Running social media accounts for hospitality brands is a lot like herding cats- you’re trying to get hundreds or thousands of people all working together towards one goal, and it’s not easy. Many times, you feel like you’re screaming into the abyss with no one listening and no response from your followers. However, once you find the right approach and learn how to gain more engagement in hospitality social media, you can turn around your social media efforts and finally see results that actually matter to your business. Here are some strategies to help you do just that!
1. Get Customer Feedback
Social media is a cost-effective way for hotels to stay connected with their customers, who are now more likely than ever to use social media sites. And engaging hoteliers with followers on Facebook and Twitter can help drive traffic back to your hotel’s site. But, it’s also important not only get customer feedback but also keep an eye on what’s being said about your business.
2. Talk to Your Customers on Social Media
Many hoteliers are already on social media—but they aren’t interacting with customers. Instead, they’re using it as a broadcast channel. In some cases, they may be simply reposting links to their own website or promotional offers that have little if any organic reach. Without customer interaction, your hospitality brand isn’t growing its social presence. Instead of seeking out engagement with other people’s content, you should be looking for opportunities to engage directly with your audience on all forms of social media. If you want more engagement from your customers, start by opening up conversations on channels like Facebook and Twitter where you can talk directly with your fans and followers about what matters most: travel and hotels!
3. Engage with High-Value Followers
One of your main goals as a hospitality brand is to have a large social media following. Although you might be tempted to reach out and connect with anyone who follows you, it’s better if you engage with people who are actually interested in your industry. Start by identifying the most influential influencers in your niche and work on building relationships with them. For example, follow those people on social media, comment on their posts and start sharing their content regularly.
4. Leverage Influencers
Target one or two influencers on your social media channels—people who are highly active and influential. Offer them an experience at your location (free meal, gift certificate, etc.) if they can help you spread a certain message (for example, taking a photo of themselves at your place and posting it on their Instagram with #xyzcontest). This is what we call co-op advertising. Here’s how it works: Influencer A uses your product/service and loves it.
5. Empower Employees
A strong sense of ownership amongst employees will encourage more engagement on social media channels. Even if your staff is in different time zones, it’s important for them to feel like they are part of a unified team that shares common goals and values. If you empower employees to act as brand ambassadors, their interactions will be more genuine and inspired, which can lead to better results. After all, people tend to follow people they admire rather than companies trying too hard or shoving products down their throats.
Conclusion
Investing in social media is a great way for hoteliers and businesses alike to promote themselves. However, without monitoring posts it can become an overwhelming task with zero ROI. A social media manager that helps schedule your posts based on engagement and timing is ideal, but sometimes you have to go at it alone.
