Your Online Presence is Important

How important is social media to your business? In short, you can’t afford not to leverage its potential, as hospitality companies and social media work together to successfully drive guest engagement.

Here’s a look at boosting your online presence via various tools – and how they can help you increase reservations, customer satisfaction and return bookings:

Energize Your Web Site

  • Keep your web site fresh. There’s nothing worse that obsolete listings, calendars or other information. You might as well just take it down.
  • Provide a forum for visitor interaction. Offer useful tips, directions and promotions. Ask questions, drive conversations, and give people a reason to return.
  • Build strong links. This helps your site rank high in search engine optimization.
  • Track site traffic. This is critical as you plan future online activities.

The Value of Yelp

Yelp is a dominant force in social review sites, with more than 60 million registered users. To take your Yelp presence to the next level:

  • Read your competitors’ profiles. Look closest at those with 4+ star ratings and at those with ratings of 3 or lower. Note the differences between those who thrive on Yelp and those who falter.
  • Perfect your own profile. This includes complete, accurate listings of your property name, category and contact information. Use a high-quality photo. Complete the “About Your Business” section under Reviews.
  • Respond to guest reviews. These are the lifeblood of Yelp. Use negative reviews to improve your customer service experience.

The King of Social Media

While other platforms are gaining ground, Facebook remains the king of hotels and social media. Create a compelling, interactive Facebook experience by:

  • Connecting with the right apps. You can transform your property into a social media hotel by utilizing tools such as buuteeq’s free hotel app for Facebook, and Facebook Nearby, a local directory for smartphone users.
  • “Like” your guests’ comments. Join their conversations. When they feel their voice is being heard, they’re more likely to become regular visitors and recommend your hotel to others.

More Tools for Engagement

  • Google + is on the rise. With over 1 billion users, Google+ is starting to creap on Facebook. Create a Google+ brand page. Provide quality contact information and details about your hotel. Respond to reviews left on Google local pages.
  • Build audiences on Pinterest. A good strategy is to create followers and work with these platforms for a month or so before you begin sharing your own information. They can result in significant payoffs in terms of web site traffic and overall social media strength.
  • Encourage guests to “check in” on foursquare or Facebook. Claim your listing on the foursquare web site. Then you can edit it as you please – and it can be a great tool to encourage mobile travelers to choose your hotel, and share their location with friends and family.

So many social media, so little time … but well worth the investment if you choose your tools wisely and keep your current and future guests engaged and ready to book their next stay. As noted by industry expert and author Jay Baer, “social media creates kinship between companies and customers, and kinship equals purchase intent.”

Horizon Hospitality has developed a tremendous online and social media presence for attracting top talent for hospitality companies.  Members of our recruiting team are available 24/7 to help you help you land top-tier management, culinary and sales professionals for your company!

If you are looking for a hospitality recruitment firm, contact the experts at Horizon Hospitality today.

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