When you’re traveling and post photos online, your friends may not be the only ones interested. Many South Florida hotels are hiring social media managers to engage with guests and others.

The managers handle Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other sites, seeking to boost their hotel’s reputation and sales. The task had been part-time, but as social media explodes, it has gone full-time. Salaries run from the $30,000s to $60,000s a year, depending on experience.

Nicole Braverman started in December at the first social media manager for the 156-room Pelican Grand Beach Resort on Fort Lauderdale beach. With a degree in English, she had experience at a newspaper, public relations agency and magazine, handling Facebook, Twitter and other social media.

At Pelican Grand, she updates the hotel’s Facebook page about five times per day on weekdays, often with photos she posts instantly. That’s helped triple “likes” on the page to more than 3,000. Her Facebook style: 80 percent “fun stuff” and 20 percent marketing, aimed largely at guests.

“It’s more about building a community, and sales will follow,” said Braverman.

On Twitter, she uses a more businesslike approach aimed at vendors, often posting links to articles. And on Pinterest, she targets women, especially brides — tapping the weddings market.

Braverman’s work doesn’t stop at night or weekends. She sometimes visits the resort on holidays to take photos and post them. And she monitors sites regularly through her phone, trying to respond to guest comments — “at least to press ‘Like’ to let them know we’re listening,” she said.

Source: ehotelier.com

Researcher: Nic Le