The whole matter of promoting your product is in the hands of the social media platforms that are relevant to your business and a big part of that is delivered by the social proof phenomenon. The power shift is not just monumental, it is completely out of the hands of the business as far as directing promotion strategies are concerned. Businesses now are forced to focus on the products and services they offer and the value perception they bring to the customer which hopefully will translate to better revenues and therefore a healthy ROI on promotions that are carried out through social media communication engines. READ MORE

The first step to social success is figuring out where to be, and even more importantly, why. Social media can be overwhelming at first. There are many different platforms organizations can use to deliver their message to the public. From Facebook to Twitter, Instagram to Pinterest, professional networks such as LinkedIn to video-orientated channels such Periscope, Vine, and YouTube - there are endless opportunities out there for businesses to interact with their consumers (and that is without diving into extremely specific niche oriented channels). READ MORE

In the past six years, social media has exploded on the hotel scene, creating an opportunity for many hoteliers to not only engage guests, but measure effectiveness. When Twitter became a household name in 2009, most business owners thought social media was a fad and hotels didn't take it seriously as a platform to communicate with guests. Since then, social media continues to evolve and new networks are introduced that affect the way we deliver news, communicate with guests, promote specials, and manage critics. Learn what is new, how you might incorporate it, and the opportunity you have to measure effectiveness. READ MORE

As the use of social media becomes more pervasive, its impact on businesses becomes more significant. Digital conversations about your hotel are taking place all the time, and if you're not engaging in that dialogue, it's a huge missed opportunity to strengthen your relationship with consumers. By taking advantage of social media interactions, you learn more about your customers and their experiences with your company. Furthermore, you can leverage that information to enhance your operations, create new sources of value for your guests, and influence perceptions about your brand in the global marketplace—ultimately increasing your bottom line. READ MORE

More and more guests post reviews online, tweet about their experience or post photos about their idyllic holiday getaways. This trend is gaining considerable momentum and many potential hotel guests place a lot of importance on these online opinions and will often make their decisions on which hotel to book based on these recommendations. Hotels can see this as an opportunity to boost their online presence, their brand awareness and grow their online community of fans. What tools can hotels use to encourage guests to post positive online reviews, tweets and photos? How can they increase customer loyalty and see their guests as their best marketers? READ MORE