Social Media Isn’t Killing My Attention Span … Boring Content Is!

by March 31, 2014 10:13 am Neuigkeiten

This is a guest article by Margaret Ady, Marketing Director TrustYou written for Opensmjle. The original content can be found here

I have a short attention span. There is plenty of research that blames social media for this. Sure, social may play a role, but I’m not about to place all the blame there. The real problem is that there is a flood of boring and often irrelevant content out there. And, with a growing email inbox, a full schedule of meetings and sunny spring weather beckoning me to come outside, I don’t have the time or patience to read through boring content.

Nothing exacerbates my distaste for dull content more than logging in to [Insert The Name Of Any Social Media Platform Here] and seeing business upon business trying to sell to me using the same tired marketing messaging, deals, and corporate jargon. B-O-R-I-N-G.

I understand that it’s difficult to stand out in such an over-saturated marketplace, but it is a necessity. Some hotels are getting it right. Check out these five examples of hotel social media done right.

Feeling uninspired on social media? Check out what these hotels are up to - 5 Inspiring Examples of Hotel Social Media

1. Approachable Management

Hotel Monaco Portland on Facebook

 

Talk about charming management. The Hotel Monaco Portland posted this image of their General Manager on their Facebook page for Easter. He doesn’t seem stiff at all. In fact, as a prospective guest, he looks so friendly that he’ll definitely say ”hello” at some point during your stay.

2. Genuine Interaction

The Colonnade Hotel Boston | Twitter

 

The Colonnade Hotel in Boston has a very active Twitter presence. Most of their success isn’t about the volume of followers they have (2.700 or so) but, rather, how they regularly interact with guests online. This is one snippet of many.

3. Neighborhood Concierge on Pinterest

Trump Hotels_Pinterest Board_Out and About in Soho

 

Trump Hotels uses Pinterest in a very clever way, acting as a neighborhood concierge, fully equipped with a pin board that shows off all the cool places that are worth checking out in SoHo. The board already has gathered more than 700 followers and is a great way to give travelers an insider view of where to visit while in town.

opensmjle hint: If you would like to learn more about Pinterest Place Pins here our related blog post Why Hotels & Restaurants Should Start Using Pinterest – TODAY

4. Great Storytelling

The Pfister Hotel | Artist in Residence
The Pfister Hotel | Artist in Residence 2
The Pfister Hotel | Artist in Residence 3

The Pfister Hotel is using social media well, but in most ways, there’s nothing particularly unique about it. What is different is the way they are making sense of their story and using social media to do it. The Pfister has an Artist-in-Residence (AIR) program, which in and of itself isn’t anything new. However, instead of treating the program as a side project, The Pfister has turned the program into a powerful branding tool, allowing it to tell several different stories. First, it tells the story of the Pfister, which has the largest Victorian art collection of any hotel in the world. Second, it connects the hotel to the larger community/destination. The Pfister effectively markets Milwaukee as an art destination. And finally, it tells a story about the guests.

The most recent artist is a writer who’s blogging about the people she meets in the lobby. The hotel is letting its guests do the talking for them. Brilliant! Best of all, The Pfister Hotel is blogging all of it. It’s the mainstay of their social media marketing. First to the blog, then to all the social media outlets. It really does only take one focused, branded effort to pull it all together for guests.

5. Showing Off The Destination (From A Traveler’s Perspective)

St. Kitts Marriott Resort and The Royal Beach Casino_Facebook

 

St. Kitts Marriott Resort & The Royal Beach Casino do a great job engaging with fans on Facebook. Most posts display beautiful pictures around the island, give recommendations about upcoming events and even show video testimonials from guests. Recently, a travel blogger who had booked one weekend at the resort started sharing her travel experiences in St. Kitts on their Facebook page, and the Resort took notice, sharing all the blogger’s details about the destination.

Daniel, opensmjle:
Nice examples Margaret not showing off the big players most people would expect, but really, what each hotel – even the small ones – could do and try. Now, the examples shown mainly do focus on Facebook, Twitter and one even shows a nice Pinterest example. Would you identify those networks as the main playgrounds for hospitality social media marketing?

Margaret, TrustYou:
Thanks, Daniel. I think it is important to show that with a little flair and creativity, every hotel, not just the big chains can be successful on social media. The examples in this article do indeed show great usage of Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. While those platforms are some of the larger social networks, I would certainly not limit hotels to only those three. It is really up to each individual hotel/brand to determine which platforms fit best with their demographics and social media goals.

Daniel, opensmjle:
What about platforms such as Instagram or Vine? Did you see some nice example yet on where hotels use those in a great way? Should hotels try those portals as well? What would be your recommendation?

Margaret, TrustYou:
Photos and videos have historically worked well on social platforms, so I think that Instagram and Vine offer particularly fun opportunities for hotels. Some hotels are already doing a great job of embracing those platforms, and I would encourage more hotels to test them out. Two of my favorite examples of hotels doing a great job on Instagram and Vine are 1888 Hotel in Sydney (Instagram) and The Cavendish London (Vine). 1888 Hotel features lobby screens displaying guest Instagram images of the hotel, a dedicated spot for snapping selfies, and Insta-Walk maps directing visitors to picture-worthy nearby sites. Guests who take a great Instagram shot can win a free night at the hotel. The Cavendish London is extremely active on many social networks, but I was particularly impressed with their Vine contest last Valentine’s Day, in which travelers were encouraged to submit a Valentine Vine, with the most romantic video winning an overnight stay at the hotel.

Über TrustYou
TrustYou’s Mission is to positively influence travelers’ decisions. We know that customers digest and leverage lots of opinions to make good choices, and we are passionate about better travel, tourism and hospitality experiences. Since 2008, TrustYou has set the standard for big data and online reputation management with solutions for hotels, restaurants, destinations and intermediaries to analyze online reviews, tweets and posts across the social web, to gather trusted reviews directly from its customers, and to use the authentic conversations to successfully market online reputations.

To learn more, visit www.trustyou.com.

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