Mr. Rauch

Social Media & PR

Content is King: How to Keep Your Hotel Social Media Fans Coming Back for More

By Robert Rauch, President, R. A. Rauch & Associates, Inc.

Co-authored by Junvi Ola, Principal, Hospitality Content Studio

Your hotel’s social media fans are a fickle bunch. Who can blame them? The growing number of social media sharing sites and the limitless content that changes by the second is a recipe for shorter-than-normal attention spans or what we call GADD (guest attention deficit disorder). Despite this, the potential is strong for your hotel property to enthrall even the most distracted social media user.

So, what’s the secret to battling through the clutter and keeping your hotel’s fans and guests excited to follow you? Just remember every top-rated marketer’s mantra: Content is king. Travel brands and companies are discovering that high-quality content is the key to any successful social marketing campaign.

One ultra-creative blog post or a string of fun Facebook updates is just a start. Committing to quality content that attracts travelers should happen with every Tweet, LinkedIn comment, Facebook update and blog post. We’ve come together as a hotel management consultant and travel copywriter to give you 11 simple tips to live by when posting anything to your hotel’s Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc. This guide will ensure that your hotel is engaging current followers, attracting new ones and keeping them all wanting more.

1. Stick with the top players

First things first. When it comes to your social media accounts, keep it simple. There’s no urgent need to be involved with every small niche social media site on the Web. Start with where the vast majority of social media users already live, such as Facebook (more than 800 million users), Twitter (more 200 million users), and LinkedIn (to mingle and network with meeting planners). Then once you’re adept in those spaces, add Google+, a blog, Foursquare and YouTube (if you want to start sharing videos). Tools like Hootsuite allow you post to most of these sites from one simple dashboard.

2. Hand Out Eye Candy

You’ve heard it before... A picture speaks a thousand words. Social media users’ eyes are more drawn to photos than text. Not to mention that a single breathtaking image can excite a traveler in seconds. Use that to your hotel’s advantage. Instead of promising each of your hotel rooms has either mountain or city views, run up to one room, take a picture during sunset, and post it with a no-frills comment, such as ‘As seen from Room #308’. You’ve just done two things: fed into your followers’ wanderlust and gave them a tip to remember next time they stay at your hotel. Before you post anything, ask yourself: Instead of writing this post, can I replace it with a picture?

3. Keep it Interesting

The most mundane thing a hotel can post as a social media update? It’s another great day here in . Happy Tuesday! C’mon. There’s more to your destination than just commenting on the weather. Talk about upcoming events, a nearby attraction, a new cocktail at the bar, ask your followers a question, post a photo of an event at your property or in your neighborhood, post a video of the surfers outside or give travel tips.

4. Change it Up

If ‘Content is King,’ then variety is his queen. Make it a rule to not post the same subject or the same type of post twice in a row. Imagine you are at a cocktail party. You wouldn’t keep talking about the same thing over and over, would you? To streamline this process, create a weekly calendar. For example: Friday – talk about 2 exciting weekend events, Saturday – post a picture of something worthwhile at the hotel (food, new spa products, chef preparing that night’s special), Sunday – ask a question, etc. Your followers will see you as a consistent source of interesting and enticing content.

5. Listen before you speak

Start viewing social media not only as a place to sound off, but to monitor and listen. Make sure that your hotel is following the social media accounts of your city’s major attractions, your competition, businesses around your hotel and influencers in your market. How else would you know what is going on around you? Plus, their updates are fodder for your own future posts. Is your zoo announcing a the birth of a new animal? Comment on the zoo’s post, then send the news to your hotel’s followers. Is a local tour company offering an exciting new wine tour in your city? Make sure to tell your followers about it, too. Seeing what others are posting is a surefire way to jumpstart your own creativity when deciding what to talk about that week.

6. Go Behind-The-Scenes

Think of your Facebook followers as hotel ‘insiders’ or a secret society. Give them info that no other guest would get just by simply going to your Web site. Take a picture of the chef preparing that night’s special, take a video of your GM giving his dining recommendations, give them a heads up before a big promo is announced. This will validate their reason for following you in the first place.

7. Engage

This is a MUST for any business in hospitality, but most especially hotels. Just as you would start a conversation with a guest while passing them in the lobby, engage your online ‘guests’, as well. People love offering their opinion, so let them! Just one tip – stay away from bland questions like, ‘how’s your day going so far?’ Give them a worthwhile topic to sound off on. For example: What’s your favorite minibar item? Do you like firm or soft pillows when you sleep at a hotel? Take engagement up a notch by allowing your social media fans to become a driving force in your decisions at the hotel, even the small ones. Thinking about revamping your breakfast menu? Ask your followers which items should stay, and which should go. Changing up the look of your lobby? Poll your followers on what colors they’d like to see there. (Added bonus: Whenever a follower comments on one of your posts, it shows up to all of their friends... which means you just multiplied your viewership of that post.)

8. Follow, then trump, your competition

If you follow anyone via Facebook and Twitter, make sure that it’s your hotel comp set. Most likely they already have their own social media person in place who is updating their pages. Do their social media posts bore you? Then, most likely they’re putting their own fans to sleep, too. Learn from it and don’t repeat their mistakes. On the other hand, are most of their fans responsive to the hotel’s pictures of food from their restaurant or commenting profusely whenever the hotel asks a question? Then, you should consider employing these strategies to your own mix throughout the month.

9. Get real

People relate to other people, not brands. So make sure that your social media posts exude personality and don’t sound scripted or full of marketing-jargon that is stolen off of your hotel brochure. Keep your language upbeat and casual, almost as if you were talking to a friend. We’ve found that this is one of the hardest things for hotel social media admins to do. Perhaps those hotel managers are requiring that each post follow brand standards, or the social media team is nervous to be anything less than professional. If so, then loosen up the reins on your social media team and provide them with a guidebook that does not require them to stick to rigid marketing messages. Trust us; your social media fans will love you for it.

10. Don’t be Self-Centered

It’s NOT all about your hotel. Your guests stay with you to enjoy a place, not just stay holed up in their room or eating from your in-house restaurant. However, a majority of hotels that we researched on Facebook dominated their pages with self-promotion. Too bad for them. Instead, you should talk about the new cafe opening up down the block, encourage them to watch a play at the city’s major theatre, or rent a bike to tour the area. And if a fan asks you for suggestions on what to see, eat, do, while they’re staying at your property, under no circumstances should you only suggest your own in-house offerings. It’s self-serving and to your followers, you will appear as a useless and biased source. Always be useful to your audience.

11. Be the Expert

And by that we mean, a destination expert. Nowadays, travelers are turning to social media to research dining, activities, and tips before their trips. So, you better be prepared to answer them. Or even better, beat them to the punch. As we mentioned in #10, a good amount of your posts should be about your destination, NOT your hotel. So post regularly with travel tips to your city, what’s new at the major attractions, fun ways to experience the area, or secrets to saving money while they’re visiting. If a follower asks you for a good Italian restaurant in the area, name a few within walking distance or a short cab away, and add a short, personal anecdote about each one. Your followers will see you as an in-the-know local and a trusted source.

While it’s smart to offer discounts and deals via social media to jumpstart your following from time to time, you shouldn’t post these too often. Instead, your daily strategy should be to provide compelling content that stimulates more interest. This, coupled with “wow” customer service that creates positive reviews is what will help you build and retain your reputation. And there is nothing wrong with contests to keep it fun and engaging! Enjoy…the returns will be bountiful!

This article was co-authored by Junvi Ola. Ms. Ola is an engaging social media and evocative copywriting expert for the travel and tourism industry. She has several years of destination marketing experience, plus a decade of creating content for print, TV, radio and the Web. She’s the principal of Hospitality Content Studio, which produces riveting content that entices travelers for hotels, restaurants and hospitality organizations.

Robert Rauch serves as President of R. A. Rauch & Associates, Inc., the firm that manages the Homewood Suites by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn in Del Mar, CA as well as El Cordova Hotel in Coronado, CA, Pantai Inn in La Jolla, CA and others. He also serves as General Partner in Del Mar Hotels, Inc., the firm that developed and owns the above Hilton franchises. Mr. Rauch's education qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in Hotel Administration from Western International University and a master’s degree in Tourism Administration from Arizona State University. Mr. Rauch sits on the board of directors of the San Diego Tourism Marketing District and has served as Chairman or President of several tourism organizations nationally, regionally and in San Diego. Mr. Rauch can be contacted at 858-720-9500 or rauch@hotelguru.com Extended Bio...

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