SOCIAL MEDIA: A COMMUNICATION UNIVERSE
SOCIAL MEDIA: A COMMUNICATION UNIVERSE
I think that this picture perfectly sums up the communication universe that is social media. I
understand this picture as the following: people communicate and talk about social media a lot, and they also rely on it for basically everything. This is why we can talk about "communication universe". No matter what the topic is, social media are everywhere.
How many ways, and through which platforms, can social media reach/influence a hotel's individuals guests?
It is clear enough that social media have reached the hospitality industry and influence customers' decisions a lot since they rely more and more on it and especially on their mobiles. Therefore, it is more than essential for hotels to update their news and try to keep up by following the trends.
understand this picture as the following: people communicate and talk about social media a lot, and they also rely on it for basically everything. This is why we can talk about "communication universe". No matter what the topic is, social media are everywhere.
How many ways, and through which platforms, can social media reach/influence a hotel's individuals guests?
It is clear enough that social media have reached the hospitality industry and influence customers' decisions a lot since they rely more and more on it and especially on their mobiles. Therefore, it is more than essential for hotels to update their news and try to keep up by following the trends.
I would say that there are 4 main ways to reach a hotel's guest:
- Promotions and games: the hotel could organize some games through social media to encourage people who like/follow the page to participate and possibly win a stay in that same hotel. (could be through Instagram with pictures games, Facebook with quizzes, etc.)
- Frequent updates: with pictures, e-mail targeting, etc. to make sure that people remember it.
- Loyal customers: these are the best promoters of a brand. Indeed, influencers and repeat guests, people will share their pictures and their experiences through social media or OTAs and we know that today, people rely a lot on others' experiences and opinions.
- The content of the publications/posts: for this point, it is important to pay attention to the content of what is posted.
For a hotel, I would say that Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, TripAdvisor, and Instagram are the most important social media that need to be developed. Pinterest might be a good option as well because people are using it more and more and it is very funny and easy to use.
SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY CRUCIAL PART OF DRIVING HOTEL REVENUE
At which phases of the customer decision journey is social media communication most influential?
After reading this article, I would say that social media influence the customer decision journey at the beginning and in the middle of the booking journey, representing 45% for each phase. I believe that social media contribute to creating consideration for guests and in creating awareness, and these two facts are crucial when it comes to customer decision journey because this will help to create an audience.
These two facts happen mainly because people are more and more active on social media, no matter where they are. Awareness can rise through social media because of the ads that are being generated. People might have never heard of a brand/campaign and it appears on their feeds; this can influence users and invite them to go to the website page. Moreover, potential customers can discover the opportunities that a hotel/company has to offer through social media which can create consideration and be a great opportunity for a company to share pictures and information. By adding even more elements such as the "book now" button or the phone number, this might even increase the sales and boost the reputation of an establishment. That is why it is so important to develop social media pages. I think that all the elements above can result in a mobile user becoming a purchaser of a brand. Also, a company can never forget that happy guests/loyal guests are the one who will generate more and more sales because they are the real promoters of a brand by sharing their experiences.
After reading this article, I would say that social media influence the customer decision journey at the beginning and in the middle of the booking journey, representing 45% for each phase. I believe that social media contribute to creating consideration for guests and in creating awareness, and these two facts are crucial when it comes to customer decision journey because this will help to create an audience.
These two facts happen mainly because people are more and more active on social media, no matter where they are. Awareness can rise through social media because of the ads that are being generated. People might have never heard of a brand/campaign and it appears on their feeds; this can influence users and invite them to go to the website page. Moreover, potential customers can discover the opportunities that a hotel/company has to offer through social media which can create consideration and be a great opportunity for a company to share pictures and information. By adding even more elements such as the "book now" button or the phone number, this might even increase the sales and boost the reputation of an establishment. That is why it is so important to develop social media pages. I think that all the elements above can result in a mobile user becoming a purchaser of a brand. Also, a company can never forget that happy guests/loyal guests are the one who will generate more and more sales because they are the real promoters of a brand by sharing their experiences.
HOTEL PENHA LONGA RESORT, SINTRA, PORTUGAL
I have decided to talk about the hotel I worked in for my last internship which is the Penha Longa Resort located in Sintra. I have chosen Facebook and Instagram which are the most updated social media.
On the screenshots above, we automatically see the "book now" button which is great for mobile users. Also, we can send a message directly through Messenger which is very good. We also have a direct access to the phone number, the location, the website and the opinions of previous guests. All of these elements are necessary and need to be easily found by users. The hotel pays a lot of attention to this social media and the page is regularly updated.
On the other hand, the hotel has a strong presence on Instagram as well even though it is not possible to book directly through the Instagram page. Nevertheless, there is a "Call" button which directly dials the phone number of the hotel.
I think the Facebook page could offer more publications with the 360° pictures/video experience inside and outside of the hotel to show the facilities and catch people's eyes.
I would probably recommend trying to get more followers on Instagram because 3,335 is not much in the hospitality industry. To achieve that, they could share more pictures of the region so that it affects more local people and tourists. Also, it is necessary to have a booking engine on all social media but there is none on Instagram. Finally, and in order to be more visible, they should think of having some partnerships with influencers from some countries to help promote the hotel. Portugal is becoming more and more famous, luxury hotels are simply gorgeous and offer great service so the Penha Longa has a lot of competitors; Influencers could definitely help potential customers in making a decision.
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