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Hotel Social Media Marketing 2.0

June 12, 2012 | Hotel Marketing

More than any other industry, consumers’ decisions regarding travel are influenced by the Web, and more specifically, social media. If a hotel property is not proactively managing its online presence, it does so at its own peril.

One of the biggest mistakes hotel operations make in this digital age is living in denial—that is, ignoring the impact that new communication channels have on their businesses. Bill Linehan, CMO for Richfield Hospitality and CMO and COO of its sister company Sceptre Hospitality Resources, said, “If you show me a property that’s ailing, that’s not meeting their fair market share, I can guarantee they have a lousy online presence.”

Part of the problem is that hoteliers often think social media belongs solely to the technology department or the sales department, when in reality it’s a mash-up of the two, and best practices should maximize both sensibilities.

Online social media outlets are vital components to a hotel operation’s online presence and overall image. In addition to Facebook, Twitter and FourSquare, relative newcomers such as Pinterest and Instagram may prove to be as important in the future. Every day, millions of hotel guests share their opinions via OSMs. These comments, and a company’s responses to them can hugely affect a property’s bookings and guest spend during any given stay.

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