From Instagram to Pinterest, social media platforms are helping every industry grow in business and scope. Whether you own a hotel or work at one, social media will help you connect, share, and chat with your guests, passerby professionals, vacationers, and potential customers. Be it a peak season or an off-season, you want your hotel to be full of activities and travelers – either dining, filling your halls and rooms, or enjoying at the poolside. Moreover, in the era of such cutthroat competition, having a successful social media strategy has become imperative. According to reports, over 20% of the population searches for hotels on social media, 70% post their hotel stay pictures on social media platforms, and about 50% like social media pages related to their travel. These statistics coupled with the advantages of a social media strategy can help you keep your hotel booked throughout the year.

If you are in the hospitality industry, why should you have an impressive social media presence? Over 75% of Americans rely on Facebook to make their purchase decisions, which makes social media a critical tool for your digital marketing strategy. Whether you want to increase your seasonal bookings or enhance your loyalty program membership, social media becomes your go-to medium.

How Does Social Media Help?

1. Boost engagement with travelers and old and potential customers
2. Increase your visibility
3. Act as a tool to promote your unique selling points

The 9 Don’ts for a Successful Hotel Social Media Strategy

However, there are certain mistakes made by people in the hospitality industry while working on a social media strategy.

Being Less Responsive

Social media demands you to be social. It gives you and your followers and potential hotel guests the ability to engage in conversations regarding your latest initiatives, offers, and services. You should invite your guests to interact with you through your posts and make sure that you respond proactively. If you receive any negative feedback on your pages, do not ignore or delete it.

Make it a thumb rule to get in touch with the respective client, have a healthy conversation with them, and offer a positive solution. Leaving comments unanswered gives the impression of you being indifferent to your guests’ needs and suggestions. Customer advocacy decreases by 50% if you do not pay heed to comments on your hotel’s social media pages.

Poor Visual Design

Social media is a visual platform. Any successful social media campaign or strategy entails a significant amount of time in the production of high-quality and well-composed graphics and images. To get a consumer’s attention, be careful while selecting the images of the hotel you post. When potential guests scroll through your social media pages, the photos should leave a positive impression on them.

At a time when there is an onslaught of content on social media, authentic content is the need of the hour. According to studies, the average human span has fallen from 12 seconds in 2000 to eight seconds today, which is less than a goldfish’s nine seconds. Therefore, be creative and avoid lengthy posts. It is also critical to note which posts and images receive maximum attention to use these for your future plans as well.

Inadequate Activity

Many hotels create their social media pages and then forget to use them even once a day. They need to realize that social media platforms are driven by continuous real-time updates and they can fill the organization’s page with life. You should log on to your hotel’s social media accounts a few times a day to monitor your activity. Your presence on the pages will enable you to interact with your followers through comments and messages.

However, being online does not mean that you need to post every day. It is critical to post quality content. Hence, avoid sharing anything irrelevant for the sake of it. Three to five posts a week are a must and if it is difficult for you to log on even a few times a week, automate your posts with the relevant social media management tools. When you log in, you can post something live. According to statistics, 77% of businesses in the US use social media to generate sales and find customers. Therefore, not being online is as good as throwing money away.

Missing Calls to Action

One common mistake people make while planning the social media strategy for their hotel is that they forget to add a call-to-action option. An interesting strategy is of no use if it does not lead your followers to book a stay at your hotel. Both Facebook and Instagram have the call-to-action option to direct followers to the booking page. According to social media analysts, posts with a call-to-action option get 50 to 75% more responses than those without it.

Factual and Grammatical Mistakes

According to a survey, about 74% of respondents are irked by spelling and grammatical mistakes in social media posts. Therefore, do not post incorrect content and check them before making them live, as your hotel’s credibility is dependent on what you showcase online.

Not Keeping Your Platform Up-to-date

Another common mistake people make is that they do not complete their social media profiles which can confuse their followers. For instance, if you have a new follower, the person may be interested in knowing everything about your hotel. In this case, linking your official website to your social media profiles is also recommended. About 42% of millennials consider social media as one of the best mediums for consumer advertisements.

Absence of a Cohesive Content Plan

One mistake that can make your social media pages a mess is not having a plan.

An unplanned social media campaign can lead to posting sloppy content with several factual and grammatical errors. This can be a turn-off for your guests and it may lead to a failed hotel social media strategy. To avoid making social media a blip on your radar, set aside a time every week to create and schedule your posts and make it a recurring task.

Missing Video Content

More than 100 million people prefer to watch videos on social media platforms every day. Therefore, posting videos of your hotel is a must. However, over-promoting can lead to your audience getting burnt out. According to research by the Content Marketing Institute, 90% of marketers who give more importance to audience education over sales content are successful and 56% who have feeds made up of promotional content stated that their efforts were futile. Do not forget to add information about your add-on services such as an onsite spa, play areas for children, and a gym.

Using Limited Platforms

Given that people use a variety of social media platforms, it is important to be present across different mediums. A hotel should not restrict itself to one or two social media channels. Branching out can also help them stay abreast of the latest trends in the hospitality industry. If they do not follow this, they are at the risk of losing SEO opportunities.

A social media strategy involves considerable planning, investment, and a specialized workforce. If your hotel is strapped for cash and is looking for an easy way to support a robust social media strategy, make sure to follow our tips and look for short or long-term funding options to support your endeavors until they achieve the success you desire.

In the last few decades, social media has changed the way people connect, communicate, and travel. According to Statista, 36.5% of people consider social media an important tool for travel ideas and inspiration. Every week, over one million travel-related hashtags are searched. Therefore, before you plan your social media strategies, learn from your previous mistakes, maintain a database of your customers, improve your in-house activities, and work on offering services that will bring more guests to your property.

Sum Up

Do you run a hotel and want to work on a successful marketing strategy? Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are great show-and-tell social media tools. However, while you connect with your guests on social media, it is important to eliminate certain mistakes. In our latest article, we discuss the dont’s for a successful social media strategy at your hotel. Make sure to click on the link for more!