Much has been written lately about opportunities to generate new customer relationships and ultimately, incremental revenue through social media. While most people agree that social media networks are indeed full of potential, little has been written about how hotel marketers can leverage this potential to their advantage. This is likely because social media networks are by design a medium where individuals can exchange ideas and create new connections with like-minded people. This does not necessarily include businesses wishing to influence members of these networks.
Don’t confuse editorial and advertising
Most social media sites have well-defined areas where advertisers can place their messages. The remainder of the site is hallowed ground where corporate influence is not welcome. Sites like TripAdvisor invite travelers to post reviews about their travel experiences, including hotel stays. While this does become an invitation for a hotel representative to respond to comments posted about a specific guest experience, when it pertains to the editorial section of the site it does not extend to making promotional postings, posting booking links on the site or using advertorials to influence social network member behavior. As is the case with television and radio, a line must be defined to separate advertising and editorial. News editors in traditional media have always been mindful that any attempt to influence their content by the advertising department will have a long lasting negative impact on their editorial integrity.
Beware of heavy-handedness
Social network sites are comprised of individuals in the spirit of a cooperative, and commercial influence will likely be viewed by members as inappropriate meddling that will undermine the integrity of the network. Case in point was the well-publicized exposé within the past year where it became known that certain hoteliers were posting favorable reviews about their own properties on TripAdvisor. Not only did TripAdvisor members react with disdain, but other more ethical hoteliers did as well. The credibility of the entire site was immediately put in jeopardy.
Presently, the opportunities to use social networks to influence purchasing behavior are limited. Social media networks are happy to have advertising income and in most cases have allocated space for this purpose. Any effort to go beyond the use of advertising space on social media sites will require a well-planned strategy. While there are no clearly defined rules about how businesses can participate in social media networks, members of those networks will be quick to point out any behavior that is perceived to be inappropriate influence. As a result, what was intended by the hotel marketer to create a positive impact may result in doing exactly the opposite.
As with all marketing, target your audience
While sites like Facebook arguably include a wide range of interests and purchasing power, the marketer that figures out how to target sub-sections of these large databases will be more successful than those that attempt to appeal to all members.
Before plowing head first into social media marketing, it is a good idea to understand the psychographic and demographic profile of each site that you intend to target. What is the goal for your marketing program? Which social media sites best match your customer profile? What is your budget and what type of return on investment do you expect? At the end of day, basic direct marketing principles apply as much to social media as they do to other channels; offer, audience and timing all have to be well-planned in order to create an effective campaign.
Recommendations
As social media network continue to attract more members and more attention from businesses looking to capitalize on their purchasing power, it is inevitable that more opportunities will present themselves to savvy marketers. For now, the best strategy is:
- stay vigilant about who is using each social media site
- monitor what if anything is being said about your hotel, and
- selectively advertise on social networks when cost-effective
About the author
Jon Pyle is the Principal at roommarketer, a hospitality marketing firm specializing in electronic distribution based in Torrance, California.
