media tips for Facebook are using the cover image to show why you are the best. Use videos to bring travel alive. You can share the video on multiple platforms like Instagram and YouTube. Try to give your users as much information as possible from your Facebook page. Remember to include an offer tab showcasing the latest offers at your resort.
Twitter is an excellent social media tool for your resort’s campaign. You can use Twitter can to send time-sensitive updates and events occurring at the hotel or area. Use Twitter for polls, share user-generated content and insightful articles to keep your audiences engaged. Twitter is the best place to update your guests on what is happening right now. You can use the platform to interact with your guests during their stay.
The visual component is an integral part of the travel industry. Instagram has become a part of a resort’s social media strategy. Social media tips for Instagram include posting beautiful pictures of your resort and tourist attractions or hidden treasures in your area. Instagram leans towards the artistic and glamorous. You can create a designated place in your hotel for Instagram selfies. Utilize existing places, in your establishment to promote it as an Instagram-friendly location.
Best Instagram Marketing Tools
TripAdvisor
You need positive online reviews if you want your hotel to do well. TripAdvisor has become a reliable source of reviews. First, ensure you are listed on TripAdvisor. Update details about your hotel regularly. Avoid building up a false expectation. Disappointed guests are likely to leave unfavorable reviews.
Important social media tips for resorts are regularly updating all your social media pages.
Keep the information and images fresh and accurate to build trust with your guests.
Avoid adding the Trip Advisor widget to your hotel homepage. You need to respond to both positive and negative reviews.
Pinterest
Pinterest like Instagram is an imaging platform. Users on the platform pin images of places and hotels they would like to visit in the future. Pinterest users are typically women in their 40s who make $50K annually. These women plan vacations for their families. The platform is ideal for bookmarking ideas.
Best Pinterest Marketing Tools
The top 10 tips for social media
1. Create a “Top 10” List
It is easy to create content and is popular. People find it useful. Use the Top 10 list to recommend places to eat, visit, or things to do. You can create the content yourself or link someone else. Adding photos and videos to the content will make it more interesting.
You share some interesting trivia about your city. The facts should be relevant and entertaining to visitors to your city.
2. Use Branded HashTags to track your social media campaign
To manage your online reputation and conduct a customer survey you can use a brand name. It is easier to track the success of your campaign if you use dedicated hashtags. Dedicated hashtags are tags that represent your campaign and are not already a popular hashtag. You want your hashtag to be unique.
You can use the name of your hotel in your campaign like Citizen M with the tagline #citizenM. Another option is using your tagline in your hashtag. The Marriot group does it with the hashtag #travelbrillantly.
3. Use popular hashtags to increase your social media presence
It can be tough, identifying the hashtags you can use in your social media campaign. You can use hashtags like #hotel and #travel and location-specific hashtags like #NYC, #London as part of your social media campaign. Popular hashtags used by the hotel industry are #vacation, #travel, #hotellife, #coffee.
Influencers can help you shortlist hashtags that you can use for your campaign. The social media pages of other hotels and resorts can help you list hashtags for use. Once you have listed the hashtags, you can start building your campaign. With their permission, you can share user-generated content or guest content.
Instagram users are social media engagement, and many people plan their holiday to recreate stunning images on Instagram.
4. Use Facebook and Social media for customer service
Social media is becoming more business-friendly. Businesses have started using social media to solve their business problems. Businesses are using social media chatbox to interact with their clients instead of live chat on their website.
Some important social media tips are using Facebooks’s new messenger chatbot. In 2018, Facebook reported that 8 million messages were exchanged between Facebook users and companies. The Facebook Chatbots is an automated AI program that provides service 24×7 services to visitors, helps provide new opportunities, mines data, helps to answer common queries, automates the e-commerce process, and provides a personal experience.
5. Show Client Stories
Make use of hotel guest reviews. When you get an email from a guest sharing a review or funny incident about their stay, ask their permission to share it on your social media platforms. This is great storytelling and testimonial rolled into one.
6. Promote events happening in your city and hotel
Use social media to promote events in your city and hotel. You can share news about a new brewery or new exhibition in your city. Get your audiences excited by sharing news of the event. According to research by Sprout Social, talking about timely events can offer a positive guest experience.
7. Leverage the visual nature of the Resort industry
Incorporate photos and videos of your resort in your social media campaign. Social media posts and blogs with videos and images improve engagement. You can upload pictures of your rooms, picturesque places on your property, and events. You can share fun photos of your staff preparing for events or prepping for dinner. Audiences enjoy photos that humanize your hotel.
8. Conduct polls and survey
Engage with your followers and ask them about their favorite attraction in your hotel. Ask them to rank hotel amenities. You can use the feedback as your market survey and find out what to maintain and what changes in your organization.
9. Offer discount and service to amenities outside the hotel room
You may have a spa, salon, or restaurant on your premises. Offer deals to your guest to get them to remember it for a future visit or share the information with their friends.
10. Maximize your reach through paid strategies
While a sound social media strategy goes a long way in improving business. Your reach with your target demographic is limited. Paid strategies through Facebook, Instagram, TripAdvisor, and Twitter have fantastic targeting abilities. Each portal has unique features you need to ensure the money you spend is well utilized. Take your time while creating your strategy or find an agency that will help.
