It is understandable that one of the hardest-hit during the pandemic has been the hospitality industry. With all of the uncertainty regarding travel because of the “new normal.” A lot of these hotels have to adjust protocols when it comes to hygiene and safety.
Along with changes within business operations, there are also definite differences seen in marketing hospitality establishments. Travel spots, hotels, bed and breakfasts, and dining locations are ramping up their marketing activities to entice people to go out and consider the services they have to offer.
Many restaurant and hotels have turned to their social media pages and creating a new buzz with sponsored posts to engage users. If you are in the hospitality industry, the wisest thing to do at present is to jump on the bandwagon and start on effective social media strategies.
Here are some marketing trends you should adapt to your social media accounts:
Email repeat customers for a testimonial: Many satisfied customers will be happy to leave a testimonial on your Facebook page or website. You can ask for such reviews to boost credibility and encourage potential new guests!
Encouraging hashtag use: It can be helpful to have a branded hashtag and encourage customers to place the specific hashtag when they visit your establishment. If they take a picture of staying in your restaurant, hotel, BnB, or any other hospitality setting, you can access the hashtag and see your customer’s posts. You can encourage this by creating cards or posters that promote hashtag use.
Use of the proper hashtags: Whoever is maintaining your social media should know how to properly add hashtags to your business posts! For example, if your hotel is located in Miami, it would be wise to use hashtags that correspond with this. Examples of this are: #MiamiHotel #VisitMiami #TravelMiami #Miami, etc. This allows for users to follow hashtags and show your business posts when they do so.
Tag, Share, Follow: Contests are a great way to start a buzz on your social media page. Giveaways are the best to really spark engagement. Perhaps give away a service or perhaps co-promote with a local business or brand and have them donate a service or product for your promotion.