Social media has become an essential component of every business’s digital marketing toolbox. Used effectively, it’s one of the best tools at your disposal for generating buzz around your resort, promoting guest engagement and driving bookings.
If your social media campaigns are falling flat, it’s usually down to a lack of ‘know-how’ or a lack of resources (or both) Here are six tips to get you back on track.
Be Consistent Across All Platforms
Use the same logo and profile photo across all your social media channels, and if you’re running a campaign on Facebook, stick with the same campaign theme on your other social platforms too. Keeping your branding consistent ensures your resort is instantly identifiable by your guests and removes any confusion that could discourage new followers.
Take Advantage of Hyperlinks
Most social platforms allow you to insert hyperlinks to your website from your profile pages. Take advantage of these opportunities - on your Google+ Profile, on Twitter, Facebook and the YouTube description box - to drive traffic to your web properties and promote bookings
Don’t forget, all these quality inbound links from different sources will boost your SEO campaign too.
Follow Back
Just gained a new Twitter follower? Check that they’re a “real” person (as opposed to a spammer or “bot”), and then follow them back. This isn’t just a polite gesture – it also gives you a valuable chance to listen in to what you followers and potential guests are saying. On Twitter, following back also enables direct messaging to take place between you and your followers, and this can serve as an important channel for inquiries and customer service issues.
Measure, Analyse and Adjust
Use analytics to measure the efficacy of your social media campaigns, paying attention to the type of content, content format and posting times that generate the highest engagement and traffic rates. The patterns you identify will help you plan more effective future campaigns.
Respond Promptly
Perhaps more than with any other customer service channel, social media users expect almost instant responses to their queries. Listen carefully to what your guests are saying and get back to them promptly – within a few hours wherever possible.
Cross-Promote Your Platforms
Although your primary aim is to engage with guests, now and again it’s fine to draw attention to your other social platforms too. Remind your followers and fans that you have a social media presence elsewhere and don’t be afraid to cross-promote campaigns, contests and special offers you’re running on a particular social network across all your channels.
Are you making the most of your resort’s social media presence? Let us know in the comments below.
