Social media impacts almost every aspect of our lives. Naturally, the travel and hospitality industries are not immune to its charms, or rather importance.
More brands have realized they not only have to embrace social media, but also make it an integral part of their marketing strategy. Customers and prospects are all online across the various social media networks. If companies want to grab the right attention, they have to be present at the right place virtually.
More consumers have taken to online research about their travels, and they look at social networking sites in order to make plans and informed decisions. After travel, they are quick to go back to the various platforms like TripAdvisor and give feedback or share their experiences of a particular hotel, airline or a restaurant.
In fact, TripAdvisor alone has more than 50 million visitors per month. One can only imagine what the number will be when other similar sites are collated with these figures. Feedback and reports like real people lead to more credible and authentic information that customers can rely on.
Optimized content is imperative to ensure a place in the top spots during online searches — else brands are going to lose out to their competitors. But in order to ensure a healthy growth in figures, they have to complement this optimization with social marketing to even the odds.
To date, TripAdvisor has close to 200 million reviews and opinions posted on it, while more than 800 million users are sharing updates and images on Facebook about their travel experiences. The infographic below created by The Dunloe Hotel in Co. Kerry, Ireland, for the World Tourism Day clearly shows how social media is dominating the industry.
As more travelers around the world turn to social media platforms for ideas, information and inspiration, hotels are busy reorganizing their own strategies to upgrade and attract customers. Last year, we had an intriguing report of how Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts brand used Facebook to increase weekend bookings at the hotel.
Four Seasons marketers started with Facebook fans, but they quickly moved onto other platforms like Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Vine to promote the brand. The results were phenomenal, and the hotel chain saw an immediate 5 percent revenue increase in weekend business, along with substantial increases in their social media followers.
This is a great example for others to follow. More hotels and companies in hospitality industry have to learn how to deliver their messages via social media websites to stay ahead in business today.
One great benefit of social media is the personalization it offers marketers. It has taken the concept of "word of mouth" to a whole new level. For example, a Facebook page liked by a friend could be viewed as a personal recommendation from a trusted source for any brand.
When smart campaigns reward customers for their positive feedback and use these social pages to offer promotions and special deals, they can create an extremely strong brand presence without spending millions of dollars.
Of course, it's not always all positive feedback, but even negative feedback on social sites can be effectively leveraged. According to an annual study conducted by NYU professor Bjorn Hanson, negative online reviews may have pushed U.S. hotels owners to invest close to $6.4 billion to improve and upgrade their properties.
These complaints have been featured across social media sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp along with Twitter and Facebook. A 7 percent increase in capital expenditures is not just focused on hotel improvements like carpeting and remodeled lobbies, but also high-speed Internet and more personalized customer service.
From Facebook interactions to virtual concierge services that can be availed via Twitter, social media is upping the ante for the savvier brands. It is imperative that more brands dedicate time and effort on social media campaigns, not just to market but also to monitor blogs and social media sites to make instant and appropriate responses.
