Mr. McKean

Social Media & PR

Building Your Brand on Facebook - Part Three in a Five-part Series “A Hotelier’s Guide to Social Media Marketing”

By Michael McKean, CEO, The Knowland Group

By now, most hoteliers know that Facebook is not just a place for college kids to post pictures from last night’s party. Today the social networking giant has been wholly embraced by everyone from young professionals to politicians and corporate CEOs to soccer moms. Its appeal as a marketing tool is obvious: With more than 500 million users from across the world, Facebook offers businesses the chance to instantly communicate with one of the largest and most diverse communities in existence. Best of all, this opportunity is available to any business, anywhere, free of charge.

Hotels need to take the time to build a meaningful presence on Facebook. This does not mean simply creating a fan page, adding a link to your web site, and checking back every couple of weeks or so. It does mean growing a loyal base of followers. Offering exclusive content. Throwing in a little personality. Adding value. Successful Facebook pages are a great way to start a conversation about your property and build your brand.

Attracting and keeping a fan base

The only sure way to build a large and loyal following on Facebook is to continually provide interesting content. This can take the form of a photo, a video, an insightful article, or a simple status update. The great thing about a hotel is there is always something new going on, so there’s never a shortage of content to share. Here are a few tips to keep people coming back:

Treat your hotel’s page like you would your own.

A simple rule to follow when posting to your hotel’s Facebook page is to treat it the same way as posting to your personal page. That means keeping it short, and making it engaging and clickable. Be witty. Say something unique. Be the first to share an interesting article or tip. One way or another, you’ve got to give people a reason to be interested in what you’re posting, and you’ve only got a limited time to do it.

Be visual

One of the quickest ways to attract someone’s attention is with a photo. Whether they’re of friends or strangers, familiar places or faraway locations, people love looking at pictures. Luckily hotels are stocked full of great photo ops. Take one of your gourmet chef’s latest delicious creations. Or of a pair of smiling guests holding the hard-to-find tickets your concierge got for them. Or of your staff volunteering at a local food bank. Don’t forget about videos either! Post a clip of a powerful speaker at a recent conference, or an interview with your general manager about some great new amenities you are offering. Anytime you can break up the text with something visual it makes your page that much more appealing to visitors.

Make fans feel in the know.

Everybody loves to feel like they have the inside scoop. Facebook gives hotels the chance to give fans a behind the scenes look, as well as access to exclusive discounts or giveaways. When you offer people the chance at social capital, it gives them incentive to become your fan. The key is making it exclusive so people will see the benefit of liking your page.

Give people a chance to join the conversation – and reward them for doing so.

Nobody appreciates a business who won’t let them get a word in, whether they’re talking in person, on the phone, or on Facebook. As soon as you start getting a few fans, give them the opportunity to share their thoughts and you’ll be rewarded, both with valuable feedback and more fans. Ask to hear their ideas on something new that’s happening at your hotel, or about their recent experiences at your property. The best is when you can come up with a unique idea that ties into something timely and lets you show off some aspect of your hotel.

Take the Estrel Berlin’s recent Christmas campaign on Facebook. They asked people to post their favorite Christmas cookie recipes and the winner received a package of those cookies, personally baked by the hotel’s chef. What a great idea that not only showcases the hotel’s culinary skills, but also ties in with a favorite Christmas tradition. Baking cookies is a simple gesture that costs the Estrel Berlin almost nothing, but with Facebook it can go a long way in attracting attention and boosting their brand!

Finding the right look

Making your hotel’s page stand out amongst thousands of other hotel pages can seem a daunting task. Facebook’s basic page setup does not always allow for much personalization. But there are ways to leave your mark, especially if you’re willing to get a little creative.

The picture that really is worth a thousand words

It starts, of course, with your profile picture. This image is your first chance to catch someone’s attention and interest them in your property. Most hotels use an exterior shot, and this can be a good choice if your hotel has a unique or eye-catching design. It doesn’t work so well if the photo comes off looking the same as a hundred other hotels. A better option is to choose an image that really says something about your specific property.

Does your hotel have an elegant lobby you want to showcase? The Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok puts theirs on display. What about a stunning view? The Vero Beach Hotel & Spa uses their profile pic to show off their gorgeous oceanside pool. The Jupiter Hotel gets creative by adding a fun paint splash logo to a picture of one of their rooms, complete with a ceiling-to-floor mural of Marilyn Monroe. Whatever you choose, make sure it gives a glimpse into your hotel’s personality.

Personalize your page

The nice thing about newer versions of Facebook is they allow you to create your own customized tabs. This is a great way to adapt your Facebook page to your brand, instead of the other way around. First you create a new tab and design the page from scratch, including photos, testimonials, links to your other social media, and anything else you can come up with. Then you make that tab your landing page on Facebook, so visitors will be directed to these branding materials first.

The Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego is one example of a hotel making great use of customized tabs. Their landing page is full of photos and information about their dining options, packages, activities, meeting space, and spa. They also have a tab devoted to profiling each type of room they have available and one with their current special offers. The design of each tab is inviting and gives visitors a feel for the hotel’s ambiance.

It’s not enough anymore for your hotel to simply have a Facebook page. In order to get and keep the interest of a growing fan base, you have to continually present them with great content that attracts visitors and builds your brand. A small daily commitment to making your page great will be well worth the investment.

Look for part four in our social media series, “YouTube: A Digital Window into your Hotel.”

Michael McKean founded the Knowland Group in 2004. He is directly responsible for the company's strategic planning, operations management and product development. His background in designing and implementing enterprise sized information systems has given him a wealth of knowledge that has served him well as the lead visionary behind the Knowland Group. Mr. McKean graduated from the University of Colorado and has taken graduate level courses in information systems. He is an active member in the Washington, DC chapter of the Entrepreneur's Organization. Mr. McKean can be contacted at 302-645-9777 Ext: 204 or MMcKean@KnowlandGroup.com Extended Bio...

HotelExecutive.com retains the copyright to the articles published in the Hotel Business Review. Articles cannot be republished without prior written consent by HotelExecutive.com.