When it comes to the hospitality industry, social media can make or break your business. 76% of vacationers upload photos from their travels to social media; their good times can be an excellent source of free promotion for your business but if they have a bad time, they’ll be more likely to make a negative post.

Whether you operate a hotel or a local attraction tour, reaching and engaging with your customers both before and after their stay can go a long way in customer satisfaction. Not to mention, when your customers are traveling, they’ll be using their social media; when it comes to millennials, nearly 75% post at least once a day to their networks when traveling. There is no better way to take advantage of their free promotion than liking, sharing, and engaging. They’ll remember the personal interactions, and their friends and followers will be more likely to get a recommendation.

Keep these strategies for social media marketing for hospitality companies in mind and you’ll be off on a path to success.

Customer Service
Social media continues to grow as one of the preferred avenues for customers to reach out to service departments with questions or concerns. It’s the fastest way to connect – though be aware that nowadays, an answer with 24 hours is a basic expectation! Use your accounts to engage with users and provide solutions, while, of course, remembering that everything you post can be seen by anyone. If things go south in the conversation, take it to private messages or offline – your followers will see you’ve tried to improve the situation, and you won’t have to air all of the grievances out online.

Have a Multi-Platform Presence

When it comes to social media marketing for hospitality companies, it’s important to have a presence across multiple social platforms. Instagram is great for highlighting compelling photos from your business, and Twitter is an excellent way to keep customers informed on events and local attractions. Newer platforms like Snapchat are ideal for hospitality companies that regularly hold events or tours, as the time-limited and immediate exposure they give are great for getting travelers excited about what they are going to experience.

Of course, you’ll need to devise different strategies for each platform, making sure you are targeting your audience in the right way and developing the content that will get you results. You’ll find that each network has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it’s important to do your legwork and find the places that your target audience lives.

Crowdsource Some Content
Give users an opportunity to share their content with you, which in turn gives you valuable content to use. Crowdsourced content takes the burden of creating fresh stuff with every post you make, and gives your company an authentic and relatable feel. Set up hashtags that users can use to share their images, tips, or experiences. They will love the opportunity to be featured, your potential customers will get a glimpse of what they can expect, and you can free up more time to focus on other aspects of your marketing.

Take it a step further by hosting a contest that gives your customers a compelling reason to share their stuff. Whether it is a free night at a hotel, a dessert after dinner, or just a souvenir gift, contests are a great way to get people actively engaged.

Loews Hotel and Resorts used Instagram images from customers for a 2015 ad campaign

Social Media Strategies for your Hotel

Give Helpful Information
The travel experience is more than just lodging – travelers are looking for recommendations on places to eat, things to see, and can’t-miss stops. Make your social media helpful to customers in the planning stage by giving valuable, insider information to your followers. No matter your business, this gives you the chance to be a concierge for guests, giving them a way to get the most out of their travel experience.

Hyatt has a “concierge” account on Twitter that engages with visitors before, during, and after their trips.

Build Excitement
You can have the most helpful information out there, but how you present it will matter. You want to portray your business in the most exciting light possible – travelers are coming to you to have a good time! Get dramatic photos of a sunset on Instagram, and try and hold behind-the-scenes exclusive content on Snapchat, that helps your travelers feel like they already know the location they are going to. Videos are a great way to transport your potential customers to another location, giving them the ultimate glimpse of what you have to offer.

Listen
Yes, social media is meant for you to share your content, but when it comes to social media marketing for hospitality, some of the biggest value comes from listening to your current and future customers. Monitor your mentions for on-site comments from visitors – if there is a complaint, this gives you an excellent opportunity to put your customer service skills to work. Let them know just how much you care about every individual’s stay by addressing their complaint immediately with a helpful solution, and make sure it gets implemented.

At the same time, listen for the good things too. Is someone celebrating a momentous occasion for their stay? Give them a little something special for the celebration, and let your social media followers know that you’ve done so.

Starwood wowed this customer by showing her images on a feed in the lobby and sharing her excited tweet.

Source: http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/global/154000320/4076859.html