While creating an online presence has a diverse set of challenges, the real problem you face as a hotelier is competing against the traffic of big booking sites like Airbnb and Booking.com. Nevertheless, since many travellers find comfort in searching for their vacation accommodation using the reputation that shines behind the big name brands, unless your hotel is as big and well-known as the Hilton, chances are you’re willing to invest in a listing and pay the added fees that come with promoting on a commission-based booking site. However, since the key to placing your hotel at the fingertips of prospective guests is to gain traction using social media, why not try encouraging vacationers to book directly, saving the hotel owner, the property host and sometimes even the guest some money? 

All the best hotels begin by using the right social networks 

It’s important to make your hotel desirable across all channels, which is why hotel social media marketing should be a fundamental part of your digital marketing strategy. There is no one-size-fits-all campaign to target your audience, reel in the traffic and retrieve bookings, however, when it comes to highlighting your hot spot as a vacation destination, there are some strategic ways that you can curve your content to appeal to the right crowds. So, once you’ve established your target audience, whether they be business people, families or solo travellers, it’s time for you to dominate the channels one-by-one. 

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• How many social media networks do I have the time or money to run? If time is the only factor, there are digital marketing agencies that have hired professionals that could manage your channels for you. 
• Which social media networks would my customers use? While you may feel that having a presence on every network is essential, it’s a quality over quantity situation when you’re juggling the work of hotel social media marketing. 
• How often should I post on social media? With so many pre-scheduling technologies available, Trek Marketing recommends that hoteliers post on each channel at least once a day. 
• How can I integrate my social media strategy across all my channels? Taking the time to develop monthly calendars is a great way to plan out how you will connect with your audience through both seasonal and holiday transitions. 

Which channels should you focus on?

When it comes to developing a hotel social media marketing strategy, there are five main networks that we recommend you use for your hotel or resort:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• TripAdvisor 

It’s important to note that since TripAdvisor is a review site and not a social media network, you will need to take some added time to manage it by responding to reviews and comments by past customers. 

Tying it all together with Google 

If you haven’t heard it before, as part of your hotel social media marketing strategy, you should claim a profile using Google. Whether you’re running a franchise or an independent business, having a profile for each social account will allow you to make sure that the information across your personal business profile, social profiles, and website is consistent. Also, claiming a profile will allow you to show your knowledge within Google search results, which we all know is prime real estate when it comes to search engines. 

Did you want to share your knowledge about any other basic hotel social media marketing tips? Drop a comment below.