Why Social Media Should be at the Top of Your To-Do List
I am a strong believer that social media is an effective way for hotel marketers to reach and engage with online travel shoppers. The typical traveler uses on average 2 dozen touch points to research their hotel choices and there is no doubt in my mind that a handful of these sites will be social media websites.
Since travelers typically consult multiple sources before making a hotel booking, hotels need to have a broad presence
-> 50% of travel companies have said direct bookings have been generated from social media
If social media is influencing direct bookings, it is likely an influencing factor in indirect bookings as well. Travel shoppers are basing their final decisions on the experiences they had on ALL of the sites they used during the planning process.
-> 52% of travelers have changed their plans after researching their trip on a social media site
-> 33% changed their hotel
-> 10% switched resorts
These findings are too strong to ignore. Social media needs to be near the top of your to-do list. But where do you begin? Facebook and Twitter are strong social networks for hotels to get involved with, as well as the popular site Pinterest. They have an extremely large user base and high interaction rates which is why they should be included in your social media strategy. The list goes on. But let’s look at these three for now.
For more information on how travelers are “going social” watch this VTV Virtual Roundtable where I moderate a dynamic discussion that explores social media for hotels from all sides of the story.
Watch now! Your Guests are Social. Are you?