The Little Known Hotel Social Media Strategy You Should Try

Looking for an inexpensive and effective way to promote your hotel? Having a hotel social media strategy works wonders—when you do it right.

Hotels have two kinds of guests: new guests and returning guests. As a business that relies on a steady stream of bookings, your marketing strategy has to reach both of them. That’s good news for your hotel. Social media marketing can connect you to your guests with minimal extra effort on your part.

There are certain things most of us expect in a hotel: a bed, a shower, perhaps a pool, a small restaurant or bar, and a place to call home for a few days. People book hotel rooms so they have somewhere to stay while they do something else. That’s why the right marketing and social media strategy is so important. You have to stand out among all the other hotels. Why do guests choose to stay with you rather than that cheaper place down the road? Or the one with more amenities?

Some hotel social media feeds don’t answer that question very well. When post after post is a version of “look at me,” it’s hard to stand out. Look up hotels in any city and their Twitter feed is full of pictures of guest rooms, skyline views from guest rooms, and food at the in-house restaurant. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course. You do need to show your wares so people know what you have to offer. But that only gets you so far.

Are you sharing all the social media action at your hotel? Keep your guests in the know with a social media wall in your lobby. Our Social Media Digital Signage are designed specifically for this.

Embrace a hotel social media strategy that will fill your rooms.

As a hotel, you are one of the most important ambassadors for your locale. When your guests want to know what to do, where to go, and how to get there, you’re the live, in person version of Google. The better job you do as an ambassador, the more trust guests (past and future) put in you to have their best interest at heart. One of the places you can do that is on your social media timeline. How?

1. Share the love

When it comes to attracting guests, one of the best things you can do is promote other businesses. The Westin St. Francis in downtown San Francisco is a perfect example of this approach. Nestled among the promotional Tweets are plenty of retweets and reposts from Instagram that highlight the city of San Francisco. They frequently share information from the San Francisco Travel Association, Only in SF, tag the San Francisco Botanical Garden, the Fisherman’s Wharf historic waterfront district, and they share stories that highlight other local businesses.

Why it works: Remember, your guests are probably not visiting just so they can sit in a hotel room, no matter how nice it is. They want to get out and explore. Show them how, and you’ll be a trusted source of information and top of the list for places to stay. As a bonus for shy guests, or those who may not know what to ask you, send your Tweets and Instagram posts to the social walls in your lobby, at the breakfast buffet, or by the elevators.

2. Know your audience

This is key to any marketing strategy, whether you run a small B&B or a resort hotel. Social media is one place you can reliably reach your audience. As hotels go, The Dean Hotel, in Providence, RI, has a unique Twitter and Instagram timeline full of stylized photos. Many of the images are in black and white, resulting in an artsy, film noir vibe.

Additionally, they use the hashtag #explorewiththedean for their posts that highlight interesting sights around the city and state. The hashtag has more than 2,600 posts on Instagram, most of which are fabulously creative and exciting images from both The Dean and their fans.

Why it works: A comment to one of their posts sums it up nicely. “I love your feed! I’ve got to stay at The Dean hotel next time I go to RI.”

3. Use hashtags (but not too much)

Hashtags work to categorize your social media feed, just don’t use too many. And be specific. No one is going to look at a Tweet with #hotel #sleep #breakfast #vacation #travel #spa, and on and on and on. Too many hashtags look like a bad marketing post, especially if you use generic hashtags like these.

For hashtags to work, you have to be strategic and specific. Two or three hashtags is plenty for Twitter. You can use more on Instagram, usually as a comment to your original post. That comes off as less sales-y, particularly if you use some unique or interesting hashtags. Always include your location, so travelers can find you when they look for your city. What else?

The Atlantis, on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, certainly has the advantage of location. That doesn’t stop them (or you!) from using hashtags like #lighthouse #lonelyplanet #passionpassport #welltraveled or #travelmore to attract vacationers looking for an adventure. Their stunning photographs don’t hurt either.

Why it works: Vacationers are looking for something special. They want to experience a week of #vacationlife. They want to know where #desmoineseats. They’re interested in #chicagoart and #grandcanyonhiking. Give your guests what they want.

Now, go create your hotel’s social media strategy.

Using these three items as a base for a hotel social media strategy can do wonders, but it can’t be just these three things. You need to continue to research and focus on what works for your hotel, and get rid of the ideas that don’t. You need to keep iterating, and know that not everything others do will work for you.

Have you already tried some ideas? If so, let us know on Twitter—we’re @everwall.