Social media can be a very valuable tool for building your brand and one of the best social media platforms for hotels is Facebook. This social network is a very effective method of building your brand online, as it allows you to create a community of interested followers and send out advertisements that are targeted to a particular audience.
So what are the best ways for hotel brands to use Facebook as they are growing their business? Here are some helpful tips for your social media marketing campaign:
Add In a Hotel Booking App
If your customer has found your hotel on Facebook and is interested in booking with you, why not allow them to make the booking right there and then? The technology exists to add a booking option right within the Facebook page via a tab. For example, you could use a website resizer app in order to add your hotel website’s reservation page right within a tab on Facebook. This will allow your customers to book their stay at your hotel without having to leave Facebook.
Fans Are About Quality Not Quantity
It is less important to get thousands of fans and it is more important to build up a network of Facebook fans that are interested in what you have to offer. You want your audience to be engaged so that when you make a post or share something it will be more likely to be shared and commented on. Take your time and build up your fans in a natural and organic way, so that you can be sure that they are all real people who might possibly book at your hotel.
Don’t Be Spammy
If you are only using Facebook to bombard your customers with promotional material, people will “hide” your updates from their newsfeed. Your customers don’t want to be sold to when they are on Facebook, they want to see interesting and entertaining content. Because Facebook is an indirect marketing tool, your goal is to build a brand and establish relationships rather than constantly sending out self-promotional content. Around 20% or less of your content should be self-promotional, so don’t spend all of your time talking about yourself.
Add an Album of Images
Your Facebook page allows you to create an album and add images, so why not use this feature to show off the best features of your hotel? You can upload photos that show off your rooms, your swimming pool, your lobby, your restaurant, your lounge area and even some shots of the surrounding area. Your customers can scroll through these images and get a sense of what they can expect when they stay at your hotel.
Share Location-Specific Info
Provide your Facebook fans with interesting information about events and attractions in the local area where your hotel is situated. For example, if there is a fantastic concert or an exciting festival coming to town, you can share a link with information on your hotel Facebook page. This gives your followers a great idea of what to do on their next travel adventure and when they are booking their accommodation they are more likely to look to you first.
Engage With Your Customers
One of the great benefits of using Facebook is that it is designed to facilitate interaction. You can post statuses that ask questions of your followers and they can easily answer. Take the time to work on this engagement, because it really helps to build your brand in a positive way. For example, you can encourage your customers to give you feedback and you can address their concerns. This is not only positive for the relationship with that specific customer, but it shows anyone reading the Facebook page that you are open to criticism and are willing to go the extra mile to make the experience as good as possible for your guests.
These are just a few of the ways that you can use Facebook to build your hotel brand and improve your Online Marketing. If you are not using this powerful social media platform to its full potential, you might be missing out on a lot of valuable marketing opportunities. Take the time to build an attractive Facebook page with the important info about your hotel and plenty of beautiful photos, then start engaging within the community!